A Dream Come True

Alphabet Streets Resident Javon Frazier Reflects on His Career and His Company, Maestro Media

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Javon Frazier and his family recently decided to make Pacific Palisades home—and as part of his induction to the town, the media and entertainment space veteran shared his story with the Palisadian-Post and how it led to the launch of Maestro Media in 2014.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Frazier recalled his childhood dream of owning a “Spider-Man” comic. A dream that would manifest itself tenfold.

He attended the University of California, Berkeley, then NYU Stern School of Business to earn his MBA with an emphasis in marketing. After graduating, he had a stint in the music industry, then went on to work for Marvel out of its New York office.

“It was really fun to be there,” Frazier said to the Post. “I worked in every area of the business … from publishing to retail, television and theatrical … [It] was a fun place to really get me started off. I got a chance to meet Stan Lee, which was another childhood dream of mine.”

Frazier worked with Marvel from 2006 to 2014 and was a part of its transition from New York to LA. He assisted in the launch of Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk,” before taking on the role as marketing director for Marvel Games, where he launched Marvel’s first social game “Avengers Alliance” and Marvel/Disney’s “Marvel War of Heroes.”

“That was a fantastic experience of learning,” he said. “Being the head of marketing for video games allowed me to tie [in]… another passion of mine, which is video games and games.”

After Marvel, Frazier worked with Studio71, a media company for digital creators and brands. He served as the company’s chief product officer and president of the games divisions, where he spearheaded the launch of gaming franchises and brands, including “The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls and Half Truth.”

“I launched about 150 different influencer campaigns at Studio 71,” Frazier said. “T-shirts, we did a lipstick, we did a swimsuit line … Working with digital creators and making physical products really was the inflection point in my career.”

Frazier then went on to launch Maestro Media, a product and business development that “specializes in driving innovation and growth” in commerce, media and technology. Maestro Media has traversed into all areas of media and entertainment, including board games, video games, film and television publishing, and more.

“It’s the culmination of all the work and things that I’ve done over my career, honestly,” Frazier said about the launch of Maestro Media. “I fell in love with entertainment at a young age, I love music, I love comic books, I love video games. That was my life as a kid, and I’m sitting here now, and it really looks like the culmination of the journey or path I’ve been on my entire life … I’m very blessed and fortunate to be able to live out my dreams.”

Maestro Media works with creators and entrepreneurs to deliver specially curated experiences and products to consumers. Frazier said collaborating with creators is something he loves doing, and he is always trying to deliver something “amazing” to fans.

“I think the passion for our products shows,” he said.

Current and previous clients of Maestro Media include Adi Granov, Agnes Garbowska, Peach Momoko, Mark Brooks, JabberMask and Edmund McMillen, to name a few.

Speaking on his role as CEO and founder, Frazier said it was important to him to build a team—a team full of maestros.

“A maestro in a concert, you’re working with the top person,” he explained. “The idea is that we’re bringing the best of the best … to develop, to deliver the best experience for our fans, our partners, everyone that touches our brand.”

Frazier also explained that Maestro Media has an international and diverse team, ringing in talent from the Philippines, France, Canada and beyond. The result: a well-orchestrated crescendo.

“We’re globally diverse … I’m an African American CEO,” he said to the Post. “I’m a father of two daughters, so we’ve got a lot of gender diversity on the team as well. I think it’s important to have geographical, gender, racial diversity in a team because you’re serving a diverse community … It helps us to execute stronger.”

As CEO, Frazier said his focus is being the best leader for the team and pushing others to be the best versions of themselves.

“I want to be the best for them,” he said. “I think a big part of my job as CEO is spending … time [giving] back and [investing] in my team, who are here in an entrepreneurial setting because they believe in me and believe in the vision.”

And for young entrepreneurs trying to get into the space, Frazier said the ultimate driver is to lead with passion.

“I’ve always followed my passions,” he said. “I’ve always followed my dreams, and I had to put a bunch of work in to get there … I didn’t just read comic books and end up at Marvel. I had to go to undergrad and business school, and all that to get there, but I did follow my passion.”

Looking ahead, Frazier expressed his excitement to be working with game developer Steve Gabry, who created the game “Sally Face.” Maestro Media will be taking the video game and creating a tabletop experience.

The team is also in the process of working with Dan Klitsner, who created the Bop It in 1997, to create The Bop It Button in celebration of Bop It’s 25th anniversary.

“We’re super excited about that,” Frazier said.

Frazier said one of the best things about his work is being able to share each milestone and experience with his family: his wife, Erika, and two daughters, Chloe, 11, and Quinn, 6.

“The coolest thing is my oldest daughter, Chloe, she has made two games now,” Frazier said. “I think she’s going to be pushing me to publish pretty soon.”

Frazier said the family moved to the Palisades in January and have since taken advantage of all the activities around town—from the library to the Village, and all the meals and experiences to enjoy in between.

Even before making the move, Frazier said he would often visit The Bluffs to take in the views, clear his head and come up with new ideas.

“In my mind, this is our final stopping point,” the Alphabet Streets resident said. “This really has everything that we want here … I have never felt more welcome. We love it, we love exactly where we are.”

For more information on Maestro Media, visit maestromedia.com.