Rona Mercado of Concept Arts on Battling Cancer and Creating With Clarity of Purpose

Making an impact for brands and culture

Rona is chief growth officer for Concept Arts. With a 16-year career grounded in culture and entertainment, she’s worked on projects for Netflix’s Strong Black Lead, FX’s Atlanta series, Taco Bell and creative for Snoop Dogg. Previously, Rona served as CMO and head of entertainment for Cashmere Agency. She helped build Cashmere from a Venice, Calif., garage to a strategic merger with S4 Capital’s Media Monks.  

We spent two minutes with Rona to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired. 

Rona, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I was born and raised in San Diego, though I didn’t realize how special it was until I got older. As a youngster, it just felt like everyday life—families from all over the world, a mix of languages and cultures, the smell of adobo one day and carne asada the next. The military bases brought in people from every corner of the globe. And the border being so close meant that cross-cultural exchange was just part of daily life.

My own family added to that richness. My mom’s one of 15 kids, my dad’s one of five, so weekends sometimes felt like built-in block parties. There was always a cousin to hang with, some kind of celebration happening and always music in the background. My grandma was an opera singer turned music teacher. Between her influence and whatever was playing on the radio—usually hip-hop or R&B—I was absorbing rhythm, emotion and story without even realizing it.

I live in Los Angeles these days, which feels like San Diego’s louder, faster cousin.

How you first realized you were creative.

I’d win art contests in school and score high in classes that leaned more into imagination and creative thinking. As kids, we were always putting on some kind of talent show or family performance. I’d jump in to choreograph or help shape the “production.” Looking back, I was always a creative problem solver, too—figuring out how to make something out of nothing, whether it was for a school project or just entertaining cousins at a party. It wasn’t labeled as creativity at the time. It was just how we played, connected and expressed ourselves.

A person you idolized creatively early on.

Prince was one of the first artists who made me realize you don’t have to fit into a box to be great. He blended genres like it was second nature—funk, rock, soul, pop—and made it all his own. And he was always unapologetically himself. The way he dressed, moved, performed—it was all bold, creative and completely original. He didn’t just make music (and movies!), he made a statement. Prince showed me that being different isn’t something to hide. It’s something to lead with. 

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

Surviving stage-4 osteosarcoma—twice—by the time I was in college changed everything. At one point, I was told I’d never walk again. Another time, doctors warned I had hit the lifetime max on chemotherapy. Any more, and my organs would shut down. I’ve undergone massive reconstructive surgeries and my right side is predominantly titanium. I often say I’m part Wolverine, and it’s always very confusing to airport security so I need to allot extra time. Physical therapy is still part of my everyday life just to stay mobile.

During my toughest times, I returned each year to a weeklong overnight healing retreat for young cancer survivors—a space filled with heart, humor and honesty. I met other teens who had fought their own battles. Some are still here. Others are not. That community taught me so much about presence, compassion and legacy. It made the fragility and power of life incredibly real to me at a young age.

Those experiences lit a fire that still drives everything I do. When you’ve faced that kind of pain and uncertainty, you move with urgency, clarity and intention. I hustle hard because I know what it took to still be here. I lead with heart because I’ve seen what really matters. I create with purpose because I’m not here to make noise—I’m here to make an impact.

A visual artist you admire.

John Simmons. Before he ever won an Emmy or shot a major TV series, “Uncle Johnny” was a teenager with a camera, capturing history in real time—from the Civil Rights Movement and Black Panthers rallies to everyday life across Black neighborhoods in Chicago—all for The Chicago Defender—at just 15 years old.

He built a career shooting everything from documentaries and music videos (for legends like Stevie Wonder, Tupac and Dr. Dre) to award-winning shows like Family Reunion. Inclusivity was paramount. 

What moves me about his work is how honest and human it feels. He once said, “Every click of the shutter is a totality of the music I’ve heard, the love and pain I’ve seen and lived.” You feel that in every image he captures—the struggle, the pride, the ordinary moments that end up shaping the bigger story. His photography isn’t just beautiful — it’s alive with experience, memory and soul.

He is a reminder that real creativity isn’t just about beautiful frames. It’s about bearing witness, building spaces for others and never forgetting that every image and story we tell carries the power to open doors for the next generation.

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.

Movie: Sinners. The story is layered in a way that makes you want to rewind scenes just to catch the nuance. Visually, it’s breathtaking. Then there’s the craft beyond the lens—the acting, pacing, sound design work in concert.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on. 

Atlanta on FX! When FX greenlit Atlanta, I knew we had to be part of it. I pushed to get us in the room early—and helped secure the project for Cashmere—before a single scene was shot. We were part of the creative process from day one, which made all the difference.

We approached the marketing like an extension of the show’s world. Atlanta wasn’t just a setting—it was a character. Every post, every piece of content had to feel just as layered, surreal and culturally sharp as the show itself.

The campaign is still used in marketing classrooms today. It was a perfect example of what happens when you lead with cultural intuition, trust the creative and build something that lives beyond the screen.

A recent project you’re proud of.

As a board member of Street Poets, I’m proud to share that we’ve secured a permanent home just south of DTLA: the future Street Poets Center for Community, Culture & Wellness. Street Poets has been doing powerful work for decades, bringing poetry, creative writing and mentorship into schools, probation facilities and underserved communities. It’s about helping young people heal from trauma, find their voice and transform their lives through storytelling.

If you’re interested in supporting our Capital Campaign or just want to follow along, you can check out more here. Or feel free to reach out—I’m always happy to share more.

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago. 

Constance Schwartz-Morini, partner and co-founder at SMAC Entertainment, inspired me early on. We knew each other back when she was at The Firm. Even then, I saw how sharp and intentional she was about building brands around and with talent—not just promoting, but thinking long-term. She was doing the kind of work we now call “brand architecture” before that language was mainstream. Watching how she’s scaled that thinking over the years definitely shaped how I approach brand and artist partnerships today—with strategy, ownership and real cultural relevance.

Someone else’s work you admired lately.

Spotify’s Spreadbeats. It stood out because of how intentionally it spoke to its audience —marketers and media planners—using the very tool they live in every day: a spreadsheet! What made it so effective was how ownable it felt to Spotify. No other brand could’ve pulled this off in the same way. They didn’t just drop a video into Excel—they built a music video inside a spreadsheet, using formulas, ASCII characters, conditional formatting … even animation techniques that hadn’t been used in over 30 years. That level of craft and technical playfulness made the campaign feel both nostalgic and wildly fresh.

It’s a reminder that creative impact doesn’t always require a massive platform or new tech. Sometimes it’s about reimagining something familiar, and doing it with just the right tone, timing and cultural awareness. From a brand growth lens, it reinforces Spotify as a streaming service and a brand that knows its audience and shows up in ways that are smart, fun and truly theirs.

Play

Your main strength as a creative person.

Deep curiosity. I’ve always been someone who wants to understand how people think, what drives them, what they care about. Growing up in a big, diverse family, I was exposed to so many different points of view. And that early curiosity about people and their stories never left me. It’s less about having all the answers and more about staying open to what the work and the world are trying to tell us.

Your biggest weakness.

Earlier in my career, I had a tendency to overcommit. I said yes to every project, every late-night brainstorm, every last-minute ask—including that scope creep (yikes!)—thinking that was the mark of dedication. Over time, I learned that saying yes to everything doesn’t serve anyone—not the work, the team or myself. Now, I understand how to prioritize, where to apply deep creative energy and when to focus on smart, strategic execution. That shift has allowed me to deliver my best work consistently, without burning out or burning bridges.

A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.

Ted Chung, Seung Chung and Ryan Ford. We built Cashmere together, each bringing different strengths to the table, and their mentorship was instrumental throughout that journey. Ted taught me how to think long-term and build lasting relationships. Seung sharpened my strategic thinking and business instincts. Ryan showed me how to  lead with cultural insight and creative confidence.

How you’re paying it forward with the next generation of creatives.

I support creative groups and collectives on more of an as-needed basis—helping with portfolio reviews, giving career advice or just hopping on a call to talk through an idea. It’s more about saying, “Hey, you’ve got this,” when someone needs to hear it most.

What would you be doing if you weren’t in advertising?

Building something that blends storytelling, wellness and community. Or traveling, uncovering the real stories behind the places and people who make culture what it is.