🔥-UP SC

In 2020, as local counsel, Marlon helped negotiate a $192 million settlement for institutional investors in In re SCANA Corporation Securities Litigation — the largest securities class action recovery ever obtained in the District of South Carolina, the fifth largest in the history of the Fourth Circuit, and among the top 100 nationwide.

He now represents shareholders as co-lead counsel in a federal derivative suit alleging that Wells Fargo and several executives breached their fiduciary duty over discriminatory lending and hiring practices. He also served as co-lead counsel on the multidistrict In re: Blackbaud Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, and has been retained by Charleston County School District in its case against social media platforms including Meta, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.

A former South Carolina State Senator for District 42, Marlon represented the citizens of Charleston and Dorchester Counties for nearly a decade. A frequent speaker, he has presented at the Public Funds Summit, the National Association of State Treasurers, NCPERS, NASP, and the South Carolina Black Lawyers' Association. He is a lifetime member of the NAACP and a member of Sigma Pi Phi Boulé and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

For over 25 years he has worked as a marketing and communications professional in sports and entertainment, beginning as a marketing associate with record companies in 1990s Atlanta, where he helped sell the likes of Monica, TLC, and Outkast. He later moved into professional sports as a strategic partnerships director, building brand identities and fostering relationships with some of the biggest sports and entertainment entities in the country. Ayinde believes brand building is an art — he approaches every client and campaign as an artist-entrepreneur, telling a unique, compelling story meant to move people.

Born in Charleston, South Carolina, he attended Morehouse College, earning a B.A. in Banking and Finance with a minor in Drama. At Morehouse he wrote for the school newspaper, The Maroon Tiger, started his first screenplay, and became a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife — home base for their three collegiate-athlete sons. An avid runner who develops his best ideas on his morning runs, in 2022 he launched “I Wander As I Wonder,” a collection of his writings on Substack.

His professional journey began in 2004 as an account executive for a large radio group, working closely with local and regional businesses and gaining firsthand insight into the challenges small business owners face. In 2007 he joined a CBS affiliate, where he refined his expertise in advertising, branding, and audience engagement across television media. In 2015 he launched Craft Creative, a full-service video production company that quickly grew into a powerhouse for innovative visual storytelling.

Despite his success and high demand, Eric is clear that he is a husband and father before anything else, and credits much of his success to the dedication of his team. He believes in giving back, volunteering with charities and boards that make a lasting impact on his community and future generations. Eric is also the host of Going Forward, a podcast featuring inspiring conversations with entrepreneurs and leaders, and an active contributor to Entrepreneur, Forbes, and Medium.