Candice Simons | President | Brooklyn Outdoor

When Michigan native, Candice Simons, returned to her home state after establishing herself in the outdoor advertising industry for nearly a decade in Chicago, she identified a need in out-of-home as the perfect opportunity to build a company with a fresh perspective and a vibrant, creative energy to the industry. In 2013, Brooklyn Outdoor was born and has grown from $600,000 to 6 million in just five short years

The division’s Brooklyn Outdoor include Outdoor, Hand-Painted, Experiential Marketing, Events, and the newest division – Media. With offices in Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Charlotte, the company has subsequently emerged as a regional and national force. Simons and her team are adept at creating opportunities in places that they didn’t previously exist, helping clients and potential clients explore exciting new creative possibilities. Brooklyn Outdoor knows how to put big ideas into action and make a lasting and memorable impact with target audiences.

Access to unique, outdoor inventory and fresh ideas is an appealing asset for the vendors, advertising agencies, media buyers, and independent operators that Brooklyn Outdoor serves. Brooklyn’s core business is outdoor signage and displays, including billboards, hand-painted murals, wallscapes, digital billboards, branded buses and taxis, street furniture, posters, in-window displays, and more.

Since establishing Brooklyn Outdoor in Detroit in 2013, Simons has been using her company as a tool to bridge relationships between Detroit’s most creative artists and entrepreneurs with national companies, putting Detroit back on the map where it belongs in the industry. It is Simons’ adoration for her city that lead her to create j’adore Detroit – a lifestyle blog turned new business. J’adore Detroit has always been a way for readers to keep a pulse on the city through Simons’ optimistic and passionate eyes. Like Brooklyn Outdoor, it has expanded past any boundaries imagined into becoming a platform for connecting the city’s most inspiring entrepreneurs with the local and national media.

Simons is also passionate about exploring her other creative talents through founding her first restaurant: Alley Taco. This California-style Mexican cantina is in the heart of bustling Midtown in Detroit and serves up some of the best tacos in the city. Simons has been recognized for her work repeatedly.

She has recently received awards such as: Crain’s Detroit Business “40 under 40” and Notable Women in Marketing, DBusiness “30 in their thirties”, Detroit Young Professionals Vanguard Award, Summit International Marketing and Creative Awards, Michigan Economic Bright Spot Award, 2017 Corp! Magazine’s Diversity Business Leader, 2017 Enterprising Woman of the year, and most recently – Inc. Magazine’s “Inc. 5000” encompassing the fastest growing and most inspiring companies of 2018.