Communities Stories
Through a mixed-media approach combining portrait photography and graphic design, we created a series of social-first photo essays that showcased how people from different backgrounds, industries, and communities use Cash App to connect, create, and move forward.
CLOVER COFFEE
Each story was paired with a docu-style long-form caption, giving us room to tell a richer, more human story behind every portrait.
PUBLIC LAND
It didn’t start with a plan. It started with the drive to fill a gap in their Sacramento community—a place that feels alive, where people can gather, learn, and connect.
Public Land opened as more than just a plant store. It became a space where nature, culture, and conversation overlap. Where you might come in for a cactus and end up learning its actual name—Ferocactus glaucescens inermis—find yourself at a mezcal tasting, or stay for a show by a local artist you’ve never heard of, but won’t forget.
The store is filled with things made by friends, neighbors, and one-degree connections. Some folks they met on trails. Some through other friends. They don’t charge vendors for pop-ups. They don’t charge people to come to events. It’s not about transactions. It’s always been about community.
After eight years of growing roots in Sacramento, they took a chance. Friends and strangers kept asking them to open something in San Francisco. So they did. It wasn’t about expansion. It was about listening, and bringing their kind of community care to another city they once called home.
Now they split their weeks between two spaces. Long drives. Plant runs. A lot of balancing. But every step is rooted in the same intention: building something alive, and letting it grow.
And through it all, Cash App keeps things moving. Markets, deliveries, pop-ups; smooth and simple. No one scrambles. No one’s left out.
CITY SURF PROJECT
For some kids, it was the first time seeing the Pacific Ocean. For a few, the first time stepping foot on the sand. They came back smiling, high-fiving, a little lighter. That’s when Johnny knew this had to be more than a one-time thing.
What began as a simple field trip at the beach has grown into City Surf Project, a community that’s been riding strong for over a decade. Today, they work with students from more than 25 schools and community orgs. Days begin with the team cleaning out the vans, stacking boards, packing wetsuits, making sandwiches. The only thing the kids have to bring is themselves.
When they reach Linda Mar Beach, they find more than just waves. They find confidence, friendship, and a few hours away from phones, noise, and everything else.
City Surf is reshaping surf culture, too. No gatekeeping. No outdated stereotypes. Just open coastlines and space to belong. They’re changing the picture of who gets to be a surfer; and what a surf community can look like.
Their headquarters has become a kind of home. A place where kids feel safe, grounded. Before and after the ocean. Volunteers, alumni, and even local surfers are rallying behind this vision: a surf culture rooted in kindness, access, and belonging.
At community events, Cash App helps keep that vision flowing; from making it easier to buy a raffle ticket, to donating, to picking up a t-shirt.
LONG-FORMAT CONTENT ON YOUTUBE
In New Orleans, where music is part of the city’s foundation, a different kind of movement is rising—one that doesn’t just entertain, but restores. Opera Créole keeps the legacy alive, giving voice to the Black and Creole composers who shaped the city’s sound in the 19th century. With Cash App, Givonna keeps the rhythm going, paying artists with ease.
For Bella, summer in Galveston moves like a movie. Boardwalk hangs, fast rides, moments that stick, the kind you carry long after your feet leave the pier. Between the fun, she’s learning what money really means — how to save, spend, and start again. Now she’s saving for a new clarinet and Cash App keeps her on track.
Christian, Kai, Gavin, and Jace grew up on the same block and somehow ended up bonding over golf; not exactly the sport most kids their age pick up. It’s pricey, but they make it work. After a snack break, their swings fall apart. Doesn’t matter. If it’s not fun, what’s the point? From snack runs to post-game paybacks, Cash App keeps the crew moving.
My role: senior copywriter
Creative directors: Yves Laroque & Malik Sulieman
Photographer: Nori Rasmussen Martinez
Group creative director: Luke Martin