Building Community Through Content: Leeshia Lee Unites West Virginia Creators at Cam’s World

By Amanda Barber

Leeshia Lee, a digital creative director, author, journalist, photographer (AshotofLee) and community builder from Charleston, West Virginia, has brought a new experience to the table for Mountain State influencers. On Aug. 16 and Sept. 21, the West Virginia Content Creators Meet & Greet 2025 took place at Cam’s World on Charleston’s West Side. 

Being a community builder, Lee is involved in various activities around the Kanawha Valley. She also has a large following on Facebook as a former radio personality. Lee says she was inspired to use her following to promote an event where people could come together to collaborate. Entrepreneurs, business owners, artists, community activists and content creators from Charleston and Huntington were at the meet and greet. 

“So, I just believe in collaboration over competition, and we can all just share what we’ve learned, you know, as far as like whether you’re professional or if you’re just starting out,” Lee says. “Just different people on what makes social media work for them.” 

Cam’s World, located at 1638 Sixth Ave. in Charleston, is a selfie and content museum with an event space and 14 themed photo rooms. The venue provided ample opportunity for people at the event to participate in fun activities and create engaging content. Lee says that at the Aug. 16th event, there was an ice-breaker activity where participants did a 15-second “elevator pitch” on why someone should follow them on social media. 

Additionally, attendees broke into groups and performed comically themed skits such as “when you forget to hit record” and “when everyone wants to be the director.” Lee says attendees also took part in “The Walk Thru Challenge,” based on the concept of: “After your post goes viral, how would you walk through a room?” Furthermore, everyone had the opportunity to take headshots for their social media accounts.

Lee also mentioned some specific creators at the event and the activities they did. Mychal Tolley – audio engineer, videographer, photographer and founder of “The Open Mic” platform – recorded a segment featuring local rapper Ugly Maine. D’Shaad Bannister is a celebrity barber and a Twitch livestreamer who was there. Bannister cut Ugly Maine’s hair during the recording of “The Open Mic,” and he went live from his Twitch account.

Kate Lemaster, a traveling cosmetologist and owner of Kosmo Kate, attended the event and styled a model’s hair. Rio Cusine is a chef from Huntington who was there and cooked up some food. During the cooking, he went live with the help of Jessica A. Martin, a social media influencer and the owner of Fancy Five Buck Fashion. Promo Jones, who handles event promotions and music consultations, was at the meet and greet as well. Lee says that Nomi’s Nibbles, a newer business that makes charcuterie boards to-go, provided snacks for everyone.

“So it was just a great collection, a diverse collection of people from around that just showed out,” Lee says. “ … I just want to emphasize, you know, that it’s enough room for everybody to build and grow, and I just think that the key is collaborating.”

Martec Washington is another influencer who was at the West Virginia Content Creators Meet & Greet. He creates funny, everyday life content on Facebook and Instagram. Washington says Leeshia Lee nicknamed him “Bridge Man” because he often uploads videos about local bridges or roads that need repairs. He calls Lee the “queen of branding” because people really took the nickname she gave him and “ran with it.” 

Washington says the various activities at the meet and greet got everyone’s creative juices flowing and that the overall event provided local creators with a sense of belonging. 

“Doing things like that, like really bringing us in and giving us a space and praising us and thanking us, but then also challenging us, was just wonderful, and I’m so grateful for Leeshia Lee for that,” Washington says.

Washington says the event was filled with pure joy, excitement and love. It excited him about the future for content creators in the Mountain State. Additionally, he was joyful to be able to put names to faces and be among people who just wanted to “celebrate life, smile, and create.” Washington agrees that Cam’s World was an ideal venue for the event because it is a space where attendees could be themselves, have fun, and brainstorm more ways to create content. 

“Being at Cam’s World was a true joy, and it just opened my eyes and gave me even more visions for making and creating content and stories,” Washington says. “And then you can start writing books and doing movies and TV. So, it just propelled me into a completely different train of thought of what content creation can mean and be for me.”

The West Virginia Content Creators Meet & Greet will be a recurring event, according to Lee. She says it is the first time she organized an event and did not receive any complaints: “I think it was a great experience for everybody,” Lee says. “I had a lot of positive feedback from it.” 

Lee also says that most of the participants who were at the Aug. 16th meet and greet came back for the Sept. 21st event. Black By God was a proud sponsor of both events and looks forward to working with Lee for future meet and greets. Washington says he, too, looks forward to meeting influencers who could not attend the past events, creating more content, and continuing to use the unique space at Cam’s World. 

“I’m just truly glad that Leeshia’s doing this, and that she’s providing the opportunity to bring up other West Virginians – youth, old, all of us – she’s giving everyone an opportunity, and it’s just so amazing,” Washington says.