Flav was born in what is now known as São Paulo, Brazil, originally part of the Indigenous lands of the Tupi, Guarani, and Kaingangin people. He developed an early passion for writing, music, and visual art. After completing his studies in social communications in São Paulo, Flav began his career at Small World, his first H1B sponsor, after moving from São Paulo to New York City; there he produced large-scale online games for international markets. After serving as an Art-then-Creative Director at Lumina Americas, a multicultural agency with clients such as Kraft, US Air Force, and Kmart, he co-founded the digital product studio 10012 in 2003. This venture was initiated to attain creative and operational independence, and, crucially, to secure administrative autonomy through the facilitation of his H1B visa sponsorship, thus eliminating the need to rely on other sponsors.
Under 10012, his team executed digital campaigns for Nike, introduced Chase Bank to Spanish-speaking markets, developed games for Bravo TV, HBO, and Showtime, and served as a standalone digital satellite for partners across various industries. During a 14-year collaboration with AARP, Flav and his team constructed the world's largest civil rights story archive, earning them a Webby and an O1 Visa for extraordinary ability in the arts. This O1 Visa subsequently paved the way for an EB1 Visa for permanent residency.
In 2011, Flav established a joint venture with a consulting group based in New York to broaden its capabilities and meet the innovation needs of clients, including IBM, Vanguard, Humana, Vertex, Gilead, and BlueCross BlueShield. In addition to consulting for Fortune 500 organizations, Flav spearheaded other ventures incubated by the same joint venture. One such venture was Rangri, a food delivery platform launched in partnership with UNICEF that used game-like features to help alleviate community hunger-related issues. Another was GoodLife Media™, a precision-communication solution Flav co-founded to empower individuals to prevent and manage chronic conditions through whole-person data. He remains a partner in this business.
Starting in 2020, Flav experienced intense work burnout, prompting a sabbatical from August 2022 through May 2023. This time of research and introspection led to an emerging commitment to 'aliveness,' a response to the limitations of Taylorism, solutionism, and universalism. In his business, Flav focuses on inclusive innovation that centers intersectionality and confronts 'innovation theater'—initiatives that uphold neo-colonial power structures rather than tackling the complex issues of our time. His commitment, informed by the need for a post-Anthropocene approach, includes amplifying voices from society's margins and recognizing entities like rivers, trees, and animals in his innovation strategies. Returning from his sabbatical, he marked the 20th anniversary of his consulting practice, 10012, and transitioned to operating as MASSON. This comeback is centered around fostering a life-centered economy, aligning his work with his renewed vision and values.
His body of work involves merging his identities as consultant and artist into one, using time as the medium.
Flav lives in Brooklyn.
