Mali and Alan Bacon started GANGGANG in 2020 during the pandemic. Their journey is one of passion and hard work. 

When explaining how she made it this far in the fine art world, Mali Simone Bacon says, “My career centers on storytelling.” Before founding GANGGANG, the creative marketing and storytelling agency, with her husband in 2020, Bacon says she focused on advocating for local artists. “How do I get them paid?” 

Mali Simone Bacon got her start by studying graphic design, which she says led to a career in advertising. She also hosted open mic sessions for local artists before working with the Arts Council of Indianapolis. It’s here that she found herself on the “business side” of the arts and developed her passion for advocating for artists.    

During her time at the Madame Walker Legacy Center, Bacon says she learned a lot about Black history on Indiana Avenue. “That taught me so much more about the arts in Indianapolis.” 

Mali’s husband, Alan, got his start as a musician who then worked at Harrison College, where he learned to help his fellow artists. Later, Alan worked with the United Way of Central Indiana to lead a social innovation fund whose mission was to tackle poverty. 

These experiences all came to a head during the Covid pandemic in 2020. That’s when Mali and Alan formed GANGGANG and set out to elevate the arts in Indianapolis.