Former Major League Baseball player-turned-artist Micah Johnson created Aku in response to hearing a young boy ask, “Can astronauts be Black?” An animated boy with imagination, swagger and an oversized astronaut’s helmet, Aku has become a symbol of the potential for greatness in every child.
At Aku, our mission is to empower all kids to have the audacity to dream without limits and to break down barriers to chase those dreams. We do this through innovative content that resonates, educates, and inspires them to believe that anything is possible.
We acknowledge that children today are growing up in a digital world, where they’re connecting, engaging and creating online. Rather than resisting this change, we embrace it. I mean, we did introduce Aku to the world as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token). The future is the metaverse and we believe it is our duty to ensure that it is inclusive and welcoming for all.
A boy with low self-confidence finds a magical helmet that transports him to the metaverse, where he meets Aku, a respected leader. Aku helps the boy navigate the metaverse and realize that his dreams are limitless. Together, they recreate the helmet to allow Aku to go to the real world. Once on Earth, Aku is fascinated learning about the Earth cultures and experiences he encounters, while using his technical expertise and confident personality to guide and inspire children around the world.
