Pomona, CA — For nearly two decades, David M. Oliver, also known as Judah 1, has cultivated a movement in the Inland Empire where poetry, activism and education converge.

As the founder of LionLike MindState INC, Oliver has helped shape the region’s artistic culture while empowering generations of emerging artists through creative expression.

LionLike MindState, founded in 2008, began as a grassroots poetry showcase designed to uplift local voices beyond cliques and gatekeeping.

“I just wanted to create a platform for new artists that operated as a community,” Oliver told Inland Valley News. “If you wanted to perform, I gave you a shot. Let’s see what you got.”

The platform quickly evolved into a multidisciplinary creative network. Early open mic events would draw crowds of 250 people, with local vendors, painters, musicians and poets contributing to a thriving cultural scene.

That momentum led to the founding of Machine Pomona, a downtown art gallery and cooperative that ran from 2011 to 2014. There, Oliver hosted art shows, workshops, and activist-centered events, including early campaigns connected to the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Before they were Black Lives Matter officially, they did one of their first shows in my space,” Oliver said. “We had their shirts, their performance pieces. It was art and activism colliding.”

A fierce advocate for community voice and visibility, Oliver’s work has centered on creating access points in spaces that traditionally excluded Black and Brown creatives.

His platform has helped launch numerous artists’ careers—including poets, hip-hop artists and producers who have gone on to work with industry giants like Travis Scott.

The foundation of LionLike’s philosophy is embodied in its name. Drawing inspiration from a biblical passage describing “lion-like men of Moab,” Oliver sees his mission as carrying a spirit of fearlessness into artistic and civic spaces.

“It’s not just about the art, it’s about how you go about it. Ferocious, bold, aggressive,” he said.

That spirit carried Oliver into the role of Pomona’s inaugural poet laureate, a title he says has further legitimized LionLike’s impact in local government and education circles.

“It opened doors,” he said. “It validated what we’d already been doing in the city for years.”

Through LionLike Creative Education, the organization runs arts-based programs in schools and juvenile facilities across California. These courses teach poetry, storytelling, songwriting, beat production and publishing.

Students end the program by producing a professionally printed book registered through the Library of Congress and sold on Amazon.

“We’ve taught everyone from kindergartners who can’t read to high schoolers and incarcerated adults,” Oliver said. “When I go into a classroom, we meet students where they are. Whether that’s writing ‘popcorn poetry’ with kindergartners or helping teens record their verses, we keep it engaging, professional and real.”

The program’s instructors are not just educators—they are working artists.

“Our teachers are Grammy winners, published poets, seasoned performers,” Oliver said. “They’re active in the field. And that keeps the energy high for the students and the staff.”

LionLike’s work extends beyond classrooms. Since 2019, it has produced the first-ever poetry and book festival at the L.A. County Fair.

What started as a 12-day performance run for Oliver’s own team has blossomed into a showcase featuring more than 200 artists.

“It’s activism,” he said. “We’re putting our people on the main stage, in front of crowds, where they can speak for themselves.”

The future of LionLike MindState is expansion. Oliver said plans are underway to bring programs to cities in Texas, Northern California and Las Vegas.

The organization’s model—fusing education, entrepreneurship and community empowerment—is scalable, he said, and ready to be replicated.

“Process is process,” he explained. “Once you have a working structure, it’s about plugging in the right people in the right place.”

Oliver’s work has already made a deep impact. He’s taught in prisons for over 12 years through the Prison Education Project, helped establish the first annual Storytellers Festival at Chaffey College, and led Pomona’s first poetry slam team to national recognition—finishing second in the country in 2011.

Despite his success, Oliver remains focused on the mission: building platforms, telling stories, and creating space.

“This is still about community,” he said. “Everywhere I go, I want to open the door and leave it open behind me.”