Alejandro defines what it means to be multi-hyphenated.
EARLY LIFE (1994-2012)
Ali, born on October 3, 1994, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was raised in a household rich with Caribbean heritage. His mother, from Jamaica, and his father, from the British Virgin Islands, encouraged creativity from an early age. Their home in Alger Heights was filled with paper, markers, and instruments—tools that nurtured Ali’s earliest artistic impulses. His mother often urged him to channel his feelings into drawing, sparking a lifelong passion for self-expression.
As a child, Ali immersed himself in entertainment—video games, movies, and especially the camcorder his father owned. Summers were spent writing scripts, filming shorts with his siblings, and making comics. Creativity became both escape and identity, especially during middle school when bullying made him feel like an outsider. Drawing, writing, and rap became his outlets. The loss of his great-grandmother reminded him of life’s brevity and cemented his drive to pursue his passions wholeheartedly.
Workshops in acting, art, and game design—encouraged by his mother—broadened his skills. He even landed stage roles at Civic Theatre in downtown Grand Rapids. By the time he entered City Middle/High School, Ali had fallen in love with rap music, inspired by T-Pain, Lil Wayne, and J. Cole. Using a webcam, he began recording verses, and later, studio sessions with Marvin Gray III (DJ Sketch Gray) and Ryan Payne (MixedByReplxy) gave him a taste of real production. Performing locally under the name Ali The Prodigy, he built confidence, forged partnerships—including with his best friend Bill (MadVillage Music)—and poured his energy into music and visual art. His dedication earned him a scholarship to DigiPen Institute of Technology, opening the door to a future in animation.
COLLEGE YEARS (2012-2016)
In 2012, Ali released The UnderGrad EP, a rap album capturing his early struggles and hopes, before heading to DigiPen Institute of Technology in Washington. There, he first pursued concept art but soon discovered a passion for animation. The rigorous coursework was challenging, but it instilled discipline and revealed his deep love for the craft.
College wasn’t without hardship—his grandmother’s battle with vascular dementia and his own struggles with depression weighed heavily—but art and music remained anchors. Living with Bill, he collaborated on the 2014 Supreme Being album and continued to produce solo work and songwriting projects. DigiPen also became the place where he formed connections that would later shape his career.
In his senior year, Ali served as lead animator on Ascension, a student game that went on to win multiple awards, including Game of the Year at DigiPen. That recognition propelled him straight into the industry: a role as an animator at High Moon Studios.
CAREER (2016-Present)
Alejandro began his professional journey at High Moon Studios in Carlsbad, contributing to Destiny 2: Forsaken and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) until a 2019 industry-wide layoff ended his tenure. Undeterred, he moved to Cambridge, UK, joining Frontier Developments, where he animated dinosaurs for Jurassic World: RTJP and FPS characters for Elite Dangerous: Odyssey.
He later returned to the U.S. as a Senior Animator at Respawn Entertainment, helping to shape Apex Legends through gameplay animations, mocap direction, and content support for live releases. In 2025, Alejandro took on his current role as Senior AI Animator at Infinity Ward, where he directs and performs in motion capture shoots and brings AI characters to life for the next generation of Call of Duty.
Parallel to his studio work, Alejandro teaches Game Animation Pipeline at AnimSchool, mentoring students worldwide. A four-time GDC speaker (2021–2024), he has shared his expertise with industry peers and emerging talent alike. With nearly a decade of AAA game development experience, he combines technical mastery with performance insight from motion capture, martial arts, and acting—bringing a rare depth to every project.
PUBLIC IMAGE
Ali is known for his vibrant presence both in-person and online. A natural community-builder, he engages with the gaming and creative worlds through conferences, interviews, and collaborations. He has spoken at GDC, interviewed with industry experts like Harvey Newman, and worked alongside popular Twitch streamers. While he once streamed himself, today his charisma and humor carry into motivational and entertaining content across platforms, where he’s built a supportive following that values his authenticity and positivity.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Alejandro’s animation work has helped shape some of the industry’s most celebrated titles. Destiny 2: Forsaken was nominated at The Game Awards 2018 and BAFTA, while Apex Legends earned widespread recognition, including BAFTA’s “Best Multiplayer” award in 2020. His career contributions span multiple franchises that have left a lasting cultural and creative impact.
BUSINESS VENTURES
Alejandro’s entrepreneurial spirit has taken many forms. Early on, he founded Vision Head Entertainment, a production company for creative projects, and later launched Defeat Yourself Daily, an online fitness platform. Today, he manages a growing portfolio of rental properties across the U.S. as a landlord and Airbnb host, sharpening his business skills alongside his creative career.
Looking ahead, he is developing plans for a multi-purpose creative production studio in Los Angeles—a space designed to merge his love for business and the arts, fostering innovation and collaboration across disciplines.
FUTURE VISION
Ali believes creativity is most powerful when unbound by limits. He envisions a studio where animation, music, games, film, and live performance intersect—where the line between work and play disappears, and the joy of creation fuels everything. His ultimate goal is to build a creative hub that embodies this freedom, serving as both a launchpad for exceptional content and a testament to the boundless possibilities of artistic expression.