Kel Rakowski ❤️‍🔥 on LinkedIn: Queer social app Lex gets a new CEO and $5.6M to grow
Kel Rakowski ❤️‍🔥
I did something scary and unconventional. I made the decision to step away from the role of CEO and pass it to Lex powerhouse co-founder Jennifer Rhiannon… | 11 comments on LinkedIn
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In the midst of the booming creator economy, we often celebrate how creators have harnessed their passions and garnered dedicated followings. It's incredible to watch them empower one another and showcase their talents, insights and experiences. Yet, in this celebration, an unconventional thought arises—are we fully tapping into the symbiotic potential between founders and creators? Creators are skillful storytellers, architects of engagement, and masters of building personal connections. On the flip side, founders hold the keys to business fundamentals, operational grit, and scaling expertise. There is a plethora of knowledge available for mutual exchange. Creators can benefit from embracing proven business strategies, while founders can gain by embodying creators' authenticity and sense of community. Are we already witnessing this collaborative growth? If so, drop some stories below! ⬇️ If not, how can we ignite this sharing of expertise? Which skills do you believe creators can exchange with founders, and vice versa? Share your thoughts and join in celebrating our beloved creators and founders by commenting below

Last Thursday, some of us from Colony5, a brand strategy and media relations agency, took a short break to celebrate our accomplishments. In under a year since the company's inception, we've delivered the following: 📰 Crafting messaging and launch press strategies for a generative AI startup emerging from stealth mode. 🔊 Announcing funding news and product launches for an AI gaming company. 🗞 Managing media relations for a new medical SaaS startup. 📝 Refining messaging for a major non-profit organization. 🎨 Overhauling the visual branding of a prominent DE&I consulting firm. 🔌 Executing event marketing for an EV company. 📽 Co-producing two promotional videos with Flipbird Films. 🤖 And we are at the cusp of launching an AI think tank for a major publicly traded company, overseeing the production of its editorial content. 📖 Drawing from our collective experience, each of us has played pivotal roles in nurturing startups from their inception to becoming industry game-changers. We intimately understand the intricacies, the triumphs, and the challenges inherent in building successful enterprises. 🛸 Our secret sauce: when serving our clients, we exclusively engage subject-matter experts and specialists who are the best in their fields, ensuring heightened efficiency and delivering exceptional results. 👀 Looking forward to empowering startups, founders, and entrepreneurs who are changing the world. Let's build together. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our friends and network partners who have been steadfast companions on this journey. Chris Glendening, Gerry O'Shea, Logan Stribling, Adam Rosenberg, Eric Doyle, Austin Klise, Lindsay Stevens, Robert Walker Cohen, Andy Cunningham, McKinley Siegfried, Cormac Siegfried, Jordan Ching, Paloma Castro Martínez, and many others. #BrandStrategy #EditorialContent #ContentCreation #PR #MediaRelations #PressStrategy #VisualIdentity #GTM

🎙 CO-CREATION: Our Shared Path to a Better Future with Derek Vaz and Brad M. is LIVE! Derek and Brad, the dynamic duo leading DVXD expansion talk about why Co-Creation is fundamental not only to the future of business but also to society. Derek is a seasoned design leader and strategist with a track record of creating influential digital products, platforms and services with inspiring brands and partners — including Nike, Four Seasons, Rogers, Heart & Stroke, and Indigo. As the founder and CEO of DVXD, a design studio for shared progress, Derek’s current focus is to use design as a tool for transformative change, driven by empowered communities. Brad serves as the Managing Director of DVXD. He has a noteworthy track record in the industry, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise from his key roles at several global agencies, including AKQA, Edelman, and Huge Inc. Over his combined tenure, Brad drove transformative initiatives for renowned clients such as Apple, Comcast, Google, HP Inc., Loblaws, Mayo Clinic, Verizon, and Volvo. In this episode, we discuss so many great topics: Tearing down longstanding industry barriers to collaboration Co-creation as the next evolutionary step of design AND a return to fundamentals Flipping the hierarchy at DVXD to successfully execute the mission Choosing to stay nimble working exclusively with like-minded clients to stay focused on the vision Taking their own 'medicine' to partner with and amplify other organization's work Notable failures and the value of co-creation in de-risking ventures Navigating where 'social and environmental responsibility' lies between companies and consumers And so much more Listen on your fave platforms: Spotify:https://spoti.fi/45SoLVe Apple:https://apple.co/4eNKamC Youtube: https://bit.ly/4cO9O9k You can find Derek, Brad and the DVXD team via: Website: https://dvxd.co/ LI Derek: https://lnkd.in/eaUpj38c LI Brad: https://lnkd.in/eY6UCCVQ IG DVXD: https://lnkd.in/e25TUKTJ --- If you’re new here, I’m Alex, Strategic Advisor to Leaders Building Incredible Companies. If you're a business leader or executive team ready to take your leadership to the next level book a free Builders Business Booster call where you’ll receive a Strategic Leadership Audit and 3 concrete focus areas to mature and grow your business. Book here: https://lnkd.in/eyAXP3jq Want to stay in the know…? Join The Builders Club to stay up to date on upcoming events, get valuable insights and tools (No Spam, I promise!) Curious to learn more? Here are the best places to start My website https://alexsnider.com/ LinkedIn https://lnkd.in/euA4KhSq Instagram https://lnkd.in/dsfqzDHq Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your fave platform: https://lnkd.in/duK7BZ6T

Much of the perspectives on the creator economy are skewed towards the advertiser-side, with brands naturally seeking to leverage this booming landscape to their benefit. Meanwhile, the practical business of running a sustainable and profitable enterprise is largely left to creators to figure out for themselves. Independent research shows that revealing that 73% of creators want fast-track, affordable access to business coaches and consultancy, while half of all creators also want to attend creator-centric events. Today Billion Dollar Boy is launching FiveTwoNine, The Creator Club, a private membership community empowering creators in the business of being a creator. FiveTwoNine operates as a global platform providing educational resources and as physical spaces for key stakeholders in the creator economy to network and collaborate. Our London flagship opens in May 2024, with a New York branch coming soon. The name 'FiveTwoNine' represents those early morning or late night hours that many creators dedicate to pursuing their passions outside of their traditional 9-to-5 jobs. Launching with the help of LIPTON Teas and Infusions and incredible creator entrepreneurs including Lucy Edwards, BOSH! by Henry Firth & Ian Theasby, Joshua Temple - Slogo, Sophie Butler, Jack Henderson, Emanuel Wallace -Big Manny, the funding model is designed to optimise price fairness for increased creator accessibility. FiveTwoNine walks the talk on supporting the lifeblood of the creator economy to help make their businesses a lasting success. Huge congratulations to Becky Owen and Sophie Crowther for leading the charge on a venture that's been over a year in the making. Watch this space for more updates and check out the website in the link below

📣 A few months ago, I started building a company called Artnership. Our goal is to change the existing media landscape for independent creative professionals into something that works better for the people making what we watch, read, listen to, and enjoy. This came into being after years at Meta, Google and Atavist, working on media products for people creating so they can continue to make and ultimately profit from the work they put online. While there's been an explosion of creative storytelling, the prospects for the vast majority of individual creators to survive independently have never been murkier. Despite the attention that platform funds or conveniently named trends like #creatoreconomy receive, the reality is more complicated for both the individuals and organizations creating our #media. And while the tools we’re talking about are different, this is a media industry story as old as our modern media landscape – even as far back as Hollywood in the 1920s. Like today, a few large companies controlled most of the creative output and exerted enormous control over the individuals who made that work. The companies have changed (but not entirely) and the forms of media have changed (but not entirely) but we are once again in a situation in which a dominant few control the creative potential of so many. One answer that emerged a hundred years ago was that the four most famous people in the world at the time – Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, DW Griffith, and Douglas Fairbanks – created United Artists, fueled by a frustration with this level of control by the studios. These first movie stars hoped this enterprise owned and controlled by its creators would guarantee them both artistic control and sustainable economics. It was a declaration of independence by the most creative people in America. Inspired by this, Artnership enables connection and collaboration between people who create professionally. Our mission is to enable this enormous group to find one another, work together better, and forge new possibilities for collaboration and creativity. From supportive conversations to creative co-production to a re-imagining of what media companies can be. Our site www.artnership.co is now live in preparation for the first product to launch in the coming weeks. If you’re a #writer, a #podcaster, a #creator, a #YouTuber, #Tiktoker, or whatever you call yourself when you’re creating something, sign up and follow along to learn more. We’re starting to accept a small group to test prior to launch. If you have thoughts or questions, please reach out! We’d love to talk.

imagine trying to launch something out of thin air - talk about a wild ride! in a sea of competitive talent agencies all singing the same tune, it seems like everyone's playing copycat. --who says we can't shake things up? according to a recent scoop from CreatorIQ, creators are itching to break free from quick transactional deals and dive into long-lasting partnerships. a fresh wave is coming, promising to open up a whole new world of opportunities for creators, brands, and operators ready to bring more value to creators. (no more red ocean) the secret sauce? helping creators shape their brands or even snap up existing businesses. (boomers are ready to retire) sure, there are a few trailblazers like Prime Drink and Feastibles out there, but we're just scratching the surface of what could be if more dreamers had a chance to chat with the right folks. this is the gap I want to bridge.

🌟 Inspiring Women Taking Their Seats at the Table 🌟 Not sure why this hasn't been posted everywhere (it should be in a lot more media outlets), because its more than worth celebrating! 🚀 Breaking Barriers and Leading the Way 🚀 We're thrilled to share a remarkable article from Variety highlighting the incredible achievements of Eunice Kim and Elizabeth Stone at Netflix. These phenomenal women are not just taking their seats at the table, but they're leading the way in the tech industry. 💪 ✅ Why is this important? 🤔 Did you know that women make up only around 27% of the tech workforce, and women of color represent an even smaller fraction of leadership positions? The tech industry has been lacking in diversity for far too long. Eunice and Elizabeth's journey to the top is an inspiration to us all. They've overcome challenges, shattered glass ceilings, and paved the way for more women and women of color to excel in tech. It's a powerful reminder that representation matters, and it's a testament to their resilience and determination. ✅ Key Takeaways: 📚 🌟 The Power of Mentorship: Both Eunice and Elizabeth credit their success to having mentors who guided them along the way. Mentorship is not just valuable; it's essential. Seek out mentors who can help you navigate your career path. 🌟 Continuous Growth: They didn't stop learning and growing. In the tech industry, staying curious and adapting to change is key. Embrace lifelong learning to stay ahead. 🌟 Embrace Challenges: Both women faced challenges, but they didn't let them deter their ambition. Challenges are opportunities for growth. Embrace them fearlessly. ✅ How Can We Leverage Their Success? 🌍 Let's take inspiration from Eunice Kim and Elizabeth Stone's journey and use it as a catalyst for our own success. Share this article with others, especially young women of color interested in tech. Mentorship is vital and supporting one another is the key to breaking down barriers. If you want to be a mentor, coach, or expert, or if you are looking for one in the tech field, then Join PlusOne https://lnkd.in/g2_VYjPX. Together, we can create a more inclusive tech industry. 💡 #WomenInTech #RepresentationMatters #MentorshipMatters #Inspiration #InclusiveTech #JoinPlusOne #coahes #mentors #experts #netflix 📖 Read the full article here https://lnkd.in/g-V4c9SE