Today, we are excited to announce WeWork’s Creator Awards—a global initiative to recognize and reward the creators of the world. While we have been dreaming of the Creator Awards for years, we are inspired by the fact that our WeWork community has recently reached a new milestone: We now are 100,000-members strong.
These members are pioneers of an even bigger movement.
Millions of creators around the world are nurturing their communities and inspiring others with work fueled by passion and purpose. Yet there is no adequate system to recognize, reward, or support the ideas, businesses, and organizations driven by creators across all fields and in all stages. We are ready to change that.
Making its debut on March 28 in Washington, D.C., the Creator Awards is a yearlong initiative that includes over $20 million of awards for individuals and organizations—WeWork members and others—and will be brought to life as a multifaceted series of events taking place in cities around the world.
The Creator Awards are intended to acknowledge and empower those who exemplify what it means to be a creator. Anyone who brings a new idea into the world, pursues his or her passion, and believes in something greater than oneself is a creator. From freelancers to founders, nonprofits to small businesses, artists to educators, creators are bringing new ideas into the world—and making it a better place—every day.
We are building an experience that will enlist and convene cities, experts, and partners as well as making real investments in our communities through significant financial grants. Open to everyone—WeWork members, other creators, and the public—each event will be a forum to deliver the resources, opportunities, and insights that creators need to thrive. The Creator Awards will provide opportunities to connect, learn, or improve upon a skill; find employment; buy and sell; and offer or acquire services.
Each day of events will be punctuated by pitches from finalists competing for awards in three categories:
- Individuals with an idea or a project that needs funding;
- Businesses or nonprofits that have launched but are still learning; and
- Businesses or nonprofits that have a proven record of success and are ready for the next level.
Following the first Creator Awards in Washington on March 28, we will go global. Over the course of 2017, we will host several regional events across several cities in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. This incredible journey will culminate in the Creator Awards Global Final on Nov. 30 in New York City. Our plans are even bigger for 2018 and beyond.
WeWork began with a group of people who believed community, passion, meaning, and intention could change how we live, work, and connect. We could not think of a better way to honor our members and all the creators who inspire us every day.
To learn more, RSVP for an event near you, apply, or nominate another for a Creator Award, please visit the official Creator Awards website here. We’ll see you there.
