Creator Archives

Outside-the-box innovators feel the love at Berlin Creator Awards

With 60 seconds on the clock and a skateboard in his hand, Skateistan founder Oliver Percovich prepared to deliver his pitch at the Berlin Creator Awards Tuesday night (September 26). On the line was a top prize of $360,000. “People told me my idea was impossible for years,” he said of his nonprofit, which provides […]

Tiny beetle inspires researchers to solve world’s water crisis

A tiny insect inspired four graduate students at London’s Imperial College to try to solve the global demand for water. “There are animals, such as the fogstand beetle in Africa, that can draw water directly from the atmosphere,” says Jonathan Risley, CEO of ThinAirWater. “We thought: ‘If animals can do it, why can’t humans do […]

Chatterbox unlocks the world for refugees through language

Mursal Hedayat was three years old when she, her older sister, and her mother had to flee war-torn Afghanistan in 1994. Her mother, a civil engineer, hoped to continue her work when they arrived in the U.K. But like many refugees, her education and experience weren’t enough. “It was like she left behind her professional […]

GoSafely takes the fear out of the walk home

Safety isn’t a women’s issue, says GoSafely cofounder and CEO Annmarie Stockinger. After she was assaulted in her freshman year of college, Stockinger began developing a device that calls for help and notifies responders to your location, all without relying on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. When looking at competitors’ products, though, Stockinger noticed that most market […]

Androdes wants to be your sci-fi dance party hero

Helen Sartory is living a double life. By day she’s a self-proclaimed “tech nerd” immersed in the startup world. By night she’s a—well, it’s a little hard to explain. She transforms herself into an android who uses a glowing crystal equipped with touch sensors and other space-age devices to create electronic dance music. And at […]

At London Creator Awards, winners vow to ‘change the world’

The celebrating began long before the London Creator Awards were over. About two-thirds of the way through, Eliza Rutherford and Anna Gross literally started dancing in the aisle. They were soon joined by a huge crowd that didn’t disperse for the rest of the evening. Best friends back at Oxford University, Rutherford and Gross didn’t […]

Mathieu Ajan helps creatives turn their passion into their profession

“Working in your socks and boxers,” says entrepreneur Mathieu Ajan. “That’s the life for a lot of creatives.” There’s something enticing, he says, about not going into an office, being your own boss, and setting your own hours. But it also means that there are no colleagues around to advise you, no mentors to take […]

At Project Access, making sure everyone can get to university

Anna Gross had no plans to attend Oxford University. But a chance meeting with a fellow student convinced her that she should follow her dream of studying history. “I told her that I was going to study law, which was the safe choice,” says Gross. “But she heard me talk about history and could clearly […]

At Quaker City, a cup of coffee can change lives

Bob Logue and Christian Dennis grew up in the same neighborhood in Philadelphia. That’s where their paths diverged. “I was lucky enough to be sent to good schools and college,” says Logue. “Christian ended up selling drugs on the corners.” When they met years later, they realized they wanted to work together. They founded Quaker […]

In London, ad agency shakes up the ‘Mad Men’ model

As business partners, Stephen Wise and Tom Maverley were set up on the equivalent of a blind date. “We were introduced to each other by the CEO of a big ad agency,” Maverley explains. “He said: ‘You should work on a project with my mate Stephen. I think you two would get on well together.’” […]

Mercaris founder Kellee James learns to love the startup life

Entrepreneur Kellee James never really pictured herself in the startup world. “I actually used to ride horses professionally, but then I got injured in a riding accident and had to figure out what else to do with my life,” says the resident of Washington, D.C. Then she started working in agricultural markets, and realized that […]

Winning at Creator Awards, Austin sisters give back to community

When entrepreneur Abianne Falla won $180,000 at the Creator Awards, she knew that her company was about grow at a pace she had only dreamed about. Falla is cofounder of CatSpring Yaupon, which makes tea from a plant that grows wild throughout Texas. To satisfy the growing demand for her product, she realized she needed […]

Triple threat Jovan Landry is revolutionizing hip hop

Jovan Landry hates the idea that artists are often forced into one category. As someone who is equal parts filmmaker, photographer, and emcee, she definitely does not fit neatly into one box. When she was recently described as an “interdisciplinary artist,” she thought the term was a perfect fit. “I really try to emphasize that […]

At Arkiv, vintage sneakers are big business

That pair of Air Jordans you’ve kept in pristine condition all these years? You wouldn’t believe what they’re worth. “These sneakers are commodities,” says Robert Mulokwa, founder of Arkiv. “They are very valuable assets. The secondary market in U.S.—just for sneakers—is over a billion dollars a year. That’s 300 million pairs of sneakers a year.” […]

Austin’s Matt Glazer wins WeWork’s Community Award

Matt Glazer jokes that he “blacked out a little” when he heard his name from the stage of the Austin Creator Awards. Glazer, executive director of the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce, had no idea he was going to win WeWork’s Community Award. That award, presented on June 27 by cofounder Miguel McKelvey, is given […]

At Warmilu, Grace Hsia’s high-tech way to help premature infants

When she was a student at the University of Michigan, Grace Hsia discovered that 75 percent of babies born prematurely die from hypothermia, something that is largely preventable. “I was born one month premature, so I had this very surreal moment,” recalls Hsia. “I was lucky to be born here in the U.S.” Hsia was […]

Top winners at Austin Creator Awards announce ‘we’re hiring’

Austin entrepreneur Robert Olivier says that getting this far hasn’t been easy. “I literally couch surfed, and even spent a few nights sleeping in my car,” says Olivier. “But it was worth it, because it got me to the place that I am now.” That place was on the stage of Austin’s ACL Live at […]

Designer preserves weaving techniques dating back a millennia

For designer Anjali Purohit, it’s quality over quantity and timelessness over trendiness. That’s what her fashion accessory company, Variously, is all about. “The time taken to make these products is a lot more because they’re all handcrafted,” explains Purohit. “I would rather try and take more time, but make them well so that even 10 […]