Creator Archives

For Austin Creator Awards, entrepreneurs are eager to pitch their ideas

When Elisabeth Jordan found out she was a finalist at the Austin Creator Awards, the founder of The Human Impact couldn’t wait for her chance to share how her organization helps homeless people. “It’s an amazing opportunity,” says Jordan, whose Dallas-based nonprofit addresses the practical needs of people who don’t have a home while focusing […]

Discover Detroit’s mysterious side with On the Town Riddles

When you book a trip with Detroit’s On the Town Riddles, you don’t just watch the city go by from the window of a bus. You explore various neighborhoods, hidden bars, and other off-the-beaten-path destinations. And along the way you solve a mystery. The company is the brainchild of Kris Caster. He combined several different […]

Three Creator Award winners who are changing the world

They come from different backgrounds—one was a teacher, one worked in theater, and another was passionate about renewable energy—but these creators ended up in similar places. All three wanted to do even more to make the world a little better. Another thing they have in common: all three were winners at the Creator Awards, a […]

18 organizations win at Detroit Creator Awards

A total of 18 organizations—ranging from a group that sponsors theater productions in a women’s prison to a company that markets vintage athletic shoes—were among the winners at WeWork’s Creator Awards, held last week in Detroit. There were three categories of Creator Awards, including the Incubate Award for great ideas or specific projects that need […]

In Detroit, ‘not-just-for-profit’ companies win big at Creator Awards

Garret Koehler and his business partners were about two weeks away from having to come up with a $70,000 payment on the building housing their recording studio Assemble Sound. And they had no idea how they’d manage to find the money. It wasn’t just any building—it was a historic church dating from 1872 that anchors Detroit’s […]

Made in Detroit: Why the Motor City is a great place for creators

After filing for bankruptcy in 2013, Detroit famously rolled up its sleeves, and got back to work. This “can do” attitude is what you’ll find behind its booming startup culture and efforts to rebuild one business at a time. “‘Made in Detroit’ has become a brand in itself,” says Ryan Landau, founder of Detroit startup […]

Made in Detroit: Homegrown chefs create a sizzling food movement

“Detroit is a hotbed for growth in the food scene,” says Liz Kellogg, whose PR company Kellogg & Caviar specializes in restaurants and hospitality brands. “We’ve been seeing chefs in New York slowly starting to leave and going to smaller cities like Asheville, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Baltimore, and now, Detroit.” Kellogg is also making a […]

Women leaders ‘thrilled’ by outpouring of support at Creator Awards

Standing side by side with the other winners at the Creator Awards, Kellee James felt that she was a part of something extraordinary. “I’ve literally never seen that happen before,” said James, CEO of Mercaris, an agriculture startup. “It used to be that the only time women were part of a pitch competition was when […]

At Creator Awards, women entrepreneurs take home top prizes

Photographers had just finished snapping a few final shots when Elizabeth Lindsey’s phone rang. She quickly ducked over to one side of the room. “I couldn’t wait to tell somebody the news,” she said to the person on the other end. “You’re not going to believe it.” Lindsey, the executive director of Byte Back, said […]

In the home stretch, Creator Award finalists perfect their pitch

After leading her nonprofit for a decade, Cristi Hegranes had perfected her pitch. She knew just how to describe her organization’s work to the boards of some of the world’s most prominent foundations. Then she was notified that Global Press Institute was a finalist for the Creator Awards, and she threw her usual pitch out […]