Kweli TV

DESHUNA SPENCER
WINNER 2018 CREATIVE BUSINESS CUP

Offering over 350 undiscovered, award-winning indie films, documentaries, web series & kids shows celebrating global black culture, Kweli TV meets the growing demand for authentic stories of the global Black community.

Deshuna founded Kweli TV to provide a space to share & celebrate the excellence of black culture globally. Now with thousands of paying subscribers, the platform empowers filmmakers and is a catalyst for change, a space where big ideas are shared and implemented; a place that is a mixture of entertainment and education.

Native Realities

Lee Francis, PhD

“Creative Startups got it before anyone else did. They shared the vision, they backed us 100%.”

Today Native Realities is the world’s largest publisher of comic books for indigenous people, targeting a market of 300 million indigenous people worldwide.

Joining the accelerator in 2016, Lee was determined to launch the world’s first comic con for Native fans. Today, the con, Indigenous PopX, operates in the USA and Australia, with over 10,000 fans visiting every year.

GoodCinema

“Creative Startups helped us to understand how a business model could be applied to help Good Cinema stay a sustainable business and achieve our mission of building community and driving impact.”

GoodCinema was founded in 2018 at a time of divisive politics, racial tension, growing economic inequality, and the proliferation of technology in every aspect of our lives. Their mission is to cultivate connection and inspire action through interactive film and discussion experiences, hoping to create a more compassionate culture that values humanity and life above all else.

Eat Me Ice Cream

CATELYN AUGUSTINE & AMBER ODHNER

Eat Me is founded by an American duo dedicated to wild pairings of food, culture and art. Drawing on their experiences as pastry artists and yogis, the two founders go together like whipped cream and maraschino cherry, crafting flavors like Lavender Goat Cheese, Deep & Dark, Spring Garden and Angel Food Cake.

Recently securing shelf space in a large grocer across the Northeast, Eat Me Ice Cream has only begun to change the way the world tastes.

Ooh Mala

GERVOR QUEK

Opening in 2018, Mala Mala founder Gervor Quek doubled down on design, creating eye-catching packaging that matched the powerful punch packed by his snacks. Mala Mala’s retail shop is more chic art gallery than snack store, drawing in customers curious about flavors that felt “like a party in your mouth”. Embracing its slogan, Spicy is an attitude Gervor has entered the market with an innovative offering that has quickly gathered fervent fans.

So Tasty / Year of the Dog

MAHASIN THURMAN

Founded by Chef Mahasin Thurman, So Tasty is a walk up restaurant, food truck, and farmers’ market booth with a cult following serving Jamaican flavors to Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. Since launching in 2014, the business has expanded to include Year of the Dog, a gourmet hot dog restaurant.