Stories of Success

STORIES OF SUCCESS

IMMERSIVE MEDIA & TECH CREATIVE EXPERIENCES FOOD, TECH, CUISINE ART, DESIGN, FASHION

FEATURED STARTUP

Mixtroz

Leading provider of event engagement software

ASHLEE AMMONS & KERRY SCHRADER

“Creative Startups believed in us, gave us that infusion of support exactly when we most needed it.”

Founded in 2015, Mixtroz is now a leading provider of event engagement software, connecting people through customizable networking solutions. Using the power of technology with face-to-face connectivity, Mixtroz’s software tools allow large organizations and teams to capture data, create cross-sectional functionality, and achieve higher profitability.

Winner of our Creative Business Cup in 2017, Mixtroz credits Creative Startups with recognizing their talent, drive, and growth potential at a time when the business was struggling and the founders were considering throwing in the towel.

Mixtroz has since raised $1 million in seed funding through an investment led by the Black Star Fund!

Inmerssion

IVAN GRIS, PhD

“When our business was acquired, we were able to pivot and grow because of what we learned at Creative Startups.”

In 2013 Ivan founded Inmerssion, a company dedicated to building virtual agents (computer-generated characters with artificial intelligence) and virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR, AR, MR) applications. His goal was to help educate and entertain through engaging storytelling.

Inmerssion’s research and interactive software has been showcased in dozens of research conferences across the world, and the team collaborated with companies including IBM to create artificially intelligent virtual people.

Merging with Boost Human in 2017, the Inmerssion team continues building a mixed reality and artificial intelligence software for workforce development, productivity, and next-gen telecommunications.

Virtual events and design agency

Alt Ethos

Alt Ethos is an experiential, virtual events, installation, campaign, and design agency. The company creates physical fabrications, XR productions, virtual environments, and custom immersive worlds that come to life. Their talented team transforms clients’ vision into engaging events offering memorable experiences across multiple platforms.

Personalized itineraries for travelers

ViaVii

ROLA FAYYAD & IBRAHIM ABU RAJAB

“We were lucky to have been a part of the program. It helped us rethink and rebuild real value for our customers.”

ViaVii lets explorers travel “like a local and give back to communities”, offering authentic experiences and unique activities provided by locals and professionals.

Using proprietary AI technology, ViaVii designs personalized itineraries based on travelers’ profiles and preferences. The company recently closed seed funding that allows them to scale into additional Middle East markets, while developing a training program for tour operators, allowing capacity building in communities they operate in.

Immersive Media & Tech

ALUMNI

12FPS

Airo Life

Alif Sofia

Calindo Creative

Design11

Drikybot

Edumotion

Eila

El Gabinete

Embodied Labs

Engage Publications

FME

Grapple

Island Stage

Marta Ali Studios

Mezel Mods

Narative Media

Partnr

Point Motion

Sit-ins

Skilroute

TABB

The Right Margin

Ver con las Manos

WishPoints

FEATURED STARTUP

Meow Wolf

Artist-collective of 450 artists across the US

VINCE KADLUBEK, SEAN DI IANNI

“Creative Startups never tried to put us in a box. They trusted our vision, sharpened our focus. “Everything that has fallen into place for us is from the Creative Startups program”

Meow Wolf has taken the immersive art scene by storm. But when they applied to Creative Startups Accelerator they were struggling to identify a growth model that matched their vision for creative impact and global reach.

Today the artist-collective has surpassed $50 million in revenue and employs 450 artists. Currently building out new locations in Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Washington DC, Meow Wolf credits Creative Startups with opening up the world of entrepreneurship and investment, fast-tracking their success. Creative Startups was Meow Wolf’s first institutional investor.

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.

Comic book publisher for indigenous people

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.

Inspire action through interactive films

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.

Creative Experiences

ALUMNI

Alt Ethos

Animation Bee Studios

Artsy kreativ

Beaumonde

Bolly Shape

Butchers Hill Workshop

Centrestage

Charco Creative Industries

EarlyGroove

Elephant Collective

Feedback Video

The Feeling Friends

Firelux

Ftalent

FUN

Good Cinema

Kidobit

Legend Has It

Muddy Creek Cafe and Music Hall

Odd City

Pseudonym Productions

Rise of Charm City

Sisi Seni Production

Six Point Pictures

Super Struxture Studio

UrbanGeekz

FEATURED STARTUP

Upohar Cuisine

Social impact restaurant and catering company

SRIRUPA DASGUPTA & CHRISTINA MALDONADO

Upohar, meaning “gift” in Bengali, is a social impact restaurant and catering company where customers can affordably dine on global cuisines, celebrate the cultural heritage of our staff, and contribute to the lives of women who might otherwise fall through the cracks of our system. A certified B Corporation, we employ, train, and pay living wages to people experiencing significant barriers to workforce entry including newly resettled refugees and people experiencing homelessness.

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.

First mala snack brand in Singapore

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.

Jamaican flavors and gourmet hot dogs

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.

Food, Tech, Cuisine

ALUMNI

aklabaity

Blink

Bulkwhiz

Cup

Keep Eat Real

L’atelier du Miel

Le MONADE

mix and muesli

Organic Press Juices

PantryBee

Solo Tacos Tijuana Style

Sprout

Sprouting Journey

THAWAAQ

The Pepper Merchant

V-licious

FEATURED STARTUP

Etkie

Luxury cuffs crafted by Native American artisans

SYDNEY ALFONSO

Responding to the concern that humanity’s rich diversity of traditions, cultures and heritage are vanishing, Sydney started ETKIE to bring to life contemporary Native American designs. Today the brand is beloved by women In Europe, Asia, and across the USA. Inspired by the landscape and culture of the Southwest, ETKIE collaborates with a select team of expert artisans in New Mexico to create handmade jewelry that infuses traditional techniques with modern design.

Sold in nearly 100 stores on three continents, ETKIE has been featured in Elle, Vogue, The New York Times, and Google Reports.

Sydney joined Creative Startups Accelerator within a year of opening the business. “Creative Startups made sure I focused on the right priorities, and connected me with amazing mentors who helped me grow exponentially.”

Zeve Shoes

ZAID ARIF ZUBIR

Launching the online store in 2016, Zeve shoes quickly became a hit across Malaysia. Today Zeve operates across the ASEAN region, serving customers online and in the Kuala Lumpur store. Recognized for exceptional quality and design, Zaid says he brings discerning customers an Italian-quality handcrafted shoe without the Italian pricetag.

Award-winning lighting design studio

Stephanie Ng Design

STEPHANIE NG

Chicana-owned lifestyle brand

All Chola

All Chola is a Chicana-owned lifestyle brand based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico that seeks to disrupt the ways Mexican American identities are represented in the mainstream media and apparel. All Chola strives to create products that are authentic, unapologetic, and that allow their customers to wear their culture on their sleeve.

Art, Design, Fashion