Meow Wolf

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.

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.

Upohar Cuisine

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.

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 fell “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.