SXSW Update: Creators Arrive!

Bay area creators were everywhere at SXSW - including at our very own Creatorpalooza - plus details on our April 2nd meetup!

AuthorAuthor

Jim Louderback & Bay Area Creator Economy
March 11, 2025

Nica

SXSW 2025 was a whirlwind of creativity, connection, and collaboration, and Creatorpalooza was at the heart of it all! In this edition, we’re diving into the highlights of East Meets West: Creatorpalooza 2025, where the brightest minds in the creator economy came together to spark ideas and build lasting relationships. We also shine a spotlight on Beacons’ co-founder, Neal Jean, and his insights on developing tools that empower creators in a rapidly evolving digital world.

And the momentum doesn’t stop here—we’re bringing the energy back to the Bay! Mark your calendars for April 2nd as we gear up for an exclusive event that will unite top innovators, industry leaders, and trailblazers shaping the future of digital media. Stay tuned for more details!

Let’s keep building the future of the creator economy—together.

Cheers,

The Bay Area Creator Economy Community Team / Co-Founders

MAIN STORY

Bay Area Creators Descend on SXSW

France Tantiado, Contributor

It was something old and something new at the first real creator track at SXSW. Top creators and experts from the creator economy were everywhere, as a sizable contingent of the Bay Area’s creator community joined the party! But it also featured a bit of nostalgia, as OG bay area creators brought back a much loved IP for the first time in 14 years. First up - Creatorpalooza and then a recap from the first Live Diggnation since 2011.

CREATORPALOOZA

Celebrating Creativity, Connection, and Collaboration at SXSW 2025

With perfect weather setting the stage, attendees connected, collaborated, and exchanged ideas—sparking new opportunities and partnerships. Here’s what some of our guests had to say about the event:

“Speaking at Creatorpalooza at SXSW was a great way to dive into the often-overlooked side of creator growth – beyond content, it’s about navigating financial, operational, and sustainability challenges to grow from a creator to much larger. Always great to support the creator economy community!”

 – Dylan Huey, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, REACH

"Creatorpalooza was full of creator economy connectors, the kind of people who always know exactly who you should meet.  Hands down the most valuable event at SXSW!"

– Renee Teeley, Chief Creator Officer, UP

"I had a fantastic time catching up with peers in the creator economy, reconnecting with industry friends, and making new connections along the way. It was a great event—good people always bring good people together!”  

– Brendon Gahan, Co-founder and CEO, Creator Authority 

 

“Super fun, There were tons of people to connect with and incredible panelists”

  – Madison Luscombe, CMO and Co-founder, Creator Society

 

"Creatorpalooza was my favorite SXSW event! The panel lineup was stacked with speakers who had incredible chemistry, making every session insightful. I walked away learning something valuable from each one. The swag was top-notch—practical and high-quality (I love my creator cap!). Plus, with headshots and touch-ups, it felt like a high-energy rooftop party where people wanted to stay all day, not just drop by for freebies."

 – Chelsey Mori, Founder and CEO, Unbound Legal

 

"I'm really grateful for the opportunity to be at this event. The larger marketing ecosystem and creator economy play such a significant role in how businesses are investing today. There's a growing need for creators to share resources, and events like this provide the perfect space to connect in person and exchange valuable insights."

 – Patrick Janelle, Founder, Untitled Secret

 

"Creatorpalooza has been one of the best events I’ve attended at SXSW—the connections, brands, creators, and genuine people made it truly special."

 – Joshua Smith, Founder of School of Hardknocks

 

“What I enjoyed most about the event was learning how to take creativity from digital spaces and bring it to life both online and in person (IRL). The key is to transform what you're doing digitally into real-world experiences because these connections will last a lifetime and create a lasting impact."

 – Morgan J Ingrim, Founder and CEO, Amp

Creator Economy NYC founder Brett Dashevsky with BACE co-founder France Tatiando

Learning, shmoozing and soaking up the sun!

DIGGNATION LIVE

Also at SXSW, OG bay area creator economy company Digg announced its new Digg 2.0, and celebrated with the first live Diggnation performance since 2011.

Live Diggnation -  and its video network Revision3 -- used to be huge at SXSW from 2008 to 2011 but faded away as Digg and founder Kevin Rose shifted gears.  But with Rose purchasing back the assets of Digg and partnering with former Reddit nemesis Alexis Ohanian, the party was back.

Kevin Rose, Alex Albrecht - along with guests Ev Williams, Jason Calacanis, Chris Sacca, Alexis Ohanian and Tim Ferris – took the packed audience at the Mohawk theater through a wine and tequila soaked trip down memory lane - and presumably into the new Digg.  

Although occasionally veering into old-guy tech-bro nostalgia, the event was great fun for old fans and new ones too.  With deep roots in the San Francisco tech and creator space, it was a 2010 buddy movie that returned to its authentic roots in Austin.  Hopefully we’ll get a bay area version soon!

Kevin Rose, Alex Albrecht, Chris Sacca and Alexis Ohanian enjoy a tasty beverage

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Neal Jean, Co-Founder & CEO of Beacons

France Tantiado, Contributor

Beacons co-founder and CEO Neal Jean discusses the company’s evolution, the challenges of building for creators without being one, and what’s next as it continues to grow, with its roots still firmly in the Bay Area and a recent expansion to New York City.


Q: What is Beacons?

Beacons is the ultimate creator monetization platform, providing everything creators need to build their business in one place. With AI-powered tools for managers and brands, Beacons streamlines collaborations and makes influencer partnerships effortless. We are a creator business platform used by over 6 million creators and is backed by a16z, the Chainsmokers, YC, and others. Our users include Sia, Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Barstool Sports.

In addition to our creator platform, Beacons now has tools that power every layer of the creator economy: our Beacons for Managers platform enables talent managers to manage all campaigns across all of their creators, all in one place. Most recently, Beacons has revolutionized brand-creator connections with AI-powered creator search so brands can find the perfect influencer marketing. With years of experience building tools for creators, we understand the unique collaboration opportunities between the world’s most influential creators and brands.

 

Q: What inspired the initial pivot from smart locks to the creator economy?

The initial project that we worked on together was a facial-recognition smart lock, but we ultimately realized that software was a better match for us than hardware (after all, we were all software PhDs!) We went through a series of pivots, trying out different ideas from a "smart Trello" to a Cameo-type product for creators, before a conversation with an influencer marketing expert at a friend's wedding inspired us to start building business tools for creators.

 

Q: What’s been the biggest challenge in growing Beacons, and how did you overcome it?

One of the biggest challenges in growing Beacons was that the early team didn't have experience in the creator space. None of us were creators ourselves, and the creator economy was still very early and evolving rapidly. We overcame it by trying to talk to as many users 1:1 as possible—through emails, zoom calls, and eventually in person. Even today, doing user interviews is a big part of our team culture and we want to make sure we stay really close to real creators and their problems.

 

Q: What’s one thing about building a startup that you wish you knew earlier?

It's okay to pivot! Your first idea might not be your best idea (or your second, or your third lol), so it's okay to continue exploring until you find something that you're really excited to work on.

 

Q: What’s a random fun fact about Beacons that most people don’t know?

We've thought about making our mascot a Beaver, because they're nature's builders. That's what we aspire to be for the creator economy!

 

Q: What’s a hidden talent or hobby of yours that people might not expect?

I love basketball! One of our company values is "Shoot Your Shot," which is all about taking the right risks and putting yourself out there. I've also been known to use a sports metaphor at work to talk about business strategy 

 

Q: What’s the most unexpected or funniest moment you’ve had as a founder?

There's another startup called Beacon AI (https://beaconai.co/) and sometimes we get people who think they're applying to them and sometimes they get people who think they're applying to work with us

 

Q: Why did Beacons decide to expand to NYC, and how does it fit into the company’s   future vision?

New York City is a cultural and business hub in the creator economy—not only are a lot of creators living and creating in NYC, but it's also home to a lot of the management companies and brands that Beacons is now building for, too. Beacons is expanding our business to power all layers of the creator economy (creators, managers, agencies and brands), and it's important for us to be able to connect with everyone across these layers to truly understand how to serve them

 

Q: Any recent articles or awards Beacons has received that you'd like to highlight.

Beacons was recently named one of Business Insider's "30 Startups Most Likely to Become Tech's Next Unicorns"!

 

Q: What’s next for Beacons—any exciting new features or expansions on the horizon?

Beacons is launching a platform where brands can connect with top creators and build influencer partnership programs. Here brands can leverage the Beacons network of 6M+ creators already on Beacons to find their most engaged audiences and scale their own businesses. The Beacons for Brands platform will allow them to make data-driven marketing decisions, connect with the right creators, streamline influencer campaigns, and track performance, all in one platform. We're really excited about the opportunity to help creators and brands build better partnerships, because it's so mutually beneficial for both. Strong, successful partnerships have the potential to transform both the creator's and the brand's businesses.

 

Q: If you weren’t building Beacons, what would you be doing instead?

Trying to make it in the NBA and if that didn't work out, probably building another startup!

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Inside the Bay Area

MARCH

March 12

March 13

  • Spring Into Serenity — The Grand Re-Opening of the 2nd Floor at Sereny Aesthetics and Wellness’ (San Francisco Location)

March 17-21 

  • NVIDIA GTC AI Conference — Their annual conference that covers everything AI. Last year’s edition was the first to invite creators along with journalists.(San Jose)

March 18

  • Equality Lounge During Nvidia GTC Through engaging panel conversations and relationship building, women will be in the spotlight pioneering AI innovation across industries - from advancing healthcare solutions to revolutionizing cybersecurity and retail technology. (San Jose)

March 22 

March 25


APRIL

April 1-2

  • DisCo at the Capitol: California Disability Community Advocacy Conference This annual conference features nationally-known speakers (Such as author and former Bay Area creator Tiffany Yu) who have been trailblazers who promote policies that improve the disability system, enabling people with disabilities to live inclusively in their communities. (Sacramento, CA)

April 2

  • COMMUNITY PICK! On Wednesday, April 2rd, we’ll be hosting a Bay Area Creator Economy Event in the Bay Area. As we finalize details, we’ll keep you updated. If you’re a creator, industry leader, company, or brand in the creator economy, we’d love for you to join us—more details coming soon! (San Francisco)

 

Beyond the Bay Area

MARCH

March 8-21

  • COMPLEX PRESENT TAKASHI MURAKAMI X MLB 2025 TOKYO SERIES POP-UP Japan Pop Up The exclusive partnership highlights the collaboration between the renowned Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami and Major League Baseball (MLB), bringing together two cultural icons to celebrate two of the league's most storied teams for a limited-edition collection of collectibles and merchandise. (Japan)

March 20

  • Demo Day LA A diverse community of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders in a day filled with inspiring pitches, valuable connections, and engaging workshops. (LA)

March 22

March 25

March 25-27

March 27

March 28


APRIL

April 1-3

April 6-10

  • The NAB Show (National Association of Broadcasters) has identified the Creator Economy as one of its fastest growing segments. (Las Vegas). BACE Co-founder Jim Louderback is helping to produce The Creator Lab on the ground floor of the South Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Want to go? Use code PR11 at checkout to get a free exhibits registration!

Have an event you’d like us to include here? Send the event URL [email protected].

COMMUNITY NEWS

​Last week, Databricks and Strava expanded their presence in San Francisco by opening new offices. Databricks is investing over $1 billion in the city, including a new headquarters at One Sansome Street and a commitment to keep its Data + AI Summit in San Francisco through 2030. Strava, a fitness tracking platform, has also opened a new office in the city. (SFGate.com, San Francisco Chronicle)

REACH Nationals (founded by Bay Area native Dylan Huey) & Shine Talent Group are launching a free, four-part virtual webinar series equipping the next generation of creators with expert insights, strategies, and real-world applications to thrive in the digital world. (LinkedIn)

Le Marais Bakery's giant croissants, weighing as much as 10 regular ones and costing $22, have become viral sensations on social media, with influencers frequently showcasing them on platforms like Instagram and TikTok (KRON4)

San Francisco-based Twitch partnered with StreamElements to simplify sponsorships, offering creators easier access to brand deals with guaranteed pay and incentives.

In the works: UP, a new social platform designed to boost your mood! Powered by the Scroll Happy™ algorithm, UP ranks content based on how it makes you feel. Be among the first to experience it by joining the waitlist at www.scrollhappy.com.

 

JOBS

“HELLA BAY AREA” PICK - BhutiHikes

BhutiHikes recently created a post that gives us a glimpse into the magnificent hiking on Cataract Falls Trail. This Bay Area Creator regularly shares some of the best hiking trails and hidden gems that exist, but this redwood-lined hike is a magnificent option to get your heart rate up, complete with climbing stairs, walking next to waterfalls and among the ferns. It’s an amazing athletic option for those who want to get out and enjoy the scenery and, like our creator and entrepreneurship journeys, venture down the path less traveled.

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If you are a Bay Area Creator and have a piece of content you’d like for us to share, email it to us at [email protected]

Are you interested in contributing to the community or sponsoring an event? 

Email us at [email protected]