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The Creator Economy Unconference: Building Connections, Bridging Gaps, Building Futures

Rachel Masters

Jesse Engle, founder of XPDTN and longtime creator economy builder from the East Bay, recently gave us a reason to return to Austin for his Unconference for Creator Managers at brands. Also. representing the Bay Area were Rachel Masters, our Co-Founder, and James Jacoby, who manages social media at Notion and Patreon supporters Stephanie Hind and Lucy Shen.

What made this gathering unique was how quickly meaningful connections formed - in just three hours, strangers and acquaintances alike engaged in candid, insightful discussions about the most pressing challenges facing our industry.

Here’s what Jesse had to say about the Unconference “Feedback was even better than I hoped. It feels risky because you give up a lot of control. But doing so opens space for the group to self-organize and discuss topics people are most passionate about.”

Here’s a peek into key topics and insights discussed:

Building Successful Creator-Brand Partnerships: Maximizing Compensation and ROI

• We explored payment models that benefit both creators and brands, including milestone-based flat fees and ways to align brand resources with creators' long-term aspirations beyond financial compensation.

Sustainable Brand-Creator Partnerships

• Participants discussed how to structure lasting partnerships that provide creators with stable income while giving them creative freedom to produce both consistent content and breakthrough hits.

• Brands are hesitant to be “stuck” with a Creator; how can they ensure the partnership will work out especially as their strategy evolves

AI Adoption

• Everyone is using AI but each participant agreed it is not yet the silver bullet. It requires an investment in time and effort to train teams how to use AI and to set-up systems that allow AI to enhance productivity.

• AI output still needs to be checked for quality but it does free teams up to be more Creative, do higher value work, and gives people less time in the office being in the weeds

Additional Topics Explored:

• Strategic social listening for trend identification and creator discovery

• Improving brand-creator communication and understanding

• Optimizing manager-brand relationships

• The rise of creator-owned brands

• Leveraging creators for B2B marketing and educational content

• Streamlining creator discovery processes

We’d love to hold a Bay Area Unconference with Jesse. Let us know HERE, If you're interested in participating in this dynamic event, let us know.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Inside the Bay Area

MAY

May 10-11
Mill Valley Music Festival Celebrates live music, local art, and seriously good food for 2 fun days. (Mill Valley, CA)

May 15
Creator Career Conference (C3) is where panels, partnerships, and the future of the creator economy collide. Catch our co-founder Jim Louderback speaking — and enjoy a special perk just for our Bay Area Creator Economy community! Get 50% off with code BAYAREA50OFF.  Register here! (San Francisco)

May 15
Nintendo San Francisco's grand opening of the second official Nintendo store in the U.S. Browse the gaming consoles and accessories as well as the Nintendo-universe merch such as clothing, accessories, home goods, and exclusive items. Keep in mind that reservations are required for the opening day fun. (San Francisco)

May 15-18
Healsberg Wine and Food Experience A weekend of world-class wine, cuisine, and music in Sonoma County, featuring top chefs like Guy Fieri and Stephanie Izard at stunning venues including The Matheson Rooftop and Montage Healdsburg. (Sonoma County) 

May 17
Moonstar Charitable Organization is hosting an unforgettable evening to raise funds for underserved and vulnerable communities in San Francisco. Expect a fabulous fashion show, delicious food and wine, a lively auction, and a vibrant mix of guests—all coming together to support a cause that truly matters. (San Carlos)

May 18
Bay Area Bay to Breakers is ​Bay to Breakers is an annual 12K race in San Francisco, celebrated for its lively costumes and vibrant community spirit (San Francisco)

May 23-25
BottleRock Napa Valley 2025 is set to feature an impressive lineup, including headliners Green Day, Justin Timberlake, Noah Kahan, and Benson Boone. (Napa Valley)

May 23-25
California Roots Festival blends reggae, hip hop, rock, and folk in an unforgettable weekend of music and vibes. This year’s lineup features T-Pain, Rebelution, Buju Banton, SOJA, Slightly Stoopid and many more. (Monterey)

May 24-25
Carnival San Francisco is the city’s vibrant take on Mardi Gras, bursting with colorful parades, live music, and dazzling dancers that celebrate Latin American, Caribbean, and global cultures. (San Francisco) 

Beyond the Bay Area

MAY

May 12-14
Social Media Week brings together marketers, creators, and brand leaders for three days of cutting-edge insights, creative energy, and forward-thinking strategies to thrive in today’s evolving digital landscape. We're proud to share that our Co-founder, Monica Khan, will be speaking and sharing her insights at this dynamic event. (New York)

May 15-18
Joshua Tree Music Festival: Set against the desert backdrop, the Festival brings global grooves, eclectic acts, and camping vibes to life just outside the national park. (Joshua Tree, CA)

May 19- 20
Gamesbeat Summit 2025 is where top industry leaders converge to share insights on the future of gaming, driving innovation, and unlocking new avenues for growth.(Los Angeles)

May 21-26
LA Fleet Week: Celebrate our nation’s sea services at this free public event at the Port of Los Angeles (Los Angeles)

May 22- June 20
WeHo Pride - West Hollywood kicks off pride season which runs for 40 days. (Los Angeles)

May 27-30 
WebSummit 2025 at Vancouver Convention Centre brings together innovators, startups, and investors to explore the future of AI, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship. (Vancouver, Canada)

Have an event you’d like us to include here? If so, please send the event URL to [email protected].

COMMUNITY NEWS

🎬 SFFILM 2025 Celebrates San Francisco's Cinematic Spirit

The 68th San Francisco International Film Festival highlighted the city's rich cultural tapestry, featuring tributes to director Chris Columbus and the premiere of Elena Oxman's Outerlands, filmed across 36 SF locations. (Datebook)

📺 YouTube Returns as VidCon's Title Sponsor

San Bruno-based YouTube reclaims its spot as VidCon Anaheim's title sponsor for its 20th anniversary, signaling a renewed focus on creator-first programming. (Tubefilter)

💼 LinkedIn Launches BrandLink to Monetize Creator Content

Sunnyvale's LinkedIn expands into the creator economy with BrandLink, allowing select creators to monetize video content through targeted ads, and introduces new original shows featuring business leaders. (Social Media Today)

📈 Digital Creator Jobs Surge, Bay Area Leads Growth

The IAB reports a 7.5x increase in full-time digital creator roles since 2020, with the Bay Area at the forefront, bolstered by its robust startup ecosystem and tech platforms. (Axios)

💡 Sam Lessin's VC Outlook: Investing in Communities

Menlo Park's Sam Lessin of Slow Ventures emphasizes backing creators with strong communities in his "State of VC in 2025" report, highlighting a shift towards narrative-driven investments. (X)

🛠️ Notion Unveils Creator Program with Free Tools and Resources
San Francisco-based Notion has launched a Creator Program offering eligible creators up to one year of free access to Notion Plus with Notion AI. The program includes customizable templates, a content calendar, and a CRM to help creators streamline their workflows. Applications are open globally. (Threads)

🧠 CreatorCare Launches to Support Creator Mental Health  - 

Mental health matters—not just globally, but right here in our Bay Area Creator Economy community. Revive Health Therapy and Creators 4 Mental Health are launching CreatorCare on May 6—offering affordable, sliding-scale therapy for digital creators. The California-based program connects creators with licensed therapists who understand the demands of the digital hustle. Co-founded by Emmy-nominated creator Shira Lazar, with national expansion planned. (beehiiv)

Jobs

• Founding Growth & Social Media Lead at Robyn AI (San Francisco)

• Manager, Content Creator @ Old Navy (San Francisco)

• 💛 Head of Discovery @ Clubhouse (San Francisco)

• Creator & Community Lead @ Mendable (San Francisco)

• Affiliate & Influencer Marketing Specialist @ Linktree (San Francisco)

• Have a job you’d like us to include here? Send the job posting URL to [email protected].

Would you like to sponsor this newsletter or one of our events?  Please email [email protected]

Finally, as we ramp up our own events, we’d love your help.  We’re looking for a few volunteers to help with our events, with editing, marketing and really anything else you think we might need.  Please fill out our short survey if you’ve got the time and inclination - we’d love to work something out!

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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]

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Email us at [email protected]