American Influencer Council Launches the Academic Advisory Circle, Establishing First Scholarly Network Dedicated to the U.S. Creator Economy

The Academic Advisory Circle members provide expert insights for the AIC's fourth annual International Creator Day Trend Report, April 23, titled "Built Not Posted"

NEW YORK, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Influencer Council (AIC), the first 501(c)(6) not-for-profit membership trade association led by and for U.S. career creators, announces the launch of the AIC Academic Advisory Circle — a first-of-its-kind network bringing credentialed academics into ongoing dialogue with leaders and advocates across the creator economy. The Academic Advisory Circle launches with eight members whose contributions appear in the AIC's fourth annual International Creator Day Trend Report, centered on the theme "Built Not Posted: Seen Online, Unseen in Policy: The Creator Labor Gap."

To ground the findings in lived experience, the report includes expert commentary from five career creators: Vanessa Bahena, Jenna Dillulio, Christina Galbato, Giovanna González, and Francesca Murray. Their perspectives on professional validation reveal how legitimacy functions as both a barrier and a gateway for creators building sustainable businesses.

"Career creators are building full-time businesses, navigating labor questions, and shaping culture — and they deserve no-cost access to the credible, evidence-based research that speaks directly to their occupational challenges and policy gaps," says Qianna Smith Bruneteau, Founder & Executive Director, American Influencer Council.

"The inaugural cohort of Academic Advisory Circle members understand the urgent need to engage in labor discussions with policymakers, regulators, and professional creators," adds Brooke Erin Duffy, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Cornell University and AIC Board Advisor.

ABOUT THE INAUGURAL THEME: BUILT NOT POSTED

Of the 39 million creators in America (Creative Class Group, 2024), only 1.5 million work full-time (Deighton & Kornfeld, IAB, 2025). As independent career creators build businesses on platforms they don't own, questions of worker classification, wage equity, and collective power have never been more urgent. Academic Advisory Circle members contributed evidence-informed perspectives on the risks, opportunities, and advocacy priorities defining the creator workforce over the next five years.

Get Your Free Copy of the Report: impact.americaninfluencercouncil.com/aic-2026-creator-day-report

MEMBERS

1. Jenna Drenten, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Faculty Affairs; Professor of Marketing, Quinlan School of Business, Loyola University Chicago
2. Jabari Miles Evans, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Race and Media, University of South Carolina
3. Regina Luttrell, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean, Associate Professor, Public Relations, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University
4. Jessica Maddox, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Entertainment and Media Studies, University of Georgia – Grady College
5. Colten Meisner, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, North Carolina State University
6. Wangari Njathi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Integrated Marketing Communication, Seaver College, Pepperdine University
7. Jess Rauchberg, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Media and the Arts, Seton Hall University
8. Krysten Stein, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of English & Communication, University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College

ABOUT THE AMERICAN INFLUENCER COUNCIL
The American Influencer Council (AIC) is the first 501(c)(6) not-for-profit membership trade association in the U.S., led by and for career creators. Publicly launched on June 30, 2020, the AIC champions entrepreneurship and lifelong learning among social media content professionals through career-building resources, original research, workforce development, and business development events.

Instagram: @americaninfluencercouncil | LinkedIn: @aic-nyc

Related Links: www.americaninfluencercouncil.com

ABOUT THE AIC ACADEMIC ADVISORY CIRCLE
The Academic Advisory Circle formalizes the AIC's six-year commitment to creator professional education. It brings together invite-only, credentialed academics whose research intersects with the creator economy to apply scholarly frameworks to the creator experience — advancing the case for small business legitimacy, labor protections, and improved working conditions.

SOURCE American Influencer Council