TRAVIS MONTAQUE LAUNCHES CRATER TO HELP CREATORS' BUILD THEIR "NEXT BIG THING"
A diverse array of creators sign on to build and monetize their big ideas enabling a more equitable creator landscape
NEW YORK, Nov. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Travis Montaque built a business to tackle inequity in media, he's now tackling equitable access to opportunities in the world of creators. Today, Crater launches with a mission to change the landscape for creators by unlocking more value for them, than ever before. Creators are not being positioned to access the funds and collaborations they need to diversify their businesses. Crater wants to change that. Crater is a first-of-its-kind creator network that accelerates next-wave ideas by creators. Through Crater, creators will be able to collaborate and grow their network, launch big ideas, and get funded, transforming them into entrepreneurs of the future.
"Our objective at Crater is simple, to put more money in the pockets of creators than ever before," says Travis Montaque, founder of Crater. "We believe that creators are the new startups. Just like founders, they have culture-moving ideas that need funding. With Crater, we plan to shift the creator landscape forever by setting an even larger stage for creators to be able to build and monetize their ideas equitably."
Creators work incredibly hard to build audiences and keep them engaged. Many are currently leveraging the plethora of tools, marketplaces, and managers out there to monetize their creativity and audience but are still unable to see an equitable return on investment for their efforts. According to Forbes, there are around 50 million content creators in the world today, but only 2 million can call what they do a profession and make a living from their creativity. Factoring in the number of diverse creators who fall in that number it becomes significantly less. Crater's goal is to flip this value exchange by providing access to new opportunities and fair compensation, ultimately shifting the power back into the hands of the creator.
Through a strategic partnership with Group Black, the largest collective of Black-owned media, that Travis founded in 2021, creator content projects funded via Crater will have the opportunity to be amplified through Group Black's collective, initially and its associated media brands providing scale and reach for creators and brands on funded projects.
The Crater network is already growing, attracting notable creators who have big ideas that will create huge cultural assets from long-form content to merchandise. One of the goals of Crater is to create an ecosystem for creators, big and small, to network, get funded; and beloved social media stars like Dale Moss, Yung BBQ, Swan Sit, Grace Africa, JRich ENT, and have already signed on to be inaugural members of the network.
Dale Moss joins Crater to bring his next project through his company Moss Martin Media to life. Moss has been a long-time supporter and advocate of the Special Olympics and joins with Crater to produce a documentary to showcase the importance of the organization through digital media. Crater will not only work with Moss to secure funds for his project but also amplify it.
"Everyone wants to know that they have a voice that matters and being a part of a network whose efforts are reshaping the face of the creator landscape is a humbling thing," says Dale Moss, founder of Moss Media. "I understand the responsibility that comes with this opportunity, and I look forward to using Crater to continue to advance opportunities for those that come after me through my work."
"As a multifaceted creator myself I'm so happy to work with Crater on my upcoming comedy project," says creator Grace Africa. "Crater sees creators like me as more than just social media personalities, they see us as entrepreneurs and give us access to funding and opportunities that were never presented before."
Crater's advisory board members include megastar Jermaine Dupri. Industry pioneers Bozoma Saint John, Shar Caesar Douglas, and creator entrepreneurs Julie Ann Crommett, Keith Dorsey, and Christen Nino De Guzman.
"I chose to align myself with Crater because I strongly believe in the vision and I know that the market for creators to monetize their own creativity will only continue to grow, '' says Jermaine Dupri, head advisory board member for Crater. "For too long diverse creators have not been compensated or celebrated for their impact on culture. Crater exists to change that, and I look forward to being a part of that shift."
The business of being a creator has become more important than ever, their creativity fuels the world. And yet, although they have an outsized impact, they are massively underserved. Opportunity is not equal. Just like businesses, diverse creators suffer the most from pay inequity and lack of access to opportunity.
"Creativity has been undervalued for too long. We created Crater to unlock big ideas by creators that will drive culture forward," said Sarah Aitken, CEO of Crater. "Crater's long-term goal is to turn authentic creativity into businesses for creators. Collaboration unlocks creator success - access, scale, and influence - and by providing them with access to opportunities, we will drive more value to them."
About Crater:
Crater exists to change the landscape for creators by unlocking more value for them, than ever before. As a creator collaboration and funding network, Crater is giving creators the opportunity to network and pitch their new projects for investment, ultimately advancing the next generation of culture-makers by taking their creativity to the next level. Crater seeks to transform creativity into opportunity.
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