NEW YORK, April 14, 2021 / PRNewswire / – Creatively, the employment platform for creatives, today announced a $ 5 million seed round led by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Link Ventures, join Michael eisner Compagnie Tornante and Shari Redstone’s Advancit Capital as investors. Creative will use the new round of funding primarily to expand its product and engineering team as well as its data capabilities.

“Less than a year ago, we launched Creatively with a clear mission to help creatives find work. Over 125,000 creatives and over 650 brands have already joined our community and, thanks to this new funding , Creatively is positioned for our next phase of growth, “mentioned Gregory Gittrich, CEO of Creatively. “We are delighted to welcome Link Ventures as a significant strategic investor as we change the way the world hires creatives and the way creatives find jobs.”

Creatively – co-founded by Alice + Olivia CEO Stacey Bendet – launched in the middle of the pandemic on May 5, 2020. The company, led by Gittrich and Chief Product Officer Joe indriolo, also a co-founder, provides creatives from all disciplines and industries with free and immersive tools to showcase their portfolios, network and find jobs.

Link Ventures, based in the Kendall Square Innovation Center in Cambridge, invests in disruptive technology companies that exploit Big Data. VC firm to use relationship with data science studio Cogo Laboratories to help creatively generate revenue and reduce customer acquisition costs. Creatively’s strong organic growth and differentiated product made the employment platform an ideal choice for Link’s portfolio. The VC firm’s past investments include EverQuote, Jobcase, Healthcare.com, Vestmark, Motorefi and Stilt.

“Previously, there wasn’t really a job platform designed for creatives. Solves this problem creatively. This is LinkedIn for the creative world,” said Lisa Dolan, Managing Director of Link Ventures. “Today’s job market needs creatives. Companies are looking to recruit creatives directly, but lack the network or resources to find qualified and diverse talent. This is changing creatively. Their growth in less than a year is very impressive, and we are delighted to be a part of the team. “

Over 650 companies use Creatively to recruit and hire talent, including HBO, Tom ford, SKIMS, Nickelodeon, Ro, CNN, The Gap, and more. Creatives contribute $ 763 billion to the US economy, more than agriculture, transportation or warehousing.

Creatively nurtured a community that reflects diversity across the spectrum of the creative world. More than 60% of creations that have registered via Creatively’s iPhone app and website identify yourself as BIPOC.

Recently, creatively, partnered with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to launch IMPACT, an initiative to support black people and Brown creative in fashion and beyond with the immediate goal of creating employment opportunities. Creatively also works with a variety of schools (Parsons, Pratt, ADJUST, NYU, Yale, Bronx Community College, New York City College, Yale, SCAD, University of Cincinnati, University of the Academy of Arts, among others) as well as non-profit organizations, such as the Born This Way Foundation, to help creatives find work.

Plus, the startup’s “Creatively Classes” series offers free monthly classes, giving them the skills and inspiration they need to find work. The instructors included the designer Zac Posen, choreographer Galen hooks, New York designer Sarah kempa, artist and designer KidSuper, creative director Rajni jacquesand Creative Director of Westbrook Media Kameron Mack.

Link Ventures’ past investments include EverQuote, an online marketplace for insurance; Jobcase, a job market and social platform, Vestmark, a provider of technology for wealth management and investment, HealthCare.com, a health insurance marketplace; Motorefi, a car loan refinancing platform designed to make car refinancing easy, personalized and less expensive than alternatives, and Stilts, a modern bank for immigrants and the underserved.

For more information, please visit Creatively.

ABOUT CREATIVITY
Creatively is the job platform for creatives. The professional network is designed for creatives of all disciplines, from fashion and art to media and entertainment to marketing and advertising and beyond. Creatively’s mission is to champion creative people and help them find work – from full-time jobs to freelance opportunities to internships. The platform is an active space for tens of thousands of creatives to showcase their portfolios through free immersive tools, network, and apply for jobs. Over 650 companies use Creatively to recruit and hire talent. The company, co-founded by Alice + Olivia CEO Stacey Bendet, launched in May 2020.

SOURCE creatively