What would it look like if creators of color were given unprecedented access to capital, content and community? That’s the question a new program from Patreon hopes to answer; Pull Up is a star-studded and supported initiative launched to help those creators “build sustainable and profitable businesses,” according to a press release to theGrio.

Images: Pull Up from Patreon

“As a musician and creator of color, I know firsthand the challenges that many face when hustling to grow, perfect their craft and scale their businesses to be profitable,” Hewan Abebe, Head of Creator Initiatives for the Patreon Creator Success team shared via a statement. “It’s these experiences that propelled me to develop Pull Up, and it is my hope that the program serves as a conduit for creators of color to retain ownership of their work, inspire community, and foster change to help generations coming up.”

Issa Rae’s HOORAE, author-activist Blair Imani, Amanda Seales’ Smart Funny & Black, singers Durand Bernarr and Jade Novah, and wellness expert and social entrepreneur Nicole Cardoza are among the creative partners who’ve lent their influence to support and develop Pull Up, which launches Wednesday, April 27, with a public livestream event at 5 p.m. PT. Powered by Patreon, the initiative is described as “an incubator and creative community to give creators of color access to capital and other resources to grow their businesses,” according to Cision, which also reported:

While the creator economy is growing at an exciting pace, a 2021 study found that BIPOC creators are paid almost a third less (29%) than their white peers. To help bridge this gap, and working with creators of color, Patreon launched Pull Up, a generative ecosystem where creators of color can learn from and grow with industry leaders, and each other, to “pull up” the next generation of creatives. 

Source: Cision

“We share a core set of values in empowering creators of color with access and resources, so I’m thrilled my team and I get to be on this journey with the other creators in the initiative,” said Issa Rae in a statement.

The Pull Up Community is open to all creators, who can sign up via the program’s website. There, they can also access the Pull Up Salon Series, “a series of community events, panels, and workshops featuring industry-leading creators of color who share how to hone your creative, entrepreneurial, and community-building skills as you grow a creative business of your own,” according to the release. In addition, creators will also have access to a “dedicated Discord server to connect and learn from their peers,” as well as the ability to apply for funding available to select Patreon creators.

The Wednesday launch event features D Smoke, Nicole Cardoza, and RT TV. For more information on Pull Up, powered by Patreon, and the upcoming public livestream event on April 27 at 5:00 – 6:30 PM PT; visit events.patreon.com/PullUpLateNight.

Maiysha Kai is Lifestyle Editor of theGrio, covering all things Black and beautiful. Her work is informed by two decades’ experience in fashion and entertainment, a love of great books and aesthetics, and the indomitable brilliance of Black culture. She is also a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and editor of the YA anthology Body (Words of Change series).

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