Upstart Co-Lab, a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, has joined forces with Carter Hales Design Lab and Mitchell Press to call attention to entrepreneurs and investors who are committed to making money with meaning in the creative economy.
The resulting beautiful custom-designed print book, titled Creative Impact: Impact Investing, aims to enlighten, inform, and inspire entrepreneurs, investors, and design teams and is rooted in the shared beliefs that great design solves problems that matter and that values-aligned capital can help bring those solutions to scale.
“There is a rising class of impact investors who put society and the environment ahead of pure financial gain. They are looking to support creators who dare to think bigger,” said Sean Carter, Principal/Director of Design for Carter Hales Design Lab.
The work of creative, social impact businesses takes on new urgency in the post-pandemic era. Creative people are harnessing the power of business and the marketplace to scale and sustain their ideas. The businesses started by artists and designers often balance financial profitability with concern for the environment, workers, and the community. These socially focused companies seek capital from impact investors who understand the power of art, design, culture, heritage and creativity to drive positive environmental and social impact. Together, investors and entrepreneurs can grow the creative economy to become more inclusive, equitable and sustainable.
“Creative design thinking allows high-impact solutions to social problems to be more compellingly articulated and to develop organically, as well as in collaboration, rather than being imposed as a top-down directive,” continued Carter. “Our hope is that this book can be a beacon to help more businesses and individuals to recognize that the creative economy can yield positive outcomes in all facets of our lives.”
Laura Callanan, Founding Partner of Upstart Co-Lab added: “The creative economy has the capacity to intrigue, engage, educate and activate more mindful consumers. Art-lovers and arts organizations are backing fashion, food and film/tv businesses to make money alongside social and environmental impact. This book shares the stories of how investors and entrepreneurs are shaping a creative economy that is inclusive, equitable, and sustainable.”
The new publication features two investors and five entrepreneurs who are part of Upstart Co-Lab’s growing network. Lorrie Meyercord and Souls Grown Deep are 100% impact investors and inaugural members of Upstart Co-Lab’s Member Community. The book also includes the stories of Creative Action Network, a community of artists who sell physical goods with meaningful designs to support good causes; E-Line Media, which produces video games inspiring players to understand and shape the world; Greenbelt Hospitality which is democratizing farm-to-table dining; Preemadonna, a technology company inspiring creative expression for the next generation of girls and young women; and Upriver Studios, a women-led environmentally-friendly film and tv production studio revitalizing the local economy in New York’s Hudson Valley.
About Carter Hales Design Lab
An award-winning, globally engaged design and branding agency based in Vancouver, Carter Hales applies design thinking to brand strategies, websites, packaging, and other digital and graphic design projects. Carter Hales works with ambitious business leaders who expect brilliant solutions that drive results.For more information, visit carterhales.com.
About Upstart Co-Lab
Upstart Co-Lab believes creative people solve problems. Upstart is disrupting how creativity is funded by connecting the $12 trillion of socially responsible and impact investing capital in the U.S. to the $878-billion U.S. creative economy. Since 2015, Upstart Co-Lab has framed the creative economy (sustainable food, ethical fashion, social impact media, other creative industries, and creative places) as an impact investing priority, revealing its potential to deliver a positive impact for the environment, low-income communities, workers, women, and others.For more information, visit upstartco-lab.org.
About Mitchell Press
Since 1928, Mitchell has grown into a print marketing company with a rich history in print craft, combined with industry-leading technology and sustainability practices. Today, they provide a host of complementary production and strategic services that organize and amplify brand messages to help their clients excel in business, and lead in their respective markets.For more information, visit mitchellpress.com.
