Creator CEO Summit
The Creator CEO Summit (hosted by Slow Ventures' Creator Fund and The Lighthouse) is for the next generation of creators who aren’t just making content, but building companies beyond the platforms.
This event skips the usual growth-hack advice and dives into what it really takes to scale: capital, hiring, distribution, and product development. Hear directly from creators-founders, operators, and investors on how they built sustainable businesses.
Space is very limited for 70 qualified creators and some operators. The format will be intimate, with panels and alive with questions from creators encouraged to interrupt.
Please only RSVP to panels you are going to attend. If you'd like to come purely for networking and to hang, please only RSVP for the Closing Hang.
Creator CEO Summit: Agenda Overview
8:30–9:00AM | Arrival + Breakfast (Bites and Coffee)
9:00–9:15AM | Opening Remarks
Megan Lightcap and Billy Parks (Slow Ventures)
Why are we doing this?
9:15–10:15AM | Fireside Chat: Today in the Creator Economy
Sarah Harden (Hello Sunshine) & Billy Parks (Slow Ventures)
How do world-class operators and creative powerhouses team up to build lasting, scalable businesses? It's hard. We’ll discuss the shifts reshaping the creator economy, the challenges of this evolution, and how to build the right teams and structures for long-term success.
10:30–11:30AM | Fundraising: Why, When, and How to Seek Capital
Megan Lightcap (Slow Ventures), Sean Holladay (Spacestation Investments), Michela Venuti (The Chernin Group)
Deep dive into how creators can navigate funding — from choosing the right capital and investor types to deal structures, timing, and ownership trade‑offs.
11:30AM–12:30PM | Venture Studios and Building With Partners
Daniel Landver (UTA Creators Product Group), Stephen Love (Made With Love), Mike Duffy (YumCrunch), Ryan Quinn (Drip)
An inside look at how creators can collaborate with venture studios and operators — covering capital, team support, equity and IP ownership, commitment levels, brand protection, and partner alignment.
12:30–2:00PM | Lunch Break
2:00–3:00PM | Under the Hood of Cars & Bids
Doug Demuro & Blake Machado (Cars & Bids), Billy Parks (Slow Ventures)
Real talk on the journey from creator to selling $645M worth of cars — covering off-platform strategy, funding, team growth, and navigating investment trade-offs.
3:15–4:15PM | Creator to Business: Physical Goods to Technical Products
Jason Bergsman (MeatEater), Jonathan Katz-Moses (KM Tools), Gohar Khan (Next Admit)
A practical look at bringing products to market — both physical and digital — covering creation challenges, selecting sales platforms, MVP testing, transitioning to retail, managing operational risks, and strategies for scaling and team building.
4:30–6:30PM | Closing Hang: Drinks and food