Good morning. We’re packing our bags for Anaheim today (yes, the Mickey ears are coming) ahead of a full weekend of panels, interviews, and hangs with some of our favorite creators at VidCon. 

Be sure to follow along on our Instagram for live updates, and don’t forget to come say hi if you see us!

— Hannah Doyle & Syd Cohen

Over the weekend, creator-led activism group Creators For Peace teamed up with transgender aid organization Point of Pride for an eight-hour livestream on Twitch and TikTok—with over 20 creators including Vivian Wilson, VanillaMace, and Zay Dante participating. By the end of the stream (which was packed with queer joy, drag artists, and a karaoke competition), the group raised $24K for Point of Pride.

Context: 

The why behind this event: “One out of every five trans Americans depends on Medicaid, and that's currently being cut by the administration,” AlluringSkull told us. “So the goal with this fundraiser is to not only help combat that [...] but to also create a space where we can show up as a united front consistently committed to the queer community.”

How’d it go? The livestream didn’t reach its fundraising goal of $500K, but Khadair is still calling the event a success. 

“This event fell right in the middle of some of the most historic protests in the history of the United States,” Khadair said. “So focus has shifted. And I think that played a really big part in the financial success of the fundraiser not being as massive as before.”

The bigger picture: Now with a solid livestream format that he can quickly implement to mobilize for other causes, Khadair said he recognizes the need for something like Creators For Peace in the creator economy. Why’s that?

Many creators have brands or online identities that aren’t outwardly political, leaving them unsure of how to support certain causes important to them. By providing a neutral forum to discuss major issues without disrupting their online personas, Creators For Peace hopes to be a megaphone to amplify the voices of its creators.

Ryan Trahan is nine days into his largest daily video series yet—traveling to 50 states in 50 days with his wife, book creator Haley Pham. Their goal? Raise $1 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Context: Throughout the last five years, Trahan has released daily vlog challenges ranging from a week to a month—most notably back in 2022 with his 30-day penny series, which raised over $1.4 million for Feeding America and earned 210+ million views. 

This year, Trahan upped the ante—a longer series, a bigger fundraising goal, and more planning. 

The game plan: Trahan and Pham are staying at a different Airbnb each night. Donations of $50K or $100K activate the Wheel of Doom, which forces the pair to complete a challenge (delay their trip by three hours or skip an Airbnb for a night, for example).

The business angle: Trahan’s candy brand, Joyride, is 1) donating one penny to charity for every new Instagram follower 2) hosting golden ticket sweepstakes and 3) doing offshoot challenges, like an attempt to break a Guinness World Record last week. 

How’s it going so far? By the numbers, nine days in:

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Dax Shepard is no stranger to A-list interviews. But a recent reunion with one of his most beloved guests took his podcast to new heights.

With help from Central Talent Booking, Dax brought back Lauren Graham, star of Gilmore Girls, for her second appearance. The results? 1.4 million views to become his most-watched YouTube episode yet.

CTB brings over 25 years of experience to creators who want to land high-impact guests and collaborators. They handle the logistics of booking so you can focus on what matters most…

Your content.

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This week, Forbes released its annual list of the top 50 creators. The ranking criteria: gross earnings from the last year, engagement, following, and an “entrepreneurship score” based on whether creators pitched businesses or built their own. 

MrBeast topped the list, earning $85 million, followed by Dhar Mann ($56 million) and Jake Paul ($50 million). Here’s what else stood out to us →

Thank you to the hundreds of applicants who have expressed interest in Press Publish NYC, our one-day summit for the creator economy. We can’t wait to see you soon (78 days…but who’s counting?).

In the meantime, we’re hard at work booking speakers, talking musical guests, and taste testing catering—taking that last one very seriously.

There’s still time to apply and secure your spot. You won’t want to miss it.