About

Bridging the Gaps

How can better capital find creatives? How can creatives find better capital?

The answer is infrastructure. The Creative Economy Finance Network (CEFN) forges financial infrastructure that connects creative business owners, working artists, cultural institutions, creative incubators, small business advocates, city and state treasurers, community lenders, and arts and culture nonprofits.

Starting in California and Washington, we're building state by state networks to lead transformative economic and cultural solutions for the creative economy.

By connecting friendly allocators, creative spaces, and creative businesses, we can make stronger creative communities.

Creative Communities diagram showing three pillars: Friendly Allocators, Creative Spaces, and Creative Businesses, all feeding into Creative Communities

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Colorful mural at a creative economy conference

The Team

We've been building creative businesses for 20 years. Our founding team has been in DIY basements and boardrooms.

We're not a startup looking for an exit, and we're not a nonprofit dependent on wealthy donors. We answer to our members: musicians, writers, designers, filmmakers, everyone trying to make a living in the creative industries.

Alice Loy, PhD

Co-founder, CEFN

Founder of world's first accelerator for creative companies, impact investor, venture capital partner, author and tireless advocate for economic opportunity for creatives.

Mike Young

Co-founder, CEFN

Touring musician, poet, full stack engineer, and leading data scientist for creative economies. Deep understanding of creative finance, keen ability to translate concepts into money management tools for creatives.