Next 10 Ventures, a venture group founded and led by YouTube executive Ben Grubbs, announced the launch of its global EduCreator Incubator on Wednesday.
This first-of-its-kind program seeks to support emerging video creators who produce education and learning content with seed investments, programmatic support and mentorship.
Through the program, the company will select 20-40 applicants who will receive 25K-75K to produce educational video content. A portion of the revenue generated from the content — whether through the sale of ads, donations or sponsorships — will be invested back into the fund, which will then be used to finance another group of EduCreators. By reinvesting the revenue back into the EduCreator fund, which currently totals $1.5 million, Next Ten Ventures is hoping to create a self-sustaining creator network that doesn’t need outside resources to stay afloat.
The 12-month program, which will go live in 2019, is designed to support each EduCreator holistically with four pillars: programming, mentorship, community and creator wellness, plus help the participants to sharpen their management and technical skills.
“Creators today have influence and an ability to inspire the imagination of kids in a positive way. We have seen firsthand how impactful Creators can be in supplementing and strengthening classroom instruction,” said former YouTube head of top creator partnerships Grubbs, who is also the CEO of Next 10 Ventures. “Through investment, mentorship, and wellness support, we are helping Creators transform their passion for creating inspiring and entertaining education content into full-time careers and inspire kids around the world to seek out fields of study across social sciences, arts, humanities, STEM and more.”
The EduCreator Incubator will be led by newly hired VP of marketing Cynthia So Schroeder, who brings over 20 years of technology leadership, educational advocacy and strategy experience from her previous international roles, including leading eBay’s Global Community Development and Engagement group. The inaugural EduCreator Advisory Council includes top creators such as Jay Shetty, Shaun & Mindy McKnight (CuteGirlsHairstyles) and WeCreateEdu founder Jacklyn Duff.
“I’m beyond thrilled to join such a mission-driven team who has a deep passion for ensuring that the world has access to quality online educational content. We are fully committed to supporting diverse educators and their topics that inspire children and young adults to learn, seek and discover more about the world around them for the next 10 years and beyond,” said Cynthia So Schroeder, Vice President of Marketing. “Next 10 Ventures’ EduCreator Incubator is the first step in expanding the playing field for global digital learning.”
To apply for the program, creators must have a minimum of 750,000 total views and 50,000 subscribers across their social platforms. A list of the program’s entire eligibility requirements can be found at www.next10ventures.com/