Wave x Shorty Awards Elevate Creatives Fund: Announcing the second annual recipients

Last year, Wave teamed up with the Shorty Awards, an awards competition honoring the most innovative and impactful digital and social content, to launch the Elevate Creatives Fund, which supports creative entrepreneurs.

Wave is proud to say we’re continuing our mission of helping creatives break the Internet, not the bank, with a second year of the $120,000 USD Wave x Shorty Awards Elevate Creatives Fund. Again, six recipients will each receive $20,000 USD to accelerate their creative businesses designed to impact their communities.

This year, we received 1,228 applications, a 143% increase from last year, and three of last year’s inaugural recipients—Joseph Arujo, Jamie Feldman, and Tiffany Yu—were involved in the selection process.

Learn more about the 2024 recipients below:

Nicole Casperson

Nicole Casperson, award-winning journalist and founder of Fintech Is Femme, leads a community of over 50,000 fintech professionals focused on gender equity. Through her newsletter, podcast, and events, she drives conversations on inclusivity in fintech, earning her recognition as a Top 50 Women Leader in Media. She’s also a professor and global speaker, inspiring the next generation of innovators.

With the Elevate Creatives Fund, Nicole plans to build out a community-driven platform that will include educational content, interactive workshops, and resources designed to help women break economic barriers. Take a look at Nicole’s pitch video:

Jason Hoang

Jason Hoang, an American Sign Language (ASL) personal trainer and nutritionist, is the founder of Access Fit, a fitness platform dedicated to accessible training for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. With a focus on inclusivity, Jason empowers individuals of all abilities to achieve their wellness goals in a supportive environment. Follow his journey on Instagram @jasonhoangfit.

With the Elevate Creatives Fund, Jason is planning to work with a business coach to improve the Access Fit app with customizable workouts, instruction in ASL, voiceover, and high-contrast visuals. Take a look at Jason’s pitch video:

Lachi

Lachi is a globally touring recording artist, award-winning social entrepreneur, GRAMMYs Chapter Board Governor, and host of PBS’s American Masters series Renegades. Born legally blind, Lachi uses her platform to amplify identity pride and Disability Culture.

Her U.N.-recognized organization RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities) works with industry giants like the GRAMMYs and Netflix on disability inclusion. Her song "Lift Me Up," in honor of Judy Heumann, reached #29 on U.S. Adult Contemporary radio. Named a USA Today Woman of the Year, she is celebrated by outlets like Billboard and Forbes for her cultural activism, with appearances in national ads, TEDx, and New York Fashion Week.

Lachi is currently working on a project with Apple Music called Mad Different, a series of live interviews and performances that allow people to tell stories about neurodivergence, mental health struggles, and disability. The Elevate Creatives Fund will support Lachi’s commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities are both in front of and behind the camera, and will also go toward editing and distribution. Check out Lachi’s pitch video:

Nuria Madrenas

Nuria Madrenas is the Founder and Curator of Tacit, an online gallery and art consultancy dedicated to women artists. Through honing her skills working across the fashion, design, and hospitality industries, Nuria has worked with leading design-forward brands and clients to bring dynamic art programs to life. She applies her keen eye and diverse experience to amplify the work of women artists globally.

The Elevate Creatives Fund will have a direct impact on Tacit’s growth by enabling strategic ad placements and helping them expand the team so that Nuria can spend more time working on the business rather than in the business. Hear more about Tacit and Nuria’s plans for the fund:

Peter O’Hara

Pete began his creative career in Canadian television, where he had the opportunity to travel the world while developing his skills as a cinematographer, editor, and photographer.

This led to him contributing to National Geographic and winning awards like the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s Human Connection to Nature Award. His work has been recognized in the Smithsonian photography competition, and he recently shared his stories at the Banff Mountain Film Festival.

Now, Pete and his partner, Jenna, are launching photography workshops, starting in the Rockies, to inspire others to explore and connect with nature through photography.

Pete and Jenna plan to use the Elevate Creatives Fund to expand their community of photographers and filmmakers by purchasing high-quality equipment for their workshops for participants to use, enhancing their experiences. To see what else Pete and Jenna will use the fund for, check out their pitch video:

Jacob Simon

Jacob Simon is a climate educator and Good News reporter, former internationally ranked Team USA pairs figure skater, and the creator behind @Jacobsimonsays, a platform sharing positive climate stories to foster hope and action.

With an audience of over half a million on social media and his newsletter Climativity, he helps people overcome eco-anxiety and get involved in the climate movement. Jacob’s work has inspired over 80 million people to take 20,000+ actions, with collaborations with the UN, NRDC, EPA, and others.

Jacob built Climativity as a one-man operation, but with support from the Elevate Creatives Fund, he plans to expand his team by hiring research and production assistance. This will allow him to produce long-form content pieces that will directly inspire people to take action on the climate crisis. Check out Jacob’s plans for the fund in his own words:

Shortlisted applicants include: