Alumna entrepreneur hosts ‘Creators and Coffee’ for Syracuse University students

Alumna Kelsey Davis ’19, G’20, founder and CEO of CLLCTVE, will host a “Creators and Coffee” event Monday, Sept. 20, at 10 a.m. under the tents outside Newhouse 1. The networking event gives creative-minded students a chance to come together and chat with Davis about their creative journeys, and how to seek out the tools and resources they need to be successful. Students will also have the opportunity to have a free headshot taken during the event.

Davis, recently recognized on the Forbes “30 under 30” list, earned a bachelor’s degree from the Newhouse School and a master’s degree from the Whitman School. She co-founded CLLCTVE with School of Information Studies alumnus Brendan O’Keeffe ’20 while they were undergraduates. The online platform fosters a community for creators around the country to showcase who they are and what they do, and provides an opportunity for collaboration that would not exist otherwise. Davis says they are now hoping to bring these creator community experiences to campuses across the country, providing students with a network they may find challenging to form on their own.

“Since launching CLLCTVE as students on campus, we’ve witnessed incredible collaborations and opportunities grow between creators and brands who wouldn’t have met each other if it weren’t for our platform,” she says. “I’m excited to partner with the same campus environment I first grew in as a creator and entrepreneur to provide students with these same opportunities.”

CLLCTVE is now is supported by Google for Startups, Techstars and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The company is now based in Los Angeles, but is still connected with Syracuse University.

“CLLCTVE to me has always been about bringing together a community that empowers and opens doors for young creators,” says Lynn Seah ’22, a content manager at CLLCTVE. “I’m excited to bring together creators in a space where they can have fun meeting similar people and making meaningful connections that could translate into future collaborators, friends or even mentors.”

“Most universities don’t have built-in opportunities or focus on building networks for creators on campus,” says Kaila Mathis, growth manager at CLLCTVE. “This leads to a lack of connections, resources and tools allowing creators to pursue careers in what they’re truly passionate about. Our mission with these events, as a company, is to bridge that gap and enable everyone to create the life they want.”

For more information, contact Mathis at kaila@cllctve.com.