Jaclyn Johnson, the founder of Create & Cultivate, is set to launch an innovative festival aimed at empowering women in business. Often referred to as the “Coachella for career women,” this experience marries rocking out on a massive scale with meaningful, personalized business guidance. Once Create & Cultivate was sold, Johnson reacquired it outright. Now, she’s focused on reinvigorating its mission and growing its outreach.
The festival will span multiple days and feature curated programming across four stages, each addressing different aspects of the business landscape. The central stage—theater of the future, essentially—will feature big picture discussions underscoring the importance of topics like creative entrepreneurship, business strategy, and finance. The “Creator Compound” is all about content creation and online marketing. It’s a powerful read, filled with essential morsels of wisdom for anyone who seeks to develop clout in the vast digital landscape. For sports enthusiasts, the “Center Court” stage will highlight women in athletics, while a test kitchen will cater to women in the food and beverage industry.
Johnson focuses on her big picture vision of developing a fun and functional setting that fosters valuable social and business networking and collaboration. Her passion for connecting with the audience and identifying their needs informs the festival’s programming decisions.
“We know this audience, we know what they want, and let’s lean in and go all in on that,” Johnson stated.
The festival will feature several inspiring and educational sessions in addition to dynamic performances including the transformative Grammy-nominated artist Doechii. You’ll get inspired by keynotes from amazing change makers such as Ciara, Ayesha Curry and Brittany Snow. With more than 10,000 meetings booked across the weekend, attendees will have no shortage of opportunities for impactful connections and exciting collaborations.
Create & Cultivate’s financial history has not been all smooth sailing. The company’s bottom line suffered, plummeting from $14 million in 2019 to $4.7 million last year. There’s a small comeback coming down the pike, with revenues expected to hit $5 million in 2023. Despite these challenges, Johnson continues to be hopeful about the future of her brand and growing platform.
She speaks powerfully about her decades of experience in the industry and how that gives her a distinct perspective.
“I’ve done this for a long time now. And so we have this unique perspective that is really hard to find,” said Johnson.
Through this festival, Johnson hopes to establish a different type of hustle than what the traditional entrepreneur narrative often pushes.
“Building a business is not easy, and it’s not for the faint of heart. You need your village around you. So being able to do that in an environment that feels fun and beautiful and reflects what you want your life to look like, I think, is really special,” Johnson added.
The festival’s design closely corresponds with Johnson’s motto of delivering useful tools along with fun experiences.
“We’re beyond hustle culture. We’ve gotten to a place where people want to enjoy what they’re building,” she explained.
Johnson’s not done reinventing the brand. Her dedication to protecting its legacy while pursuing transformative reforms gives us great hope.
“We like to say you can come here and learn to do your taxes and get your nails done,” she remarked.
As Create & Cultivate embarks on this new chapter, Johnson expresses her determination to reinvent the brand while maintaining its legacy.
“To be able to take a 10-year-old brand and completely reinvent it in a way that keeps the legacy and keeps the value … giving women the tools, tips and tricks they need to succeed — but give it a new breath of fresh air,” she said.