Solving Cash Flow for Creatives in the Modern Creative Industry with David Akinyemi

Why do so many creative professionals struggle to get paid on time, even after working with well-known brands? It’s a common issue in the creative economy that often gets overlooked. In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and fellow Techstars Accelerator alum, David Akinyemi. David’s journey into the creative economy is anything but typical. He started out flipping sneakers in high school, launched a food delivery startup in college, and eventually found himself modeling for known brands. Through all of that, he found a huge gap in the industry: creative professionals often wait weeks or even months to get paid. That experience led to a major startup pivot. Originally, David and his co-founder joined Techstars with a fintech concept called Tux, focused on protecting stock compensation for tech employees. But after seeing the financial pain points in his own creative work, they shifted direction and built FACE, a platform that helps creatives get paid faster and more reliably. We talk about how the idea for FACE came to life, why the current system doesn’t work for freelancers, and how David and his co-founder are tackling the problem of cash flow for creatives. If you’ve ever struggled with managing cash flow as someone doing freelance or contract work, this conversation is going to resonate. You’ll walk away from this episode with a better understanding of what it takes to build for a community you’re part of, and why listening to real-world pain points can lead to the most meaningful solutions. Put on your earphones and let this episode spark the thought that maybe the solution you're looking for is the one you were meant to create. 🌐 Guest Info. LinkedIn: https://www.facecardhq.com/ Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakinyemi/ Come check out my new podcast, The Scarlet Edit! Instagram: @thescarlet.edit YouTube: @thescarletedit Available to listen on Apple, Spotify & Amazon ============================= ✅ Round Two Podcast is officially on hiatus. Please feel free to enjoy all of the episodes, as they were a joy to create and are full of inspiration, knowledge and wonderful stories. Thank you for being a loyal listener of Round Two - it has been the most special adventure and I have loved every minute of it. Nikki For collaboration and business inquiries, 📩 email: [email protected]