MILWAUKEE — Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler announced plans to create a new corporate structure designed specifically for artists and creative professionals, marking what could be a significant shift in how creative work is organized and funded.
Speaking at Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s annual Economic Forum, Strickler unveiled the concept of an “artist corporation” or “A Corp.” He said he planned to further unveil the proposed A Corp at a Ted Talk. The A Corp would be a for-profit legal entity that allows creative groups to collectively own intellectual property, access health insurance and receive both commercial investment and grant funding.
“Creative people are basically in a pre-Adam Smith state,” Strickler said. “There is no capitalism, there is no collective wealth creation for creative people.”
The proposed structure would enable artists to issue shares rather than automatically transfer intellectual property rights to larger commercial entities — a practice that has dominated creative industries for decades. Groups operating as A Corps could receive startup-style investments while maintaining greater control over their work.
Strickler, who helped transform Kickstarter into a public benefit corporation during his tenure as CEO, said his team includes lawyers who created three other successful corporate structures this century. The group plans to pursue state-level legislation to establish the A Corp framework.
The announcement comes as creative professions have exploded in popularity, with more children aspiring to become creators than any other profession, Strickler noted. His current venture, Metalabel, already demonstrates the concept by allowing creative groups to automatically split revenues from collaborative projects. One group using the platform generated $100,000 last year selling books and other creative works.
The A Corp proposal represents Strickler’s latest effort to reshape how creative work is valued and compensated in the digital economy.
At the Economic Forum, at The Pfister hotel, Strickler also spoke about a philosophical concept, the “beauty in the blank,” which celebrates life’s uncertainty and potential. It represents an open space where people can continuously rewrite their narrative, through embracing change and discovering new dimensions of themselves.
* * *
Types of corporations
Traditional Corporation – Optimizes for financial growth and shareholder value
Public Benefit Corporation (B Corp) – Combines profit with mission-based purpose (like Kickstarter became)
LLC (Limited liability company) – Flexible structure for small businesses
Nonprofit Corporation – Mission-driven, tax-exempt organizations
Proposed artist corporation (A Corp):
An A Corp is a proposed for-profit corporate structure specifically designed for artists and creative people that would
- Allow for collective ownership of intellectual property
- Provide health insurance and benefits (typically difficult for artists to access)
- Receive both for-profit funding and nonprofit grants
- Issue shares like a startup rather than automatically transferring IP rights to commercial entities
- Enable collective wealth creation for creative people (moving beyond individual project-to-project work)
- Allow passive royalties from any creative output, not just music
Loading ...