Tom Aageson

Creative economy leader, Tom Aageson, departs Creative Startups after 10+ years to start new philanthropic venture

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES, August 22, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Creative Startups, the leading international startup accelerator for creative entrepreneurs, announces the departure of Tom Aageson, co-founder and previous CEO of the organization. After eleven years with Creative Startups, Mr. Aageson is moving on to launch a new venture, tentatively titled, Opportunities 4 the Poor.

Co-founder and current CEO Alice Loy says Mr. Aageson has left an indelible mark on the creative communities of New Mexico, “Tom is a visionary, a caring leader and someone who is unstoppable in his pursuit of improving livelihoods for New Mexicans.” Loy has served as the CEO of Creative Startups for nearly two years. The two co-founders recently co-wrote a book, Creative Economy Entrepreneurs: From Startup to Success, with a foreword by Fast Company magazine co-founder Alan Webber. Aageson and Loy are planning their book tour and launch, set for September of this year.

Prior to co-founding Creative Startups, Aageson was a co-founder of the now renowned Santa Fe International Folk Art Market which supports hundreds of folk artists from over 50 nations each year. Mr. Aageson also served for ten years as Executive Director of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation where he spearheaded the launch of successful entrepreneur support initiatives including New Mexico Creates.

Aageson and Loy launched Creative Startups in 2007, after Loy taught a course at UNM Anderson School of Management and found she needed guidance from a creative economy thought leader. “Luckily, Tom lived in Santa Fe so I reached out to him and we had breakfast; at that time he was probably one of five people on the planet who truly understood the tidal wave the Creative Economy would become,” explained Loy.

Today Creative Startups is recognized globally for their expertise in entrepreneurial ecosystem development, entrepreneurship education, and job creation. The organization currently has Accelerator and Pre-Accelerator programs in Albuquerque, Baltimore, Winston-Salem, Kuala Lumpur, and Kuwait, with more locations coming. The power of Creative Startups global reach is clear in the 2018 impact figures. In addition to the $47 million raised in investment, the Accelerator graduates report a combined $22 million in revenue since 2014, and over 450 jobs created, including 353 full-time and 73 part-time.

Julia Youngs
Creative Startups
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