Name

Creative Spirit US

Legal name

Creative Spirit

Website

https://creativespirit-us.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mt. Kisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a certified 501c3 nonprofit organization, Creative Spirit relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. 100% of contributions support placement and retention of candidates in fair wage positions.
2. Corporate Training and Consulting Services: The organization generates revenue through HireDifferent Academy training programs, corporate roundtable membership fees, and consulting services for companies seeking to implement neurodiversity hiring practices.
3. Underwriting and Sponsorship: Corporate partners underwrite workplace accessibility programs, diversity studies, and organizational initiatives, providing funding in exchange for association with the organization's mission and marketing opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Creative Spirit is a nonprofit 501c3 organization that operates a dual-mission platform: (1) placing neurodivergent job seekers in fair-wage positions at partner companies through resume building, interview training, skills development, and ongoing job coaching, and (2) training and certifying employers through the HireDifferent Academy to recruit, onboard, and support neurodivergent employees. Services to candidates are free of charge, while employer training, consulting, and corporate roundtable membership are paid offerings.

Product overview

Creative Spirit US is a nonprofit 501c3 organization offering a dual-mission platform focused on (1) job placement and retention services for neurodivergent individuals, and (2) employer training and certification through HireDifferent Academy. The core offerings include job placement services with coaching and mentorship, the HireDifferent Academy training and certification program, Corporate Roundtable Membership for executive partners, and the #HireDifferent advocacy agenda. The organization connects neurodivergent candidates with positions at partner companies through resume building, interview training, and ongoing job coach support, while simultaneously training employers to become neuroinclusive through the Academy's curriculum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HireDifferent Academy: A comprehensive, first-of-its-kind training and certification program offering a step-by-step process to help employers embrace the diverse strengths and talents of neurodiverse employees.

Products and services

• HireDifferent Academy
• Job Placement Services
• Corporate Roundtable Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Almost 100% retention rate for all candidates placed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Voya FinancialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoya Financial is a key corporate partner and trustee organization. Karen Eisenbach (CMO) and Lori Falcone (SVP HR) serve on Creative Spirit's board. Voya's Voya Cares Program has been honored by Creative Spirit, and the organization participated in the 2021 gala as honoree. Voya supports disability employment through their foundation and corporate programs.
• VerizoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVerizon is a major corporate partner with Tami Erwin (EVP + CEO Verizon Business) honored at Creative Spirit's inaugural gala. Magda Yrizarry (Chief Talent and Diversity Officer) serves as a trustee. Verizon supports the mission through executive leadership and advocacy.
• MRMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRM is an employer partner where multiple Creative Spirit candidates have been placed. James Peluso (VP HR and Talent) has been featured in #WhyICare interviews advocating for disability inclusion. Todd Stone, a Creative Spirit alum, works as a Copywriter at MRM.
• The ADVERTISING Club of New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Advertising Club of New York is a founding partner of Creative Spirit. Gina Grillo (President/CEO) is a co-founder of the organization and serves as a trustee, bringing over 20 years of marketing community leadership.
• Lowe'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLowe's is a corporate partner with Erica Irvin (SVP Commercial and Innovation Law) serving as a trustee. Lowe's commitment to disability inclusion aligns with Creative Spirit's mission.
• AccenturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobert Stroud (Managing Director) serves as a trustee. Accenture's 'Getting to Equal' study on neurodivergent inclusion is referenced by Creative Spirit, finding that companies embracing disability inclusion gain access to over 10.7 million people in talent pool.
• SalientMGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMack McKelvey (Founder/CEO) serves as a trustee. Mack brings 20+ years of innovation experience in business, marketing, entrepreneurship, and technology as a digital maven and tech innovator.
• DDB (part of Omnicom)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJatinder Singh (Chief Data Officer) serves as a trustee. His expertise in data science and technology helps Creative Spirit innovate the candidate matching process.
• VaynerXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndrea Sullivan (CMO) serves as a trustee. Andrea brings expertise in growing global brands and the ability to ignite movements for leading brands.
• Havas Health & YoucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJeff Hoffman (Chief Development Officer) serves as a trustee, bringing expertise in health communications and corporate responsibility.
• CiscosecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner listed among supporters of Creative Spirit's inaugural gala and initiatives.
• DisneysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner listed among supporters of Creative Spirit's inaugural gala and initiatives.
• IBMsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner listed among supporters of Creative Spirit's inaugural gala and initiatives.
• SalesforcesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner listed among supporters of Creative Spirit's inaugural gala and initiatives.
• XeroxsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner listed among supporters of Creative Spirit's inaugural gala and initiatives.
• McCannsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner listed among supporters of Creative Spirit's inaugural gala and initiatives.
• INFILLIONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaurel Rossi (Chief Marketing Officer and CRO) serves as a trustee. She is also co-founder and Executive Chair of Creative Spirit.
• TheA ListsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnastasia Williams (Founder/CEO) serves as a trustee. TheA List is a community of BIPOC C-suite and senior executives spanning numerous industries.
• Disability:IN (NDSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that collaborated with Creative Spirit US, Voya, and Accenture to ring the NYSE closing bell during National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bender Consulting Services: Bender Consulting Services is a disability-owned firm that recruits, hires, and supports professionals with disabilities for corporate roles. It is a direct peer to Creative Spirit's enterprise candidate matching, with a stronger disabilities-in-tech focus and corporate consulting model.
• SourceAmerica: SourceAmerica is a nonprofit AbilityOne program that connects people with disabilities to federal and commercial employment opportunities, including training and placement services. It is a larger-scale peer to Creative Spirit's placement business, though oriented more toward physical/intellectual disabilities than neurodivergence.
• Hire Autism (Autism Speaks): Hire Autism is a job portal and employment program within Autism Speaks serving autistic job seekers with employer matching and resources. It is a direct peer to Creative Spirit's candidate placement service, focused on a narrower autism-specific segment.
• Specialisterne: Specialisterne is a global nonprofit that tests, recruits, and supports neurodivergent individuals in tech-related roles, partnering with SAP, Microsoft, and JPMorgan. It is the most directly comparable peer to Creative Spirit, offering the same dual candidate-employer model with a corporate neurodiversity focus.
• Disability:IN: Disability:IN is a leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion, offering employer consulting, training, and the Disability Equality Index. It is already a Creative Spirit partner (jointly rang the NYSE closing bell) and operates an overlapping employer-certification and corporate-roundtable model at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Year Up: Year Up is a workforce development nonprofit that trains and places young adults from underrepresented backgrounds into corporate internships and jobs. It is a partial peer to Creative Spirit's job placement and training mission, operating in a different demographic segment (opportunity youth vs. neurodivergent adults).
• Jobs for the Future (JFF): JFF is a national nonprofit focused on workforce development and economic mobility for underserved populations. It is an emerging peer in the broader workforce-equity space, with overlapping employer-training and certification programs but a broader mandate than Creative Spirit's neurodiversity focus.

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft Neurodiversity Hiring Program: Microsoft's Neurodiversity Hiring Program is a structured corporate program for neurodivergent candidates, including assessments, onboarding, and manager training. It is a broad incumbent that competes for the same corporate neurodiversity talent pipeline Creative Spirit cultivates.
• SAP Autism at Work: SAP's Autism at Work program is a corporate-led neurodiversity hiring initiative that pioneered the model Creative Spirit now commercializes through the HireDifferent Academy. It is a broad incumbent that proves the concept but does not externalize hiring services for other employers.

Regional players

• The Arc: The Arc is a national community-based nonprofit advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including employment services. It is a partial peer to Creative Spirit's mission, with deeper IDD focus but less specialized neurodiversity-employer training content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@creativespirit-us
• Facebookfacebook.com/creativespirit.us
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creative-spirit-us

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Creative Spirit US