People First
People First is a bootstrapped, founder-led influencer marketing agency founded in 2020 that connects brands, advocacy groups, political campaigns, and public-sector clients with a 20,000+ creator network through campaign services, a self-service Creator Portal, and an exclusive Creator Studio community.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersOcean City, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What People First does
People First (legally People First Marketing, Inc.) is a Delaware-incorporated influencer marketing agency founded in 2020 by Ryan Davis, headquartered in Ocean City, Maryland, and operating with a team of 11+ across delivery, influencer partnerships, growth, insights, finance and operations, and technology. The company connects brands, advocacy organizations, political campaigns, and public-sector clients with a network of more than 20,000 creators, delivering campaigns that have generated 150M+ views, 13M+ engagements, and 30K+ posts across its portfolio.
The company operates two core products: a self-service Creator Portal (join.peoplefirst.cc) where creators sign up, browse paid campaigns, submit content, and receive payments; and Creator Studio, an application-gated community offering exclusive access to paid projects at $25–$250 per project. Surrounding services span Campaign Strategy, Influencer Partnerships, Paid Amplification & Fundraising, Live & In-Person Appearances, Creative Partnerships & Ambassador Programs, Media & Publicity, Product Seeding & Affiliate Deals, and Social Media Consultation. The technology stack integrates Stripe for transaction processing, Dots for multi-rail creator payouts (PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, ACH), and YouTube/Google APIs plus integrations across 13+ social platforms including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, X, Threads, Twitch, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Discord, and Substack.
People First generates revenue across five streams: professional services for campaign strategy and influencer partnerships; advertising via paid amplification; recurring subscription-like revenue from Creator Studio; affiliate and referral fees from product seeding; and event-driven fees for live and in-person appearances. The go-to-market combines direct outreach to enterprise and nonprofit clients, a self-serve creator funnel, an owned media presence (Substack newsletters, Influencer Impact podcast, organic social across Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, BlueSky), and recognition as a 2025 Reed Award winner for Best Influencer Agency and 2025 Pollie Award winner for Best Use of Social Media. The company is privately held, founder-led, and bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors in the source material.
People First firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- People First
- Legal name
- People First Marketing, Inc.
- Website
- https://peoplefirst.cc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- People First is a bootstrapped, founder-led influencer marketing agency founded in 2020 that connects brands, advocacy groups, political campaigns, and public-sector clients with a 20,000+ creator network through campaign services, a self-service Creator Portal, and an exclusive Creator Studio community.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
People First industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Influencer Marketing Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (54181), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (711410)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Influencer Marketing Agencies (BPAFAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Influencer Marketing & Creator Marketplaces (BPAMALAG), Influencer Campaign Operations & Managed Services (BPAFAHAF), Influencer & Creator Marketing (BPAFAAAG)
Keywords
Where People First is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ocean City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
People First business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Campaign Strategy & Management Services: Full-service influencer campaign management from strategy through execution, including campaign planning, creator matching, content approval, and performance analysis
- Influencer Partnerships: Connection of brands and causes with trusted, mission-driven creators who authentically champion client objectives through ongoing partnerships and ambassador programs
- Paid Amplification & Fundraising: Boosting highest-performing content through licensing and adaptive paid media strategies to maximize reach and fundraising outcomes
- Creator Studio Subscriptions: Exclusive creator community membership offering weekly paid project opportunities, early access to campaigns, and premium creator support services
- Product Seeding & Affiliate Deals: Creator seeding programs and affiliate partnerships enabling brands to reward customers and turn them into long-term partners on platforms like TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Creator Studio projects - $25-$250 per project |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard creator payments - $1,500 or less |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Mid-tier creator payments - $1,501 to $5,000 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Enterprise creator payments - Over $5,000 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
People First product offering
Product offeringCore offering
People First is an influencer marketing agency that connects brands, nonprofits, and political organizations with a network of 20,000+ vetted creators to execute authentic, measurable advocacy and marketing campaigns. The company pairs technology-enabled campaign management (Creator Portal, Creator Studio) with hands-on strategy, paid amplification, ambassador programs, and grassroots organizing expertise.
Product overview
People First is an influencer marketing agency platform that operates as a technology-enabled service offering connecting brands, nonprofits, and advocacy organizations with authentic creators. The platform consists of two core components: the Creator Portal for general creator onboarding and campaign management, and the Creator Studio for exclusive top-tier creators with enhanced access and compensation. Additional offerings include strategic services (Campaign Strategy, Social Media Consultation), content and amplification services (Influencer Partnerships, Paid Amplification, Creative Partnerships, Media & Publicity), and activation services (Live Appearances, Product Seeding & Affiliate Deals). The company was founded in 2020 and manages a network of 20K+ trusted creators.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Creator Portal
- Creator Studio
- Campaign Strategy & Execution Services
- Paid Amplification & Fundraising
- Creative Partnerships & Ambassador Programs
- Live & In-Person Appearances
- Product Seeding & Affiliate Deals
- Social Media Consultation
- Media & Publicity
Companies that use People First
Customer profileNamed customers22 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
People First technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability3 records
Feature3 records
People First partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- DotscorePayment processing platform used for creator payments. Creators receive payment through Dots via PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, direct ACH transfer, or other available payment methods. Standard payments under $1,500 process within 10-15 business days.
- Social Media PlatformscoreIntegration with social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, X, Threads, Twitch, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Discord, and Substack for content distribution and creator campaigns.
- StripecoreSecure payment processing for creator portal transactions. Payment logos show Stripe integration for secure payment handling.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
People First competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Influencer Marketing Factory: TikTok- and social-first influencer marketing agency running paid campaigns for consumer brands. Comparable services-side competitor to People First, particularly for brand and DTC work.
- Influencer.com: Global influencer marketing agency and platform combining a creator marketplace with managed services for enterprise brands. Most directly comparable to People First on the agency-plus-tech, full-service campaign model.
- Grin: Creator management platform focused on DTC and e-commerce brands with gifting, affiliate, and content tools. Direct platform competitor to People First, especially around product seeding, affiliate, and creator payments.
- Upfluence: Influencer marketing platform with creator search, outreach, gifting, and affiliate tools used by brands and agencies. Comparable tech-and-services overlap with People First's Creator Portal and campaign workflow.
- Whalar: Creator-first influencer marketing agency and talent management firm representing creators and running brand campaigns. Comparable to People First's blended agency/creator-management model, especially the Creator Studio.
- CreatorIQ: Enterprise influencer marketing platform serving large brand and agency customers with creator discovery, campaign management, and analytics. Direct competitor to People First's technology stack and enterprise ambitions.
- HireInfluence: Long-running influencer marketing agency delivering end-to-end campaigns across consumer and B2B verticals. Closely comparable to People First's full-service agency model and its mix of brand and cause clients.
- Aspire (formerly AspireIQ): Creator marketing platform with workflow, gifting, and affiliate tools used by brands and agencies. Comparable to People First on the platform side (creator portal, campaign workflow, payments) and increasingly on the services side.
- Belong (formerly Mavrck): Enterprise influencer and creator marketing platform with workflow, payments, and analytics. Direct technology-side competitor for the same brand-side buyers People First targets.
- Obviously: Full-service influencer marketing agency working with consumer brands on strategy, creator partnerships, and content production. Closest services-side comparison for People First's brand campaign work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
People First social profiles
Digital presencePeople First financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
People First leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
People First funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
People First M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about People First
What does People First do?
People First is an influencer marketing agency that connects brands, nonprofits, and political organizations with a network of 20,000+ vetted creators to execute authentic, measurable advocacy and marketing campaigns. The company pairs technology-enabled campaign management (Creator Portal, Creator Studio) with hands-on strategy, paid amplification, ambassador programs, and grassroots organizing expertise.
Is People First a public or private company?
People First is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was People First founded?
People First was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is People First based?
People First is headquartered in Ocean City, United States, in the North America region.
How does People First make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Campaign Strategy & Management Services are the primary driver. The others are influencer Partnerships, paid Amplification & Fundraising, creator Studio Subscriptions and product Seeding & Affiliate Deals.
Who are People First's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Influencer Marketing Factory, Influencer.com, Grin, Upfluence, Whalar, CreatorIQ, HireInfluence, Aspire (formerly AspireIQ), Belong (formerly Mavrck) and Obviously.
Does People First have an API?
No public API is recorded for People First.
What industry is People First in?
People First's product category is Influencer Marketing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAHAA, Influencer Marketing Agencies, with a secondary code of BPAMALAG, Influencer Marketing & Creator Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 54181 and its SIC code is 7311.