What First Friday's Group does

First Friday's Group (1FG) is a Baltimore-based private social enterprise founded in 2018–2019 that combines community events, creative services, and artist management into a single platform. Its operations are organized around three core offerings: monthly inclusive social events in Baltimore that feature local music talent and serve as the company's community anchor; professional photography, videography, and live DJ services for weddings, corporate events, proms, university functions, and private parties; and a Global Artist Management arm that represents a selective roster of artists for international booking, brand development, song distribution, and publicity. The company serves four primary customer segments — Baltimore community attendees, event organizers and individuals seeking creative services, emerging artists seeking management, and institutional clients such as universities and corporations — and additionally offers educational programs including photography/videography workshops, one-on-one DJ training, and music recording/production sessions. Technology is described in general terms as a 'creative services platform' with no proprietary software or disclosed technical architecture; the company relies on standard industry tools for production, event management, and distribution.

The business model is multi-stream and project-based. Revenue is generated through quote-based custom pricing for photography, videography, and DJ service packages (pay-as-you-go), commission-based artist management fees on bookings and performances, and corporate event sponsorships for the monthly community events. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: the company acquires clients through event attendance, direct inquiries via its website, word-of-mouth referrals, organic social media presence (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), and earned media coverage. Distribution operates through monthly community events in the Baltimore area, direct service booking for regional creative services, and global artist management for the music roster. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors, no parent company, and no funding rounds; ownership is founder-led under Kristofer Madu (Founder and Chairman), with a Board of Directors and a full C-suite (CEO Brian Kane, CFO Tangya Tan, CMO Katalina DeLeon, CBO Alex Brenlla, COO Joel Gladney) overseeing operations.

Name

First Friday's Group

Legal name

First Friday's Group

Website

https://firstfridaysgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Friday's Group is a Baltimore-based social enterprise that combines monthly community events, professional photography/videography/DJ services, and global artist management to connect communities, cultivate local creatives, and book emerging artists internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Management and Creative Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Party DJ, Music & Audio Services (HSACACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Party Photography & Videography Services (HSACACAH), Party Games, Activities & Interactive Entertainment (HSACACAJ)

Keywords

• Event production services
• Artist management
• Photography services
• Videography services
• Live dj services

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Event Services: Photography, videography, and live DJ services for events including weddings, corporate functions, proms, private parties, and university events. Revenue is generated through service packages with custom quotes.
2. Artist Management & Booking: Global artist management services including show/estival booking, brand growth, song release and distribution, press and publicity, and artist development. Revenue from commission on artist bookings and performances.
3. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship opportunities for monthly community events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

First Friday's Group (1FG) provides professional photography, videography, and live DJ services for events including weddings, corporate functions, proms, private parties, and university events, delivered via custom quote-based packages. The company also operates monthly inclusive community events in Baltimore featuring local music performances, and runs a lean global artist management practice that handles show/festival booking, brand growth, song distribution, and artist development for its roster.

Product overview

First Friday's Group is a social enterprise operating as a unified platform combining community events, creative services, and artist management. The company offers three interconnected core offerings: (1) Events — monthly inclusive social events featuring local creatives; (2) Creative Services — photography, videography, and live DJ services for various occasions; and (3) Global Artist Management — managing a selective roster of artists with booking, distribution, and development support. Additionally, the company provides educational programs including photography/videography workshops, one-on-one DJ trainings, and music recording sessions, all designed to democratize access to creative skills and opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Events Monthly inclusive social events centered around music featuring performances curated entirely from local creatives, connecting thousands of Baltimore residents to their communities.
• Photography Services Professional photography services covering event, corporate, commercial, location/architectural, lifestyle, and personal/social media photography. Includes full duration shoots with equipment, HQ photo editing with color correction and retouching, complete photo library access with full usage rights, and single or multi-shooter options. Delivered on a custom quote basis.
• Videography Services Professional videography services for parties, events, weddings, commercials, fraternity/sorority recruitment videos, interviews, and media coverage. Includes creative direction, filming, production, post-production, color grading, retouching, and raw footage delivery. Delivered on a custom quote basis.
• Live DJ Services Live DJ services for proms, private parties, corporate events, weddings, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and university events. Includes high quality DJ and sound equipment, wireless microphone, a 70,000 song library, and song/genre request accommodation. Delivered on a custom quote basis.
• Global Artist Management Artist management services covering show and festival booking, brand and social media growth, song release and distribution, press and publicity, and artist development. Operates a lean global roster of vetted artists (e.g., Gianni Glo, Laro Don, Shoilee) with international booking reach.
• Photography & Videography Workshops Community workshops teaching photography and videography skills designed to break down barriers to creative expression for participants in the Baltimore area.
• 1 on 1 DJ Trainings One-on-one DJ training sessions providing hands-on instruction to help aspiring DJs develop their craft and break into the field.
• Music Recording & Production Sessions Music recording and production sessions providing access to equipment and mentorship to support emerging creators in developing their music.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• UpworthyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUpworthy featured 1FG in coverage highlighting the company's mission to promote equal opportunity and access to the arts, helping spread awareness of the platform to a broader audience.
• Technically BaltimoreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnical.ly Baltimore published feature coverage on 1FG as a social startup making waves in Baltimore, providing local media visibility and credibility.
• UpworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUpwork is listed among supporters of 1FG, indicating some form of platform or partnership support for the creative community platform.
• Power Plant LiveminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBaltimore landmark venue hosting 1FG artist Gianni Glo for regular residencies, providing performance venues for the managed artist roster.
• Sony MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSony Music artist Skilibeng collaborated with 1FG-managed artist Laro Don, representing a music industry partnership through which 1FG artists gain access to major label collaborations and expanded distribution.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eventbrite: Self-service ticketing and event management platform for live experiences. Comparable to 1FG's recurring community events as a broad event enablement platform, though 1FG is the operator rather than the platform provider.
• AEG Presents: Global live music promoter and venue operator behind festivals and tours. Comparable to 1FG's artist booking and event production activities as a major incumbent in the same live entertainment ecosystem.
• United Talent Agency (UTA): Major global talent agency with strong music and entertainment representation. Comparable to 1FG's artist management arm as an established incumbent with substantially larger artist rosters and international booking infrastructure.
• Shutterfly: Consumer and commercial photography platform with printing and personal photo services. Comparable to 1FG's professional photography vertical as a broader incumbent in commercial and event photography services.
• WME (William Morris Endeavor): One of the world's largest talent agencies representing musicians, artists, and entertainers globally. Directly comparable to 1FG's Global Artist Management vertical but operates at vastly greater scale with decades of major-label and venue relationships.
• Paradigm Talent Agency: Full-service talent agency representing artists across music, film, and live performance. Comparable to 1FG's artist management vertical as a broad incumbent offering booking, brand partnerships, and career development at scale.
• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): Premier global talent and entertainment agency representing artists, musicians, and creators across all media. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same artist management category where 1FG operates its lean roster business.
• Live Nation Entertainment: Largest live entertainment company globally, promoting concerts and operating venues. Comparable to 1FG's community events and artist booking operations as a broad incumbent in live music event promotion.

Direct peers

• The Knot Worldwide: Wedding and event services marketplace connecting consumers to photographers, videographers, DJs, and other vendors. Closely comparable to 1FG's direct-to-consumer creative services booking model for weddings and private events.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: Global experience marketing and event production agency serving enterprise clients. Comparable to 1FG's creative services arm serving universities, corporations, and news networks for events and branded content production.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/firstfridaysgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1fg
• Instagraminstagram.com/1fgbasementu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 First Friday's Group