In May of 2015, Rising Tide hosted its first set of local meetups in twelve cities across the United States. Coffee shops and wineries filled with small business owners seeking a new mindset in the creative landscape—one built on relationships. Creatives who typically spent day after day sitting at their desks with only the hum of the computer and their third cup of coffee to keep them company now had the opportunity to engage in community within their own towns. One by one we added meetups in cities from the Northeast to the Southwest, and even internationally. As Rising Tide and the concept of “community over competition” was welcomed with open arms, we had the opportunity to merge with HoneyBook to build an intentional creative community worldwide. We are only as strong as the communities around us, so we dedicate ourselves to supporting non-profits and organizations we are passionate about. To date, we’ve given over $100,000+ to non-profits including The School Sessions, U.S. Dream Academy, The Birthday Party Project, Thirst Relief and more. We have also partnered with Pencils of Promise to build a school in 2018—funded entirely by community donations through our annual RISE Summit. We believe that when creatives rise, the world is changed for the better. Together, we are empowering the creative economy to pursue their passion with the support of a community.