REC Philly, the local startup aimed at helping develop, empower and cultivate Philadelphia’s creative scene, will be expanding to Miami in 2023. 

Headquartered in a 10,000-square-foot space in the Fashion District in Center City Philadelphia since 2019, the second home will be launched in Little River, a neighborhood next to Little Haiti.

The 12,000-square-foot creative facility will be equipped with multiple recording studios, photo/video production studios, editing bays, podcast studios, dance studios, design studios, an event venue, co-working space and in-house production equipment. 

The expansion to Miami is thanks, in large part, to a new $2 million investment from rap mogul, Sean “Diddy” Combs. 

“Our goal is to make sure that independent creators have the information, tools, and resources needed to win and level the playing field,” said Sean “Diddy” Combs in a press release. “This partnership is about the future of the creator economy and helping REC expand to serve more creators in cities and countries around the world.”

Founded in 2015, REC Philly has served as a creative incubator and creative agency ecosystem that exists with the purpose of empowering independent creators to build sustainable and scalable business, putting their creativity at the forefront. 

With resources, a diverse community of peers and various other opportunities, creatives are equipped with what is necessary to fully tap into and cultivate their passions.

“Our key focus is turning artists and creators into creative entrepreneurs,” Will Toms, co-founder of REC Philly, said in an interview with Forbes. “We’ve known since the beginning that we weren't just solving a Philadelphia problem. Access to resources, strategies, and opportunities is a global challenge for creatives everywhere, and with Diddy’s support, we’re excited to bring our solution to communities beyond our hometown of Philly.”

REC Philly currently has over 1,000 members and brand partnerships, which include Live Nation, Comcast, Cashapp, and many others.  

Since its inception, REC has helped pay out nearly $2 million directly to its members through its creative agency, and now becomes the latest project to join Combs’ portfolio of investments. 

REC’s presence has also served as a key catalyst for closing the pay gap for creators of color.

“We have produced thousands of shows in Philadelphia and around the country. And we realized the challenges that we had at that time were how to figure out the business and how to get paid to be ourselves and to be creative,” said Dave Silver, REC Philly co-founder. 

In 2020, SevenSix, an influencer marketing agency conducted a survey in which it reported that 56% of Black respondents believed that their ethnicity played a negative impact on their earnings. And in 2021, global communications firm MSL found that the racial pay gap between white and diverse influencers was 29% and 35% between white and Black influencers. 

Toms added that REC was launched with the goals of leveling the playing field for Black creatives by providing them with the necessary resources to allow their creativity to grow without gatekeepers acting as a hindrance.  

Now these resources will go beyond just Philadelphia creatives, and expand to Miami's pool of creatives. 

In addition to the announcement of the Miami expansion, REC will also be hosting a hybrid Community Town Hall event on Thursday, Oct. 13 to discuss more about the partnership and expansion details. 

To register or learn more information, click here.