Philadelphia-based startup, “REC” (also known as “REC Philly”), will call Miami its second home as they launch “REC Miami” behind a $2 million investment from Sean Combs Capital, lead investor in the round. Founded by Forbes 30 Under 30 recipients, Will Toms & Dave Silver, REC is an ecosystem designed and dedicated to providing creative people with the resources, communities and opportunities to pursue their passions and entrepreneurial goals.
The REC Philly location has over 1,000 active members subscribed to their membership offering, giving creators access to a 10,000 sq ft creative facility, educational programming, and access to a network of brands in need of creative services. Members use the space to create content, connect with collaborators, and attend educational & social programming, while brands use REC to source the best emerging talent for their projects. Current brand partners in Philadelphia include Live Nation, Comcast, Cash App, WXPN, WSFS Bank, Amuse, Red Bull, T-Mobile, Ballard Spahr & Temple University.
Sean Combs is committed to creating brands and building businesses that provide opportunities and platforms to empower the next generation of creators. Combs Enterprises will not only utilize REC’s spaces but also plans to tap into the creative talent to amplify the brands under his umbrella. With his investment, REC joins Combs Enterprises Portfolio of investments.
“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. “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.”
Since its inception in 2015, REC’s model has helped pay out nearly $2 million dollars directly to members of its community by way of its creative agency. REC has proven to be a strong bridge for brands to participate in the independent creative revolution in a meaningful way by adapting a ‘creator-first’ approach that’s refreshing to the entertainment industry status quo.
“Our key focus is turning artists and creators into creative entrepreneurs. 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, “said Will Toms, Co-founder of REC.
REC is coming to Miami’s Little River neighborhood in 2023 behind the partnership with Diddy. The expansion will bring a 12,000 square foot creative facility equipped with multiple recording studios, photo/video production studios, editing bays, podcast studios, dance studios, design studios, an event venue, coworking space and the in-house production equipment needed to create high-quality media. Little River Miami is a neighborhood project owned and developed by Adventurous Journeys(AJ) Capital Partners, a progressive real estate and hospitality company, along with local partner MVW Partners. The neighborhood, consisting of adaptive reuse and ground-up construction, encompasses 25 acres of land with more than 1.08M land sq. ft.
Dave Silver, Co-founder & CEO of REC said, “In Philadelphia, much of our success comes from our ability to empower & convene the local creative community, making it easy for both local & global brands to know where they can find & hire creative talent. Getting artists paid has always been our most impactful metric, and I’m excited to bring that same energy into Miami.”
For Toms, Silver and their team, Philly and Miami are just the beginning of the fast-growing REC vision. The collective is actively seeking leaders in cities around the world to bring the model to next.
