empowering creators.
inspiring Iowans.

A woman in a pink suit is speaking in front of a camera held by a man with a beard and glasses in a room filled with wood shelves and legal books.

WATCH: Iowa Creator Corps
Pilot Program Highlights

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  • Three people on TikTok videos, left and right women speaking and middle man outdoors in winter wearing sunglasses and beanie, with text overlays.
  • Three people appear on a video call on a smartphone screen. The first person is a woman with curly hair and glasses, wearing a black top, standing outdoors. The second person is a man with a beard, sitting in a room with a 'South Central' sign on the wall behind him. The third person is a man with short brown hair, indoors near a fireplace, holding a phone and looking at the camera.
  • Screenshot of three people on a mobile app, with the first person in a barn with cattle, the second person outside a store with a sign reading "GRINNE!" and the third person in front of a flag of Iowa, with their photographs partly obscured and various app icons visible at the bottom.
  • Three TikTok videos displayed side by side on a phone screen, featuring a woman with glasses speaking in a classroom, a man with gray hair and a beard talking in a car, and a woman with red hair holding a microphone in an office.
  • Screenshot of three people in a video call on a social media app, with various text overlays. The first person has a logo behind them with a green four-leaf clover and a raised fist, and the text says, 'there is no reason you should be selling your labo.' The second person is a woman with curly hair and colorful glasses, with the text 'APPROXIMATELY ONE MILLION.' The third person is a man in a white jacket with the word 'SINGLE' above 'MONTH' in yellow and white text.

About Us

The Iowa Creator Corps is a new initiative to empower aspiring, Iowa-based social media creators in their efforts to build a more progressive and prosperous Iowa. We look to provide tools, resources, training and a sense of community to local creators to help them build their own brands and produce more fact-based, pro-democracy content that will spread across Iowa social media. 

For well over a decade, Iowans’ social media feeds have been increasingly filled with hyper-polarized national politics and disinformation intended to tear apart our communities and turn neighbor against neighbor. Through the Iowa Creator Corps, we aim to bring localized, informed content to Iowans’ social media feeds made by their fellow Iowans. 

The Iowa Creator Corps is led by two veterans of the Iowa social media and journalism scene, Pat Rynard, founder of Iowa Starting Line, and Liz Fleming, activist and well-known creator (“Liz from Iowa”).

A man smiling in front of a large crowd and multiple screens displaying American flag and event graphics at a political rally or celebration.

Pat Rynard

patrick.rynard@gmail.com

A young woman with red hair, wearing a blue turtleneck sweater and pearl earrings, smiling in front of decorative miniature Japanese buildings and greenery.

Liz Fleming

lizfromiowa@gmail.com

Proven Success

We ran an initial pilot program from January through mid-March to test our approach, and it was a big success! Here’s what the 17 Iowa creators we recruited accomplished over the course of 2.5 months:

330 Iowa politics/policy videos in first program

Blue circle with a black checkmark in the center.
A blue circle with a black check mark inside it.

1 million average views/month

636% Increase in Iowa Videos produced vs. before program

Blue circle with a black check mark symbol in the center.

439% increase in Iowa Video views vs. before program

Blue circle with a black check mark inside it.

Our initial
creators included:

  • Farmers

  • Labor activists

  • Mother/family activists

  • History TikTokers

  • Makeup TikTokers

  • Former conservative

  • Former legislative candidates

Two women sitting and talking during an interview or discussion in a recording studio. A camera and smartphone are set up to record them, with equipment visible in the foreground. The background features a wall with shelves, a globe, plants, and decorative green wall panels.

 Our creators built a supportive community and networked with progressive organizations and leaders across the state.

apply to join a future cohort
apply to join a future cohort 
This is a volunteer program. We provide you with training and tools. You provide us with your time to learn and make content. We cannot train candidates or their staff under this specific program.

HElp
sustain our progress

We’re building a network of creators shaping conversations across Iowa. Your donation will be allocated to our efforts and helps ensure those voices are are heard.

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Donate Now

Let’s Work Together

We partner with organizations who want to expand their reach, connect with new audiences, and support impactful digital storytelling.

Get in Touch
Get in Touch