Every year, hundreds of tourism experts gather at the annual USTOA Annual Conference and Marketplace to discuss the state of the industry and to network with key market players. At the 2023 event last December, Jai Al-Attas was among attendees.
Though not affiliated with the travel industry himself, Al-Attas didn’t mind being a fresh face in the crowd. As co-founder of Los Angeles-based Creative Futures Collective, a company that helps people of disenfranchised backgrounds break into industries of all kinds, Al-Attas is always looking for professional homes for those in his talent pool. And since the travel industry continues to fill open roles, the USTOA Conference seemed like fitting ground to explore.
Jai Al-Attas is the co-founder of Creative Futures Collective, an “opportunity ecosystem” working to help people with non-traditional backgrounds find work in all fields.
Credit: 2024 Creative Futures Collective
A Brief History of Creative Futures Collective
Al-Attas was raised in Australia, and was driven even as a teen, starting his own record label with friends at 16, selling it by the time he was 24, and then making his way to the U.S. to see what might unfold for him. He shot a music documentary highlighting his favorite punk artists, and even used his ever-growing community of musician and artist friends to curate one-of-kind team building events in Los Angeles for brands like Google, PayPal, KPMG and Salesforce.
Things took a turn when he partnered with A New Way of Life, a local program for formerly incarcerated women, and Safe Place for Youth, a homeless youth organization out of Venice, Calif., among others. Teens a ndyoung adults from these organizations would come to Al-Attas’ events, mingle with executives from brands like Uber, enjoy the activities and leave with some swag.
But something wasn’t quite right, Al-Attas says.
“I remember thinking, ‘These kids are going to wake up tomorrow without jobs [or other opportunities],” Al-Attas said. “Meanwhile, the Uber executives got this great experience, and they get to pat themselves on the back then head home to Venice and Santa Monica and they’re all fine.”
Thus, the seed for Creative Futures Collective was planted. Founded in 2019 by Al-Attas and Markie Bryant, Creative Futures is a self-described “opportunity ecosystem for creative talent that’s traditionally been overlooked, ignored or forgotten.” Once accepted into the program participants — or “fellows” — engage in a 12-week curriculum (topics range from leadership development and financial literacy to storytelling) at no cost, and are paired up with a mentor in their field of interest. Creative Futures also helps secure “futureships” for participants.
“We have so much creative talent, and they’re in all sorts of jobs now — in music and fashion, yes, but also in as admin, coordinators, graphic designers, cinematographers, motion artists, stylists, photographers, community managers, social media content creators,” Al-Attas said. “It’s a breadth of talent, all over the world. So now, these fellows can go into any role across all industries.”
What started as 10 fellows in Los Angeles in 2019 will have grown to 2,000 fellows globally by the end of 2024. Employers can find them in the cheekily named UnTalent platform.
Creative Futures Fellows find “futureships” and freelance opportunities at myriad companies, from Netflix and Red Bull to Ralph Lauren.
Credit: 2024 Creative Futures CollectiveWhy Creative Futures Matters to the Travel Industry
Should travel agencies, tour operators, tourism boards and beyond have open roles to fill, from administrators and content creators to assistants, the UnTalent arm of Creative Futures Collective is full of vetted candidates. And like so many industries, the travel world knows that it could stand to diversify. In 2021, Tourism Diversity Matters was founded to reflect on this area of growth and support improvements. The U.S. Travel Association has outlined initiatives aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Brands like Marriott and Hilton have outlined DEI initiatives, among many others.
Creative Futures stands to be a vital link in the chain, with its vast and diverse talent pool a ready resource for any company. And the fellows aren’t just diverse in race, gender identity and sexual orientation — they’re also diverse in their lived experiences.
We wanted to support the people who — because of their lived experiences — haven’t had access to the same opportunities.
“We wanted to support the people who — because of their lived experiences — haven’t had access to the same opportunities as those who, say, can afford to spend $200,000 on college,” Al-Attas said. “So, we’re focused on people with non-traditional backgrounds, and we have an absurd amount of people ready. It’s about opening doors that traditionally wouldn’t have existed for the fellows, but it’s also an opportunity for companies.”
There is ample data that shows how building a diverse workforce benefits everyone, and leads to better results. (A recent McKinsey and Company report shows that more diversity within a company leads to higher financial returns, and that therefore more diverse teams will outperform those that are less diverse.) And big names are finally paying attention and taking action. Creative Futures has partnered with the likes of Red Bull and Ralph Lauren, as well as SoHo House, which has a mentorship program that they asked Al-Attas to take over in North America.
“We’ve gone all-in on building these programs,” Al-Attas said. “And we have proof of concept — we know we’re onto something. So if travel agencies [or other travel professionals] need new hires, they should check out UnTalent.”
