Founder
Letter
The Backstory
A few years ago, I moved to New Orleans to reconnect with my maternal ancestral Louisiana roots. What grew from returning to my ancestral home was a platform for the Creative Economy that won First Place in the Mayor's Tech Innovation Challenge.
I bootstrapped and built the platform. It gained some traction. I stretched every dollar.
Life eventually brought me back to the SF Bay Area, where I spent the last couple of years leading a team at a well-known tech company. It was a season of growth but the spirit of a builder never stays quiet for long.
I am an entrepreneur at heart.
I am a builder at heart.
That will never change.
So I am officially back in Builder + Founder Mode.
Completely reinvigorated. Sharply focused. More determined than ever.
Despite the challenges as an industry and as a society, I am driven by the boundless possibilities of what we can build for our future.
There is no better time than right NOW for an entrepreneur, engineer and bootstrapper to BUILD.
Big shoutout to Megan Balch and the Idea Village crew. I am forever grateful.
Why Now
The Creative Economy is $3.3 trillion in size and rapidly GROWING. It is built on the creativity, craft, and culture of artisans, experience makers, storytellers, fractional leaders, and solopreneurs. Artificial Intelligence is reshaping everything — who creates, who distributes, who profits.
As a former investment banker, I know first hand that private equity firms are not buying music catalogs and acquiring entertainment conglomerates out of the goodness of their hearts. They are betting that creativity is one of the last frontiers worth owning.
If we do not actively participate in designing and developing agency and ownership systems within the Creative Economy, we will continue to earn and own the LEAST from what we create.
The gap has never been talent or creativity. It has always been the absence of business operating and ownership systems built specifically to support, protect, and empower creatives.
What Are We Building
Abundance Artist Journal + Magazine
June 19, 2026
- An independent publication covering Artificial Intelligence, Venture, and the Creative Economy.
- Journal + Magazine Founding Bundle Series options are available here
Art, Wealth & Culture Tour
August 8 – December 5, 2026
- I want to meet and work with the beautiful souls that we are building for, and build alongside them directly.
- 14 cities across North America. Free admission, every stop.
Craftsmxn Intelligence
June 19 – October 19, 2026
- Craftsmxn provides a complete business operating system for creative professionals, fractional leaders, and solopreneurs.
- Memberships include a Business Intelligence System that YOU own, Dedicated Counsel, and Collab Space. This is the next-level support your craft deserves.
- Demos begin on June 19th. Service begins on October 19th.
- Learn more about Craftsmxn membership plans here 👉🏿 Craftsmxn
How to Engage + Support
I did not ask for help after winning that competition.
That was the lesson.
So I am standing in grace this time and refusing to repeat that mistake.
A 14-city grassroots community tour, a new independent publication, and the launch of Craftsmxn Intelligence, an AI-native startup.
All in one year, all bootstrapped.
If you are moved to help, here are three ways to be part of this journey.
Subscribe to Abundance Artist Journal + Magazine
Visit our bundle page to find the option that fits your season.Connections + Intros
If you know an artisan, experience maker, storyteller, fractional leader, or solopreneur in any of our 14 tour cities, I would love an introduction.Explore Craftsmxn Intelligence
Request a demo. Demos begin June 19th. We launch October 19th.
And if this letter resonated, please forward it to anyone who may want to support or be part of what we are building.
With deep gratitude,
Kisha Mavryck Richardson 🙏🏾💜🙏🏾