Creator.co

Creator is where Brands and Creators connect, collaborate, grow, and earn more revenue.

Our success is built on the premise that 92% consumers trust advice and opinions over any sponsored advertising. Most marketing teams don't have the time or resources to scale their Influencer strategy, that's where we come in. 

www.creator.co

Co-Founder & CEO

Entrepreneur Media

Contributing Writer

LOI - League of Innovators

League of innovators connects budding entrepreneurs with more experienced business mentors to help accelerate their go to market strategy.

Business Mentor

The Influencer Academy

The Influencer Academy is the first, certified Brand-Building online programs showing inspiring creators, and influencers how to define their purpose, clarify strategy, and grow a worthwhile profitable business!

Advisory Board

Best Buy Canada

Helped amazing brands develop, and deploy omni-channel branding and marketing initiatives nationally for the new wearable tech sector. 
Results: 1st in Canada for wearable tech market-share; grew category by over 1000%. 

Fitbit, Samsung, Garmin, Apple, Jawbone, Misfit, and more. 

-Assortment Planning
-Forecasting / Budgeting
-Vendor Relations
-Sales 
-Marketing
-P&L

Merchandise Manager (Buyer)

Andre's Electronic Experts

- Increased Sales and Profits
- Strategic Sales & Negotiations (B2B & B2C)
- Hiring/Training & Coaching
- High level of Community Involvement

Custom Home & Commercial A/V Project Manager

Future Shop

- Top 10 in Canada (President's Club) for 3 consecutive years
- Consistently exceeded sales and service budgets; placing our department among the top 5 in Canada

Elite Product Expert

Four Points by Sheraton

Obtained valuable experience in customer relations while being trained by one of the industry's leader in customer satisfaction

Managed multiple group, and corporate accounts.
Managed banquet room facilities 
Executed regular hotel audits

Guest Services Agent & Night Auditor

Helping our team at Creator revolutionize what an "Influencer platform" can be. We're empowering everyone on earth to become their own storefront - welcome to The Creator Economy.

Proven success in branding and new category launches, omni-channel buying and marketing, and optimizing eCommerce performance. Enjoy empowering brands to build long lasting communities and finding a better way to do things.

Enjoy hearing and helping other entrepreneurs whenever possible.

Vinod Varma

Beautypass

Working with CEO & COO in driving global revenue growth and scaling up Beautypass by leveraging diverse revenue streams through a multicultural team based across five continents.

Director of Global Business Development

Partner

I spearheaded the market entry and rapid scale-up of the Beauty Pass in 10 countries across Europe, APAC & South Africa. My role encompassed both strategic planning and execution, driving the overall growth and success of the business.

Successfully onboarding +1000 venues and attracting a user base of 25,000 individuals with a team of +10 people. By strategically identifying and partnering with key beauty establishments, I ensured a diverse and high-quality selection of venues for our users.

Beauty Pass achieved significant market penetration and became a prominent player across multiple countries.

Director of International Expansion 

Led Beauty Pass market entry and rapid scale-up in Italy & South Africa (strategy + execution). I oversee all core areas of the business incl. Operations, Marketing, Sales and Account Management.

Head Of Business Development

Founder Institute South Africa

South Africa'Chapter of Founder Institute: The world’s largest pre-seed startup accelerator. 

The Founder Institute helps you get to traction and funding with a support network of startup experts that are invested in your success, and through a structured business-building process that has helped our alumni raise over $1B. 
Leaders of the world’s fastest-growing companies have used the Founder Institute to raise funding, get into seed-accelerators, generate traction, recruit a team, build a product, transition from employee to entrepreneur, and more.

Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200+ cities and 90+ countries, the Founder Institute’s mission is to empower talented and motivated people to build impactful technology-enabled companies worldwide.

Startup Mentor

Range Ventures

Reimagining Advisory & Consultancy for Innovative Entrepreneurs & CEOs.

Startup Consultant

Instants

Co-Founder 

I lead the strategic direction and overall management of the company.  My role involves setting goals, making critical decisions, and fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented culture within the organization.

CEO & Co-Founder

MyCapeTown

We are your premier Destination Management Company ( DMC ) dedicated to unlocking the best travel experiences in South Africa & Namibia.

Our mission is to make exploring South Africa & Namibia seamless and unforgettable. Whether you're planning a relaxing beach getaway, an adventurous safari, or an immersive cultural tour, our team offers a comprehensive range of options to suit every traveler's desires.


I established and conceptualized the vision of the company. 
My role involved identifying the need for an Italian-language website in South Africa and creating a platform that caters to this niche audience. 
Although I am not actively involved in the day-to-day operations, my influence and guidance continue to shape the strategic direction of the company.

Founder

Interlogica

Engage with clients in strategic discussions to provide best in class Cybersecurity and industry guidance to maximize client’s long-term business objectives.

Develop strong and lasting relationships with client executives, effectively engage new business and follow on security and risk advisory engagements.

Participate and lead aspects of the proposal development process; contribute to the development of proposal pricing strategies.

Business Development & Board Member

Mymenu

I played a crucial role in driving business growth across 4 cities in Italy. I worked tirelessly to expand the company's presence and increase its market share in these locations. ( Brescia, Verona, Padova, Reggio Emilia )

My responsibilities encompassed developing and implementing effective growth strategies, identifying new business opportunities, and nurturing partnerships with local restaurants and establishments. Through targeted marketing and sales initiatives, I successfully attracted a wider customer base and increased revenue streams for Mymenu.

Business Development Advisor

Foodhero ( Acquired )

Foodhero is the new mobile app that allows retailers, producers and suppliers to connect with customers so they can sell food items at discounted price.

It’s a new way of reducing Food Waste

Sold.

Founder & CEO

www.buonappetitomilano.it

I played a pioneering role in the early stages of the food delivery scene in Milan. Before major players like Deliveroo, Foodora, and Glovo entered the market, Buonappetitomilano established itself as a first mover, revolutionizing the way food was delivered and enjoyed in the city.

In my role, I was instrumental in shaping the company's strategy, operations, and growth. I identified the untapped potential of the food delivery industry in Milan and seized the opportunity to create a platform that connected hungry customers with a wide range of local restaurants.

I spearheaded the establishment of partnerships with restaurants, building a network of culinary establishments that offered diverse and high-quality dining options for delivery. Through effective marketing and customer acquisition strategies, I successfully positioned Buonappetitomilano as a go-to platform for reliable food delivery services.

Co-Founder & Managing Partner ( Sold )

Prenotable

Tied up with more than 800 restaurants in Italy ( Milan, Torino, Roma, Firenze and Venice )
 Managed a sales team and maintained relationship between prenotable and its partners.
In charge to create online partnership with travel,food and lifestyle websites.

Co-Founder

16-year overall experience focusing on fast growing startups & scale-ups.

Lived and worked in Australia, South Africa, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Italy.

With a proven track record of delivering results and driving business growth, managing various P&Ls. I have honed these skills through my extensive experience and passion for driving organisational success 

🤝 Management& Leadership -🚀 -Business Development -  📈 Marketing -💰 Fundraising

Riccardo Petrantoni

After 2 intense weeks of events and conferences in Cape Town, one talk stayed with me more than any other.

It was the one from Kola A. from Ventures Platform Fund, speaking at AfricArena.
Because it was the most solid, honest, and ultimately encouraging for founders building in Africa and for investors backing them.

The core message was simple, but powerful:
Africa now needs to move deliberately from potential to performance.

Here are the 8 principles from that talk : ( see the slides )

 1. 
→Acknowledge that our ecosystem is still early
Africa is not a mature market behaving differently. It is an early ecosystem building markets, not just companies. Today’s outcomes will differ from mature markets and we must design with that reality in mind.

2.
→Focus on market-creating innovation
The ecosystem needs startups that create markets, not just compete in existing ones. Business models must reflect Africa’s current realities, not imported assumptions.

3.
→ Build healthy unit economics from Day 1
Profitability and fundamentals are not later-stage concerns.They are essential for survival in markets with long timelines and limited exits

4.
→Prioritise capital efficiency
Founders must learn to do more with less. Capital efficiency increases optionality, extends runway, and improves long-term outcomes

5.
→ Price companies for real acquisition outcomes
Valuations need to make sense for African corporate buyers.Success should be defined across a broader range of exits not only unicorn outcomes.

6.
→Go beyond equity and embrace blended capital
Africa cannot rely on equity alone.Debt, revenue-based financing, and alternative instruments help reduce dilution and improve survival odds.

7.
→Treat startups as a developmental asset class
 Governments have a role to play: licensing, interoperability, and open markets (e.g. AfCFTA).Policy is part of performance.

8.
→ Accept that this is a multiplayer effort
 Governments, regulators, VCs, founders, and capital markets must move together.Local IPOs and exit pathways don’t magically appear  they are built.


What made this talk stand out is that It offered a realistic, constructive path forward for the continent.
If Africa is to move from potential to performance, this level of honesty and execution discipline is exactly what both founders and investors need.

👉 Which of these do you think is currently the biggest bottleneck for founders building in Africa and why?

Tech Entrepreneur | Startup Advisor | VC Resident

Cape Town is shining. Such a great way to start the day with this community! ✨

"Real networking is about finding ways to make other people more successful." - Keith Ferrazzi, Never Eat Alone

#NeverEatAlone – Cape Town Edition (Year Two!) 🌍 🇿🇦

What an incredible way to close out #SuperReturnAfrica — gathering once again to break croissants 🥐 and build community 🤝🏾 with an exceptional group of founders and investors at Lily’s on the stunning Cape Town waterfront. 🌊 ✨

Hard to believe that it has already been a year since our first CPT edition of our founder and funder event series! What was a simple idea — bring good humans together over good food in one of the most beautiful cities in the world — is now *officially* an annual tradition. 💛

Massive shoutout to the best of humans in this ecosystem, Will Green, for being the perfect co-host once again! I couldn’t imagine a better partner-in-community-building, and I’m excited to continue grow this event as a "fan favorite" gathering. 🙌🏾 🔥

Cape Town, you always show up with a welcoming spirit, a warm heart, and world-class views. Until next year! 🇿🇦 ❤️

#FiveTwoFive #CapeTown #Africa #SuperReturnAfrica #NeverEatAlone

Pearls of Wisdom from Pete Flint  for Founders in 2026, NFX

The Hidden Structure Behind Today’s Fastest Startups.
Link here 🔗 https://lnkd.in/daPCKKSE

AI-first leaders have developed 3 distinct skills:
1. 📌 
The best AI-first leaders act as translators between AI capabilities and human judgment. They know when a team member is over-relying on AI output and when another is being overly skeptical.
2. 📌 
AI enables incredibly fast iteration, which can be intoxicating. But not everything is actually strong enough to ship. The ability to create endless first drafts only heightens the importance of knowing what is actually good, high-leverage, and worth putting out into the world. 
3. 📌 
AI-first leaders excel at designing the transitions between AI-automated work and human work. They understand both capabilities deeply enough to know where the baton should pass, and they structure work so these handoffs feel natural rather than jarring. 



https://lnkd.in/dBE5UmXt

Open video: AI Changed How Startups Should Be Structured on youtube.com

AI Changed How Startups Should Be Structured

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The Battle

Vinod Varma

Riccardo Petrantoni

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The Battle

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Riccardo Petrantoni

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Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Riccardo Petrantoni's LinkedIn Performance

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