Nov 21st, 2022
I was sitting on the tarmac waiting to taxi at JFK in summer 2017 when I got the call. Ed Sheeran's manager:
"Ed's in."
I knew it was a big deal. And I sat with that news for five long hours on our wifi-less flight before I could tell anyone. Well, that's not entirely true; I told all the strangers on my row. And anyone else in the cabin who would listen.
Fast forward a couple of months, and we're closing off 24hrs of intimate performances with one thousand artists (including Ed) across three hundred cities and sixty countries
to raise support for Amnesty International's work on refugee rights. Tens of thousands of people hanging out in rooms together to listen to activists and refugees speak, alongside stunning performances from notable artists of all genres. People were coming together to make change happen.
Amnesty walked away from that day with thousands of new supporters, eager to get involved. We started looking around the room and thinking- “Maybe there's a model here.” Not only for big nonprofits but for the activist space as a whole. From the big machine to the independent advocate and everyone else in between. An ecosystem built for change brings people together through the things they love - like music - and motivates them to take action for a better tomorrow.
WithOthers is a platform for purpose, helping activists get in a room with their people through intimate music events.
We help you stay focused on your message by taking care of the hard stuff, making it as easy as one click for you to plan, promote and produce a fantastic event. We do it all: fully crewed events, hosted in beautiful spaces with amazing local live music and filled with audiences looking for a cause to belong.
We're an on-ramp to activism for those audiences, a way to explore, discover, and engage with the causes they care about through experiences that are fun, meaningful, local, and safe.
Most importantly, we will be a company whose people represent those we aim to support. From a board level down, we are diverse, inclusive, and put representation first. Not just in who we shine a light on, but specifically in who we put into decision-making positions in the places where it counts. Not only when it's easy to do, but also when it's hard. We're a new business; there are not many of us here right now, but this is a north star that we're committed to as we grow.
Our Mission: Turn fans into movements
Our Vision: A global community of the next generation of activists, making change happen together.
We are a progressive platform and will partner with people and organizations who share our values and whose work makes those values more visible in the world we live in. We do not work with people and organizations which promote the opposite.
So, if you're an activist, an organizer, an advocate, with a nonprofit or without, we're here for you—the Change-makers. Reach out to us online or directly to me. My DMs are always open. And that same applies to our wider community - Artists, Hosts, and Crew. We're here to support you in creating change where you live, in our under-resourced communities, and for future generations. Let's make this happen together.
🙋♂️ Tom Lovett
Founder & CEO | WithOthers