Quick take:
- Through this program, Visa wants to help small businesses tap into new mediums for digital commerce.
- The program will provide mentorship and exposure to Visa’s network of clients and partners.
- Visa will give creators a one-time stipend to help creators kickstart their growth in NFTs.
Visa has officially launched its Visa Creator Program to help small business owners accelerate their growth through NFTs. The one-year immersion program is aimed at creators working in art, music, fashion and film who want to incorporate NFTs into their business model.
The Visa Creator Program will bring together a global cohort of digital creators who will be deepening their fluency in the technology and platforms underpinning NFT commerce. The program will also help small and micro businesses tap into new mediums for digital commerce.
Selected participants will receive support in the form of mentorship with Visa’s team of crypto product and strategy leaders, to cover topics including blockchain networks, smart contracts, and NFT marketplaces. They will also be able to exchange ideas with other creators in the program as well as gain access to thought leaders in digital commerce, web3, crypto and payments.
Furthermore, creators in the program will have opportunities to engage with Visa’s network of clients and partners, and will receive a one-time stipend of an undisclosed amount to kickstart the next phase of their business growth.
“NFTs have the potential to become a powerful accelerator for the creator economy,” said Cuy Sheffield, head of crypto, Visa. “We’ve been studying the NFT ecosystem and its potential impacts on the future of commerce, retail and social media. Through the Visa Creator Program, we want to help this new breed of small and micro businesses tap into new mediums for digital commerce.”
Sheffield told The Block that the Visa Creator Program will help Visa understand the pain points creators are facing in their NFT journeys and explore opportunities for creators to monetise their work through NFTs.
Micah Johnson, a former professional baseball player turned NFT artist is one of the first creators to partner with the program as a mentor. “In the early days of my NFT career, I relied on a community of NFT experts and advocates to ground me in this new world. I’m excited to work with Visa in providing that same type of mentorship to emerging artists setting out on their NFT journey,” he said.
Those who are interested in participating in the Visa Creator Program will have to fill out a form. Shortlisted candidates will then be interviewed for final consideration before being accepted into the program.
Visa previously published a study on how businesses can integrate NFTs to engage with their community in crypto and commerce. The company also bought a CryptoPunk last August.
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