About Creative Currency

Creative Currency is an initiative bringing together leading developers and designers with national experts in social finance, local currencies, crowdfunding, sharing platforms, and other leaders of the new economy to envision, prototype, and deploy innovative solutions that reimagine our systems of exchange from the ground up.

Focusing on San Francisco’s Mid-Market District, the initiative will answer pressing questions, such as: How can financial data empower low-income residents? How can local currencies support local businesses and community organizations? How can sharing platforms be tailored to fit the needs of under-served communities? How can tools like crowdfunding and microcredit be put to work for social service organizations and individuals alike?

Program Model Advisory Committee Partners FAQs

The Project Team

Creative Currency is a collaboration between a digital culture nonprofit, a social enterprise community, a city government renowned for its innovative spirit, and a global payment leader.


Gray Area Foundation for the Arts (@GAFFTA) is a San Francisco nonprofit dedicated to building social consciousness through digital culture. GAFFTA produces exhibitions, events, education, and research at the intersection of art, technology, and society.

HUB Bay Area (@HubBayArea) is a place-based membership community that develops and deploys solutions for a better world. The HUB Bay Area is designing workspaces, events, education, and media as tools to drive acceleration and collaboration.

The San Francisco Mayor’s (@MayorEdLee) Office of Civic Innovation aims to introduce new ideas and approaches to solve long-standing challenges. We believe that government needs to think like a lean startup: agile, scrappy and customer-focused.

American Express (@AmericanExpress) is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.