Zoo Labs

We are feeling the love for our artist community! 💗 Zoo Labs LEARN is a resource library packed with wisdom directly from artists who are living examples of how to make it happen. These expert creative entrepreneurs are defining what success looks like for them, and sharing their lessons learned with YOU. As always, all courses are free - and you can complete them at your own pace. Tap in today at learn.zoolabs.org (or the link in our bio) to start learning from these fantastic artists (and others). #artist #onlineeducation #freeeducation #artistresources #entrepreneurship #artistsareentrepreneurs #onlinelearning #onlinecourses #onlineclass #artistecosystem #musicbusiness #BayAreaMusic #onlineclasses #levelup #creativeentrepreneurs #freeeducation #hiphop #beatmakers #musicproducer #musician #professionalmusician #creativeeconomy

Drumroll please…. Calling all Bay Area music entrepreneurs - are you ready to take your team’s business to the next level? The 2026 Zoo Labs: FUND opens next month! In partnership with @cci_arts , Zoo Labs: FUND will make $225,000 in unrestricted grants to culturally-rooted teams with a Bay Area-based music business. 2026 marks the sixth and final year of the program. 🏁 Applications open: June 9 @ 9 am PT 💡 Virtual Info Session: June 11 @ noon PT 🔔 Deadline: August 7 @ 11:59 am (morning) PT 📌 Guidelines and registration links at cciarts.org 📰 Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date . #ArtistsAreEntrepreneurs #ArtistGrants #FundingOpportunity #BayArea #MusicFunding

Ariel Nuñez (REL) is a video producer, podcaster, and founder of Art of Storytelling. His podcast and event series, @storytellersonly , explores creativity, community, and the future of content. In this video he shares 3 of his tips for making recording easier. Check out the full free course: “Turn Your Podcast Into a Content Machine,” at learn.zoolabs.org, or the link in bio! 💡 #ZooLabsLEARN #CreativeEntrepreneur #MusicBusiness #ContentCreator #Podcasting

“Connection is the new currency.” 🤝 Erinn Knight @theerinnaffect is a Zoo Labs alum and Atlanta native who has devoted her entire career to teaching artists how to maximize their impact and monetize their dreams. In this course, ‘I Wouldn’t Tour If I Were You,’ she’ll give you the skills and knowledge to build an audience, sell out events, and create unique experiences to deeply connect with your community. Tap in at the link in bio for the full FREE course, or visit learn.zoolabs.org. 💡 #ZooLabsLEARN #CreativeEntrepreneur #MusicBusiness #IndependentArtist #ExperienceDesign

📊The tax deadline is coming up…do you know what you can write off? ‘Peaceful Taxes for Creative Minds’ with Ilene Squires breaks down everything you need to know about filing your taxes as a creative entrepreneur, from what you can write off to how to build a strategy for growth in your business. Ilene has 2 decades of tax preparation experience and over a decade running her own creative business as a multi-hyphenate creative entrepreneur. Click the link in bio for the full FREE course! @squirestaxprep #ZooLabsLEARN #CreativeEntrepreneur #TaxSeason #MusicBusiness #IndependentArtist

A few more moments from ‘An Evening of Joy & Resistance’! Thank you to @kevchoice , the Legacy Chamber Ensemble ( @byronhogan @tristanmarcelle @s.j.wilks @missford1975 ), our hosts at @hiiiwav and the community that makes RESONATE possible. 💙 Follow along and sign up for our newsletter at the #linkinbio for Zoo Labs recaps, updates, and future events! 📸 by @ksjpix

MUSIC HEALS! 💙 We’re filled with love for our community after our most recent SOLD OUT RESONATE event, ‘An Evening of Joy & Resistance,’ featuring the soulful sounds of @kevchoice and the Legacy Chamber Ensemble featuring @byronhogan @tristanmarcelle @s.j.wilks @missford1975 🎵 We’re excited to share a teaser clip of the night (FULL gorgeous recap at the 🔗link in our bio)! Huge thanks to our amazing community for filling the room with so much energy, and a special shoutout to @hiiiwav for sharing their space. Couldn’t make it, but want to help make more moments like this possible? Visit the link in our bio to donate ➡️(enter ZOO LABS in the designation field). 🎥 by @slvtrfilms #resonate #WhereMusicMeetsImpact #Oakland

🎤✨ Oakland: We're kicking things off THIS FRIDAY 🎉 Join us for the happy hour launch of All People Powered – where we're putting real money ($30K!) behind Bay Area founders who are just getting started. Created by Oakland's own Zoo Labs alumns: Co-Founders the Musical and HiiiWAV. 🏙️ Rooftop vibes at the Kapor Center
 🍹 Free drinks
 🎯 Get your pitch dialed in with help from our team
 💰 Network with artists, entrepreneurs, and people really building in the Bay This isn't your typical startup thing – we're building something different. Come through, grab a drink, and see what we're about. Space is limited. RSVP link in bio🔗

In our next alumni spotlight we hear from 2019 accelerator alumna/2023 FUND recipient Valerie Troutt, a Bay Area–born, gospel- and jazz-trained “musical collagist” whose work draws from ancestral sound, storytelling, and social justice. Through her project Find Your Light, Valerie creates “safe and brave spaces for Black Womyn and girls in the community.” ✨ Donate to the FUND to support the next wave of grantees ➡️ click the link in bio (enter ZOO LABS in the designation field).

💙 Like and share to spread the word! @valvoice #ZooLabs #BayArea #Creative #Musicians #SmallBusiness

Hello, 2026. ✨ It’s time to set your prices with confidence and get paid what you’re worth. Ilene’s unique perspective as a creative entrepreneur + her hands-on experience with tax preparation has taught her how to work smarter, not harder. In this FREE mini-course, she covers a variety of skills to build financial savvy for creatives and business owners, including: ⏳ Pricing your outcomes rather than your time 💵 Gross vs. Net: Why your take-home is the real number that matters 👉 Sharing your rates with confidence Enroll for FREE at the #linkinbio! #creativeentrepreneur  #onlinelearning #FreeClass #Pricing

“An Evening of Joy and Resistance” is just around the corner… meet the talented musicians who will bring a beautiful mix of classical symphonic and rich contemporary to the stage on Jan 24, 2026! 🔥 🎹 Kev Choice @kevchoice is a pianist, M.C., producer, composer, band-leader, and community leader. He has worked with artists including Ms. Lauryn Hill, Michael Franti, Too Short, and Ledisi, among many others. He will perform with the support of 🎻:

🎵 Sam Wilkins @s.j.wilks is a multi-instrumentalist and recent MBA grad who has launched multiple non-profits aimed at leveraging tech for music innovation. 🎶 Darcy Ford @missford1975 is a violinist, educator, and public school strings teacher. She co-founded Stockton Soul, a non-profit that performs Black Music to educate and empower. (📷 credit: @snapjackson )

🎵 Byron Hogan @byronhogan is an award winning cellist and chamber musician, arranger, and composer. He has appeared at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, as well as on stages in Germany, Amsterdam, and Montreal. 🎶 Tristan Marcelle @tristanmarcelle is a singer, songwriter, and violist from Louisville, KY. Her most recent EP,  Small Love, was released in April 2025.

Don’t wait- just 10 DAYS LEFT to buy tickets! #linkinbio 🎟️ #WhereMusicMeetsImpact #Resonate #AmplifyCreativity #ZooLabsLive

Podcasting is an art –– and REL is here to show you how it’s done. Ariel Nuñez (REL) is a filmmaker, creative director, and founder of production agency, @artofstorytelling.co - as well as the host of @storytellersonly - a podcast and live event series dedicated to exploring creativity, community, and the future of content. In this brand new Zoo Labs: LEARN course you’ll learn to: ⏰Record and edit in a time-saving way 🎧Repurpose one episode into 8-10 pieces of content 📡Distribute content everywhere without extra work 🔥Grow an audience, business, or community based on your purpose Ready to learn? Explore this FREE course at the #linkinbio and turn one podcast into content that works everywhere. #creativeentrepreneur #onlinelearning #FreeClass #podcasting contentmachine