About this Event
On May 15, 2017, the Freelance Isn’t Free Act went into effect in New York City, creating first of its kind legal protections for freelancers against nonpayment. Since then, we gather every year for , to celebrate everything the law has yielded, and to discuss what else must be done to forge a future wherein freelancers have all the safeguards and resources they need to thrive.
Join us on May 20 from 12-5 p.m. at for this year's Freelance Isn't Free Day, a full day of panels with labor leaders, educational workshops, and networking with your freelance community.
More details to come — but be sure to reserve your spot in the meantime.
Stay tuned for more updates!
Agenda
?: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Doors Open + Networking Marketplace + GET PAID HOUR
?: 01:00 PM - 01:15 PM
Openings + Welcome remarks
?: 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM
PANEL 1: Creative Workers, Real Power: Rights, Voice & the Future of Freelance
Info: Creative workers sit at the forefront of today’s freelance economy — producing the journalism, art, music, and cultural work that shape public life while often operating without basic labor protections like fair pay. This panel explores the rights of independent creative workers in a rapidly changing economy, from payment protections and contract enforcement to ownership, authorship, and the growing pressures of platformization and AI. Together, panelists will examine what it takes to protect creative labor, defend worker dignity, and build collective power for freelancers whose work is often essential but structurally undervalued. Featuring Henderson Cole, Kareema Bee, and James Folta.
?: 02:00 PM - 02:30 PM
Break / Reset / Lunch
?: 02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
Pricing Your Creative Work: From Guesswork to Clarity w/ Justine Clay
Info: In this 45-minute workshop, Business Coach and ADHD coach Justine Clay will introduce a clear, practical framework to help you: Understand the difference between your pricing baseline and your project fee, identify the factors that determine the value of your work, and approach pricing with more clarity, structure, and confidence. You’ll leave with a simple method you can use to calculate your rates after the session, plus access to Justine’s pricing baseline calculator to help you put it into practice.
?: 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
PANEL 2: Building the Freelancer’s City
Info: Freelance work does not happen in a vacuum — it depends on the physical, social, and civic systems that make work and life possible. From transportation and public space to childcare, healthcare, and economic policy, this panel examines the often invisible infrastructure that underpins independent work. Panelists will discuss how cities and institutions can better support freelancers not just as workers, but as people whose ability to thrive is deeply shaped by the systems around them. Featuring Rebecca Bailin, Samer Kalaf, and John Surico.
?: 04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Closing Toast + Networking
Event venue & nearby stays
Civic Hall, 124 East 14th Street, New York, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.