Name: Monetization In The new Creator Economy
Start: 2026-05-08T11:30:00-05:00
End: 2026-05-08T13:00:00-05:00
Location: Cameo

Steven Galanis (Cameo) and Scott Kitun (GigaStar) come together for a panel on monetization opportunities in the new creator economy.
About this Event

Two of Chicago's top tech founders come together for a live panel centered around monetization opportunities in the creator economy.

Scott Kitun, Chief Business Officer at , and Steven Galanis, Co-Founder & CEO of , join host Jaime Black for a live podcast recording at the Cameo offices in Fulton Market on Friday, May 8th.

This panel will cover the creator-focused services of both companies, monetization opportunities for creators using both GigaStar and Cameo, tips for getting started as a creator, Chicago's prominence as a hub for both creators and tech talent, and more.

Doors for this event open at 11:30am with the panel starting at noon. This panel is free to attend but space is limited, so early arrival is encouraged.

Panelist Bios:

Scott Kitun is Chief Business Officer at GigaStar and a serial entrepreneur, investor, and builder in the private markets ecosystem.

He previously co-founded Songfinch, which grew to more than $100 million in sales while paying tens of millions of dollars to artists.

He later served as an advisor at Republic during the launch of the Hamilton Lane private equity fund, one of the first private equity offerings made available to true retail investors.

Today at GigaStar, he’s building a new asset class around creator revenue — turning Creator channels into investable assets.

Steven Galanis is an American entrepreneur and the Co-Founder and CEO of Cameo, a marketplace where fans can book personalized video shoutouts from their favorite people.

Recognized as one of “Hollywood’s Top Innovators” by THR (The Hollywood Reporter), Steven has been named “40 under 40” by Crain’s Chicago Business, Entrepreneur of the Year Midwest Region by EY, “Innovator of the Year (B2C)” by Chicago Inno, and has twice been named one of Goldman Sachs' 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs.

Outside of Cameo, Steven is an active member of the YPO Chicago Chapter where he currently serves as Chairman.

Steven is active in the Great Lakes, Greece, and Miami chapters of Endeavor, a global network of high-impact entrepreneurs. He is also a co-owner of Major League Pickleball’s Miami franchise, Miami Pickleball Club.