Los Angeles-based creator economy startup BrandArmy has announced the appointment of Rob Ryan as its Chief Creator Officer. An industry veteran with over a decade of experience, he will spearhead the company’s creator acquisition and creator/subscriber education initiatives.

Ryan has been deemed the “Influencer to the Influencers” within the industry for his extensive network of creators and educational and speaking engagements. Previously, he oversaw the development and launch of a social media platform that ranked #1 in multiple countries, as well as the go-to-market and influencer relations for other tech companies.

According to BrandArmy co-founder & CEO Ramon Mendez, “Rob has a proven track record in the creator economy space with experience onboarding talent to social platforms and helping conceptualize and execute creator education programs. His background is uniquely fitting for what we do. He’ll drive the direction we go with our platform best to benefit all types of creators and their communities.”

BrandArmy’s platform enables creators and organizations to launch their own free or paid online subscription communities. During its open beta, creators on the platform have generated over $12 million in revenue and over 643,000 transactions, the announcement reads.

Ryan highlights the platform’s unique value proposition, stating, “Creators are employees on social platforms because they have to work to appease the algorithm to reach a portion of their audience. BrandArmy has no algorithm, so the creator becomes the boss of their community – as it always should have been. For the first time ever, they’re in full control of their reach.”

Ryan also notes the monetization opportunities for creators.“With creators making upwards of $150k+ per month on BrandArmy, there’s a huge opportunity for creators not directly owning and monetizing their community like what we provide.”

BrandArmy has announced plans for a public launch in the coming weeks, with a complete redesign and improved technology. An exact date has not been provided.