WE ARE creatives, change makers, artists, & entrepreneurs.
WE ARE a media company and social platform at the intersection of creativity and social change.
WE ARE a community space to gather, innovate, collaborate, and get to work.
WE ARE creating the new creative economy.
WE ARE CTLST*.
Urs Baur
Urs has 20+ years of experience from brand development and communications, developing and guiding strategic communications initiatives for global brands, and is also the co-founder of several companies and organizations, most recently Energizing Co., an international development and financing platform providing sustainable, community scale energy infrastructure in cities across North America.
CTLST* manifests the next step in what he’s been passionate about over his career to date. He trusts in the combined power of technology, design, and storytelling to inform, empower, and inspire better communities.
Jess Dervin-Ackerman
Jess is a political strategist, community builder, and dedicated spiritual practitioner. She has spent the last 15 years working to bring about social change by building people power through grassroots organizing.
Jess has managed national digital organizing campaigns during 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, most recently working for Marianne Williamson and Tom Steyer. She has done work with 350.org, Sierra Club, Democratic Socialists of America, 350 Bay Area, and has consulted with community based organizations, wellness businesses, and entrepreneurs around online and offline network building and strategy.
Ron Hirt
Ron ran his own company, Primary Color, for 35 years with multiple locations, employing 350 people with his responsibility being client facing engagement and revenue generation.
His entrepreneurial determination has led him to CTLST*. Here, Ron gets to think about how he can challenge himself to do what’s right and be gutsy, while collaborating with peers and building a company from scratch. At the same time, he is involved with financial models, strategic road maps and company processes and investment opportunities. Above all, he stands by his team and make sure they have the tools to succeed.
Susan van Daal
Susan van Daal has been a PR and communication consultant for over 10 years and specializes in community building. Another vector of her work is being an Ayurvedic practitioner and sharing healing practices with people to improve their wellness. She is passionate about learning from ancient wisdom and indigenous practices to innovate and improve the quality of life for the new society we are currently creating. Innovation in this new reality might mean going back and integrating structures from the past. Can we remove our borders, open up our yards and live as one family?
Tony Wells
Tony grew up in Orange County during the Reagan era, getting a front-row seat at the moment when the American experiment started to become derailed by a new strain of right-wing ideology that’s both virulent and politically effective, and which has held sway in this country to this day. That ideology has made him worried for his kids’ futures and excited to be involved in CTLST*. Tony brings his 20+ year career as an advertising creative - ready to put it to better use telling the stories of those who are working to change this country, and the world, and put it on a more enlightened, more egalitarian, and more sustainable path. And to help persuade other creatives that they too can help bring about change.
Silvia Guyer
Silvia has over thirty years of experience in marketing, branding and interior design. She currently presides over two boutique hotels in Switzerland. Silvia lives between Europe and California.
Born in Switzerland, however a citizen of the world, trying to make an impact and help form the future in a meaningful way.
Do Nouwens
Do is an activist and event photographer based in Los Angeles; photographing performances, exhibitions, events, fundraisers and talks across the city. Clients: Hauser & Wirth, LAXART, Fowler Museum, ICA LA, Hammer Museum, MOCA, Geffen, Joan Gallery, The Armory, Neutra VDL House, MAK Schindler House, WCCW, Quotidian and Over The Influence Gallery.
Justin Lane
Justin is a developer with extensive background in coding with expertise in digital marketing and analytics and is the founder and client strategist at Adalane Media. CTLST has inspired Justin to create and manage an AI driven content platform that aggregates, analyzes, verifies, and classifies related news and media content to present an accurate and transparent overview of the sourcing, view points, and bias of available information on any given topic with a deliverable of measurable sentiment about a topic.