This Hummingbird is Soaring! A Chat With Emily Steele
Influencers, influencers, creators, creators everywhere! “Where is the ROI and long-term benefit?” C-level executives are asking. Founder Emily Steele, is helping to answer that question and will take the stage at Street Fight LIVE 2025 to share the fast-paced success of her business and talk about how the creator economy is evolving, with an emphasis on “real, raving fans.”
Emily Steele launched Hummingbirds in 2022 to connect hyper-local creators and influencers through a self-service platform. She’ll be moderating a panel to discuss current trends and predictions for creator content.
What was your work before founding your company? What compelled you to launch Hummingbirds? How did your prior experiences prepare you? What were some of the biggest surprises?
“I ran a local marketing agency helping brands drive awareness in a very city-specific and localized way, with community as the foundational strategy. In running my agency, I recognized that I was making a lot of decisions in and around Des Moines based on what my friends shared on Instagram Stories. From new restaurants to try to the best hot sauce they grabbed at our popular grocery store.
It was a no-brainer that I should offer my clients ways to collaborate with folks in Des Moines, Iowa who were active on Instagram. We grew that community, built very basic technology to support campaigns and creator sign ups and realized we had something really special in the local influencer space. My prior experiences allowed me to create a platform that I actually knew would work because I knew my clients loved it, and I knew my friends loved the campaigns. I wasn’t just creating tech for tech’s sake, I was very familiar with both sides of the marketplace.”
When we first connected via Street Fight, you had just launched. What has changed since then?
“We started in Des Moines, went to a handful of other Midwest cities, now we’re in over 30 cities, raised over $13m in capital, with 30k creators, a team of 40, and a multi-million dollar company. We’re growing like crazy because brands see how evident it is to reach consumers through people, the Hummingbirds way. “
Women founders sometimes struggle raising capital. What is your “secret sauce?”
“Solve real problems in the marketplace, have real traction (aka revenue), know your financial model backwards and forwards, and shoot your shot to as many people as possible. Be persistent in following up. There’s no formula for this. If women get 3% of all venture capital, work the numbers. Talk to 100 investors and aim for three term sheets. Ask for introductions. Be ruthless about raising money and do not do it alone if you can find a cofounder who aligns with you.”
2025 highlights? (I know you’ve been attending lots of conferences…what do you do there?)
“Expo West and Fancy Foods are among my favorite events. it’s a blast meeting CPG brands who are trying to drive retail awareness & eager to learn about Hummingbirds. We’ve found a ton of product market fit with CPG companies, and CPG founders are really fun! On the bird side, we’re seeing dozens of meetups a quarter, our creators are actually connecting in our community (The Charm, which is a group of hummingbirds), and leveling up with one another IRL and online. It’s powerful to build a brand that chooses community first.”
What are some of your own favorite MULO brands?
“I’m a huge fan of Purely Elizabeth, which I grab at Costco or Fresh Thyme. I also love Face Foundrie and Rowan, which is a shared love Nancy [the Street Fight LIVE chair] and I both have!”
What do you do outside of work?
“I’ve got a 2 and 5-year-old I spend a lot of time with, as well as family, since they all live close. We are always on bike rides, at parks and playgrounds, and staying incredibly busy/active.”
We invite you to join us and meet Hummingbirds’ Emily Steele (as well as leaders from companies like Yelp, TikTok, Assembly and Fat Brands) at Street Fight LIVE 2025 , September 30th in Los Angeles. “Create” the future with us!
