Who we are

Founded by Flavian DeLima, Spinning Forward is a local grassroots newsletter that helps make BIPOC communities stronger in Toronto and beyond. We help level the playing field by covering the pitfalls and opportunities where the real world and the creator economy meet.

We provide actionable news and insights to keep you up-to-date about how overlooked BIPOC communities are putting a dent in the world through their lived experiences in the creator economy.

We curate and publish stories that promote local engagement and community trust.

Why Spinning Forward 

The name Spinning Forward comes from the book, The World Only Spins Forward, and the film adaptation, Angels in America from the AIDS era in the 1980s. The authors, Issac Butler and Dan Kois tell the story of a group of people struggling with AIDS on one hand with love, meaning, purpose and excitement, and on the other with fear, discrimination, inequity, and uncertainty. 

The second time the Spin Forward appeared in the media was at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic under the backdrop of Black Lives Matter protests. It was characterized by uncertainty, fear, discrimination, racial inequity, and injustice but also of hope, change and optimism.

We feel Spinning Forward captures the optimistic yet uncertainty of how present-day creatives can successfully participate and express themselves at the intersection of where the real world and the online creator economy meet. We cover the emerging creator economy from the perspective of underrepresented and overlooked BIPOC creator voices and communities due to the ongoing obstacles they face.