The Run-Down: 31-year-old Christen Nino De Guzman quit her tech job at TikTok to launch an equal pay app to bridge the wage gap between influencers 

1. The app, Clara for Creators, allows creators to share their pay rates and experiences working with specific brands
2. The app creator recognized that influencers had little to no knowledge of how the market works, often not understanding how much they could charge for their services, inspiring her to be a part of the change
3. She cites concerns that women and people of color often undersold their services, making less than their counterparts, as a driving force to develop the app

Why You Should Care:

As we continue recognizing positive news throughout this month, we decided to recognize an encouraging story of this newly launched, woman-founded app- just in time for Women’s History Month. While this may not seem like obvious compliance-based news, there are integral parts of compliance work that this story highlights: integrity, passion, building socially responsible businesses, and working towards a more sustainable future. 

The Clara for Creators app exists because there is a serious issue in the workforce, where some employers prey on candidates’ lack of experience, while also managing (or not) internal and external biases, which eventually creates a gap between creators in both pay and opportunities. Much like in any field, there are racial, gendered, age, and a variety of other factors that have developed an inequitable business model- the influencer market is just a microcosm of this. This is why incorporating ethics and compliance into every aspect of your business is imperative. Even further, your organization should actually be built on ethical business standards, ensuring compliance to integrity-based practices is met at every level. Christen Nino De Guzman’s app is an example of a positive way we, as business owners and even employees, can combat societal issues and improve the workforce, one initiative at a time.