Pollen – a professional membership powering independent careers – announced recently that it has raised $4 million in funding from ANIMO VC, Founder Collective, XYZ Venture Capital, Precursor Ventures, and an esteemed group of angels.
The company’s mission is to make self-employment accessible to all and it has officially launched its platform. And Pollen provides freelancers with access to premium quality business advice and a powerful network of peers and mentors to grow their businesses.
This platform was created to provide essential tools and support to skilled independent workers.
The average freelancer spends 8 hours a week Googling for answers, 2/3 suffer from self-doubt or isolation, and 90% wish their education better prepared them. As a result, they’re leaving 20-30% of potential income on the table.
The company enables every phase of independent careers, from getting a first client to launching a newsletter and diversifying revenue streams. And the platform enables freelancers to:
— Make progress – Access dozens of playbooks and templates made by seasoned freelancers, because the best information can’t be Googled.
— Access expert mentors – Over 20 mentors are active on Pollen, answering questions on demand, hosting events, and developing exclusive content.
— Build their network – Meet peers and mentors through industry groups, regular events, tactical workshops, and authentic discussions that tackle issues freelancers deal with daily.
— Get more clients – Find quality job opportunities through 2 times weekly drops, access exclusive referrals, and connect with a network of potential collaborators.
— Make and save money – Not only will Pollen help members get clients, but they also get access to over $100,000 worth of discounts to freelancer tools. Plus, Pollen is tax deductible.
Pollen launches at a time when more people are choosing to work independently, with 60M Americans freelancing in 2022 and 2/3 of Gen-Z and Millennials wanting to work for themselves.
KEY QUOTES:
“As a freelancer looking for opportunities to grow, I was met with scams, snake oil, and SEO. It became clear to me that nothing out there was taking my independent career as seriously as I was, and I would have to rely on soulless SEO articles, Twitter takes, LinkedIn clickbait, and spam-filled Slack groups for my professional development.”
“People aren’t going to business school to pursue self-employment. The SBA isn’t set up to support independent careers. Society is rapidly breaking the traditional job paradigm in favor of custom-made careers, and Pollen plays an essential role in enabling that.”
— Pollen’s founder, Hillary Bush
“Being a member of Pollen has directly resulted in new high-quality and well-paying clients. Pollen has given me the courage to go after household name publications, making my portfolio even more legitimate.”
— Pollen member Rachel C. Journalist & Content Writer
