The acquisition of The Business of Creativity by Whalar Group, announced in late May, combines educational expertise with creator infrastructure as the creative industries transform with the advent of AI. The deal positions the combined entity to scale creative education globally while tapping into Whalar Group’s established U.S. presence and diverse portfolio, which spans talent agencies, studios, operating systems, and creator platforms.
Ben Lee, co-founder and CEO of The Business of Creativity, will continue leading the division while relocating to New York to spearhead their American expansion. Founded in January 2022 with advertising legend Sir John Hegarty, the London-based company has built a platform delivering creative education to businesses worldwide through entertainment-focused courses led by industry experts.
“Our ambition is big and the key question for us was, ‘Can one plus one equal three?’” Ben explains. “I firmly believe the answer is yes. Whalar Group brings a level of scale and reach that would have taken us years to achieve on our own.”
Sitting: Neil Waller, Immy Groome, and Sir John Hegarty Standing: Ben Lee and James Street Courtesy of Whalar Group & The Business of Creativity
Why Whalar Group? The Perfect Strategic Partner
The decision to join Whalar Group was driven by a shared vision and complementary capabilities. “Our mission is to help unlock creative potential. The mission at Whalar Group is to liberate the creative voice. It could not be more aligned,” Ben notes. This alignment extends beyond philosophy to practical business synergies.
Ben’s established relationship with Whalar Group’s leadership team played a crucial role in making the acquisition a natural fit. “I’ve been fortunate enough to know [Whalar Group founders] Neil Waller and James Street for several years and just had massive respect for what they’ve been building,” Ben shares. “So the opportunity to work closer with them and with the wider Whalar Group team is a hugely exciting one for us.”
The complementary business models and market reach proved particularly compelling. Whalar Group’s ecosystem includes platforms, talent agencies, studios, and gaming divisions, creating multiple synergies with The Business of Creativity’s educational offerings.
“We share a very similar client base,” Ben explains. “We’re both partnering with some of the world’s largest brands, working closely with their marketing and communications teams to help them build out their creative muscle.”
Perhaps most strategically important was Whalar Group’s established presence in the United States. “A major focus for me moving forward will be figuring out how we can fully tap into the U.S. market,” Ben reveals. “It’s a hugely exciting opportunity for us – one we haven’t yet had the bandwidth to prioritise, but now we can.”
The Timing: Why Now?
The acquisition comes at a key turning point for The Business of Creativity. After over three years of operation, they’ve established their course model and proven market demand, positioning them for expansion. Currently offering two live courses, the company plans to expand to five by the end of 2025, with several high-profile course leaders in the pipeline.
The timing also coincides with a significant shift in how businesses view creativity. A McKinsey report Ben cites demonstrated that companies actively engaging with creativity delivered higher returns to shareholders, creating strong market demand for creative training.
“We founded the company because there was a clear recognition that creativity is something businesses need to engage with,” Ben explains. “But there was also hesitation. Many were unsure about how to approach it or how to train their teams in this area effectively. And with the rapid rise of AI, that need has only become more urgent. We provide the solution.”
This market need, coupled with The Business of Creativity’s proven educational model and Whalar Group’s established infrastructure, created the perfect timing for this strategic acquisition. “For us, it’s about the scale of ambition,” Ben emphasizes. “We’re aiming high, and we believe Whalar can help us turn that ambition into reality.”
What’s Next: The Post-Acquisition Roadmap
With Whalar Group’s backing, The Business of Creativity is now accelerating its expansion plans across course development, geographic expansion, and community building.
Their upcoming courses target key areas of the creator economy. One notable addition features Greg Hoffman, former CMO of Nike. “Greg’s ‘Beyond Your Limits’ course is targeting a slightly different demographic. Initially, we’re focusing on athletes,” Ben shares. “It’s a fascinating shift: for many athletes today, a significant portion of their income is earned off the pitch. So it’s about helping them understand how to build and express themselves as brands.”
The company has also announced a course focused on AI and creativity, set to launch in September. Their final course for 2025 will address how brands should work with creators—a natural extension of their integration with Whalar Group’s ecosystem. “It’ll be thinking about how brands or businesses should be working with creators,” Ben reveals. “I’m not announcing who the course leaders will be just yet, but watch this space.”
Establishing a strong presence in the United States forms a central component of their post-acquisition strategy. Initial research suggests the American market may be particularly receptive to their offerings. “We’re about to publish a report based on first-party research that we carried out on 450 business leaders exploring their perceptions around the power and importance of creativity,” Ben notes. “What stood out is that business leaders in the U.S. consistently ranked creativity as a top priority, more so than their counterparts in the UK and Singapore.”
The third element of their expansion focuses on building a global community through strategic events, including the extension of their current breakfast series for creative leaders in major cities. “We’ve launched a series of breakfast events for creative leaders in London, Los Angeles, and New York, and recently hosted one in Cannes – so we’re beginning to build a truly global in-person presence,” Ben explains. “We’ve got ambitious plans for a major annual summit launching in Autumn 2026.”
These events create unique opportunities for cross-pollination between different segments of the creative ecosystem. “We had an interesting event where we hosted a roundtable discussion for about 20 people, half of whom were creative leaders from big companies and the other half were creators. There’s just such an interesting conversation where there’s so much that they can each learn from each other,” Ben shares.
The integration with Whalar Group enhances these efforts by providing access to premier venues, such as The Lighthouse in Los Angeles, which Ben describes as “just incredible… such a magical space.”
Creativity in the AI Era
The acquisition positions The Business of Creativity to address an important challenge facing businesses today: maintaining creative advantage as AI reshapes work practices.
“AI will completely change business practices over the coming two years. It has already made massive wholesale changes,” Ben observes. “My genuine belief is that AI is an incredible collaborative tool that we should be using across all companies. But when it comes to creativity, I don’t believe it can replicate the uniquely human element.”
As AI becomes increasingly capable of analytical and procedural tasks, human creativity becomes more valuable. “The future has to involve pairing artificial intelligence with human creativity,” Ben emphasizes. This assertion sits at the heart of their educational mission and explains why joining forces with Whalar Group makes sense as businesses adapt to AI advancements.
Hegarty recently explored this theme on a panel with producer and artist Will.i.am at Cannes. “Will shared a great analogy about GPS,” Ben explains. “You can plug in a destination on Google Maps and it’ll get you there efficiently. But what it lacks is the human instinct, the ability to take a back road, weave through traffic, or find a smarter route. That’s where creativity lives. The real question is: how can we add to what technology offers and elevate it even further?”
The acquisition by Whalar Group provides the platform and resources to share this message globally at a time when businesses are seeking guidance on cultivating creativity alongside AI implementation.
“I think there’s also a huge amount that we can be doing with The Lighthouse as well, with our in-real-life events and the programming there,” Ben adds. “I know that education sits as a key pillar of The Lighthouse as well.”
A Shared Future Vision
As The Business of Creativity integrates with Whalar Group, the entire founding team will remain in place throughout this growth phase, ensuring continuity of vision. Though specific long-term goals remain flexible, Ben maintains clarity about their direction for the immediate future.
“We have a vision of where we want to get to, which is trying to impact as many people as possible,” he says. “We have a pretty clear view on this year and next, and it’s around just making sure that we’re building out the most compelling, entertaining, and best creative training suite of products that there is out there.”
When it comes to his perspective on creativity’s future, Ben encapsulates the reasoning behind the acquisition: “The future is creativity. That’s what we need to consider and educate people about. This is our opportunity to differentiate from a machine that will be 10 times better at reading legal contracts than we ever could be.”
The Business of Creativity’s integration with Whalar Group creates more than a financial investment; it establishes an ecosystem where creativity can be taught, applied, and expanded across the creator economy as technology changes. “Everyone is creative, and this is for all,” Ben concludes. “That’s our mission over the coming years, to help people unlock the creativity that they already have within themselves.”
David Adler is an entrepreneur and freelance blog post writer who enjoys writing about business, entrepreneurship, travel and the influencer marketing space.
The acquisition of The Business of Creativity by Whalar Group, announced in late May, combines educational expertise with creator infrastructure as the creative industries transform with the advent of AI. The deal positions the combined entity to scale creative education globally while tapping into Whalar Group’s established U.S. presence and diverse portfolio, which spans talent agencies, studios, operating systems, and creator platforms.
Ben Lee, co-founder and CEO of The Business of Creativity, will continue leading the division while relocating to New York to spearhead their American expansion. Founded in January 2022 with advertising legend Sir John Hegarty, the London-based company has built a platform delivering creative education to businesses worldwide through entertainment-focused courses led by industry experts.
“Our ambition is big and the key question for us was, ‘Can one plus one equal three?’” Ben explains. “I firmly believe the answer is yes. Whalar Group brings a level of scale and reach that would have taken us years to achieve on our own.”
Sitting: Neil Waller, Immy Groome, and Sir John Hegarty
Standing: Ben Lee and James Street
Courtesy of Whalar Group & The Business of Creativity
Why Whalar Group? The Perfect Strategic Partner
The decision to join Whalar Group was driven by a shared vision and complementary capabilities. “Our mission is to help unlock creative potential. The mission at Whalar Group is to liberate the creative voice. It could not be more aligned,” Ben notes. This alignment extends beyond philosophy to practical business synergies.
Ben’s established relationship with Whalar Group’s leadership team played a crucial role in making the acquisition a natural fit. “I’ve been fortunate enough to know [Whalar Group founders] Neil Waller and James Street for several years and just had massive respect for what they’ve been building,” Ben shares. “So the opportunity to work closer with them and with the wider Whalar Group team is a hugely exciting one for us.”
The complementary business models and market reach proved particularly compelling. Whalar Group’s ecosystem includes platforms, talent agencies, studios, and gaming divisions, creating multiple synergies with The Business of Creativity’s educational offerings.
“We share a very similar client base,” Ben explains. “We’re both partnering with some of the world’s largest brands, working closely with their marketing and communications teams to help them build out their creative muscle.”
Perhaps most strategically important was Whalar Group’s established presence in the United States. “A major focus for me moving forward will be figuring out how we can fully tap into the U.S. market,” Ben reveals. “It’s a hugely exciting opportunity for us – one we haven’t yet had the bandwidth to prioritise, but now we can.”
The Timing: Why Now?
The acquisition comes at a key turning point for The Business of Creativity. After over three years of operation, they’ve established their course model and proven market demand, positioning them for expansion. Currently offering two live courses, the company plans to expand to five by the end of 2025, with several high-profile course leaders in the pipeline.
The timing also coincides with a significant shift in how businesses view creativity. A McKinsey report Ben cites demonstrated that companies actively engaging with creativity delivered higher returns to shareholders, creating strong market demand for creative training.
“We founded the company because there was a clear recognition that creativity is something businesses need to engage with,” Ben explains. “But there was also hesitation. Many were unsure about how to approach it or how to train their teams in this area effectively. And with the rapid rise of AI, that need has only become more urgent. We provide the solution.”
This market need, coupled with The Business of Creativity’s proven educational model and Whalar Group’s established infrastructure, created the perfect timing for this strategic acquisition. “For us, it’s about the scale of ambition,” Ben emphasizes. “We’re aiming high, and we believe Whalar can help us turn that ambition into reality.”
What’s Next: The Post-Acquisition Roadmap
With Whalar Group’s backing, The Business of Creativity is now accelerating its expansion plans across course development, geographic expansion, and community building.
Their upcoming courses target key areas of the creator economy. One notable addition features Greg Hoffman, former CMO of Nike. “Greg’s ‘Beyond Your Limits’ course is targeting a slightly different demographic. Initially, we’re focusing on athletes,” Ben shares. “It’s a fascinating shift: for many athletes today, a significant portion of their income is earned off the pitch. So it’s about helping them understand how to build and express themselves as brands.”
The company has also announced a course focused on AI and creativity, set to launch in September. Their final course for 2025 will address how brands should work with creators—a natural extension of their integration with Whalar Group’s ecosystem. “It’ll be thinking about how brands or businesses should be working with creators,” Ben reveals. “I’m not announcing who the course leaders will be just yet, but watch this space.”
Establishing a strong presence in the United States forms a central component of their post-acquisition strategy. Initial research suggests the American market may be particularly receptive to their offerings. “We’re about to publish a report based on first-party research that we carried out on 450 business leaders exploring their perceptions around the power and importance of creativity,” Ben notes. “What stood out is that business leaders in the U.S. consistently ranked creativity as a top priority, more so than their counterparts in the UK and Singapore.”
The third element of their expansion focuses on building a global community through strategic events, including the extension of their current breakfast series for creative leaders in major cities. “We’ve launched a series of breakfast events for creative leaders in London, Los Angeles, and New York, and recently hosted one in Cannes – so we’re beginning to build a truly global in-person presence,” Ben explains. “We’ve got ambitious plans for a major annual summit launching in Autumn 2026.”
These events create unique opportunities for cross-pollination between different segments of the creative ecosystem. “We had an interesting event where we hosted a roundtable discussion for about 20 people, half of whom were creative leaders from big companies and the other half were creators. There’s just such an interesting conversation where there’s so much that they can each learn from each other,” Ben shares.
The integration with Whalar Group enhances these efforts by providing access to premier venues, such as The Lighthouse in Los Angeles, which Ben describes as “just incredible… such a magical space.”
Creativity in the AI Era
The acquisition positions The Business of Creativity to address an important challenge facing businesses today: maintaining creative advantage as AI reshapes work practices.
“AI will completely change business practices over the coming two years. It has already made massive wholesale changes,” Ben observes. “My genuine belief is that AI is an incredible collaborative tool that we should be using across all companies. But when it comes to creativity, I don’t believe it can replicate the uniquely human element.”
As AI becomes increasingly capable of analytical and procedural tasks, human creativity becomes more valuable. “The future has to involve pairing artificial intelligence with human creativity,” Ben emphasizes. This assertion sits at the heart of their educational mission and explains why joining forces with Whalar Group makes sense as businesses adapt to AI advancements.
Hegarty recently explored this theme on a panel with producer and artist Will.i.am at Cannes. “Will shared a great analogy about GPS,” Ben explains. “You can plug in a destination on Google Maps and it’ll get you there efficiently. But what it lacks is the human instinct, the ability to take a back road, weave through traffic, or find a smarter route. That’s where creativity lives. The real question is: how can we add to what technology offers and elevate it even further?”
The acquisition by Whalar Group provides the platform and resources to share this message globally at a time when businesses are seeking guidance on cultivating creativity alongside AI implementation.
“I think there’s also a huge amount that we can be doing with The Lighthouse as well, with our in-real-life events and the programming there,” Ben adds. “I know that education sits as a key pillar of The Lighthouse as well.”
A Shared Future Vision
As The Business of Creativity integrates with Whalar Group, the entire founding team will remain in place throughout this growth phase, ensuring continuity of vision. Though specific long-term goals remain flexible, Ben maintains clarity about their direction for the immediate future.
“We have a vision of where we want to get to, which is trying to impact as many people as possible,” he says. “We have a pretty clear view on this year and next, and it’s around just making sure that we’re building out the most compelling, entertaining, and best creative training suite of products that there is out there.”
When it comes to his perspective on creativity’s future, Ben encapsulates the reasoning behind the acquisition: “The future is creativity. That’s what we need to consider and educate people about. This is our opportunity to differentiate from a machine that will be 10 times better at reading legal contracts than we ever could be.”
The Business of Creativity’s integration with Whalar Group creates more than a financial investment; it establishes an ecosystem where creativity can be taught, applied, and expanded across the creator economy as technology changes. “Everyone is creative, and this is for all,” Ben concludes. “That’s our mission over the coming years, to help people unlock the creativity that they already have within themselves.”
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