Have you heard? Ryan Trahan’s Joyride, NPR’s YouTube hire, and MrBeast’s next big milestone.

Each week, we handpick a selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry.

This week, a creator finds a fitting way to promote his candy company, a Pinterest vet heads to the world of public radio, and the most-subscribed YouTube creator adds to his total.

Creator commotion

Ryan Trahan is looking for the state with the biggest sweet tooth. Trahan loves a coast-to-coast challenge, so he gave a boost to his candy company Joyride by visiting all 50 states in search of confection-crazed fans. The stunt will conclude with Joyride Day, a live-streamed celebration that will include Guinness World Record attempts and a whole lot of sour candy.

Julian Shapiro-Barnum is going Outside Tonight to bring late-night TV to YouTube. Through shows like Recess Therapy and Celebrity Substitute, Shapiro-Barnum has proven that he’s an expert when it comes to kid interviews. Now, with his take on the late-night format, he will show that he has some adult interview skills, too.

Ben Azelart gave it the ol’ college try on American Ninja Warrior. In his YouTube Shorts videos, Azelart sometimes draws on his extreme sports background to help him through challenges. That experience was helpful for him when he took on the Ninja Warrior gauntlet, but after conquering a few obstacles, he sank faster than a video that has been deranked in the algorithm.

Movers and shakers

YouTube vet Nadine Zylstra goes from Pinterest to NPR. After serving as YouTube’s Global Head of Originals, Zylstra occupied a similar role at Pinterest. Her next move will put her in charge of a team of 600 journalists and storytellers. As NPR’s Chief Content Officer, Zylstra will cook up content initiatives that are capable of thrilling well-to-do liberal boomers wherever they listen.

Snap’s Wearables whisperer comes to Meta. While at Snap, Jim Shepherd negotiated relationships with celebrities and other high-profile partners. He’ll occupy a similar role at Meta, with a specific eye toward wearable products. If you start seeing more cool and fashionable people clad in Meta Ray-Bans or other similar products, you can credit Shepherd with that development.

The biz

At 500 million subscribers, MrBeast isn’t slowing down. Jimmy Donaldson’s main YouTube channel is the first YouTube hub to reach a half-billion fans. If you thought such a major milestone would slow Donaldson down, then you don’t know MrBeast. His latest venture is a board game published alongside Moose Games, which also worked with Donaldson on his toy line.

Just Ameerah is sliming up the toy aisle with a new product line. Speaking of creators who are finding their way to retail shelves, Just Ameerah has teamed up with WeCool Toys. The partnership will beget the Compound Kings range, which will bring Ameerah’s slime-making adventures to the masses. On YouTube, her primary channel reaches more than 5.5 million subscribers.

Kareem Rahma brings interviewees into The Pit Stop

for a Toyota-branded series. Fresh off YouTube hits like Subway Takes and Keep The Meter Running, Rahma is now bringing his conversational skills to the world of branded content. His Toyota team-up takes interviews with race car drivers like Bubba Wallace and filters them through the cringe comedy lens pioneered by the likes of Eric Andre and Zach Galifianakis.

Agency dealings

GameSquare signs SypherPK to Click Management. Through acqusitions of companies like FaZe Clan, GameSquare has become a sprawling gaming and entertainment network that caters to esports fans. In that niche, GameSquare’s Click Management firm has added a powerful new client: For years, SypherPK has been one of the top ambassadors for the Fortnite community.

Underscore Talent goes full speed ahead with 20 new hires. Across categories like comedy, sports, and fashion, Underscore is deepening its Partner roster while also breaking into new territory. For example, an “experts” category will align Underscore with influencers who possess specialized knowledge in particular areas.

Pop culture minute

Obsession star Inde Navarrete has a fun Twitch archive. The horror hit has made creator-turned-director Curry Barker into a hot commodity, but he’s not the only one benefiting from the film’s success. Lead actress Inde Navarrete streamed on Twitch for years before breaking out in Obsession. Now that she’s a household name, her old The Last of Us playthroughs are getting thousands of fresh views.

KevOnStage doubles down on Tubi with multi-year deal. Kevin Fredricks was one of the people Tubi turned to when the Fox-owned service wanted to increase its library of creator content. The man known as KevOnStage liked working with Tubi so much that he’s now committing to multiple new projects that will be released on the platform. That allotment includes two upcoming feature films set to drop in 2027 and 2028.

Lyrical Lemonade and Whalar Group’s Lighthouse have new shows on deck. For years, Lyrical Lemonade’s social channels have been dependable channels for music fans. To up the ante, the company’s programming arm is now working with Whalar Group. Six new original shows are on the Lyrical Lemonade docket, and viewers can expect to explore categories like comedy, music, interviews, and internet culture.

The internet is a strange place

Airrack is auctioning off a bunch of stuff he stole from other creators. Airrack challenged himself to steal from top creators like Jake Paul, FaZe Rug, and Salish Matter, and it turns out that he’s pretty good at theft. After completing his string of five-finger discounts, he is now auctioning off the contraband at a ten-lot sale. If you want to bid, watch out: The YouTubers Airrack stole from definitely have enough money in the bank to outbid you (on their own stuff).

The Japanese Coast Guard is using VTubers as a recruiting tactic. The line between fan service and military service has never been blurrier.