Creatd Announces Creatd Studios Update

-- Creatd Studios, the Company's production arm, announces its plans to create a joint venture with Chef Marquis Hayes and his partner, Kim Stetz.

-- Plans to collaborate on various productions leveraging Chef Marq's riveting backstory from incarceration to becoming a master chef

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Creatd, Inc.

Dec 15, 2021, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Creatd, Inc. (Nasdaq CM: CRTD) ("Creatd" or the "Company"), the parent company of Creatd Studios, today announced its plans to establish a joint venture with Marquis Hayes, or Chef Marq, and his partner Kim Stetz.

Commented Creatd founder and co-CEO Jeremy Frommer, "Our anticipated collaboration with Chef Marq and Kim will bring us even closer toward our ultimate vision for Creatd Studios as a multimedia production hub. Chef Marq and Kim are creators at their core, and have backstories and experiences that are sure to resonate deeply with our extensive network of creators and their audiences."

Hayes, a Bronx native, was incarcerated in 2002, serving a five year sentence. Throughout his time in prison, Marq was determined to turn his life around, vowing he would use his time in prison to carve out new opportunities. Cooking was his passion and his cell became his kitchen.

Marq observed that food had the power to bring people together in prison. As he recalls it, "There could be fighting and chaos going on all around me. But as soon as the food was on the table, it all stopped." Marq added, "I learned that I was worthy of respect that you get from all walks of life, be it the warden, be it the correction officers, be it the inmates—these are all the people that you break bread with. Food is trust."

Upon his release from prison in 2007, Marq continued to pursue his culinary passion, taking on the challenge of serving meals for his local community, prepared right from his Bronx apartment. Slowly, his notoriety and talent grew. Eventually, after being hired as a contract caterer for The Allan Houston Legacy Foundation, Marq went on to become a founding member of Ghetto Gastro, a collective of Bronx-based chefs and food enthusiasts. His culinary skills became the vehicle for him to pursue his unique goal to further social justice, fighting recidivism through culinary art through ventures including Brown Butter New York catering, which provided resources and education to help formerly incarcerated individuals reacclimate to life outside prison. Notably, while attending a women's world leaders summit in Utah in 2015, Marq came to find himself cooking for such notable figures as Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and Oprah Winfrey.

Hayes would eventually partner with Kim Stetz, a licensed psychotherapist, published author, esteemed yogi, and the founder of Savasana Station, the NYC yoga studio dedicated to reaching diverse communities. Together, the two co-founded the non-profit Recipe For Humanity as the first step along their path to use their talents to be of service.

Continued Frommer, "With this announcement, we are excited to help tell Chef Marq's incredible tales of personal transformation and redemption, all while experimenting with a range of storytelling vehicles—from a foodie podcast, to a documentary series on which Marq and Kim can educate audiences on the history and culture surrounding food and fitness. Finally, our hope is that at the foundation of this joint venture will be a commitment to community service and giving back, with a particular emphasis on facilitating through educational opportunities such as food waste and food literature for formerly incarcerated individuals, who, like Marq, want to use cooking and art to build a better life for themselves."

About Creatd

Creatd, Inc. (Nasdaq CM: CRTD) is a creator-first technology holding company and the parent company of the Vocal platform. Our mission is to empower creators, entrepreneurs, and brands through technology and partnership. We accomplish this through Creatd's four business pillars: Creatd Labs, Creatd Partners, Creatd Ventures, and Creatd Studios.

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Investor Relations Contact: [email protected]

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