Interview: Laurent Crenshaw, Director of Policy

Nothing is possible at Patreon without its people. Here’s how these Black employees are making magic in the creator economy and charting the course of their careers.

Laurent Crenshaw (he/him) Director of Policy

What made you decide to join Patreon?

The core mission of funding the creative class. Throughout my career, I have had opportunities to hear the stories of creators who have been forced to choose between fully pursuing their dream, or instead needing to put them aside to earn a living wage. It shouldn’t have to be that way. Through membership, Patreon fills an incredibly important gap in the creator space by letting creators focus on their passions, and get paid in the process.

What’s the magic of the culture at Patreon?

Patreon is one of the most thoughtful companies that I’ve ever worked for, hand down. That thoughtfulness extends into how we approach our policies, content moderation, and our creator support. Being creator-first isn’t a slogan at Patreon, it’s more like a mantra. Every day we ask ourselves, “are we serving creators to the best of our capacity, and what else can we do to make their lives better?”

What does Black magic mean to you?

Oh now you’re asking for the secret sauce! Black magic to me is a combination of foresight, context, humor, charm, and perspective, layered on top of a foundation of resiliency. It’s the thing that has let me bounce back from lows, and also enjoy (and sometimes go a little over the top ) the highs.

What are you envisioning for your career in the future?

Lately I’ve been on a broader operational track. I just took over the Payment Operations and Communications teams. I’m excited to help Patreon build out these departments at the company, in addition to our policy and advocacy team. In a few years, I’d consider going to lead operations at a space startup. Laurent Crenshaw is the Director of Policy for Patreon. At Patreon he is leading the company’s policy and advocacy, communications, and payment operations teams. Prior to joining Patreon, Laurent served in senior public policy roles at Eaze and Yelp and worked in the House of Representatives for over 11 years focusing on technology policy issues, particularly in the areas of intellectual property, telecommunications, and internet law.