VegasStarfish turned local knowledge into a new kind of Las Vegas guide.

After being laid off during COVID, Jennifer Gay began creating content on TikTok with a simple message: come back to Vegas. Through VegasStarfish, she shows visitors the small businesses, hotels, restaurants, and attractions that make the city more than its biggest resorts. “I wanted to show the small businesses, hotels and attractions that give people reasons to visit beyond blackjack.”

What started as a way to help bring visitors back to Las Vegas has grown into a platform reaching just under five million people—and a full-time creator business built around Jennifer’s local knowledge and connection with her audience. “TikTok effectively crowdfunded what has grown into a platform of just under five million people.”