TCO spent the last year helping Instagram curate their own feed to showcase a selection of the most exciting IG accounts to their 370m+ followers.

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From the inspiring and thought-provoking to the most creative, colourful and just plain fun - our curation has taken us on a talent journey through more than 500 of the most innovative and exciting content creators across the world. We’ve shone a light on collectives, communities and individuals doing great work in advocacy, activism and creativity.

Our work with Instagram follows other projects in which we’ve helped Google write the playbook for YouTube and created their first own-branded content with YouTube Influencers; made short form docs for Snap and produced a series of mini-docs for Facebook and screened in cinemas across the country. Check out some of the most inspiring stories below.
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Kai Lightner (@kailightner) has always had a passion for climbing.⁣ “As an ADHD kid, I would find ways to climb everything around the house and everywhere I went in public,” says the 20-year-old professional rock climber. Kai won his first youth national championship at 10 years old, the Youth World Championships at 14, and at 15 he won the first of his two Adult National Championship titles. One of the many obstacles in increasing minority participation and creating an inclusive environment in the outdoor industry is the lack of representation for BIPOC athletes.⁣
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“I want people to know the incredible abundance of diversity. I want people to know that they should always have an imagination about what’s possible when we learn from each other,” says author and independent curator Kimberly Drew (@museummammy). She works at the intersection of art, design and activism. A special focus of her work is celebrating Black, indigenous, disabled and otherwise marginalized creatives.⁣
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Ísold Halldórudóttir (@isoldhalldorudottir) is “glad to be part of a movement that inspires change.”⁣ The model, artist and activist was bullied at school because of her weight, and felt very misjudged and left out. For Ísold, modeling enabled her to reclaim her relationship with her body. “Representation has always been about challenging the status quo and stepping out of your comfort zone. If you’re not shaking heads, then you’re doing something wrong. Don’t be afraid to be loud. Take up space. Be persistent. Don’t let people take away your worth by what they think is expected of you. Be your own role model.”
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“I #ShareWithPride by recognizing the Black and brown queer folks who fought for LGBTQIA+ rights to this day,” says 19-year-old Myla (@pradaolic). “And also by unapologetically being myself and doing things that make me happy.⁣”