Photos by Alexander Stein

Over the past couple days, we hosted our fifth annual North American Creator Summit, where we brought together over a hundred of our most influential creators and artists for inspirational conversations. It was candid, it was fun, and there was a lot of latte art. From burning questions posed to YouTube Leadership to meaningful discussions with peers, the creators and artists who joined us fostered a special kind of community this year. There was energy and excitement in the air that was palpable and spirited, which gave the rollerskating extravaganza extra pizzazz.

We caught up with a few creators right after Susan Wojcicki (CEO), Neal Mohan (CPO) and Robert Kyncl (CBO) spoke about how creators and artists are the very heart of YouTube.

“The Internet’s always going to be asking for more, but hearing them talk about it in person — their steps and plans, what they’re planning to do to fix it, and how many people are part of the team to work on very specific issue — it’s comforting to hear them say that and know that they’re on our side,” said Lily Hevesh, the domino artist behind Hevesh5.

Interviews have been condensed for clarity.

Sam Tsui performing at Creator Summit (Photo by Alexander Stein)

Sam Tsui

Sam Tsui is a singer-songwriter who’s been on YouTube since August 2011.
YouTube: Favorite part so far?
Sam Tsui: It’s incredible to have the face-to-face with YouTube, with Susan [Wojcicki], and all the people who make this platform possible. There’s a lot to learn and a lot to know. … It’s always so amazing that YouTube wants us to come out and hear what we think, give us a heads up on what’s coming and all that good stuff. … Between that and all the fun activities, it’s totally amazing, overwhelming, and a ton of fun.
YouTube: Key takeaway after hearing Susan, Neal and Robert on stage?
Sam Tsui: [It’s] wonderful to hear how healthy the platform is. The statistics about the number of creators who have over one million subs is growing, and the engagement, and the fact that this is, as ever, the place for the kind of stuff you want to be doing.

Natalie and Dennis (Photo by Nesrin Danan)

Natalie & Dennis Show

Natalie and Dennis got married in December 2017 after six years of dating. Natalie also has her own separate channel called Natalies Outlet.
YouTube: Favorite part so far?
Natalie: It’s such an honor to be in a room full of some of the most powerful people on the Internet. Especially having the speakers come in and talk to you so genuinely, and without a third wall and so real. Sometimes I think we get caught up in the business of YouTube, and it all comes down to the passion.
Dennis: The hospitality is always so nice. We always have packages when we arrive. We feel cared for.
YouTube: Key takeaway after hearing Susan, Neal and Robert on stage?
Natalie: Sometimes you don’t really see what they’re doing behind-the-scenes. You just think, “Oh, they represent YouTube.” But they really did show that they’re working on policies. They’re working on making sure as creators, we’re continuing to monetize. It’s nice to see that they’re so caring and they answered real questions, even though [the questions are] kind of hot sometimes.

Hyunee (Photo by Nesrin Danan)

Hyunee Eats

Hyunee’s mukbang channel has 1.2 million subscribers, and this is her first year at Creator Summit.

YouTube: Key takeaway after hearing Susan, Neal and Robert on stage?
Hyunee Eats: We complain a lot about the faults that they have, but knowing that they’re working hard to improve everything and actually seeing them talk to us in person has helped us learn about what they actually do behind-the-scenes. ... They’re like real people, like us.

Lily Hevesh (far right) Photo by Alexander Stein

Lily Hevesh of Hevesh5

Lily Hevesh has been making domino art videos since 2009. This is also her first Creator Summit!

YouTube: Favorite part so far?
Lily Hevesh: I don’t really get the opportunity to meet other people who make videos for a living, so bringing all the top creators in one room is super exciting.
YouTube: Key takeaway after hearing Susan, Neal and Robert on stage?
Lily Hevesh: Just seeing them in person and hearing them speak — to me, it felt like they really do deeply care about the creators, fans and advertisers. And they’re trying their best to please all of them. While there are lots of issues with the site, they’re working as hard as they can to try and solve them.

MissRemiAshten (Photo by Nesrin Danan)

MissRemiAshten

Remi Cruz is a 23-year-old lifestyle and wellness creator with 2.5 million subscribers.

YouTube: Favorite part so far?
MissRemiAshten: We’re only on day one, and this has been my favorite one, for sure. Getting to see Julie Rice, the co-founder of SoulCycle, and getting to see her interact with Blogilates, who’s one of my favorite YouTubers and one of my really good friends. I feel like they’re two people I look up to so much, and I live by Soulcycle so I genuinely feel like they tailored a lot of stuff to our interests today.
YouTube: Key takeaway after hearing Susan, Neal and Robert on stage?
MissRemiAshten: There are so many things that go on behind the scenes that I don’t even know about. So it’s interesting to hear that. … It’s nice that YouTube has this whole conference for us in general, because no other platform does it.

— The YouTube Team