Sticky Thing Music Awarded Zoo Labs: FUND Grant

Sticky Thing Music is proud to be a recipient of the Zoo Labs: FUND, supporting the next stage of our growth as a Bay Area music house creating original music for advertising, film and cultural projects.

For founder Mike Blankenship, Sticky Thing grew out of a realization. After producing music for commercial campaigns, he saw a viable creative industry — and revenue stream — that many of the musicians in his community had historically lacked access to.

“Over the last few years, my focus has expanded from making music to building systems that help more of us make a living from it,” said Blankenship. “Sticky Thing is about creating another door into the industry — and bringing as many great artists through that door as we can.”

With support from Zoo Labs and the Center for Cultural Innovation, Sticky Thing will spend the coming year strengthening the business, expanding its reach and creating more opportunities for its growing community of composers, producers, songwriters, vocalists and musicians.

Most importantly, this milestone belongs to the many collaborators who believed in Sticky Thing when it was still just an idea. We’re excited for what we build next.

Why Zoo Labs matters

Zoo Labs supports Bay Area music entrepreneurs building businesses rooted in creativity, culture and community. Through the Zoo Labs: FUND, culturally rooted artist teams receive unrestricted funding alongside mentorship, entrepreneurial training and access to a network of fellow music entrepreneurs — helping artists build sustainable businesses without separating their creative practice from their values.

For Sticky Thing, that mission hits especially close to home. The goal isn’t simply to create more commercial music — it’s to create more economic opportunity around it. Zoo Labs’ investment gives Sticky Thing the resources to strengthen the business behind the music while continuing to hire and collaborate with Bay Area artists who have historically had fewer pathways into advertising, film and other lucrative corners of the music industry.

It’s an investment in Sticky Thing, but also in the larger creative ecosystem we’re working to build.