What does it take to be a woman in tech today?

Founded in 2020, Cult Creative started as a networking platform for creative professionals–but it has become so much more in the last six years. “It was a simple job platform, but it quickly became clear that the real issue wasn’t access—it was infrastructure and power,” says Cult Creative co-founder, Shermaine Wong. 

“Creators, especially nano and micro creators, were shaping culture and driving demand, yet they weren’t being valued, paid reliably, or supported with systems that allowed them to build sustainable careers. Brands, meanwhile, wanted authenticity but were stuck navigating inefficient, outdated processes. So, we rebuilt the system entirely. Not a marketplace, but infrastructure,” she elaborates. 

Shermaine Wong

Today, Cult Creative is an award-winning digital platform “operating at the intersection of culture, technology, and commerce” by facilitating and optimising creator marketing. In short, it connects brands with the right content creators. This pivot has been successful, allowing Cult Creative to expand into Singapore and work with over 500 brand campaigns across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, and Sri Lanka. “More importantly, we’ve paid out RM2 million to over 8,500 creators—on time, transparently, and fairly,” adds Wong. 

In this interview with Harper’s BAZAAR Malaysia, Wong shares her insights on pressing industry issues, such as the right way to champion creatives, the reality of working in content creation, and the wholesale impact of artificial intelligence (AI). She also opens up about her journey with Cult Creative, when it comes to balancing her professional and personal life as a mother of three.

Read our interview with the co-founder of Cult Creative, Shermaine Wong. 

You have been in this space since before content creation, as we know it, became mainstream. What has changed?

Creators went from being treated as a channel to becoming the strategy itself. Five years ago, influencers were used like billboards—rent the space, deliver the message, move on. Today, creators are something far more powerful. They are the trust layer of modern brands, especially in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, where identity, taste, and relatability matter more than polish.

The biggest shift has been the rise of micro- and nano-creators. Traditional advertising is losing relevance. Smaller audiences, deeper trust, stronger cultural relevance. These creators consistently outperform celebrity endorsements because their communities actually listen to them. Authenticity is a performance driver as audiences are increasingly resistant to polished perfection. Creator-led storytelling works because culture moves faster than corporate messaging ever will.

How will AI change the creative industry?

AI is about to make average content incredibly easy to produce. And when that happens, real human creativity becomes priceless. Trust, perspective, cultural intuition—these can’t be automated. That’s why creators matter more than ever, particularly in fashion and beauty, where influence is deeply personal and tied to identity.

Where AI truly adds value is behind the scenes. We use it to automate operations, reporting, and creator matching, freeing humans to focus on strategy, storytelling, and relationships. We’ve built proprietary tools with first-party integrations into TikTok and Meta, giving brands real performance intelligence instead of surface-level vanity metrics.

In the near term, we’re launching AI-powered features layered into our platform. We’re moving toward predictive insights—helping brands understand what will work before they launch. The goal has always been to replace chaos with clarity.

The creators who will thrive are the ones who use AI to enhance their craft, not replace it.

One of the arguments for AI is that it would minimise contact with “difficult” creative talents; the stereotype is that they are disorganised, uncooperative, and inflexible in executing their artistic vision. What do you think about that?

Most of the challenges attributed to “difficult creatives” are actually system failures. Unclear expectations, over-engineered briefs, endless revisions, and inconsistent payments have eroded trust across the industry. When you pay creators fairly and on time, the entire industry changes. When creators feel respected, trust replaces tension, and professionalism follows naturally. 

Burnout is another reality that’s often ignored. Many creators are one-person businesses juggling production, community management, algorithm changes, and multiple brand partnerships at once. Sustainable systems matter—not just for results, but for longevity.

Shermaine Wong accepts the Martech of the Year award at NEXT Awards Malaysia.

As a woman-led business—and as a mother—how do you see leadership evolving in this industry?

I’m unapologetically ambitious—and I refuse to believe ambition and motherhood are opposites. As a mother of three and a tech founder, I built Cult Creative while raising children, not in spite of it. The idea that women must choose between scale and family is outdated and deeply limiting.

There has been progress in the creative industry, but leadership and capital still skew heavily male. Women do much of the work, yet remain underrepresented in decision-making rooms. What’s changed is that women are no longer waiting for permission. We’re building our own systems, companies, and standards.

Cult Creative has been recognised with multiple industry awards, including Martech of the Year at NEXT Awards Malaysia, as well as Best Influencer Marketing Campaign and Best UGC Campaign. I was also honoured to be named Innovative Agency Leader of the Year. These awards aren’t about validation—they’re proof that disciplined, culture-driven businesses led by women can outperform.

My goal isn’t to be celebrated as a “female founder.” It’s to make women-led companies completely normal.

Can you tell us what’s next for Cult Creative? 

Over the next few years, we’re expanding strategically across Southeast Asia—markets where creator economies are booming, but infrastructure remains fragmented. Our ambition is to become the system of record for creator marketing in the region. In the long term, we’re building toward an intelligence layer that powers creator commerce across Southeast Asia.

But beyond growth, the real impact is changing how creators are valued and compensated at scale—so the people shaping culture can actually build lasting careers from it.