Jane Baker has announced the launch of Rise at Five, a new global collective of independent brand experience specialists.

The collective will connect brands with handpicked teams of independent talent from around the world.

Baker has spent more than two decades in the brand experience sector, working with brands including Headspace and Philips, and in senior agency roles at Cheerful Twentyfirst, 2Heads and George P. Johnson.

She has assembled an initial roster of over 50 independent experts, spanning marketers, creatives, storytellers, producers and technical specialists, located across the UK, EMEA, the US and Asia.

“Rise at Five comes just at the right time for brands looking to respond to three major industry trends. First, marketers are investing more in events and experiences in response to an increasing desire for real-world interaction,” said Baker.

“Second, challenging economic conditions mean those marketers need to deliver more with less money. And third, there’s a talent access gap as a growing number of brand experience professionals leave permanent jobs for the freedom and flexibility of freelance life.”

She continued: “The Rise at Five collective model provides marketers a way to access bespoke teams of independent talent curated to solve specific brand experience briefs, offering an experienced, efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional agencies.”