Online Platform Orangenius Launches to Support the Creative Economy
New York, NY, June 19, 2017 (Newswire.com) - Orangenius, a New York-based technology startup creating a revolutionary online business and employment-oriented social network for the creative community, has launched to the public. The subscription-based destination site and work platform offers unique portfolio functionalities and collaborative opportunities for artists and arts-based organizations in the creative economy. Orangenius was founded by former financial services executive Grace Cho, and is sponsored by investor Denis J. Nayden, former chairman of GE Capital and advisory managing partner of Oak Hill Capital Partners.
Unlike other web-based portfolio and business networking sites, Orangenius subscribers can showcase their creative work with 'visual' resumes that detail work experience with accompanying images and examples of work, and enhanced portfolios that allow users to include comprehensive information about the work. In addition, users can upload and record copyright ownership of and enumerate their works, give credit to collaborators for their contributions, and sell their work on the Orangenius marketplace, without incurring any fees.
"This platform is the ultimate game changer."
Jennifer Solomon, COO and CFO, The Art Students League of New York
Organizations, in turn, can find and hire creative workers with Orangenius' Jobs and Services section, where they can post open full-time positions, freelance opportunities, and gallery open calls free of charge with Pro membership accounts. In addition, Orangenius users can receive the latest news, market intelligence, tutorials, and legal and business insights curated and designed for the art community and showcased on Orangenius's publishing platform, Artrepreneur.com.
Founded by Cho in 2015, Orangenius aims to put control back in artists’ hands. While other professional industries have clear-cut paths and tools for success, Cho noted that the art industry lacked the same clarity and resources.
"I interviewed tons of artists and creatives before founding Orangenius, and I got a surge of information about the lack of connectivity, outdated technology, lack of integration, how extraordinarily expensive everything is, just a whole barrage of problems that I thought were extreme as compared to some of the verticals that I had worked in already," Cho said in an interview with Knowledge@Wharton.
"When they subscribe to Orangenius, what they have are hard assets that they can use — the resume, which we call the bio; artwork curation, which is a record of work that they’ve done and achievements and all the details around it; and, most importantly, a carefully-built set of portfolios that showcase the work that you do in your specialty and expertise."
"Right now [creatives] have a couple of tools that, based on what other people tell us, are completely insufficient. They really don’t do much. The technology that has been created [at Orangenius] in a very short period of time is really pretty special," added Nayden.
Orangenius will offer four subscription-based plans: Basic, Pro, Pro Plus, and Enterprise. Basic accounts are free of charge to subscribers, and Pro accounts are currently priced at $9/per month.
Other industry experts have lauded Orangenius as a solution to a disjointed creative economy. Testimonials include:
"I think this platform is super interesting to a lot of artists to promote their work and market themselves."
-Christine Kuan, CEO, Sotheby’s Institute of Art
"I am really excited about this platform because it is the first time that things are put together in this way, as a one-stop shop for artists."
- Heather Pontonio, Art Program Director at Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation
"This platform is the ultimate game changer."
- Jennifer Solomon, COO and CFO at The Art Students League of New York
"I love how intuitive and generous Orangenius is towards helping artists grow."
-Mary Beth Koeth, Photographer
"The platform is intuitive and the layout really allows the artist’s images to shine."
-Bill Chisholm, Fine Artist
"I like that Orangenius is a platform designed by and for creatives."
-James Duncan, Designer and Fine Artist
"I am very excited about the whole concept. I don’t think there is anything like it out there for artists."
-Sarah Hartley, Creative Director at Scripps Interactive Network