Society6
Company History
Society6 History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 2009 in Santa Monica, California, United States
When was Society6 founded?
Society6 was founded in 2009 in Santa Monica, California, United States by Justin Cooper, Lucas Tirigall-Caste and Justin Wills, making it 17 years old.
- Founded
- 2009
- Founding place
- Santa Monica, California, United States
- Founders
- Justin Cooper, Lucas Tirigall-Caste and Justin Wills
- Headquarters today
- Santa Monica, California, United States
- Milestones documented
- 8 (2009–2025)
- Current CEO
- Julie Matrat
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Justin Cooper, Lucas Tirigall-Caste and Justin Wills launch Society6 as an online platform |
| 2013 | Demand Media acquires Society6 for about $94 million ($75 million cash plus about $19 |
| 2014 | Demand Media Acquires Saatchi Art |
| 2014 | Sean Moriarty becomes CEO |
| 2021 | Graham Holdings Acquires Leaf Group |
| 2023 | Graham Holdings restructures Leaf Group. Society6 becomes a standalone brand reporting |
| 2024 | Website Relaunched on Shopify |
| 2025 | Society6 moves to a curated, approval-based marketplace, ends paid artist plans and |
- Where was Society6 founded?
- Society6 was founded in Santa Monica, California, United States in 2009.
- Who founded Society6?
- Society6 was founded by Justin Cooper, Lucas Tirigall-Caste and Justin Wills.
- When did Society6 start?
- Society6 was founded in 2009.
- How old is Society6?
- Society6 is 17 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Society6 launched in 2009 as a collaboration between Justin Cooper, Lucas Tirigall-Caste and Justin Wills, who wanted to give artists an easy way to show and sell their work online. Early on it sold art prints and then other products such as iPhone cases, all printed on demand so artists did not have to pay for production up front. Within four years the idea had grown enough that Demand Media, owner of eHow and Livestrong, bought the company for about $94 million in its first move into e-commerce.
Founders
Justin Cooper
Justin Cooper co-founded Society6 in 2009. Working closely with his co-founders in Los Angeles, he helped establish the absolutely critical early community guidelines and brand aesthetics that attracted thousands of independent artists to upload their work to the fledgling print-on-demand platform. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Lucas Tirigall-Caste
Lucas Tirigall-Caste co-founded Society6 in 2009. He served as the primary technical architect, building out the highly complex, custom backend required to seamlessly connect thousands of user-uploaded art files directly to third-party printing facilities across the country. Lucas Tirigall-Caste was born in 1974. Lucas Tirigall Caste was born in Buenos Aires in 1974. He is a multimedia artist who studied audio-visual design and wrote the book Evolutionary Art, published in 2004.
Justin Wills
Justin Wills co-founded Society6 in 2009. He managed the absolute core operational and supply-chain logistics, fiercely ensuring that the platform could actually deliver high-quality physical products (like canvas prints and phone cases) to consumers reliably and profitably. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Justin Cooper, Lucas Tirigall-Caste and Justin Wills launch Society6 as an online platform
Justin Cooper, Lucas Tirigall-Caste and Justin Wills launch Society6 as an online platform for artists.
Source: themarginalian.orgDemand Media acquires Society6 for about $94 million ($75 million cash plus about $19
Demand Media acquires Society6 for about $94 million ($75 million cash plus about $19 million in stock).
Source: webpronews.comDemand Media Acquires Saatchi Art
Demand Media acquires Saatchi Art, which becomes Society6's sister art marketplace.
Source: digiday.comSean Moriarty becomes CEO
Sean Moriarty became CEO of Society6 in 2014. Former Saatchi Art CEO who made art marketplaces central to Leaf Group.
Source: digiday.comGraham Holdings Acquires Leaf Group
Graham Holdings completes its roughly $323 million all-cash acquisition of Leaf Group.
Source: ghco.comGraham Holdings restructures Leaf Group. Society6 becomes a standalone brand reporting
Graham Holdings restructures Leaf Group. Society6 becomes a standalone brand reporting directly to Graham Holdings.
Source: axios.comWebsite Relaunched on Shopify
Society6 re-launches its website on Shopify and introduces duvet and sheet sets.
Source: prnewswire.comSociety6 moves to a curated, approval-based marketplace, ends paid artist plans and
Society6 moves to a curated, approval-based marketplace, ends paid artist plans and standardizes royalties.
Source: catcoq.comKeep researching Society6
Society6 Company History FAQ
When and where was Society6 originally founded?
Society6 was founded in 2009 in Santa Monica, California, by Justin Cooper, Lucas Tirigall-Caste, and Justin Wills.
What inspired the founding of Society6?
The founders wanted to help a friend exhibit artwork at the prestigious Miami Art Basel gallery. When they saw the immense upfront financial barriers independent artists faced in selling prints and physical goods, they created an online platform to democratize artist commerce.
What was Society6's original business concept?
Society6 created an open online marketplace where independent visual artists, illustrators, and photographers could upload high-resolution artwork once and automatically offer it for sale across dozens of on-demand manufactured physical goods with zero upfront inventory costs.
When was Society6 acquired by Demand Media (Leaf Group)?
In June 2013, digital media and domain giant Demand Media acquired Society6 for $94 million ($75 million in cash and $19 million in common stock), seeking to expand into high-margin consumer e-commerce.
How did Demand Media evolve into Leaf Group?
In 2016, Demand Media rebranded as Leaf Group (NYSE: LFGR) under CEO Sean Moriarty, refocusing its corporate portfolio around two pillars: digital lifestyle publishing (Hunker, Well+Good) and creator e-commerce marketplaces (Society6, Saatchi Art).
When was Leaf Group acquired by Graham Holdings?
In June 2021, diversified conglomerate Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC; formerly The Washington Post Company) acquired Leaf Group in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $323 million, absorbing Society6 into its digital consumer portfolio.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect Society6's sales in 2020?
During pandemic lockdowns in 2020, Society6 experienced record e-commerce revenue growth as millions of consumers stuck at home invested heavily in home redecoration, office wall art, throw pillows, and cozy blankets.
What major pricing and fee restructuring occurred in late 2023?
In October 2023, Society6 introduced tiered artist membership plans (Free, Basic, and Pro tiers) and adjusted shipping and transaction fee structures to stabilize unit economics against soaring global manufacturing and postal inflation.
What physical retail presence did Society6 open?
In 2018, Society6 opened a brick-and-mortar flagship retail store on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, California, showcasing curated home decor, gallery walls, and holding community workshops for local artists.
How many artists and designs are active on Society6?
Society6 features a global community of over 450,000 independent artists from more than 160 countries, offering tens of millions of unique designs across home, tech, and lifestyle merchandise.
What licensing collaborations has Society6 executed with major entertainment brands?
Society6 established major brand licensing partnerships, allowing independent artists to create officially licensed designs for global franchises including Star Wars, Marvel, Disney, and The Beatles.
Where is Society6 headquartered today?
Society6 remains headquartered in Santa Monica, California, operating as a key business unit within Graham Holdings Company.
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