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soona Announces New Chief Operating Officer

What to know about soona’s new Chief Operating Officer:

  • soona, the “fast casual” photo and video studio, has announced Dae Mellencamp as the company’s new Chief Operating Officer
  • Mellencamp previously served as the CEO and President of Vimeo (successfully leading the company to its IPO in May 2021) and has held other roles at About.com, TD Ameritrade, and others
  • Mellencamp’s new position comes after soona’s $10.2 million Series A funding round in April 2021

The Quote: Dae Mellencamp, COO of soona

“soona’s innovative brand and technology solve real-world visual content speed and scaling problems for ecommerce companies of all sizes. Combine that with the dynamic leadership of Liz and Hayley, a clear mission and a culture of innovation, and it became an irresistible rare opportunity for growth that I can’t wait to help drive and am thrilled to be part of.”

Check out our other soona coverage, listen to interviews with Liz Giorgi, Co-founder and CEO of soona on The tech.mn Podcast and Twenty Minutes.

 For more information about soona’s new COO, read the release below.

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DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–soona, the world’s first virtual content creation platform for ecommerce, announced today it has hired seasoned video and content executive, Dae Mellencamp, as Chief Operating Officer after spending a two year stint on the company’s Advisory Board. In her new role, Dae will leverage her previous experience and work at Vimeo, which put the company on the path to its May 2021 IPO. Dae is credited with shepherding the organization through its critical growth stages in a similar B2B capacity.

“Dae has an exceptional ability to drive customer insights into remarkable customer and operational outcomes,” said Liz Giorgi, co-founder and CEO of soona. “Her leadership style is without comparison and we are thrilled to have her join us as we build the next big company in the ecommerce technology stack.”

Mellencamp most recently served on the Board of Directors and as Chief Operating Officer of Gaia, Inc. She has previously held critical roles in content strategy and product leadership at About.com, The New York Times, and TD Ameritrade. She will oversee core areas of the business that support the virtual shoot experience from the creative crews to the Operations and Customer Support and the Sales teams.

“soona’s innovative brand and technology solve real-world visual content speed and scaling problems for ecommerce companies of all sizes,” said Dae Mellencamp, COO of soona. “Combine that with the dynamic leadership of Liz and Hayley, a clear mission and a culture of innovation, and it became an irresistible rare opportunity for growth that I can’t wait to help drive and am thrilled to be part of.”

“The best brands understand that visual assets make all the difference in the competitive ecommerce industry,” said Hayley Anderson, co-founder and chief creative officer of soona. “Dae brings a dynamic understanding of the visual and business needs that are driving demand for soona.”

How soona works:

Clients simply book a shoot within soona’s self-service software, choose from curated designs or take a style quiz to uncover their brand’s visual personality, and select from its network of models, stylists and props.

Customers ship their products and join their shoot online in real-time. Clients are obsessed with soona’s proprietary virtual shoot, because it allows them to give feedback to the crew like they would on an in-person set and see immediate changes and improvements on the dashboard.

The a-la carte menu of selling photos for $39 and video clips for $93 also means brands only purchase the content they love, and get it back within 24 hours.

Brands can easily organize content within the platform, revisit previous shoots, download any of the content they’ve previously purchased, and shop their past shoots for more content at any time.

With soona’s 5-star rated Shopify app, brands can then swap content into their store and product listing pages in just one click.

The entire process is possible because of soona’s groundbreaking technology: Camera to Cloud virtual shoots. Customers can see images and video clips within seconds of being shuttered on the camera. This transparency allows for global collaboration and turn around times never before seen in the industry.

With over 7,000 customers including Lola Tampons, The Sill, and Wild Earth, and three hubs in Austin, TX; Denver, CO; and Minneapolis, MN, soona helps companies sell products online and in-store in four core industries: beauty and cosmetics, fashion and footwear, home goods, and petcare. For more information on how soona can help your brand, visit: soona.co.

About soona

soona is a fast casual content platform that helps brands make professional-quality photos and videos. The company was founded in 2019 by Liz Giorgi and Hayley Anderson after the successful acquisition of their first business, Mighteor. Liz and Hayley are a dynamic founding creative team with a shared vision of using tech to enhance the work of creatives and improve access to high-quality custom content.

Alex Skjong
Alex oversees the content produced for BETA, Twin Cities Startup Week, and tech.mn. When he’s not writing or editing, there’s a good chance he’s enjoying a refreshing brew and explaining the merits of heavy metal (of which there are many).