Dear Reader,

We’re celebrating Artifct’s first birthday tomorrow! 

We often joked at the beginning that building a company was a lot like raising a child—it takes a village, with all kinds of people, supporters, and even village elders to guide us along the way. The first year proved this out—we built a highly functional, fun, and powerful platform with the help of our diverse and talented village. It was everything and nothing that we expected.  

Launching during a pandemic comes with inherent uncertainties. We had hoped for many more opportunities to interact in-person with our Artifcts community—from Arti Live events to pop ups around the country—that we could not in good conscience pursue. At the same time, we were able to build our company to thrive from a virtual-only standpoint that is not only pandemic proof but recession proof. We focused on local roots and communities to bring them what they needed most—human connection. No risky events or travel required.  

Of the many highs was our participation in the AARP Innovation Labs accelerator program and the partnerships that came out of our local communities and networks. We have a thriving partnership network to ensure all of life's moments and ‘stuff’ are addressed from digitization and preservation to videographies and genealogy research and storytelling. Through our partnership with Unwrapit, we’re even enabling companies to gift sustainably and meaningfully. We also recently announced our “What’s it worth?” feature supported by Heritage Auctions to help our members preserve and share the value behind their stuff. (Have you tried it yet?)  

Our strategic advisory board has been game changing as well, helping as we grow and expand our reach to new markets. We have vast expertise behind us to keep us on the frontline of technology, online community, estate and financial management, and stuff! If you missed our announcement introducing our newest advisory board member Matt Paxton, you can view it here. 

And of course, Artifcts itself is the ultimate representation of how far we’ve come in only one year. We’ve delivered key new features such as audio and video, file sharing from alternative storage sites, building networks, and so much more. All these features are custom designed in our patent-pending platform where privacy and security come first.  

We continue to enable our community to make the choices that are right for them, just as we are redefining Artifcts to be what is valuable to you. We’re calling it Human Media 1.0 and we invite you to join us as we joyfully kick off year two of Artifcts. 

Happy Artifcting,

Heather

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© 2022 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Artifcts welcomes Matt Paxton to its strategic advisory board. Established in March, the board provides diverse expertise and decades of experience across technology, estate planning, community building, marketing, strategic growth, and now ‘stuff.’ Matt Paxton started his career with his own downsizing and moving business before gaining national celebrity through appearances on the TV show Hoarders and more recently paving a new path with the PBS series Legacy List with Matt Paxton.

“Matt approaches stuff by looking at the humanity, the history, behind the objects and people’s attachments to them. He doesn’t demand a painful dive into a one-size fits all minimalism. We’re kindred spirits here at Artifcts,” said Artifcts co-founder Heather Nickerson. “Matt’s empathy and energy are great match for the passion behind Artifcts. Everyone needs a history and Matt respects that. He sees first-hand daily the need for Artifcts,” chimed in Artifcts co-founder Ellen Goodwin.

Look for the co-founders of Artifcts and Matt to be out and about through special virtual engagements and live appearances this fall. The trio will continue to Artifct-by-example and release tips to help you join in to redefine artifacts one recipe, heirloom, and travel trinket at a time. Heather reminds everyone, “Remember, when in doubt, just pause, look around, and snap a picture of the first object you see with a story or memory to capture. Artifcting is for all of us.”

The full Artifcts strategic advisory board includes:

• Matt Paxton, Downsizing, Cleaning, and Organizing
• Georgia Mavrookas, HR & Marketing, Ex-Bumble
• Richard E. Miller (Dutch), Wealth Advisor and Relationship Manager, Glenmede
• Aravinda Gollapudi, Technology Executive, Sage

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© 2022 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Artifcts Team proudly welcomes Georgia Mavrookas to its strategic advisory board. Established in March 2022, the Board contributes incredible depth, hands-on experience, and leadership as Artifcts reaches towards and beyond its first anniversary in late August.

Georgia's experience across regulated industry, HR and strategic alignment, and development and growth of digital communities will shore up the growth strategies of Artifcts. Georgia knows community building, communities that are safe and inspiring and that transcend companies and the services they offer. She most recently served as Global Head of Talent Development at Bumble and previously led Bumble's community marketing and ambassadors program.

"We are delighted—maybe that's an understatement ... thrilled, even!—Georgia has joined to contribute to this next phase of Artifcts as we continue building a unique, fun, and open space for personal and world history to meet through the objects of our lives," said Artifcts Co-founder and CSO Ellen Goodwin. "Our board is a beautiful balance of outstanding professionals with big hearts, deep expertise, and a love for Artifcts' mission." 

The Artifcts Strategic Advisory Board now includes:

• Georgia Mavrookas, HR & Marketing, Ex-Bumble

• Richard E. Miller (Dutch), Wealth Advisor and Relationship Manager, Glenmede

• Aravinda Gollapudi, Technology Executive, Sage

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© 2022 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

When you create a company, the brand mark typically becomes sacrosanct. Marketing teams cringe if creatives in the organization suggest changes to the globally recognized mark. Not so at Artifcts. (Have you seen our holiday logo?)

We reached out to Brooke Robinson, founder and creative director at Goodtype (and fellow Austin-cycling enthusiast), to tap into the global network of lettering artists to illustrate the letter 'A' for Artifcts in celebration of today's one-year anniversary of the incorporation of Artifcts. And why not? We are striving to turn the nature of online communities today as well as our entire relationship with 'stuff' on its head. So, what's a little playfulness with our company's 'A' to celebrate a major milestone?

The Goodtype Competition

During early December, dozens of artists from around the world—Brazil, Guatemala, Indonesia, and the UK, among other countries—offered their versions of the letter 'A,' which in screenshot form alone is a work of art! 

View all the GoodtypeXArtifcts contest entries here over on Instagram.

After probably too many hours debating, we selected three winners, each of which offered a wholly original and captivating 'A' design. We eagerly anticipate putting these into play as well as seeing what these artists will each Artifct first with their new Artifcts accounts. We will share the Artifcted version of each of the winning 'A's here soon so you can learn more about the artist, the technique, inspiration, and more.

Now, the winning designs!

The first place design is a vibrant and original work from artist Saber Javanmard (@studio.saber). Made with silkscreen ink on paper, you can pop over to the Artifct to watch the bonus demonstration video to see how he creates these designs. Even though it's a lowercase 'a' (compared to the uppercase Artifcts 'A'), we think it will be at home here at Artifcts. Since we just rolled out video and audio features for Artifcts last week, we are looking forward to Artifcting this 'A' along with its original production on video! 

The second place design is from Julio (@tenixvermelho) of Brazil. His foliage covered letter-press style 'A' is a distinctive style that we enjoyed for its modern play on traditional designs. Julio plans to Artifct all of the drawings his kids have made of their family.

Last but not least, the third place design was created by illustrator and teacher Chris Piascik (@chrispiascik), who if you have spent any time on his Instagram profile, you'll know loves to keep you guessing as to what creative offspring's next! His whacky monster 'A' really should make an appearance next Halloween, wouldn't you agree?

The Future of Artifcts and the Lettering Community

We hope it's bright! We want to support and stay connected with local designers for playful marketing campaigns, swag, and other creative initiatives you'll see from Artifcts. To this end, we also have new community outreach planned with young artists we will share here in late spring. Stay tuned, and happy Artifcting!

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© 2021 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Dear Readers, 

I am very proud to announce the launch of Artifcts, our web and app-based platform that enables people anywhere and everywhere to capture, preserve, and share the stories (and meaning) behind the objects in their lives. 

Why Artifcts? My mother was the initial inspiration for Artifcts. She passed away unexpectedly several years ago. Like most of us, she had a lot of stuff.  

Following her death, I was frustrated because I had her stuff, but what I really wanted were her stories. The who, what, when, where, and why behind the objects. Why did she have a certain item? Where did it come from? When did she get it? What was the story behind her beloved softball glove? What did it mean to her? Why did she love a specific piece of jewelry? Who gave it to her? Was it for a special occasion? What occasion? Sadly, the objects could not tell her story. Only my mother could have done that, and she was no longer here.  

That was the genesis of Artifcts—an overwhelming desire to ensure that anyone anywhere would have a safe and secure way to pass down stories, not just things. To ensure that others would never have to be in the same situation I found myself in one January morning, sitting in my mother’s closet fighting back tears, pondering what to keep and what to rehome.  

As with any idea, Artifcts has evolved over the months to be more than just a place to document the who, what, when, where, and why behind the objects in our lives. We’ve created and enabled a variety of features that allow our community members to capture small (and big) moments in time, connect with loved ones, and preserve the meaning behind the objects that speak to who we are and where we’ve been. 

I invite you, dear Readers, to join us on our adventure. Share an Artifct with a friend or a loved one. Tell a story that hasn’t been told before. Create, connect, inspire. (Or if you want to make your insurance agent very happy, export a copy of your Artifcts to your homeowner’s policy.) It’s all doable here. 

Go ahead. Give us a try. Tell us what you think. We’d love to hear from you. 

Happy Artifcting, 
Heather

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© 2021 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Artifcts, Inc. has announced the upcoming launch of its web and app-based platform enabling people globally to capture the objects in their lives and the meaning behind them. The platform promises a simple, fun, and powerful process to upload an object, add a few details, and save it to a private viewing space. Artifcts community members can share their personal Artifcts privately or through social media, export to add to wills or insurance policies, and more.

Artifcts is designed to meet people where they are at in life: young artists, new parents, world travelers, and older adults alike, all looking to capture and preserve a piece of their history, legacy, and identity. Co-founder and CEO Heather Nickerson said, “We're redefining ‘artifacts.’ They don’t have to be valuable, historically relevant, or collections. Artifcts are something meaningful to you. They tell the tale of a life lived!"

Ellen Goodwin, Co-founder and CSO, emphasized that Artifcts offers a place to be yourself, no polish required. “Our beta launch confirmed that people are looking for a place to just be. Privacy is the default, the application is ad free, and the experience is cozy. People told us that Artifcts was like looking inside someone’s closet.”

The subscription-based platform will launch publicly on August 26 and will also offer concierge services for those seeking a personalized, hands-on Artifcting experience.

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About Artifcts (Artifcts.com)

Artifcts is creating a purpose-driven community united by an appreciation for the history, stories, and memories represented by the 'stuff 'of our lives, from whiskey glasses and watches to sketches and dresses. We capture and preserve the objects of our lives and their stories to contextualize our life experiences, meaningfully connect with others, and ensure our personal legacies live on.

Co-founders Heather Nickerson and Ellen Goodwin started their careers at the Central Intelligence Agency and reunited through Artifcts. The pair is working together again supporting a new mission to preserve the personal and global history behind the objects of our lives. Together they founded Artifcts, Inc., in December 2020. The company is headquartered in the Washington D.C. area.

© 2021 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.