Jeff Livesay
CopyForward – SEED Spring 2022
Published July 22, 2022
As part of our ‘Meet Our Founders’ series today, we introduce Jeff Livesay, CEO of CopyForward based in Winston-Salem, NC. CopyForward helps creators, collectors and third parties earn royalties on future resales of assets using secure ledgers for immutable royalty contracts and unimpeachable provenance.
Q: What problem are you trying to solve and what influenced you to start your company?
A: In the U.S., creators only receive revenue the first time their works are sold, but in 70 other countries, many creators receive royalties at every re-sale.
Creators in the U.S. are fully aware of this inequity with their peers not only in other countries but also with musicians, authors, and some types of creators in the U.S. Parties that support creators, such as dealers, galleries, producers, collectors and others also miss benefits from later value increases.
Additionally, without a clear chain of custody called “provenance,” owners cannot realize the full value of their assets at re-sale. Without clear provenance, that Picasso or that Jimi Hendrix guitar could be worthless!
CopyForward helps address the inequity and provenance/authenticity problems using powerful software combining secure, immutable ledgers, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things.
Q: What are you most excited about right now? What keeps you up at night?
A: CopyForward’s amazing team excites me the most.
We have decades of financial and marketing expertise, multiple degrees in art history, art business, art administration, and a J.D with experience in art law. Our team includes collectors. experience working in galleries, museums, and with artists and other collectors.
This team has more than a century of software experience, many companies started, and six successful exits.
This is an amazing team of people who know how to execute!
What keeps me up at night? Wanting to move faster. We have a huge inventory of suggested features from artists, gallerists, and collectors that we want to add to CopyForward and offer back to them as soon as we can.
Q: How will your NC IDEA grant funds advance your company?
A: The NC IDEA grant is incredibly meaningful to us. It allows us to grow our sales and marketing team, enhance our product, and reach our market sooner. Also, very importantly, it helps position us to successfully complete our next round of outside financing.
The long-term impact is even greater, especially for North Carolina. Our seasoned team of successful entrepreneurs will create many jobs here as we add revenue to North Carolina’s economy.
While visiting Winston-Salem, Jeff recommends:
- When visiting Winston-Salem, the City of Arts and Innovation, definitely visit the Bailey Power Plant area especially Cugino Forno Pizzeria and Incendiary Brewery on a Friday afternoon for a family friendly experience with locals from all walks.
- Another great dining experience with ambiance is Spring House, near the Public Library. Walking the course of 4th street, Trade Street, and Liberty Street will give many choices for dining in the art district and center of downtown fun. For more art, visit Reynolda House museum’s large collection or the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SCCA) just across the street from Reynolda.
- For historic dining with a French flair, the Katherine in the old R.J. Reynolds tower is fun, and the newest cool dining experience is 600 Degrees in the old coal pit in the Innovation Quarter.
Support Jeff and CopyForward by:
- CopyForward seeks to complete structured transactions where they bring sellers and buyers together to complete purchases. Would you be willing to participate in a transaction with CopyForward or can you introduce us to someone who might be interested? This short video shows how CopyForward works. Please contact rickleander@copyforward.com if you or someone you know would be willing to give CopyForward a try.
- We appreciate every introduction to artists, gallerists, and collectors that people reading this care to make. You can email me directly at jefflivesay@copyforward.io for introductions, referrals, or other ideas that might help CopyForward.
