Cameo CEO Steven Galanis first met Magic Johnson as a baby. While in Hawaii, his grandmother spotted Johnson lounging on a beach and dropped young Galanis in the NBA superstar's lap, knowing it would make for a keepsake picture (and he has the photo to prove it). Now, Johnson has joined the board of directors of the billion-dollar Chicago startup.
Cameo announced today that Johnson is the first-ever Cameo personality to sit on the startup's board. Johnson joined the Cameo platform today, is available for a video shoutout for $500. The board appointment is fitting, as Galanis said that the photo with Johnson helped create the idea for Cameo in the first place.
“Magic joining our Board of Directors is a perfect match and a full circle moment,” Galanis said in a statement. “The idea behind Cameo — that the selfie is the new autograph — was partially inspired by a picture Magic took with me as a baby in Hawaii."
Johnson joining the board comes on the heel's of Cameo's $100 million fundraise in March, which valued the company at $1 billion. The startup, which has now raised $165 million to date, saw its growth skyrocket in 2020. More than 10,000 new celebrities joined the platform, and the company sold $100 million worth of Cameos in 2020.
Founded in 2017, Cameo now has more than 200 employees.
