A Los Angeles-area tech startup that provides interactive games, activities and mobile-driven experiences for virtual and live events is about to make its Dayton, Ohio, debut.
Audience engagement platform Crowdpurr, based in West Covina, California, is looking to move its headquarters to the Gem City. CEO Ross Newton is actively scouting sites in downtown Dayton, as well as potential offices near Day Air Ballpark in the Webster Station district.
Once the relocation is complete, Crowdpurr will use its California location as a satellite office, and its existing employees will remain there. All other operations will be based in Dayton.
"The business is definitely moving," Newton said. "We just haven't signed a space yet."
One possible location, Newton said, is the Firefly Building in Webster Station. Owned by Fire Blocks developer Windsor Cos., the century-old structure has Class A offices, exposed brick walls and original beams — and it's right next to the ballpark with walkable access to downtown.
Other options include office space above Grist Provisions, which moved to 46 W Fifth St. last year after Third Perk Coffeehouse relocated its downtown shop; or the Dayton Arcade, where Newton is exploring annex space at The Hub.
"We're really impressed with The Arcade for the startup synergy and atmosphere," he said.
Crowdpurr has clients around the world, ranging in size from independent vendors to Fortune 500 companies like McDonald's. But with three full-time employees and a half-dozen contractors, the startup still operates with a small, tight-knit team.
With that in mind, Newton said he isn't looking for too much space. Anything between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet would suffice. He's just looking for the right location.
"There's not much need for foot traffic awareness, signage, frontage, or anything like that," he said. "But it would be cool to have an attractive office for talent, and for just enjoying where we work."
Newton wants to move forward on the new headquarters as quickly as possible. He hopes to sign a lease or purchase agreement this summer.
The next step, he said, is building a local staff. Newton plans to hire four or five people in 2021, with several more to follow in the next year.
"After working in Los Angeles for 12 years, there's definitely a 'California' work ethic that is much more relaxed," he said. "Most of the really hardworking people I knew were from out of state, usually the Midwest."
"I want local Dayton new hires because I know the talent is here," he said. "I know there's more hard workers cut from the same cloth as me. There may still be work-from-home options, but the jobs will be here in Dayton, not remote."
Newton isn't a newcomer to the Gem City. He grew up in Beavercreek Township, graduated from Beavercreek High School and is a Wright State University alumnus. He moved to Los Angeles 12 years ago to pursue opportunities in the film industry, where he worked on projects for The Walt Disney Co. and Marvel Studios.
He founded Crowdpurr in 2013. Back then, it was just a side gig.
"I started this business in my spare time," Newton said. "It just kept growing to the point where it usurped and outgrew what I was doing with Marvel and Disney. So I started working on it full time, and it kept growing."
Crowdpurr grew even more in 2020 as the pandemic accelerated a surge of virtual events. Now, the platform has a wide variety of clients — including bars, restaurants, charities, church groups, retreats and weddings.
It's even gaining traction among large corporate clients, many of which use Crowdpurr to host trivia games at conventions, keynotes and all-hands meetings.
"Instead of just giving people some briefing or speech, there's a component that's gamified," Newton said. "It can be for fun, or it can be for actual business intelligence and scoring. There's a lot of uses for it."
The move to Dayton is prompted by a few factors. Newton got married and wanted to start a family, so he wanted to relocate to be closer to his parents and relatives.
In addition, he wanted to operate Crowdpurr in a more business-friendly environment. At 8.85%, California has the eighth-highest state corporate tax rate in the nation. Comparatively, Ohio is one of six states that have no corporate income tax at the state level.
"It's just cheaper to do business here," Newton said. "That was definitely a consideration."
Crowdpurr isn't the first California business to pursue greener pastures. In June, I spoke with a local entrepreneur who said Ohio's affordability motivated him to launch a renewable energy startup in Dayton rather than Silicon Valley.
Another business — high-tech manufacturer QQE Summit — recently moved its headquarters from California to Dayton too, citing the Miami Valley's central location, strong manufacturing workforce and positive operating environment.
Founded in 2013, Crowdpurr helps organizations create mobile-driven experiences for live, virtual and hybrid events. The software-as-a-service platform offers interactive games, live voting and polls, social media walls and customizable tools to promote audience engagement.
