At A Glance

Keegan and Blake share insights on how their startup is revolutionizing the art market by prioritizing community engagement. They discuss the dual focus on supporting artists and enhancing collector experiences, illustrating how connections foster innovation. Through strategies like implementing badges and facilitating relationships among artists, they're building a vibrant ecosystem that drives sales and enhances the art community.

Who are Keegan Rooney and Blake Dunkel?

Meet Keegan Rooney, and Blake Dunkel Co-Founders at Trampt!

About Trampt

Trampt is an E-Commerce platform designed to highlight designer toys and low-brow art. The products featured on the website range wildly from high-end toys and statues to unique prints that would be difficult to find anywhere else. 

The platform caters very specifically toward collectors who often find that it is difficult to attain the items they are looking for. 

Keegan and Blake’s Journies

In 2009, Keegan stumbled upon a new passion when his wife bought him a Kidrobot blind box toy. "I got super insanely excited about it," Keegan recalled, explaining how this small purchase introduced him to the world of designer toys. After trying to gather information and realizing how fragmented it was across sporadic blogs and forums, he reached out to Blake to help build a more organized resource. Together, they created a database where collectors could manage their collections, add missing items, and connect with other fans.

Blake added, reflecting on how the platform quickly gained traction. "What we were witnessing was a community of impassioned people in a niche that was underserved," he explained. Collectors were contributing dozens or even hundreds of items to the database, driven by their love for the hobby. The site’s engagement grew, but as Blake joined DraftKings, they put the project on hold. Years later, they revisited the idea, combining the excitement around NFTs with their vision of creating a marketplace for both physical and digital art.

What excites them about E-Commerce

Both founders are excited about the potential to better serve artists by helping them connect with collectors and fans, especially in a way that cuts through algorithmic barriers. They manage this with only a few people, pulled mostly from their personal networks. 

Blake explains "Keegan and I have known each other for a while—he’s on the West Coast, I’m on the East—and we felt like now is the age of remote work, right? We can do this." He adds that they’ve brought in trusted colleagues, including a talented engineer Blake worked with at DraftKings, noting that while remote work brings some challenges, like tax logistics, "it works for us so far."

Business Growth and Revenue Strategies

Blake emphasizes that their growth strategy is rooted in building a strong community, particularly by focusing on artists as their primary customer."Right now, the strategy is our customer number one are artists because if we can win the artists over by addressing long-standing pain points -- both financially and in cultivating their fandoms -- then now we have loyal evangelists of the platform."

He contrasts their approach with traditional e-commerce sites, stating, "Unlike eBay, where people can certainly go and transact, there's no community on eBay. You go to eBay to buy and then you leave." This focus on fostering a community encourages artists to not only sell their work but also grow and connect within a supportive ecosystem.

CX at Trampt

Keegan highlights that their approach to customer experience (CX) involves serving two distinct groups: the artists and the collectors. "We basically have two customers—our artists, who we’re supporting by helping them sell, promote, and market, and then our collectors." 

On the artist side, the focus is on communication and meeting their needs, while for collectors, it's about fostering engagement and connections. "It’s about more than just getting them to purchase—it’s helping them connect with the artists or even with other collectors through shared experiences."

Innovation and Adaptability

Blake discusses the innovative aspect of their platform, highlighting how they differentiate themselves beyond just financial incentives like royalties. "The differentiating piece that we bring, is how we build this interstitial between the collector, this fan, the fandom, and the artist."

Keegan shares an example that highlights their innovative approach to community building and customer communication: “I once had someone DM me on Instagram wanting to buy a four-foot vinyl figure but was unsure if it was authentic. After looking into it, I discovered it had been stolen during a riot in LA. I was able to help the Fifth Art Gallery recover the piece through our connections, which really showcased our role as a trusted source.”

He adds, “Beyond that, we focus on facilitating relationships within the artist community. For example, if an artist has production questions, I’ll connect them with experienced peers who can assist. This ecosystem we’re building helps artists collaborate and innovate, fostering a sense of community that traditional e-commerce platforms simply can’t offer.”

This commitment to community not only enhances the artist experience but also drives innovation, allowing both artists and collectors to engage in a more meaningful way.

“At the end of the day,” Keegan reflects, “We have a million and one ideas, but right now, it’s about ensuring revenue is coming in so we can hire the right people to execute those ideas. It’s a fine line of balancing immediate impacts with long-term growth, like unlocking badges that engage the community, which ultimately drives transactions.”