Seattle entrepreneur and tech veteran Jonathan Sposato is launching one other media property with the arrival Wednesday of JoySauce Community, an leisure platform geared towards spotlighting and celebrating American Asian personalities and tales.
Sposato is the chairman of GeekWire and former chairman and CEO of PicMonkey, the Seattle-based on-line photograph enhancing service that offered to Shutterstock final yr. Sposato, who spent 12 years at Microsoft, additionally offered two startups to Google — Picnik and Phatbits. In 2020, he acquired Seattle journal and his first concern as writer is on newsstands now.
JoySauce plans to function a number of channels of digital programing together with unscripted and scripted streaming reveals, licensed films, stand-up comedy specials, documentaries, authentic editorial content material, and podcasts.
Future tasks embody a late-night speak present hosted by Sposato, a Korean-focused cooking present, and a information to arts and eating places in Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) hubs throughout the U.S.
The genesis for JoySauce was rooted in Sposato’s perception that Asian Individuals have been grossly under-represented in mainstream media as a proportion of the inhabitants.
“Rising up I hardly noticed anybody who regarded like me on TV who wasn’t the dangerous man, aspect kick, or the butt of a joke,” Sposato stated. “I’ve a perception that the latest rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in our nation is partially the results of AAPI’s all the time being seen to this present day as ‘the opposite’ and ‘overseas,’ regardless of having been Individuals for generations like everybody else.”
Sposato feels strongly that imagery and tales of “American Asians” as “robust, highly effective, stunning, and with humor was an essential solution to seize again the narrative.” Utilizing “American Asian” moderately than Asian American is a solution to “shift the middle of gravity, whereas recognizing that every of us chooses how the items of our identities match collectively,” JoySauce stated in a information launch.
The positioning’s early content material contains an authentic collection known as “Staff Tran” which focuses on 22-year-old Asian racing star Samantha Tran and her rise by the ranks {of professional} race automotive driving. One other collection known as “American Icon” options dwelling American Asian icons, and Sposato sits down with “Star Trek” actor George Takei for an interview.
Sposato, who’s serving as editor-in-chief at JoySauce, advised GeekWire that he thinks there can be eager curiosity within the platform within the Seattle area, and specifically the tech trade, because of the excessive share of Asians amongst each.
“All of us profit as a complete after we permit immigrants to thrive, and Seattle’s tech sector itself is a pacesetter on this, and its relationship with AAPI participation could be very distinctive,” Sposato stated.
“One of many causes I like Seattle is that we’re a bit of bizarre,” he added. “We love doing issues our distinctive approach. Wouldn’t the right birthplace of an irreverent and totally different kind of media platform centered on a brand new definition of ‘American Asians’ be Seattle?”
Editor’s word: Sposato is GeekWire’s chairman and investor. JoySauce and Seattle journal are usually not affiliated with GeekWire.