CIO Bulletin

Mariam Naficy, Founder of Minted, is a visionary leader who is creating a community of independent artists and art lovers to connect and transact

Minted is an online marketplace of premium design goods created by independent artists and designers. The company sources art and design from a community of more than 16,000 independent artists from around the world. Minted offers artists two business models for selling their goods - one in which Minted handles manufacturing and fulfillment and a second where the artists handle manufacturing and fulfillment.

Minted was founded in April 2007 by Mariam Naficy to sell high-end lines of stationery and adopted a crowdsourcing model when it realized that designs by independent artists were outselling those of established brands.[1] Minted has raised more than $300 million[2] from investors, including T. Rowe Price, Permira, Norwest Venture Partners, Technology Crossover Ventures, Benchmark Capital, Ridge Ventures. Angel investors include former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman, and Eventbrite founders Kevin and Julia Hartz.[3][4][5]

Since 2007, Minted has been an inclusive artist forum where anyone can submit ideas. A marketplace to discover, advocate for and buy exceptional work. Energized by design lovers and powered by technology, this community-driven marketplace is building the future they want to live in. Let’s create it together. Illustrators and designers, painters and stay-at-home moms, fine artists and first-timers, their flourishing community of independent artists are located in all 50 states and more than 100 countries—united by a love for design and creative expression.

Unique designs, brought to life with luxurious materials and printing techniques

Optimized for the highest photo print quality with a smooth front surface and the creamy, cotton texture of their Signature Paper on the back. It’s FSC-certified, carbon neutral, made from 100% post-consumer waste*, and manufactured with wind power. 137 lb., 18.0 point thickness. The thick, luxurious heritage stock that Minted has offered for over a decade, their Signature Paper has a versatile off-white hue and velvety cotton texture. It’s FSC-certified, carbon neutral, and manufactured with wind power. 130lb., 19.3 point thickness.

Add a subtle shimmer finish to your cards and a soft glow to photographs with their Pearlescent Paper. It’s made with 30% post-consumer waste and Green Seal™ Certified. 110 lb., 14.5 point thickness. Minted's original recycled paper is now made from 100% post-consumer waste, FSC-certified, and manufactured using a carbon-neutral process with wind power. Complete with a matte finish, it’s thick and smooth to the touch. 160lb., 17.5 point thickness. Extra-thick and luxurious, the DoubleThick Paper is made from 100% post-consumer waste, FSC-certified, and manufactured using a carbon-neutral process with wind power. It is crafted from two layers of card stock with a smooth, matte finish. 320 lb., 35 point thickness.

The thickest paper is now FSC-certified, recycled from 100% post-consumer waste, and manufactured using a carbon-neutral process with wind power. It is luxuriously crafted from three layers of paper, virtually unbendable, and complete with a smooth, matte finish. 480 lb., 52.5 point thickness.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Minted has always stood for inclusivity and meritocracy. One of their most cherished beliefs is that great design and art should rise to the top based on merit alone. Their design crowdsourcing platform strives to remove all other forms of bias that have historically made it very difficult for independent artists to get their work to market. Personal connections and gallery representation shouldn’t be prerequisites. A degree from a fancy design school shouldn’t be a price of entry. Gender, race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability - none of these factors should determine whether one can build a career in art and design.

Packaging sustainability pledge

Minted had all learned that taking care of the planet is an urgent need. As a brand founded in California, they love both paper and natural environment, and the company and its people believe that there should be no tradeoff between beauty and sustainability. This is only part of their effort to move Minted towards more environmentally friendly practices. They will not stop here. Minted’s 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper is thick, smooth, matte-finished and manufactured with wind power. This is their current recycled paper offering and they plan to add more options in the future. They are transitioning 100% of their stationery packaging to being recyclable or compostable and over 80% of this packaging will be made from either recycled, post-consumer waste, plant-based or sustainably-sourced materials. They will achieve this by the end of the year.

The Stalwart behind the Minted's Success

Mariam Naficy is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Minted. She is a serial entrepreneur who founded Minted in 2007 with the goal of creating a brand that would stay fresh forever. As a pioneer of the creator economy, Mariam created a community of independent artists and designers and a ‘crowdsourcing’ process that includes design competitions to consistently discover the best designers and the hottest trends. Mariam has immersed herself in Minted’s talented community of independent artists, who inspire her every day. She has pioneered consumer Internet models since 1998, when she co-founded the first online cosmetics retailer, Eve.com, which was sold for over $100 million. Mariam is also the Founder and Managing Partner of Heretic Ventures. She sits on the Board of Every Mother Counts, Medium, Victoria’s Secret, and Minted, and is a member of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council.