RENO, Nev. (Nov. 8, 2018) – The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) announced today that RIZKNOWS, an innovative, digital media company has moved its corporate headquarters and video operations to a newly renovated 6,000 square foot facility in downtown Reno, Nevada. The company has already begun hiring and is expected to fill up to 20 positions. This announcement was made at EDAWN’s Major Investor Luncheon held today at the Atlantis Casino Resort.
RIZKNOWS was founded in 2013 and raised a small seed round in 2016. Operating with only four employees for the majority of 2017, RIZKNOWS has expanded its team to 11, which includes several recent graduates from the University of Nevada Reno. The company has experienced robust growth in viewership, traffic and revenue from its popular, short-form video product reviews, which often outrank articles from some of the largest media outlets such as CNET, Men’s Health, and the Business Insider.
“Initially, we looked at four other cities, including Las Vegas but Reno ultimately won out,” said Jeff Rizzo, Founder and CEO of RIZKNOWS. “We could see that Reno was going to be an entrepreneurial “hotbed” for years to come and that the other cities we considered had already experienced their large economic boom. We also wanted to grow the business but realized that staying in California would make the process more difficult than it had to be. Between higher taxes, regulations, and cost of living, we quickly came to the realization that we had to move out of the state. Reno has the perfect blend of a friendly business environment, bustling downtown scene and a major university that has a tremendous media program and talent pool. We are thrilled to be in Reno and hope to become an even larger part of the tech and entrepreneur community here.”
“Welcoming an innovative company like RIZKNOWS further demonstrates that Reno’s economy is expanding as the city itself positively evolves and transforms,” Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve said. “I’m also very proud that the RIZKNOWS team consists of some exceptional homegrown talent from the University of Nevada, Reno. This is truly a Biggest Little City business success story.”
“We are so excited that RIZKNOWS and its corporate headquarters are now a part of the Reno-Sparks family. They are another great addition to our growing technology ecosystem which is transforming our economy,” said Mike Kazmierski, President and CEO of EDAWN. “Video product reviews, like those produced by RIZKNOWS, are really taking off, and in the last five years, RIZKNOWS has reached over 70 million people.”
Bram Buckley, CCIM, Avison Young Commercial Real Estate assisted RIZKNOWS in their relocation to Reno.
About EDAWN
The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada is a private/public partnership established in 1983. They are committed to adding quality jobs to the region by recruiting new companies, supporting the success of existing companies, and assisting newly forming companies, to diversify the economy and have a positive impact on the quality of life in Greater Reno-Sparks. For more information, www.edawn.org.
Contact:
Norma Yamaji
Economic Development Authority off Western Nevada
Program Manager, Business Development
775-829-3768, yamaji@edawn.org
Contact:
Matt Ross
RIZKNOWS LLC
Head of Business Development
775-451-700, matt@rizknows.com
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