A Letter from Our CEO: Storyblocks’ Support Amidst a Global Conflict

News
March 9, 2022

A Letter from Our CEO: Storyblocks’ Support Amidst a Global Conflict


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In the past couple of weeks, we have witnessed a violent Russian invasion that has forced millions of innocent civilians to uproot their lives, and abandon their homes to survive. As people, we are heartbroken, and as an organization, we care deeply about how these attacks impact our community.

We have been actively monitoring how our artists and their families have been directly affected, and are taking steps to support the Ukrainian humanitarian efforts. The well-being of our partners around the globe is and will remain our top concern.

Supporting humanitarian efforts

We have donated $25,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross – a global humanitarian organization that is operating on the ground delivering assistance to civilians that are at-risk.

For more information on this organization or to donate, visit their website.

Supporting our impacted creators

We have allocated funds for impacted artists and creators to provide them with flexible payment options and alleviate financial stress during this conflict. For more information on how we are supporting our contributors, visit our contributor FAQ page.

Empowering communities to tell authentic stories

Our driving motivations at Storyblocks are rooted in empowering communities globally to share their authentic stories – and we strive to honor that in every action we take. In that spirit, we do not wish to create restrictions to any single group – specifically sanctions against Russian content or creators.  

As a US-based business, we will continue to follow federal sanctions wherever applicable.

At the end of the day, whatever our chosen profession, we are all connected through the shared experience of humanity. It is difficult to comprehend the dislocation and suffering of Ukrainian communities, and our hearts go out to all of the innocent lives affected by this crisis.

In solidarity,
TJ Leonard
CEO of Storyblocks

TJ Leonard

CEO

TJ Leonard is the CEO of Storyblocks, a different kind of content company delivering a fresh approach to meet the creative needs of a new generation of storytellers. TJ is a New Hampshire native, who graduated from the University of Virginia and MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and lives in Washington DC with his wife and two kids.