About CI
Work that Transforms. People that Inspire.
Capacity Interactive (CI) is the premier digital marketing consulting firm for arts and culture. Since 2008, we’ve been working with ambitious arts and cultural organizations to engage audiences, build community, and market smarter through close, personal partnerships. Our clients are our passion as much as our industry—we stand up for the organizations and people we serve and are committed to consulting each courageously.
Our Mission
We help arts, culture, events, and attractions embrace a robust digital strategy that leverages today’s digital tools to engage community, build and sustain audiences, and drive revenue for the future.
Our Values
We Partner Generously
We believe in the power of collaboration and building strong, trusting relationships.
We create value together with our clients and the communities they serve.
We freely share knowledge, resources, and support to help arts and culture thrive.
We cultivate trust within our teams and value the growth and learning that we inspire in one another.
We take the time to connect, listen, and support each other both inside and outside of work.
We Act with Integrity
We Strive For Excellence
We Celebrate Our Differences
We Are Always in Beta
Our History
In 2008, Capacity Interactive was started by Erik Gensler at the kitchen table in his Brooklyn apartment. Born at a time when the digital landscape was changing by the hour, CI’s focus at conception was 100% on digital marketing for arts organizations.
As CI grew, so did our ability to reach more organizations and expand practice areas. The company that started with just two clients now serves over 250 arts and cultural organizations through our consulting work, and thousands more through our conferences and resources for the field. In addition to CI’s thoughtful, comprehensive marketing services, CI is dedicated to offering education for our industry, which ranges from free resources to marketing courses and a popular annual conference, Boot Camp.
In 2021, Erik transferred 100% ownership of the company to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and transitioned into the role of Founder. Through the ESOP, CI employees are allocated shares of CI stock, and so the long-term value of the company goes to CI’s employees and families. In tandem with this transition, Priya Iyer Doshi, a former CI consultant, stepped into the role of President, leading the firm through its first years as an ESOP in addition to significant service area and constituency expansion.
Since 2021, we have worked closely with inclusivity experts to ensure diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility (DEIBA) are prioritized at CI. We’ve iterated on our approach to this over the years to continuously improve and deepen our efforts—another way we’re always in beta.
CI remains the premier marketing firm for arts, culture, events, attractions, and entertainment. Explore our work or get in touch!
Our Team
Our team has over 65 people working virtually around the U.S. And since we work exclusively with arts and culture, we’ve cultivated a unique perspective, razor-sharp industry knowledge, and deep empathy for our industry and clients. We’re data nerds at CI, but our capabilities extend beyond numbers and results.
Get in Touch
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