Jon Oringer

‘99; CHAIRMAN, SHUTTERSTOCK

Jon Oringer is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of the popular microstock photography site Shutterstock. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Math and Computer Science from Stony Brook University, and completed his Master's degree in Computer Science at Columbia University.

Oringer pioneered the subscription based microstock photography business model when he created Shutterstock in 2003. Jon Oringer originally founded the company to sell his own images, but soon recognized that his work alone would not satisfy his customers' demand. In response, Jon Oringer decided to become an agent as well, so he could offer other people's work as a complement to his own.

By combining a personal interest in photography with a firsthand knowledge of the demand for diverse and compelling imagery in today's marketplace, Jon Oringer set out to provide high quality photographs in a way that he thought would make sense to his customers.

The company has enjoyed robust growth since its inception; it grew from 30,000 royalty-free stock images in 2003 to over 11 million in February 2010, and over 18 million in April, 2012. In 2009, Oringer was selected 41st on the Silicon Alley 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential entrepreneurs, investors, executives, and technologists in Manhattan.