Collage names co founder Ross Durbin as chief executive

Collage has appointed co-founder Ross Durbin as Chief Executive as the Denver-based digital asset management company prepares for its next phase of product development and growth.

Durbin takes the top job following a recent investment round that will fund work on what Collage describes as its next-generation DAM platform. The company is building tools that use AI and structured data to improve how teams store, find and share brand files such as images, video, audio and documents.

Digital asset management software has expanded beyond creative teams and marketing departments. More organisations now manage large volumes of content across remote and distributed teams, increasing demand for systems that track versions, control access and provide a single source for approved brand material.

Collage launched in 2024, founded by former Brandfolder staff members Daniel Campbell and Durbin. It positions its product as an alternative to older DAM platforms that it says require complex administration and come with higher costs.

Distribution focus

Collage's product design emphasises distributing approved assets to internal teams and external partners. The platform targets organisations that publish content across multiple channels and deliver files to agencies, retailers, sales teams and franchise networks.

Collage also targets sectors it says have been underserved by established DAM providers, including manufacturing, retail, consumer goods and technology. In these areas, teams often handle frequent product updates and large asset libraries but may lack the budget or resources for complex systems.

Durbin described Collage as a rethink of traditional DAM tools. "Collage is built around distribution, not enterprise complexity," he said. "Historically, digital asset management platforms were designed primarily for the teams creating and organizing content, with distribution treated as an afterthought. After years of watching teams lose time and momentum to disorganized content, we built Collage differently-putting distribution at the center to give teams of all sizes a more flexible, intuitive way to organize and share their content. This delivers a DAM experience that's no longer just file storage, but instead has evolved into core digital infrastructure that is faster, simpler, and more accessible than ever before," saod Durbin.

Collage says its system uses custom metadata, intelligent search and automated organisation. Those functions have become central to DAM competition as vendors add AI features and try to reduce the manual effort required to tag, sort and retrieve files.

Customer feedback

Collage cited Loopy Cases, a consumer goods brand, as a customer using the platform to share assets across teams. "No Box, no Dropbox - just Collage," said Jamie Kensinger, Creative Manager at Loopy Cases. "There's less confusion about where things live, and it's made delivering assets to different teams incredibly easy," said Kensinger.

The comments reflect a common challenge in content operations. Many organisations still rely on a mix of shared drives, email attachments and general-purpose file storage services, which can lead to duplication, inconsistent branding and delays in getting the right assets to the right people.

Leadership background

Durbin has more than a decade of experience in DAM, cloud and marketing technology product development, according to the company. He previously worked at Outside Interactive, with experience in product direction and building content models for teams managing brand assets at scale.

The investment round includes Colourado technology investors Luke Beatty and Mike Gellman. Beatty previously led Brandfolder and was involved in its sale to Smartsheet. He has also held executive roles at Verizon and AOL, and worked with Techstars Boulder. Gellman founded digital transformation firm Spire Digital, later acquired by Kin + Carta.

Collage also highlighted board member Steve Baker, the former CEO of Brandfolder. He said demand for simpler systems is rising as teams move away from legacy platforms and basic file storage tools. "The early momentum we're seeing isn't just about product - it's about timing," said Baker. "Collage is addressing a clear gap in the market for modern, affordable DAM that scales with today's distributed teams. The response from customers has been remarkable," he added.

The DAM market has attracted increased attention from content management and collaboration vendors as organisations formalise their content supply chains. Newer entrants are also targeting small and mid-sized businesses that want faster deployments and simpler workflows than long-established enterprise suites.

Durbin will lead Collage's next phase of development and expansion as it competes for teams looking to replace legacy DAM systems and fragmented content workflows.