Historic Flatiron Landmark to Become the Romio Building

NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Romio, the soon-to-launch platform that allows users to find and book local services through a trusted network of experts and friends, will debut the Romio Building, its new headquarters, on October 1^st, it was announced today by Tarik Sansal, the company's Founder and CEO. Located in New York's storied Flatiron District, the offices will feature four floors of space and artwork by James Goldcrown, the renowned street artist whose "Bleeding Hearts" paintings have become an international phenomenon. The offices, which will house Romio's growing staff and their esteemed panel of experts, were designed by architect Matthew Kelly, who infused the space with earthy materials, natural light, plants and artwork to achieve the perfect melodic tone for the startup company's home base.

"Romio is a next-generation platform that brings together the most respected experts with discerning users, and we wanted a home that reflects that standard," said Sansal. "Being a startup, we want to create a fun, vibrant environment that fosters creativity, inspiration, curiosity and a sense of purpose. We don't look at this space as an office but as a home where the best ideas are thought of, exchanged and executed. I couldn't think of a better artist to help achieve this than James Goldcrown, whose art is filled with passion and aspiration."

"I think what Romio is doing is extraordinary, and the passion Tarik and his team are bringing to this is inspiring," said Goldcrown. "The desire to connect is at the root of their platform, and that is a universal theme that informs many artists, including me. I'm very proud to have my art alive in Romio's new office, and I hope it provides the right influence as they work to grow the company."

Goldcrown's "Bleeding Hearts/ Lovewall" series is a critically-acclaimed concept that famously happened by accident. The artist was testing the pressure of spray paint cans while producing a mixed media campaign, and simply sprayed hearts on a door in his studio to get the right thrust. A client happened to see the impromptu mural and bought it on the spot. Sensing momentum, Goldcrown brought the idea to Art Basel in Miami, and his pieces sold out within hours. He has since created lovewalls around the globe, including throughout the US as well as China, Japan, South Korea and Brazil.

As Sansal began building the staff at Romio and planning to open a permanent home, he gravitated toward the "Bleeding Hearts" concept as the core of the new office's design. He enlisted Matthew Kelly, one of the most creative and respected minds in architecture, to marry the artwork into the construction and layout. Kelly brought his own influences into the project, producing one of the most ingenious office designs for a startup company.

"Tarik was very specific with what he wanted to achieve with Romio's new headquarters, and I'm heartened by how collaborative and trusting he and his team were with my instincts, vision and design," said architect Kelly, founder and CEO of the Dreams Become Reality firm. "It was a meeting of the minds, and the result will be something we are all incredibly proud of."

About Romio
Launching this fall, Romio is a platform that allows users to find and book local services through a trusted network of experts and friends. Led by Tarik Sansal, Romio is a social movement to drive genuine prosperity for users of the platform, democratizing digital commerce in a peer-to-peer ecosystem while rewarding loyalty and credibility. To date, the company has secured significant funding from global investors with initial seed funding from reputable names including Bob Gelfond, an early investor of Amazon, and several other successful tech companies. Romio plans to expand to major cities across the US by 2018. The company was founded by Sansal, who previously started OnTargetJobs.com, a roll-up of niche recruitment sites which generated $160 million in revenue. Before that, Sansal formed InvestorPosition.com, a digital destination focused on careers in investment management and banking. Sansal has the distinction of being the very first hire by investor John Moon for his emerging markets hedge fund, Moon Capital, which later became an investment arm of Oak Tree Capital. Sansal previously held positions with Yamaichi Bank, where he worked on its Asian Institutional Equities sales desk, and as a Wall Street research analyst at Sharpe Capital. He is a graduate from the University of Westminster in London.

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SOURCE Romio