James Thornton, Leader of Tafi and Daz 3D, Named 2022 Utah CEO of the Year

Utah Business Magazine honors Thornton for Exceptional Leadership in Web3

SALT LAKE CITY and VANCOUVER, BC, March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- James Thornton – Chairman and CEO of Tafi and Daz 3D – was named 2022 Utah CEO of the Year by Utah Business Magazine due to his exceptional leadership, vision in revolutionizing 3D technology, and trailblazing initiatives with NFTs and web3.

Thornton has served as CEO of Daz 3D for over ten years, and co-founded Tafi in 2019. With his leadership, the company has become a leading player in NFTs, web3, the metaverse, and advanced 3D avatar technology. He has led growth intiativatives with iconic brands like Coca-Cola, Champion, RTFKT (now Nike), Warner Brothers and Samsung.

Known for his impassioned drive and effective leadership, Thornton early on transformed Daz 3D into a stable, profitable and growing business that collaborates with thousands of talented artists around the world. Today, the two brands, Tafi and Daz 3D, are experiencing surging growth and success in both established and new markets. The company is in the process of doubling the size of its team and recently expanded to a second office in Vancouver, Canada. 

"James is especially deserving of this honor, and the success and growth of our company is just one reason why," said Matt Wilburn, President of Tafi and Daz 3D. "James has led this company to stay true to its mission of empowering creative people around the world, while guiding the company head-on into the wild-west of web3 and the metaverse. He's a people-first leader who is sincerely invested in the success of his colleagues, friends and partners."

Tafi and Daz 3D has become a market leader in NFT strategy, marketing and full-stack development. From creating never-before-seen technology for NFT collections like RTFKT Clone-X's 3D utility, to dropping their own NFT collection, Non-Fungible People, the company is at the forefront of innovation in the metaverse. Under James's leadership, the company has worked to create a more diverse, representative and inclusive experience for all.

Utah Business Magazine will honor Thornton at an awards ceremony on March 31, 2022.

Daz 3D provides a 3D marketplace and free software suite with content that can be exported into other major 3D software programs, allowing artists and designers to create high-resolution stills and animations while building professional quality 3D scenes. Founded in 2000, Daz 3D's digital marketplace offers hobbyists and professionals tens of thousands of 3D products with over 5 million inter-compatible 3D assets for Daz Studio and other 3D applications.

Daz 3D has created the most artist-friendly digital marketplace, paying nearly $100 million to its global network of contributing artists. Users of Daz Studio create more than 20 million images and animations annually using Daz 3D products. With over 4 million downloads, Daz continues to drive efforts at the forefront of digital identity and expression. Learn more about Daz 3D.

Founded in 2019, Tafi's mission is to make personalized avatars and branded digital content available to anyone and everyone who wants to level up their digital personality. Tafi's best-in-class avatar solutions are portable across platforms including mobile, gaming, XR, social media, messaging, and video communications. Tafi is also the developer of Daz 3D, a massive 3D marketplace and free software suite with content that can go anywhere. Tafi's investors include Benchmark Capital, Columbia Capital, and Ponte Partners. Learn more at www.MakeTafi.com.

CONTACT

Julie Solomon

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SOURCE Tafi