During the course of her 15 year career, veteran Theatre Producer and standup comedian Jill Bourque observed a critical problem: great shows are often unable to fill seats. She found that this issue hit lesser-known performers even harder, as it has become increasingly more difficult to gain traction via live shows.
It’s hard to get people to come see your stuff. Amazing performing arts without engaged audiences can't grow and thrive,
says Jill Bourque, Founder and CEO of RushTix. Jill dug into this issue and found that part of the problem was people becoming passive and disconnected. People now have so much access to entertainment via screens that they often do not go out and seek experiences where they can connect with others through arts and culture.
She decided that if she started a service that would make the process of attending a performance as easy as watching a show on Netflix, this issue could be solved. Empty seats could be filled and people could become more engaged.
I want people to experience more things in the real world.
Armed with the knowledge of a problem and a possible solution, Jill entered the Founder Institute’s Silicon Valley chapter and began to turn her idea into reality: RushTix.
RushTix is an entertainment service that charges a flat fee for unlimited access to a variety of performances and events. It has been widely described as “Netflix for live events,” a title that has been reinforced by RushTix’s monthly pricing plans. Currently, RushTix aims its services at the San Francisco Bay Area, prioritizing quality within a particular region rather than geographical quantity.
Our whole thing is getting people off of their screens and into live experiences. We really feel like that's crucial for everyone. It's good for artists, good for patrons and good for society to experience art live and not just sitting at home on the couch.
Since its creation in 2014, RushTix has been growing and has built a loyal following. RushTix presented at the 2015 Launch Festival, as they were selected by Angel Investor Jason Calacanis as one of 7 companies (out of 150) to launch onstage. RushTix has also been collecting accolades achieving such honors as Best Mobile App DeveloperWeek Hackathon (2014) and the Founder Showcase Crowdpitch Competition (2014). As RushTix continues to grow, one can only wonder: is this the future of live entertainment?
Graduates of the Founder Institute are creating some of the world's fastest growing startups, having raised over $1.75BN in funding, and building products people love across over 200 cities worldwide.
See the most recent news from our Grads at FI.co/news, or learn more about their stories at FI.co/journey.
