Mike Steib

Mike Steib found himself confronting the unforeseen challenge of a global pandemic just six months into his job as the CEO of Artsy, an online marketplace facilitating the trade of fine art in more than 100 countries. 

Thanks to its digitally native business model, Artsy wasn’t hit as hard by the pandemic as companies that rely on physical storefronts or live events. Yet, with the global economy largely shut down by COVID-19 for most of 2020, keeping business flowing as usual wasn’t easy. Aside from spending some much-needed time with his wife and kids (and developing a Peloton addiction), Steib focused most of his energy this year on perfecting Artsy’s mobile app to help galleries, artists and collectors find each other.

“We have been helping our partners weather the challenges of COVID-19 this year by expanding their digital presence, bringing them new collectors and increasing their sales,” Steib told Observer. “We are adding features like personalized recommendations and alerts, private viewing rooms from top galleries, free auction-pricing data, and proprietary market insights and data visualization to help collectors buy art with the highest confidence.”