I lead community strategy and operations for PiggyBanx, Inc., growing their Discord from zero to 1,940+ collectors with 55% retained a year or more — well above industry norms. My role spans strategy, execution, and cross-functional collaboration across the studio.
PiggyBanx is a Newport Beach-based collectible art studio known for ultra-limited releases designed with the discipline of a luxury object and the soul of fan culture. With over 61,000 Instagram followers and a devoted collector community built entirely around limited drops, the studio had one of the most engaged audiences in the collectible art space — but no Discord presence whatsoever when I joined in June 2024.
I came on as Head of Community to change that. My mandate was to build the studio's Discord community from scratch — creating the platform, the structure, and the culture that would give PiggyBanx collectors a dedicated home beyond Instagram. Everything that exists on their Discord today was built by me.
In the time since, the community has grown to more than 1,940 collectors, with 55% retained for a year or longer and weekly member retention holding at 54.3% — nearly triple Discord's own ~20% benchmark, alongside 680+ monthly active visitors. I built a leveling system, member leaderboards, and automated workflows that keep the community active between drops, and I run the events and drop-day programming that drive turnout and deepen collector loyalty.
The Challenge
PiggyBanx had a passionate, deeply loyal collector base that existed almost entirely on Instagram. The challenge was to take a community that had formed organically around a social media feed and give it real infrastructure — a space where collectors could connect with each other and the studio directly, get support, engage with drops in real time, and become part of something that felt as considered and intentional as the art itself.
The Approach
I approached this as a brand extension project as much as a community build. PiggyBanx pieces are treated as cultural artifacts — the community had to match that standard. That meant designing a Discord that reflected the studio's aesthetic sensibility, building engagement systems that fit how collectors actually think and behave, and creating a space that felt like a natural home for the existing Instagram audience rather than a generic Discord server.
The Solution
Built the PiggyBanx Discord community from the ground up beginning June 2024 — full server architecture, channel structure, role hierarchy, permissions, bot configuration, and onboarding flow. Designed engagement systems and community programming tailored to a collector audience: drop announcements, release discussions, collector showcases, and direct studio interaction channels. Created FAQs, community guidelines, moderation policies, and support infrastructure. Manage day-to-day operations, direct member engagement, and cross-functional collaboration with internal studio teams to ensure community insights inform product and release decisions. Serve as the primary point of contact between the studio and its community. Built a leveling system, member leaderboards, and automated workflows that reward participation and keep the community active between drops. Created and run community events and drop-day programming that drive turnout and deepen collector loyalty.
The Results
Built PiggyBanx's entire Discord presence from zero — the studio had no Discord community before June 2024. The community has grown to 1,940+ collectors, with 55% retained for a year or more, weekly member retention holding at 54.3% (versus Discord's own ~20% benchmark), and 680+ monthly active visitors. Top channels including #drops, #mail-day, and #collector-chat drive consistent daily engagement, powered by a custom leveling system, member leaderboards, and automated workflows built to keep the community active between drops.