What's New: The 2026 RiseWorks Website

When we launched RiseWorks, our website did one thing well: it explained who we are. But as our model evolved — from photo-video subscriptions to a full creative infrastructure for impact organizations — the site couldn't keep up. So we rebuilt it from scratch.

Here's what's different, why we made each change, and what it means for the organizations we work with.

A new pricing model: Creative Blocks

Our old site described production in terms of half-day shoots. That was accurate but limiting — it didn't capture the flexibility organizations actually need. The new site introduces Creative Blocks: modular units of production that can be allocated across video, photo, or podcast each month.

Two plans replace the old tiered structure. Launch ($2K/month) gives you 2 Creative Blocks to use however you want — all video one month, split between photo and podcast the next. Shows ($2K/month) locks 2 blocks to podcast production, delivering 3 episodes per month with full cut-downs, thumbnails, and multi-platform publishing. Enterprise is custom-priced for foundations and institutions managing storytelling across multiple grantees or programs.

The shift matters because it gives organizations predictable costs with genuine flexibility. No more scoping individual projects or negotiating per-shoot rates.

StoryOS: AI-powered project planning

The biggest addition is StoryOS — an AI assistant built into the site that helps organizations figure out what they need before they ever talk to a human. Available on every page via the green "Tell Your Story" button, StoryOS asks about your organization, goals, and content needs, then recommends specific services, case studies, and next steps.

It's not a chatbot that reads from a script. StoryOS adapts its questions based on the page you're on — whether you're browsing enterprise solutions, reading a case study, or exploring pricing. On the contact page, it helps qualify your needs before you fill out the form. For enterprise visitors, it asks about portfolio size and grantee models.

Behind the scenes, StoryOS uses Claude to understand context, extract organizational needs, and generate personalized recommendations. Every conversation is routed to our team with quality signals so we can respond faster and more relevantly.

RiseWorks Academy

We've always believed in building capacity, not dependency. The new Academy section makes that concrete with self-paced courses designed for communications staff, executive directors, and program leads. The first module — Storytelling Foundations — covers the science of story, ethical storytelling practices, finding stories in your organization, and frameworks for structuring impact narratives.

Two more modules are in development: Visual Production Basics (Q2 2026) and Content Strategy & Distribution (Q3 2026). Academy access is included with every plan.

Enterprise and vertical solutions

The old site hinted at enterprise work. The new site builds it out fully with dedicated pages for foundations, public institutions, healthcare, corporate CSR, and membership organizations. Each vertical page speaks directly to the specific storytelling challenges of that sector.

The enterprise model works differently from individual subscriptions: institutions purchase blocks on behalf of their grantees or programs, creating storytelling infrastructure across an entire portfolio. The SHIFT Nursing film — directed by co-founder Chad Tingle for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — serves as the anchor case study, demonstrating what portfolio-wide storytelling looks like in practice.

Podcast production as a first-class service

The original site mentioned video and photo. Podcast production is now a dedicated service with its own page, pricing plan, and production pipeline. The Shows plan includes 3 episodes per month, professional cut-downs for social, captions, thumbnails, episode artwork, guest promo kits, and multi-platform publishing setup.

StoryStack and the Content Flywheel

Our StoryStack framework — Search & Discovery, Stories, Series — now has its own dedicated page explaining how we turn a single production day into 26+ content assets. The Content Flywheel visualization shows how one shoot generates full-length videos, social clips, quote cards, audiograms, stills, and more, each optimized for different platforms and distribution goals.

Case studies with real results

The case studies section is now powered by a CMS, with each study documenting specific metrics, deliverables, and the creative process. Individual case study pages include video embeds, gallery grids, testimonials, and related projects. StoryOS tracks which case study you viewed and uses that context to make better recommendations.

The Our Story experience

We built a narrative page that walks visitors through the problem we solve, how our model works, and what makes it different — using the same storytelling principles we apply to client work. It features animated characters, interactive StoryOS demos, and direct links to every service, enterprise vertical, and pricing option. It's the page we'd want someone to see if they could only visit one.

Under the hood

The new site is built with Next.js, React 19, and Tailwind CSS v4 — a complete departure from the previous stack. Pages load faster, images are optimized automatically, and the entire site supports light and dark modes. Illustrations throughout the site use a hand-drawn ink-and-watercolor style created with Gemini, giving the brand a distinctive visual identity that avoids stock photography clichés.

What stays the same

Our mission hasn't changed. RiseWorks exists because every organization doing important work deserves visual storytelling that matches the scale of their impact. We're still a public benefit corporation. We still pay our creators salaries, not gig rates. And we still believe the best content comes from teams that are embedded in your mission, not hired for a weekend.

The new site just makes it easier to see all of that — and to take the first step.

Explore the new site at riseworks.org, or hit the green button on any page to start a conversation with StoryOS.