INNOVATIVE DIGITAL STUDIO ANNOUNCES MOVE TO ASHEVILLE, NC

Asheville, NC – Curious Sense, in conjunction with the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville Buncombe County, is pleased to announce its relocation to the city of Asheville from the Research Triangle of North Carolina. Curious Sense designs digital games, social media, mobile apps, virtual worlds, and online communities for the media and entertainment industry.

Curious Sense chose to re-locate to Asheville based on the area’s quality of life, its rich cultural and creative heritage, and for the beauty of this region of North Carolina. “We have always loved visiting Asheville,” said Adam Blumenthal, CEO & Chief Strategist at Curious Sense. “Earlier this year my wife was inspired to suggest moving our family and business here. After meeting members of the business community and imagining our company in Downtown Asheville, we decided now was the perfect time,”. Blumenthal’s wife, Juditta Musette, is a creative director at the company.

Curious Sense got its start in the summer of 2008 and has grown to eight employees. The firm develops new kinds of online and mobile products for some of the world’s biggest entertainment companies. Their innovative work has been recognized by publications such as The New York Times, NPR, NBC, MTV, and Billboard.

“Buncombe County welcomes Curious Sense to our community. Asheville is already known for innovation technology development and a creative workforce; we know that Curious Sense will find the environment and talent it needs to succeed,” said David Gantt, Chair of the Buncombe County Commission. Curious Sense will open its Asheville doors in October, 2010, bringing some of their employees with them from the Research Triangle Park. “We’re very excited about the great creative, tech, and innovation-minded talent of this area,” said Blumenthal, “we’ve already begun to meet some of the affinity groups and organizations where we’ll meet potential team members and collaborators.”

“Curious Sense is a great example of our tourism industry creating opportunities for economic development here in Asheville and Buncombe County. Having more visitors to our community helps generate interest in moving families and companies to our beautiful mountain home,” stated K. Ray Bailey, Chair of the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County.

The EDC for Asheville-Buncombe County is a public-private partnership committed to: creating and retaining high quality jobs, community leadership, and being a resource for better business decisions. The EDC accomplishes this mission through its four core services: business retention & expansion, small business & entrepreneurship, research, and marketing & recruitment. The EDC is funded by Buncombe County, the City of Asheville, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Advantage Asheville Campaign.

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce is a 2,000+ member organization representing 86,000 employees. Chamber members collaborate with community organizations and coalitions to support the community and each other with the mission of increasing the region’s livability by advancing its economic vitality. The Asheville Chamber works diligently to ensure that Asheville continues to prosper while also protecting the natural beauty of the area. In 2006, the Chamber moved to a new location and is now home to the 4,000 square foot Visitor Center which welcomes 200,000 visitors per year.