Orca taps ecommerce vets to forge new creator partnerships and grow TikTok Shop sales

Orca is expanding its executive team in a bid for more social shopping dollars. The ecommerce startup has announced key internal promotions and a fair of new hires: Chris Miller is the company’s new Vice President of Orca Studios, while Haodong (Lucy) Yin is taking over as Orca’s Head of Creator Partnerships.

Since its founding in 2020, Orca has provided creators with ecommerce tools that go beyond typical storefronts and affiliate links. These days, the company conducts much of its business on TikTok Shop, where it is the official partner for brands like elf Cosmetics and Esteé Lauder. Orca has also hosted streamed events on behalf of brands like Samsung and Zappo‘s across major shopping platforms.

The new additions to the Orca exec team will contribute to its live shopping operation in different ways. Miller, who previously headed production at mindfulness app Headspace, has been tasked with leading Orca’s short video team and has been put in charge of the company’s eight live shopping studios in Culver City.

Yin comes to Orca from Xiaohongshu, which is one of the fastest-growing apps in China. Often described as “Chinese Instagram,” Xiaohongshu has become an ecommerce juggernaut. Its 2023 yearly profit was said to exceed $500 million. Yin’s experience working on Xiaohongshu’s creator partnerships team is already serving her well at Orca, where she is leading a six-person team that works with more than 10,000 affiliate sellers on TikTok Shop. That network produced more than $1.4 million 

in sales in January alone, according to Orca.

To go along with its new hires, Orca is promoting one of its first employees, Tim Ryan. Two-and-a-half years after joining Orca as an ecommerce manager, Ryan has ascended to the title of Chief Commerce Officer. In that role, his work will cover multiple responsibilities, including operations, strategy, logistics, customer service, and partner support.

Orca is led by Co-Founders Max Benator and Lauren Stevens. “If there is such a thing as experts in an emerging industry, we’ve found them in Lucy, Chris, and Tim,” Stevens said in a statement. “With each bringing a rich experience in their respective field and relentless passion and drive, this powerhouse team will ensure Orca continues to lead the way in social commerce.”

The rise of platforms like TikTok Shop have brought rapid growth to Orca’s shores. The company’s roster now includes 24 full-time employees as well as 30 exclusive on-camera hosts.