Every year, Founded Communities releases a mini-magazine highlighting our community's impact. In the 2024-2025 year, we were thrilled to feature four of our members doing impressive work, from creating mental health spaces where clients feel represented to bringing transparency to photography. Read our story about Justin Kase Conder, founder of JKase & Co.

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Justin Kase Conder knew what he wanted out of his future career path by the time he had completed eighth grade.

“I wanted to work outside, I wanted to meet different people every day, and I didn’t want to wear a suit and tie to work.”

These guidelines and a healthy consumption of Peter Jennings on ABC’s World News Tonight led him to consider television journalism as a cameraman, before pursuing print journalism as a writer, and finally landing on photojournalism.

Today, Justin owns a small production company specializing in commercial photography and video production, working with clients like Welch’s, Caterpillar, and Mack Trucks. Justin’s work is also local – anyone who’s visited the State Fair has likely seen him racing about with his camera as the event’s official photographer, expertly easing the nerves of his subjects and capturing moments quiet and loud.

Seeing Justin in action and viewing his extensive list of accomplishments would have anyone assume he was a natural. However, his path was a bit more complicated than picking up the camera and honing an instinctive talent.

“I had the diligence and passion but I wouldn’t by any stretch of the imagination say that I was naturally artistic [...] There was a lot of growth early on.”

The growth is evident in the work that Justin and his team produce, a result of his nearly life-long dedication. Before graduating high school, Justin had taken photography classes, shot content for his school’s yearbook, and gotten a job as a photographer for his local university. When Justin got into college on a full-ride scholarship, he pursued the school’s photography program while seeking mentors in local photojournalists.

He worked primarily as a photojournalist for the next several years before becoming an international travel photographer for seven years and then transitioning to commercial (business-to-business) work eight years ago.

One key to success as a photographer, Justin posits, is knowing how to do more than take photos.

“... Business acumen, marketing classes, networking classes – your soft skills weigh more heavily on your success as a photographer at the end of the day.”

Another attribute that can influence a photographer's success? Creating a community culture to balance the intense gatekeeping in artistic spaces. Justin believes in the power of transparency, especially regarding rates and pricing.

“As a photojournalist, I went to a workshop in Philadelphia [...] and there were photographers

discussing how much they were charging for their jobs. They were charging, like, $30,000 for projects and I [was] making $29,000 a year.”

Witnessing that discussion made Justin aware of a potential future – a pathway that would allow him to live more sustainably. It also made it that much more important to him that photographers know their worth and charge their clients accordingly.

“When I came to North Carolina, I realized people were not charging rates that would allow them to be sustainable. I saw that as an opportunity to share knowledge I learned early in my career [...] to put a fire under them, to motivate them. My philosophy was: rising tides raise ships.”

A lot of Justin’s early business and estimate knowledge came from his involvement in the American Society of Media Photographers, which he recommends as a resource for photographers, alongside organizations like Wonderful Machine, who consult with photographers to produce estimates for specific shoots.

While compensation is important, an interesting project can tip the scales.

“Sometimes, potential clients will say ‘we don’t have the money.’ Okay, tell me, is your company cool? Is the project interesting? Does it look like it’ll be fun? Because, I’ll work with you.”

Whether Justin is shooting new photos for the country’s most notable brands, spending the weekend in a wet-suit taking pictures in the ocean, or having his work placed in newspapers and galleries all around the world, one throughline remains:

“I love people. That’s why I love to do this.”

You can find Justin primarily around our Raleigh Founded - Gateway location. Learn more about our offices, events, and coworking memberships in Downtown Raleigh at raleighfounded.com.