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Tribeza Sets Up Its Future: Sale to Established Texas Media Group Will Bring Digital Innovation and Greater Reach

Tribeza Magazine, the leading arbiter of design, art, architecture and Austin culture for 22 years, has brought in a new managing partner to lead its future.

The principals behind Urban Publishers Inc., the 27-year-old media company that operates PaperCity Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, RoundTop.com, and the Round Top Antiques + Design Show Guide, have formed Tribeza Media LLC and taken on the majority ownership and management of Tribeza. The new owners do not plan to change the overall brand or major content of the venerable Austin magazine, and most of the staff will remain in place. A main cornerstone of the purchase is Urban Publisher Inc.’s proven ability to bolster the digital presence and advertising offerings of Tribeza.

“I’ve watched Tribeza since its inception in the early 2000s, and always admired its beautiful coverage of Austin’s interiors, architecture, food and culture scene,” says Jim Kastleman, the chairman of Urban Publishers, Round Top Publishers and now Tribeza Media. “I became friends over the years with George Elliman, its majority owner and publisher for the past decade. George passed the torch to a couple of already-existing partners about a year ago.

“He called a few months back and said it’s time to pass the torch again, this time to us, so we can transform Tribeza the way we did with PaperCity.”

Photo by Lindsey Brown

Chad Miller, a 13-year veteran of Urban Publishers, will be president of the new company. Miller spent several years growing the revenue platforms of the digital magazine CultureMap. He returned to Urban Publishers in 2016 to help transform PaperCity’s digital efforts. After building up a full-time staff of digital journalists, advertising leaders and social media experts, he turned PaperCity’s already strong print product into a powerful, digitally-relevant media force. He then did the same with Roundtop.com.

In addition to a number of new digital offerings, Tribeza partners can now tap into a media network that covers Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and Round Top, while the vital and ever-growing Austin market now becomes part of the Urban Publishers Inc. world.”

The new owners are committed to reengaging philanthropic initiatives that had been set aside during the pandemic years. Additionally, they will focus on print distribution by increasing Tribeza magazine’s availability by adding pickup locations, especially in the new stores, restaurants and high-rises that have become an important part of the Austin scene.

“It’s always been our advantage to drill deep and make sure the magazine is readily available to our targeted readers,” Kastleman says.

Photo by Holly Cowart

Holly Moore, the third partner in the venture and the editor-in-chief of PaperCity Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, will bring her extensive journalism background and interiors design expertise. Moore is already considering ways to bring Austin into the well-established and respected Texas Design Week and Design Awards. Tribeza has a deep foundation in architecture and interiors, and it puts on a yearly Interiors Tours that creates a unique and popular home viewing experience across the state’s capital.

This is a partnership built for the future, one geared around growing Tribeza and only increasing its standing as a vibrant, vital source for the Austin community.