Entertainment veteran Amanda Farrand has a new gig — where she’s in charge of sparking joy on the internet, and, ideally, making some money from it.
Upworthy, a digital aggregator and producer of viral uplifting stories, has hired Farrand as its new CEO. She officially joined the L.A.-based company on May 26 after holding senior roles at Imagine Entertainment and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.
Upworthy’s mission statement is to share “the best of humanity every day through stories that remind us of what we all have in common.” The site launched in 2012 and was acquired in 2017 by Good Worldwide, which is dedicated to empowering “people and organizations to be a force for good — together.” In addition to Upworthy, it owns media platform Good and snack brand All In. Prior to Farrand’s appointment, Max Schorr, CEO of Good Worldwide, had overseen the Upworthy business and now will focus more fully on Good Worldwide’s next phase of growth.
As CEO, Farrand is leading Upworthy as it positions itself to be increasingly focused on “direct audience relationships, creator ecosystems and content innovation,” the company said. In addition, former Participant Media COO Gabe Brakin will join Upworthy as a strategic adviser.
