A few hours back, a lengthy status message was posted on Arianna Huffington’s Facebook page.
The editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post announced that she is moving on to another journey—a brand new venture called Thrive Global .
“For the past 11 years, The Huffington Post has been at the center of my life, and frankly I thought it would be my last act. What we have built together has exceeded my wildest expectations. Never did I imagine when there were just five of us working out of my home office in L.A. that we’d grow HuffPost to be one of the most-visited news sites in the world with editions in (soon-to-be) 16 countries and a Pulitzer Prize-winning global leader in news and politics, solutions journalism, and wellness,” Arianna Huffington wrote on her Facebook page.
In June, however, Arianna made it clear that she wanted to manage both the Huffington Post and Thrive Global. But things didn’t seem to go her way, and now she has made Thrive Global her sole focus. In a press release, she announced that Thrive Global has closed its Series A funding round.
“For far too long we have been operating under a collective delusion that burning out is the necessary price for achieving success. This couldn’t be less true. All the latest science is conclusive that, in fact, not only is there no trade-off between living a well-rounded life and high performance, but performance is actually improved when we prioritize our health and well-being. It’s time to move from knowing what to do to actually doing it,” Arianna Huffington said on the company’s website .
#AriannaHuffington leaving the #HuffingtonPost https://t.co/nO838mxuCl pic.twitter.com/y60CYTpNON
— Joy105.com (@Joy105com) August 11, 2016
Thrive Global is nothing like the Huffington Post . According to the press release, the company calls itself a corporate and consumer wellbeing and productivity platform. Thrive Global provides trainings, seminars, e-courses, coaching, and ongoing support based on the latest scientific findings from experts in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, productivity, sports, and sleep.
“Arianna’s unique insights into how we consume news has transformed the media landscape. Through Thrive Global, she will once again transform an industry and have a profound impact on how we live and work,” said entrepreneur and philanthropist Sean Parker, an investor in Thrive Global.
#ariannahuffington to staff: “You can take the girl out of HuffPost, but you can’t take Huffpost out of the girl” ?? pic.twitter.com/rwMS8aPEVD
— Poppie Mphuthing (she/her) (@PoppieMphuthing) August 11, 2016
According to the company’s press release, Thrive Global will launch after the election in November. The company will partner with thought leaders, including Adam Grant and Wharton People Analytics, to measure the impact of its services on employee retention, wellbeing, and productivity.
SC Keck School of Medicine professor Dr. David Agus, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini, Fred Harman, Kenny Lerer and Thrive Global President Abby Levy will be joining the board, which is chaired by Arianna Huffington, who will also be Thrive Global’s CEO.
“Arianna has always been at the forefront of the Zeitgeist, understanding and creating new culture. She will do it again with Thrive, addressing a deep need of our modern societies,” said Nicolas Berggruen, an investor.
Like Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In initiative, Thrive Global is a force to reckon with. The company is also an embodiment of woman power.
“As early investors in Thrive Global, we’re excited to be backing one of our most successful female entrepreneurs in creating a much-needed platform to help companies find a better way to maintain a stronger worklife integration for their employees,” said Anu Duggal, Founding Partner of Female Founders Fund.
Thrive Global’s primary focus is on the overall health and wellness of a company and its human resources. At a time when employees are struggling with stress, Thrive Global’s solutions come just in time to save the ones in distress.
“Many talk about wellness and health, but Arianna has put together a program, based on data, that actually works for the individual and for the corporation. I am proud to join the effort to effect a meaningful difference in people’s lives through Thrive Global,” said Dr. David Agus.
The investors of Thrive Global are Blue Pool Capital, Greycroft Partners, Advancit Capital, Female Founders Fund, technology and health philanthropist Zoë Baird, Chairman of Berggruen Institute and Berggruen Holdings Nicolas Berggruen, Joanna Coles, Bridgewater founder and CEO Ray Dalio, Chief economic adviser to Allianz (Pimco’s corporate parent) Mohamed ElErian, Thrive Market Cofounders Nick Green and Gunnar Lovelace, Oak Investment Managing Partner Fred Harman, artist Isabella Huffington, NBA All Star Andre Iguodala, and entrepreneur and philanthropist Sean Parker.
[Photo by Evan Agostini/AP Images]