Molly DeWolf Swenson

Molly DeWolf Swenson is an American entrepreneur, musician and Emmy-winning film producer. She is the co-founder and CEO of Mozi, alongside Ev Williams. [1] She was also a co-founder of Los Angeles-based media company RYOT, which was acquired in 2016 by HuffPost / AOL (now Oath, Inc, a subsidiary of Verizon),[2] a venture capitalist at LA-based technology fund 3Rodeo[3] and a contestant on Season 10 of American Idol while she was interning at The White House under President Barack Obama.[4]

Early life and education

Swenson was born in Seattle, to a doctor mother and a dancer father. She attended Garfield High School and then Harvard University, where she graduated in 2010.[5]

Career

While interning at the White House, she auditioned for American Idol, where she was considered an early top contender.[6] After American Idol, she was hired by Global Philanthropy Group[7] where she worked with Shakira, Kobe Bryant, and Ben Stiller on philanthropic strategy.[8] She met Bryn Mooser and David Darg and co-founded RYOT in 2012 in a garage in Venice.[9] After pivoting into documentary, virtual reality and 360 video production, RYOT was acquired by HuffPost / AOL in April 2016 for around $15 million.[10]

In 2017, Swenson was named to Forbes 30 Under 30[11] and a producer on the Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated documentary short Body Team 12, now on HBO.

In November 2017, Variety reported that Swenson was leaving RYOT at the end of 2017.[12] The publication also broke the news in March 2018 that she was tapped by Guy Oseary to join Live Nation's Maverick as its first-ever "Chief Impact Officer."[13] In July, 2018 she worked with artist G-Eazy to launch his first nonprofit initiative, Endless Summer Fund.[14]

DeWolf Swenson is credited with bringing the social texting app Community to Oseary in 2019 while working with him at Maverick.[15] Community was disruptive and game-changing because for the very first time, ordinary users could chat with celebrities like Ashton Kutcher on demand. [16]

In 2024, she and Ev Williams launched Mozi, a private social network.[17]

Filmography

Year Title Distributor Format Credit
2014 Mitimetallica Short Documentary Associate Producer
2014 Positive Short Documentary Associate Producer
2015 Gardeners of Eden Pivot (Participant Media) Feature Documentary Associate Producer
2015 Body Team 12 HBO Short Documentary Coordinating Producer
2016 Virtually Mike and Nora Hulu Virtual Reality Series Executive Producer
2016 The Big Picture: News in VR Hulu Virtual Reality Series Producer
2017 Fear Us Women Verizon go90 Short Documentary Associate Producer
2018 Door No. 1 Hulu Virtual Reality Series Executive Producer
2018 On Her Shoulders PBS Feature Documentary

Music

Known by the stage name Molly DeWolf, she auditioned in Milwaukee in 2010 for Season 10 of American Idol, making it through Hollywood Week to the final Las Vegas round.[18]

On December 8, 2017, she opened for Kimbra in Los Angeles and released a single from her debut album, 8 Seconds.[19]

References

  1. ^ Griffith, Erin (December 12, 2024). "Ev Williams Was Lonely. He Doesn't Want You to Be". The NY Times.
  2. ^ "These Marketers, Content Producers and Entertainers Under 40 Are Shaping the Industry". Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  3. ^ "Former Hulu exec Noah Heller launches new venture fund to focus on LA tech". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
  4. ^ Jacobson, Lynn (January 26, 2011). "Seattle native Molly DeWolf Swenson: From intern to 'Idol'". The Seattle Times.
  5. ^ "Crimson Idol?". Harvard Magazine. February 11, 2011.
  6. ^ Melisurgo, Len (January 27, 2011). "'American Idol' recap: Milwaukee auditions heavy on wackiness, also on talent". NJ.com.
  7. ^ Colapinto, John (March 26, 2012). "Looking Good". The New Yorker.
  8. ^ Hart, Alan (December 1, 2016). "There's A RYOT Going On, And The Ringleader Is CMO Molly Swenson". CMO.com.
  9. ^ "Live Nation's Maverick Taps RYOT Co-Founder Molly DeWolf Swenson for New Role". Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  10. ^ Tripp, Robbie (April 17, 2017). "4 Tips For Success From One of Silicon Beach's Most Creative Companies". Entrepreneur Magazine.
  11. ^ "Molly Swenson, 29". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
  12. ^ Roettgers, Janko (November 29, 2017). "RYOT Co-Founder Molly DeWolf Swenson Is Leaving Verizon's Oath". Variety Magazine.
  13. ^ Spangler, Todd (March 15, 2018). "Live Nation's Maverick Taps RYOT Co-Founder Molly DeWolf Swenson for New Role". Variety Magazine.
  14. ^ "G-Eazy Launches Endless Summer Fund". One West Magazine. 2018-07-31. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
  15. ^ Beer, Jeff (2020-01-06). "Why your favorite celebs are ditching Twitter for an app you've never heard of". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  16. ^ Taylor Lorenz (15 October 2019). "Forget DMs. Celebrities Want You to Text Them". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  17. ^ Griffith, Erin (December 12, 2024). "Ev Williams Was Lonely. He Doesn't Want You to Be". The NY Times.
  18. ^ "'AMERICAN IDOL' RECAP: THE TOP 24 BEGIN TO EMERGE FROM SIN CITY". MTV. February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017.
  19. ^ "KIMBRA AND MOLLY DEWOLF SHOWCASE NEW MUSIC AT AN INTIMATE PERFORMANCE AT THE WINSTON HOUSE". Grimy Goods. December 5, 2017.