Upworthy was featured in a New York Times article “Viral Content With a Liberal Bent”, Leslie Kaufman. October 10, 2013.
Peter Koechley ’03CC and Eli Pariser developed the concept for Upworthy while working for the non-profit MoveOn.org. Believing that the Internet could serve better purposes – the two wanted to focus on higher causes. After receiving seed funding from Chris Hughes, an early founder of Facebook, they were able to focus on their vision full time.
Upworthy searches and shares meaningful content online- videos and graphics about important social issues like bullying, gay marriage, body image, and income inequality. They have been called the fastest-growing media company of all time. “How Upworthy Used Emotional Data to Become the Fastest Growing Media Site of All Time“, Anya Kamenetz. June 7, 2013.
“The reason people share things are not just because they are shiny and cute and crazy and fun, but because it is about something they are deeply passionate about. It can be about putting your best aspirational self forward” said Peter Koechley.