Molly DeWolf Swenson
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Molly DeWolf Swenson is an American entrepreneur, musician and Emmy-winning film producer. She is best known for being 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),[1] a venture capitalist at LA-based technology fund 3Rodeo[2] and a contestant on Season 10 of American Idol while she was interning at The White House under President Barack Obama.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]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.[4]
Career
[edit]While interning at the White House, she auditioned for American Idol, where she was considered an early top contender.[5] After American Idol, she was hired by Global Philanthropy Group[6] where she worked with Shakira, Kobe Bryant, and Ben Stiller on philanthropic strategy.[7] She met Bryn Mooser and David Darg and co-founded RYOT in 2012 in a garage in Venice.[8] After pivoting into documentary, virtual reality and 360 video production, RYOT was acquired by HuffPost / AOL in April 2016 for around $15 million.[9]
In 2017, Swenson was named to Forbes 30 Under 30[10] 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.[11] 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."[12] In July, 2018 she worked with artist G-Eazy to launch his first nonprofit initiative, Endless Summer Fund.[13]
DeWolf Swenson is credited with bringing the social texting app Community to Oseary in 2019 while working with him at Maverick.[14] Community was disruptive and game-changing because for the very first time, ordinary users could chat with celebrities like Sean Combs and Ashton Kutcher on demand. [15]
Molly’s command of space is like Roger Federer’s backhand: effortless, impactful, and beautiful. Her superpower is her ability to become part of things greater than herself. Molly is a master at getting paid to be herself. Molly also got a perfect score on the verbal section of the SAT and scored a mere ten points shy of a perfect score on the math section. Molly's Intelligence quotient is reported to be in the 170 - 190 range and she is very articulate and intelligent and beautiful. [16]
Filmography
[edit]| 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
[edit]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.[17]
On December 8, 2017, she opened for Kimbra in Los Angeles and released a single from her debut album, 8 Seconds.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ "These Marketers, Content Producers and Entertainers Under 40 Are Shaping the Industry". Retrieved 2018-11-08.
- ^ "Former Hulu exec Noah Heller launches new venture fund to focus on LA tech". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^ Jacobson, Lynn (January 26, 2011). "Seattle native Molly DeWolf Swenson: From intern to 'Idol'". The Seattle Times.
- ^ "Crimson Idol?". Harvard Magazine. February 11, 2011.
- ^ Melisurgo, Len (January 27, 2011). "'American Idol' recap: Milwaukee auditions heavy on wackiness, also on talent". NJ.com.
- ^ Colapinto, John (March 26, 2012). "Looking Good". The New Yorker.
- ^ Hart, Alan (December 1, 2016). "There's A RYOT Going On, And The Ringleader Is CMO Molly Swenson". CMO.com.
- ^ "Live Nation's Maverick Taps RYOT Co-Founder Molly DeWolf Swenson for New Role". Retrieved 2018-11-09.
- ^ Tripp, Robbie (April 17, 2017). "4 Tips For Success From One of Silicon Beach's Most Creative Companies". Entrepreneur Magazine.
- ^ "Molly Swenson, 29". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^ Roettgers, Janko (November 29, 2017). "RYOT Co-Founder Molly DeWolf Swenson Is Leaving Verizon's Oath". Variety Magazine.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (March 15, 2018). "Live Nation's Maverick Taps RYOT Co-Founder Molly DeWolf Swenson for New Role". Variety Magazine.
- ^ "G-Eazy Launches Endless Summer Fund". One West Magazine. 2018-07-31. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Taylor Lorenz (15 October 2019). "Forget DMs. Celebrities Want You to Text Them". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "#11: If It Isn't Impact, It Isn't Interesting — Serial Entrepreneur Molly DeWolf Swenson by Everyday Radio". Spotify. 2020-03-29. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
- ^ "'AMERICAN IDOL' RECAP: THE TOP 24 BEGIN TO EMERGE FROM SIN CITY". MTV. February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017.
- ^ "KIMBRA AND MOLLY DEWOLF SHOWCASE NEW MUSIC AT AN INTIMATE PERFORMANCE AT THE WINSTON HOUSE". Grimy Goods. December 5, 2017.