At COO (Boardroom Media) we track over 1,000,000 startups and over 5,000,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United States based COO’ operating in the Podcast space. If you think a COO’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on [email protected].
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Stu Smith
COO of Racket.com
Stu is General Partner at Coughdrop Capital and Vice President at Fullscreen (acquired by AT&T/WarnerMedia in 2018), where he runs the Creator Labs, Public Figures, and Creator Partnerships business units. He focuses on fulfilling Fullscreen’s promise of being the most strategic social content company in the world. Stu has spent the majority of his career driving innovation in the entertainment and media space. With nearly 20 years of experience, Stu led the North American launch of CrowdSurge (later merged with Songkick) and helped scale Red Light Management, the largest music management company in the world. Since then, he has held executive positions leading the revenue organizations at Teespring and Omaze.
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About Coughdrop Capital, CrowdSurge, Omaze, Racket.com, WarnerMedia: Let’s make a racket.
Samir Rao
COO of OZY Media
Hailing from the great state of Michigan – yes he uses his open palm to show you where exactly he’s from, and yes he calls it pop instead of soda – Samir co-founded OZY with Carlos Watson and is in charge of, in equal measure, Operations and Strategy. Making his home now in the sunny Bay Area with his lovely wife Ramya, after stints in Boston (getting educated) and NYC (bright lights, late nights!…All at work), Samir is a man for all seasons. Which is to say that not only is he a certified sports fanatic (Go Blue!), who fulfilled his lifelong dream of being a sports broadcaster at his college radio station, but he’s a passionate musician (trained in classical Indian music) who has channeled his passionate musicianship into a new pastime…amateur jingle composition. And, not that you asked for it or anything, but an OZY jingle could be forthcoming.
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About OZY Media: OZY Media is a premium media and entertainment for curious people — across TV, events, podcasts and news.
Chris Hardwick
Founder/COO of Nerdist
Chris Hardwick is a comedian, actor, TV host, author, writer, producer, and podcaster whose quick wit and up-to-the-minute intellect have made him the voice for a generation of pop culture enthusiasts. Hardwick currently serves as founder, CEO, and creative head of Nerdist Industries, a media empire under the Legendary Digital Network that encompasses theNerdist.com website, YouTube channel (over 2M subscribers), and a podcast network of 49 shows that includes Hardwick’s own incredibly successful Nerdist Podcast, which he continues to host weekly and garners over 5.5M downloads per month. He has attracted some of the biggest names in the world as guests on the show, including Tom Hanks, Mel Brooks, Jodie Foster, Tom Cruise, and Sir Paul McCartney.
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About Nerdist: In 2008, Chris Hardwick founded Nerdist, a website and podcast devoted to all things nerd related.
Jen Sargent
Chief Operating Officer of Wondery
Jen is the CEO and co-founder of HitFix.
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About Wondery: Wondery, a network of storytellers, creates and curates immersive podcasts.
Daniel Osit
Chief Operating Officer of Stitcher
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About Stitcher: Stitcher, Inc. develops Stitcher, a mobile application for news and shows.
Alia J. Daniels
Co-Founder | COO of Revry, Inc.
As Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer for Revry, a global queer digital media network, Alia oversees the content and marketing departments. Alia also started, Revry’s podcast network where she executive produces several podcasts. Revry’s dedication to inclusion within the Queer and Allied community is a cornerstone of Alia’s personal mission to create avenues for authentic representation in media. Alia is a featured speaker on legal and business issues in the digital entertainment space. Additionally, Alia is Co-Festival Director for OWF, Hollywood’s first LGBTQ-Centric Web Festival. In her legal practice, Alia represents entrepreneurs and small businesses in tech and entertainment. Alia was named to the Southern California Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
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About QueerX, Revry, Inc.: Revry is the premiere digital media network for the inclusive 21st century queer community.