People are Brands, Brands are People with Thai Randolph, CEO of Hartbeat

“Diversity is not an initiative; it's not goodwill. You're not doing anyone any favors. It's a business imperative. Our mission is to keep the world laughing together. We are future-proofing our business and servicing our mission to have the most diverse and the most dynamic group of people at the table making decisions because that's our best chance at appealing to a global and diverse audience.”
— Thai Randolph

Thai Randolph, CEO of Hartbeat, joins Suzy Founder and CEO Matt Britton on the latest episode of The Speed of Culture podcast in collaboration with Adweek. They discuss how the multi-platform media company founded by Kevin Hart keeps the world laughing together, plus content creation, monetization strategies, and workplace diversity initiatives.

Thai Randolph is an award-winning marketing, business development, and operations leader. She has a proven track record of developing brands, audiences, and revenue for big names in advertising, technology, and entertainment such as WPP, Publicis, Sony, Facebook, and Kevin Hart. In 2018, she was named to Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 list and Cynopsis’ It List, as well as Variety and Entrepreneur’s Women of Impact lists in 2021.

• Where Comedy Meets Culture - In 2017, Thai Randolph joined Lionsgate with Kevin Hart to launch Laugh Out Loud (LOL), a direct-to-consumer streaming platform bringing comedy to all audiences. The app's success, with one million downloads in 100 days, led to partnerships with SiriusXM, Old Spice, and NBC News/Peacock.

• Content Creation Strategies - Hartbeat creates and delivers content through its three divisions: Hartbeat Studios, Hartbeat Media, and Hartbeat’s branded content studio. The company places a significant emphasis on "non-Kevin content," investing in other entertainers, artists, and scalable IP with global appeal. A prime example is their Die Hard series, produced for Quibi/Roku, which became the top-performing original IP with worldwide popularity across multiple platforms.

• Monetization Strategies and Partnerships - Hartbeat collaborates with multiple brands as part of its monetization strategy. For example, the brand collaborates with Sundance Institute and Chase Sapphire to elevate Black women comedy writers through the Women Write Now program. Another project is Kevin Hart's Cold as Balls show with Old Spice as the presenting partner.

• Driving Diversity - Women of color represent some of the most over-mentored but under-sponsored people in the entertainment industry. Hartbeat focuses on building a diverse team, and currently, 53% of the company's employees are women, and 72% are people of color. Thai and Hartbeat aim to have the most diverse and dynamic group of people at the table making decisions to increase the chances of appealing to a global and diverse audience.