The Team
Larry Smith, Founder + Editor in Chief
Larry Smith founded SMITH Magazine on January 6, 2006. Prior to SMITH, he was the articles editor of Men’s Journal, has been the executive editor of Yahoo! Internet Life, senior editor at ESPN The Magazine, a founding editor of P.O.V., and editor-in-chief of its sister publication, Egg, as well as an editor of Might magazine. While living in San Francisco, he was managing editor of AlterNet, and now serves on its board. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Popular Science, Men’s Health, Salon, Slate, and other places. He has contributed personal essays to the anthologies Maybe Baby and Cassette From My Ex: Stories and Soundtracks of Lost Loves, as well as the NYT’ book, Modern Love: 50 True and Extraordinary Tales of Desire, Deceit, and Devotion.
Larry speaks on storytelling at companies such as ESPN and Google, for foundations and nonprofits, as well as at schools. He teaches the class, “What’s Your Story: How to Deliver an Authentic Elevator Pitch,” at The Hired Guns Academy.
He most recently spoke at the PopTech conference, AARP’s 50+ Convention, Ignite NYC, and The 92nd Street Y. To contact him for speaking engagements, or for SMITH Mag’s team building program for companies, Six@Work, email: larry AT smithmag DOT net.
Meredith Sires, Associate Editor
Meredith Sires is associate editor of the Six-Word Memoir project and community manager of teen spin-off SMITH Teens. She has a deep passion for young adult fiction, a growing fascination with digital media and an eternal love for storytelling that transcends medium. Previously, as editor of the youth media and marketing industry newsletter, Ypulse.com, she consulted youth oriented brands and nonprofits, including Best Buy, Target and DoSomething.org. She currently lives in San Francisco, where she is pursuing her Master’s in Library and Information Science.
Vivian Chum, Contributing Editor
Vivian is a jack-of-all-projects at SMITH Magazine, working with community members on stories that are often more than six words. She is an attorney advisor in the Division of Investigations-Office of Enforcement of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Executive Director of the youth nonprofit 4th and 1, and a freelance writer. Her writing has appeared in ESPN The Magazine, Above the Law, UVA Magazine, and other publications.
Rachel Fershleiser, Contributing Editor
Rachel Fershleiser is the co-editor of the bestselling Six-Word Memoir books series. Her writing has appeared in The Village Voice, New York Press, Print, Los Angeles Times, National Post, Salon.com, Fray Quarterly and several amazing print and online publications you’ve never heard of. She lives in New York City, where she now spends her days, and probably nights, as community manager of the soon-to-be launched site Bookish.com.
Shubha Bala, Contributing Editor (podcast & video)
Shubha is the podcast producer for SMITH Magazine and SMITH Live. She also works for the Media Development Loan Fund supporting independent media in developing countries as a program officer. She’s formerly a producer for public radio, working on a handful of shows including The Splendid Table and The Takeaway, where she honed in on her love for all things audio.
Jeff Newelt, Comics Editor
Newelt is a social media/PR consultant for Paul Pope, Doug Rushkoff, DJ Spooky, The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Rick Veitch, Larry Marder, David Lloyd, Bryan Talbot, NBM Publishing, Easy Star Records, comics editor for HEEB Magazine, Minister of Hype for the webcomix collective ACT-I-VATE, and reknown mashup maker about town. JahFurry also regularly performs freestyle dancehall reggae dittinanigans with various NYC dub, jazz, klezmer, and blues ensembles.
Contributing Editors, Volunteers, and BFFs
Cheryl Della Pietra (copydesk) John House, Leigh Giza (copy), Jim Gladstone, Meaghan O’Neill (green stuff), Juliet Simmons (UK)
Assistant Editor: Alyssa Jocson
Events Coordinator: Ashley Van Buren
Podcasts & Video: Shubla Bala
Design: Nicole Salzano, Arin Fishkin (02 Design Collective)
Interns: Liz Crowder, Linda Liu (design), Yael Roberts
Founding Folks
Tim Barkow
Tim Barkow co-founded SMITH with Larry Smith in 2005. Tim is also a co-founder of the sustainability-focused community Compete to Conserve. In 1998, he co-founded Skoodles Internet, an online service for kids in 1998 (now passed on). Previously, he was an editor at Wired magazine and technology editor at Wired News. His writing has appeared in Business 2.0, ESPN The Magazine, and Inc., among others.
Robert Priest, Creative Consultant
Robert Priest created the original prototype for SMITH as a print entity, including the now-iconic SMITH logo. Robert has been as an award-winning designer and creative director of some of the world’s preeminent magazines for the past two decades. He has served as Esquire’s art director twice, design director of House & Garden, creative director of GQ, design director of US Weekly, and design director of Newsweek. He is the co-founder of firm Priest + Grace, based in New York.
Representation
Speaking: Tom Neilssen, BrightSight Group.
Literary Agent: Kate Lee, ICM
Legal: Lewis & Lin, LLC, a Brookyn-based firm specializing in trademark and IP law.
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