Alan and the Greycroft team had known Ariana for many years socially.

One day while Alan was in a taxi and Ariana called him to ask him to write a blog post for something she was starting called the Huffington Post. He obliged and later asked if he could invest in her new company. Ken Lerer was putting together the first round and Greycroft made the investment. Ariana always had a magnetic personality and an incredibly large network. She has the ability to make a compelling speech at the drop of a hat. The timing couldn’t have been better for Huffington Post. Ariana convinced important people to write on the site and used the beginning of social media to create virality. She and the team then navigated the transition from a blog aggregator to a distinguished publication with top notch journalism. We had a strong belief that she would do anything it takes to make the Huffington Post into an influential publisher. We are pleased to be along for the ride again in Ariana’s next endeavor, Thrive Global, and have equal conviction in her ability.