EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE NEW YORK OBSERVER (FEB. 2011 – Present)
Manage all Observer Media Group properties and serve as editor-in-chief of the company’s
flagship property, The New York Observer. Significant achievements:
 Achieved profitability for the first time in the Observer’s 24-year history.
 Increased traffic to Observer Media Group digital properties by 236%.
 Conceptualized and implemented the Observer’s first large ($250K+) creative servicesdriven ad buys (FedEx and Jaguar).
 Launched four new web properties: Betabeat.com (a tech site), Politicker.com (a politics
site), GalleristNY.com (a visual arts site), and VelvetRoper.com (an events site).
 Launched iPad apps for Betabeat and the Observer.
 Oversaw ancillary publications—most notably, the Commercial Observer (a commercial
real estate trade magazine); new print launches, Scooter (a parenting magazine) and
YUE (a dual language Mandarin/English luxury magazine targeting Asian travelers); and
email newsletter, Very Short List.
 Relaunched and redesigned the paper and the website to bring a more modern feel to
both, and took the paper back to broadsheet format.
DIGITAL LAUNCH CONSULTANT (2007 – 2011)
Hired by media and digital companies to conceptualize and execute new the launch of media
properties, hire staff and generate new business model ideas. Significant projects:
 GourmetLive (client: Condé Nast) – Launched iPad version of then-defuct Gourmet
magazine, conceptualizing editorial plan and serving as interim editor-in-chief for nine
months. Formed partnerships with similar content companies and advised on
monetization strategies.
 B5Media – Completely restructured ailing Canadian blog network funded by the
Blackberry Fund and moved editorial sales offices from Toronto to New York. Hired
editorial staff. Launched three new branded websites around the themes of celebrity,
health, beauty and fashion. The revamped B5Media was acquired by Alloy Digital in April
of 2012.
 Flavorwire.com (client: Flavorpill Productions) – Launched new lifestyle and culture blog
for Flavorpill Productions, an email newsletter and events company. Hired staff and
developed editorial plan. Flavorwire is now the core element of Flavorpill’s business.
 Advised luxury ad network Halogen on niche luxury property launches and served on the
advisory board of the company.
 Also served on the advisory boards of Counsyl (a genetic testing company),
WallStreetCheatSheet (a Wall Street site), and OfAKind.com (an online retail company
that specializes in fashion and accessories from emerging designers.)
 Ran clinic teaching entrepreneurs how to start companies and write business plans, with
seminars at General Assembly.
FOUNDER/PUBLISHER, BREAKING MEDIA (2005 – 2007)
Founded an angel-backed commercial blog publishing company that specialized in conceiving,
launching and growing trade-related blogs targeting young affluent professionals. Hired editors
IRL Address: 148 Sullivan Street, Apt. 2, New York, New York 10012
Web Address: www.elizabethspiers.com
917.573.7607
espiers@gmail.com
and operational and sales personnel and developed unique editorial properties for the law,
finance and fashion industries. Sites included Dealbreaker.com, a leading Wall Street gossip site;
AboveTheLaw.com, a legal blog; and Fashionista.com, an indie fashion site. All three are leaders
in their respective categories.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, MEDIABISTRO.COM (2004-2005)
Oversaw all editorial development for the media industry trade site, assigning and editing
features, conceptualizing editorial packages, writing columns, and overseeing industry surveys.
Implemented a 90-day site redesign that included six new blogs and two existing blog properties,
including UnBeige (a design blog), TVNewser (a cable news blog), Galleycat (a publishing
industry blog), and regional blogs for local media in New York, LA, and Washington, D.C.,
increasing traffic by over 300%.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER, NEW YORK MAGAZINE (2003 – 2004)
Wrote articles for New York on business, media and entertainment. Also edited the magazine's
front-of-the-book Intelligencer section and developed prototypes for the magazine's redesign.
FOUNDING EDITOR, GAWKER.COM (2002 – 2003)
Launched Gawker Media's pioneering flagship site with publisher Nick Denton. Authored blog
posts for the site, developing the site's recurring features and signature tone, growing it into a
leading entertainment site in less than nine months. Gawker Media is now the leading and most
prominent blog network in the U.S., with an estimated $100 million valuation.
OTHER EXPERIENCE
Have previously worked as a buy-side equity analyst, analyzing companies for small cap hedge
funds, screening new early-stage investments and writing business plans for companies that
were beginning the fundraising process.
Have written for Slate, The New Republic Online, Salon, The New York Times, Forbes, The New
York Sun, and the New York Post, among others. Wrote a back page column (“Not So Fast”) for
Fast Company that was nominated for a National Magazine Award, and was a columnist at
Fortune magazine.
On faculty of SVA’s Design Criticism MFA Program, teaching a class in interactive media. Have
been a keynote speaker at various media and technology conferences, and have been a guest
commentator CNN, Fox News, CBS Marketwatch, MSNBC, VH1 and NPR.
AWARDS/ACCOLADES
Was named one of Fast Company’s Most Influential Women in Technology in 2010, one of
Interview magazine's “Pop A-List: 50 To Watch,” one of Dazed and Confused magazine's “Digital
50” in 2007, Institutional Investor's “30 Under 30” in 2006, one of Women's Wear Daily's “Ones to
Watch” in October of 2004 and one of AlwaysOn/Technorati's “Open Media 100” in June of 2005.
Young Leaders Forum Fellow with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations 2010 Present
EDUCATION
Duke University, B.A. in Public Policy Studies, minor in Political Science.
SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING
Facebook: 86,301 subscribers
Twitter: 11,854 followers
Tumblr: 1,591 followers
IRL Address: 148 Sullivan Street, Apt. 2, New York, New York 10012
Web Address: www.elizabethspiers.com
917.573.7607
espiers@gmail.com