Global YouTube Next Lab Led by Podell ’86
The March 2011 marriage of Next New Networks with YouTube fused the creative genius and marketing savvy of the leading provider of original programming for the Internet with the brand presence of the worldwide powerhouse in video-sharing.
At the center of the transaction was Lance Podell ’86, then chief executive officer and chairman of Next New Networks. Now, as director and global head of YouTube Next Lab in New York, N.Y., Podell is guiding the Google subsidiary into a new frontier that will connect YouTube audiences around the world with the show brands they love. “YouTube has relied mostly on the community of YouTube to take care of itself,” says Podell, an English and government & law graduate. “In order to grow this ecosystem, we have to support the environment.”
Podell and his team have collaborated on the YouTube Creator Playbook, which is available through the online YouTube hub. In addition, they hope to develop YouTube studios that will offer creators space to shoot, edit, collaborate, and share best practices. The Google subsidiary is eyeing Tokyo, London, Los Angeles, and New York City for the first of these facilities.