New Chief Executive Looks to Do Good by Readership

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Jonathan Greenblatt has worn many hats during his career.


As a teen, he worked as a baseball umpire in his hometown of Trumbull, Conn., overseeing games for a team that would go on to win the Little League World Series championship in 1989. At 21, he got a job working for Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton. When Clinton won the 1992 presidential election, Greenblatt moved to the White House to work on international economics, focusing on markets in Asia and Latin America.

Greenblatt’s interest in serving the public continued in his return to the private sector. After leaving the White House, he and a friend launched Ethos Water, a premium water bottling company that used its profits to fund clean water projects around the globe. Ethos was bought by Starbucks Coffee Co. in 2005, and Greenblatt joined Starbucks as a vice president.

In March 2008, Greenblatt became chief executive of Good, a West Hollywood-based integrated media company founded by media heir Ben Goldhirsh to focus on philanthropy. Good, which produces a magazine, runs a Web site and conducts live events, targets “people who want to live well and do good.”

Greenblatt oversees both the business and creative sides of the company, and is primarily focused on broadening awareness of the new venture.

“My goal is to keep pushing the ball forward so that we can gain recognition from the public,” he said. “I would like to build an iconic brand for the company.”

Greenblatt believes that Good’s brand can be expanded while remaining socially conscious, He teaches a class on the subject of social entrepreneurship at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

“There are so many problems in the world, from climate change to education gap, local poverty and water scarcity there are issues again and again. Helping the consciousness of our readers is a great privilege,” he said.

Greenblatt, who grew up in a small New England town, has also adjusted to life in Los Angeles. “I love it,” he said, “the quality of life, its diversity. It’s a wonderful place to live.”

Greenblatt lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Marjan, and two sons, Ilan and Ariel. In his free time, he likes to play sports.


Yoo Mi Chin