Matthew Segal
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Matthew Segal is an American entrepreneur and media executive who co-founded ATTN:, a social video publisher and entertainment studio with a mission to convey important topics through entertainment. The company was acquired by Blackstone's Candle Media for a reported 150 million dollars. Segal previously co-founded OurTime.org, a national voter empowerment network for young Americans. In January 2025, he was given a presidential appointment to the board of trustees for the Holocaust Memorial Council.


Early life and education

Segal was born in
Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, attended
New Trier High School New Trier High School (, also known as New Trier Township High School or NTHS) is a public four-year high school whose main campus for sophomores through seniors is in Winnetka, Illinois, United States, with a campus in Northfield, Illinois, for ...
, and graduated magna cum laude from
Kenyon College Kenyon College ( ) is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1824 by Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase. It is the oldest private instituti ...
in 2008. He became an advocate for student voting rights in college after his campus polling place experienced the longest lines in the 2004 presidential election. Segal is Jewish. Both his grandfathers served in World War II. He has cited their stories and experiences as catalysts for his work to combat anti-Semitism.


Career

Prior to co-founding ATTN:, Segal was a young voter advocate who testified multiple times before Congress on issues relating to expanding youth voters’ franchise around issues affecting them. Segal co-founded OurTime.org with Jarrett Moreno with the goal of deepening civic engagement among his generation through a number of strategies including making colleges teach voter registration and an initiative to support businesses founded and run by entrepreneurs under 30.


ATTN

Segal and Our Time co-founder Jarrett Moreno launched ATTN: in 2014 to create "content that breaks down complex issues, making politics interesting for millennials, and analyzes the world from the perspective of the social media generation." Segal oversees the original content development department for the company. Under his leadership, ATTN:’s content has received more than 18 billion video views, has been watched for over 9 billion minutes, and the company’s platforms have a combined 19 million followers. The company produces original video content of all length, including short form for social consumption across all major platforms, midform for more in-depth story-telling, and long form for linear television and streaming services. In 2023, Segal spearheaded an event along with First Lady Jill Biden at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to celebrate the launch of “Well Versed,” a new animated musical series produced by ATTN: that aired on Nickelodeon designed to teach young viewers about civics and democracy. In 2021, ATTN: created and Segal served as Executive Producer for a special called “Roll Up Your Sleeves” that aired on NBC to educate viewers about protection from COVID-19. Segal was also responsible for creating a primetime special that aired on ABC in 2020 called “ VOMO: Vote or Miss Out” that was hosted by
Kevin Hart Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. The accolades he has received include the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and nominations for two Grammy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards. After winning se ...
and featured political figures from both parties and more than 20 celebrities encouraging electoral participation in the upcoming election. In 2018, Segal and ATTN: created a 10-episode mini-series on IGTV - which later became Instagram Reels - featuring then former VP
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
called “Here’s The Deal,” which was the first-ever IGTV series by a national politician and the company has also produced a series of videos with
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
in 2018, 2020, and 2022 encouraging young voters to participate in elections. In addition to those projects, ATTN: has developed and produced video content featuring
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
condemning hate and anti-Semitism that has garnered hundreds of millions views, and an Emmy nominated original series with Zooey Deschanel to promote healthy eating called What Am I Eating?. In 2019, ATTN: was named to Fast Company's list of Most Innovative Companies, and has won numerous awards including Shorty Awards, Webby Awards, a Tribeca X award, and more. Segal was named to The Hollywood Reporter's Next Gen list in 2017 which recognizes 35 individuals in the entertainment industry under 35 years-old who are considered Hollywood's future leaders. In 2022, Candle Media acquired ATTN: for $150M in a cash and stock deal. The deal ensured that Segal and Moreno would continue to oversee day-to-day operations of ATTN:. Prior to the acquisition, the company had raised $37M over three separate funding rounds since it was founded, including investments from Marc Rowan,
Bill Maher William MaherStated on ''Finding Your Roots'', January 12, 2016, PBS; on a series that lists "Jr." and "Sr." distinctions, Bill Maher's birth name was listed simply as William Maher, while his father was William Aloysius Maher Jr., and his pa ...
,
Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American television presenter and producer. Seacrest is the host of '' Wheel of Fortune'', having hosted since replacing long-time host Pat Sajak in September 2024. Seacrest co-hosted and ser ...
, Paul Wachter,
Jimmy Iovine James Iovine ( ; born March 11, 1953) is an American entrepreneur, former Music executive, record executive, and media proprietor. He is the co-founder of Interscope Records and became chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscop ...
,
Tom Werner Thomas Charles Werner (born April 12, 1950) is an American television producer and businessman. Through his investment in Fenway Sports Group, he is currently chairman of both Liverpool F.C. and Boston Red Sox. Werner first became a part ow ...
, and TPG. The company is based in Los Angeles with offices in New York, and currently has about 130 employees.


Combating Anti-Semitism

As part of his work with ATTN:, Jewish Insider reported that Segal had “devoted significant resources to combating antisemitism.” He served as an Executive Producer of “The Hate We Can’t Forget: A Holocaust Memorial Special” and “Undeniable: The Truth To Remember,” two primetime specials that aired on Paramount platforms around International Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2022. In 2023, ATTN: produced a video featuring U.S. Secretary of State
Antony Blinken Antony John Blinken (born April 16, 1962) is an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the 71st United States secretary of state from 2021 to 2025. He previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor, deputy national security advisor ...
in partnership with the State Department and the World Jewish Congress marking YomHashoah that received over 2 million views. The company also produced a video with the World Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League, and the
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), until January 2013 known as the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research or ITF, is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1998 wh ...
that explores the roots of anti-Semitism and how it is defined today. President Biden appointed him to the Holocaust Memorial Council Board of Trustees in January 2025.


Public Appearances

Segal was a contributor to
ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...
and has been featured on
CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio broadcaster CBS. It is headquartered in New York City. CBS News television programs include ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs ''CBS News Sunday Morn ...
,
C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American Cable television in the United States, cable and Satellite television in the United States, satellite television network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a Non ...
,
MSNBC MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...
, Fox,
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
and HBO's
Real Time with Bill Maher ''Real Time with Bill Maher'' is an American television talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by stand-up comedy, comedian and political satire, political satirist Bill Maher. Much like his previous series ''Politically Incorrect'' on Comedy ...
. He delivered the keynote address for the USC Iovine and Young Academy's second commencement ceremony in 2019.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Segal, Matthew 1985 births Living people American activists New Trier High School alumni Kenyon College alumni