Company logo |
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| Type | LLC |
|---|---|
| Founded | Los Angeles, California, USA (2008) |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, CA, USA |
| Key people |
Miles Beckett, CEO |
| Products | Web Series Website hosting Software |
| Website | http://www.eqal.com |
EQAL is a media and technology company founded in 2008 by Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried, two of the creators of lonelygirl15.[1] EQAL builds influencer networks around celebrities and brands. Prior to building influencer networks, EQAL was best known for producing lonelygirl15 (LG15) as well as for producing other series in the LG15 Universe (the universe using the mythology started by the lonelygirl15 series) including KateModern in association with Bebo[2] and LG15: The Resistance,[3] as well as Harper’s Globe, the original web series, commissioned by CBS as a tie-in for the series, Harper’s Island.[4] The company builds custom social media networks and online solutions around the websites for a variety of celebrities, including Tori Spelling, Lauren Conrad, Bethenny Frankel, JWOWW, Nick Cannon, Ty Pennington, Randy Jackson, Chelsea Kane and others.
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In 2006, Miles Beckett met Mesh Flinders, a screenwriter, at a birthday party. Beckett had the idea to use short internet videos to tell a story. Flinders had developed a character that he thought would be perfect for the project. Together the two of them contacted Greg Goodfried for legal advice, and the three of them subsequently created lonelygirl15.[5] The group became formally known as LG15 Studios/Telegraph Ave. Productions.[6][7]
While Mesh Flinders went on to pursue other endeavors at the end of 2007,[8] in April 2008, Beckett and Goodfried announced the formation of EQAL.[9] The new company raised $5 million in venture capital.[1] Among EQAL’s initial investors were Spark Capital, Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape, Conrad Riggs, formerly with Mark Burnett productions, tech investor Ron Conway, and Georges Harik, former developer of new products at Google.[6]
In May 2008, a partnership between EQAL and CBS was announced to create new original programming and online tie-ins for CBS network shows.[10][11][12] A few months later, it was announced that EQAL would produce the Harper's Globe online companion show for CBS's Harper's Island.[13] Through the CBS deal, EQAL met Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of CSI, and was hired by Zuiker to create the online component for Zuiker's first novel, Level 26, which was released in September 2009.[14] The Zuiker partnership was the first in a series of similar media partnerships. In 2009, EQAL launched two new original web series with dedicated social networks: Get Cookin for Food Network host Paula Deen[15] and The Kind Life With Alicia Silverstone for Silverstone about global warming and vegetarian topics.[16] In 2010, EQAL launched The Real Women of Philadelphia with Digitas for Kraft Foods and Paula Deen which went on to garner a gold Effie award in 2011. (link: http://www.effie.org/downloads/2011_Winners_List_with_trophy.pdf) EQAL continued to launch celebrity sites including AlisonSweeney.com, Healthy Bitch Daily in association with Skinny Bitch and Made Just Right with Earth Balance. In 2011, EQAL launched their Media Networks division to build social networks around celebrities and influencers. They have launched more than 20 sites with another 5 expected this year. Sites include LaurenConrad.com, Editorial with Tori Spelling, Bethenny.com, NickCannon.com, ElleandBlair.com, Michelle Phan.com, TyPennington.com, JWOWW.com, and many more. EQAL continues to work with brands. In March 2011, Real Women of Philadelphia season 2 launched as well as Real Women of Philadelphia Canada. In April 2011, Walgreens announced a partnership with EQAL and Alison Sweeney for Walk with Walgreens, a site dedicated to getting users fit through the power of walking. (link: walk.walgreens.com). EQAL created the highly successful Miss Glambitious 2011 for mark. cosmetics (Avon) and EQAL partner Elle and Blair Fowler, ringing together the message of empowerment held by both brands.
Miles Beckett (born Miles Zajaczkowski[17] on February 15, 1978) is the CEO and co-founder of EQAL as well as the co-creator and producer of lonelygirl15 and its spin off KateModern.
Beckett holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.D. from the University of California at San Diego. He completed a one year internship in plastic surgery at the Loma Linda University Medical Center and conducted one year of tissue engineering research at the National Institute of Health as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Scholar. During medical school he was the founder and editor-in-chief of “The Pulse” a UCSD Medical School newsletter and “The Inhuman Condition,” an underground comedy newsletter.
Prior to creating lonelygirl15, Beckett was the founder and CEO of Shoutboy, a comedy podcast and the writer and director of West Wingers a political spoof of White House press conferences.[18] Beckett is also known for his art nouveau film The Great Cloister Caper, completed in 2001-2002 while he lived in Bethesda, Maryland.
Greg Goodfried is the President and Co-Founder of EQAL, and one of the three creators of lonelygirl15 along with Miles Beckett and Mesh Flinders. He is currently married to Amanda Goodfried and together they currently have one child, Jack Goodfried.
Goodfried holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Berkley and a J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Prior to starting EQAL, Goodfried was a first year associate at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, LLP, where he worked as an entertainment attorney.
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