Impact Media
 | This article may incorporate text from a large language model, which is prohibited in Wikipedia articles. (September 2026) |
| Impact | |
| Founded | June 2020 |
| Founders | Tim Chau Michelle Chau Andrews Joelene Latief |
| Website | impact |
Impact Media is an American social media publisher that produces news and social-issue content for Generation Z readers, mainly on Instagram.[1] Cousins Tim Chau and Michelle Andrews started the account in June 2020 and built it into a company with a staff of twelve.[2][1] The account had about 2.5 million Instagram followers as of May 2025.[1]
History
[edit]Impact launched in June 2020, founded by Chau, Andrews, and Joelene Latief,[3] during the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests that followed the murder of George Floyd.[1][4] Chau and Andrews, cousins who had been running Instagram accounts together since 2013, started it from the backyard of their apartment while studying at the University of California, Berkeley.[1][4] Chau told Inc. that young readers wanted "to take action and share resources with their friends" rather than only read about issues.[4]
Forbes named the cofounders to its 30 Under 30 list for 2022 in the media category in November 2021, reporting that Impact was reaching more than 10 million people a month and that its campaigns had registered thousands of young voters and driven hundreds of thousands of petition signatures on issues including climate change and abortion rights.[3][2] By December 2022 the account had passed 2.2 million followers and the company had raised more than $1.4 million for causes it covered.[4] Inc. profiled the company that month in its Best in Business feature.[4]
Impact took on brand partnerships, including with the search engine Ecosia.[4] During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it paired its coverage with Instagram's in-app donation feature to route readers toward humanitarian aid organizations.[4] As of May 2025 the account had roughly 2.5 million followers and twelve staff working across brand partnerships, live events, video, and editorial and social content.[1] Chau serves as chief executive officer and Andrews as chief content officer.[1] In 2026 Chau was named one of ten New Gold honorees on Gold House's Gold100 list.[5]
Content
[edit]Impact publishes news explainers and commentary in Instagram's carousel format, alongside coverage of culture and current events.[1] Inc. described representative posts on the environmental costs of fast fashion and on how to register to vote.[4] The posts share a consistent visual treatment built on saturated color and collaged photography set in sans serif type.[1]
Steffi Cao of Teen Vogue compared the company's role for Generation Z to that of Vice Media and BuzzFeed for millennials, writing that Impact lets Gen Z readers cover their own culture.[1] Andrews told Cao that short-form posts let the company reach readers "in a way that felt accessible to them," and said the company has since begun publishing longer pieces as its audience has aged.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Cao, Steffi (May 27, 2025). "This Instagram Account Shares All the News Gen Z Needs". Teen Vogue. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
- 1 2 "Impact". Forbes. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
- 1 2 "Michelle Andrews, 21, Tim Chau, 22, Joelene Latief, 20, Cofounders, Impact". Forbes. November 30, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sherry, Ben (December 6, 2022). "How This Activist Media Company Is Mobilizing Gen-Z for Good". Inc. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
- ↑ Tangcay, Jazz (May 1, 2026). "Hudson Williams, EJAE, Zohran Mamdani and More Honored on Gold House's Gold100 List". Variety. Retrieved September 14, 2026.