Two former associate producers at NBC News have founded a daily email that is generating buzz, millions of dollars and celebrity fans.Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin founded theSkimm to give readers “everything you need to start your day.” Their slogan? “We read. You Skimm.”
According to The New York Times, theSkimm has raised $6.25 million in financing. Investors include Chelsea Handler, investment firms RRE, Homebrew and Greycroft Partners and former chief executive of Ticketmaster Irving Azoff.
Weisberg and Zakin told The Times they were news junkies who dreamed of working at NBC. Zakin even mentioned idolizing Katie Couric. After fulfilling their goals of producing news at NBC, the pair quit after four years and began writing the daily newsletter from their NYC apartment.
Now, even Oprah Winfrey is a fan, tweeting about theSkimm to her 26.1 million followers.
I just became a Skimm’er. News that’s smart and fun. Those @TheSkimm girls are on to something. Check it out! http://t.co/uF4oAbxrpx
— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) October 15, 2014
“Our audience is really waking up to us,” Weisberg told The Times. “Just like previous generations woke up to morning shows.”