Kevin Mayer

Kevin Mayer is the Founder and Co-CEO of Candle Media, a next-generation media company and home to category-defining brands including Moonbug Entertainment and Hello Sunshine. Mr. Mayer is also the Founder, Executive Chairman, and Managing Partner of Smash Capital, a later-stage investment firm focused on private, high-growth consumer internet, software, and technology companies with the potential to build enduring brands. Mr. Mayer is a former long-serving top executive at The Walt Disney Company, where he oversaw its Direct-to-Consumer businesses including streaming platforms Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. Mr. Mayer architected the development and rollout of Disney+. As Chairman, Direct-to-Consumer and International, he led global advertising, content sales, channel sales, and studio distribution and marketing internationally, managing over 25,000 employees globally and over 60% of Disney revenues. Prior to that role, Mr. Mayer served as Chief Strategy Officer for Disney, positioning Disney for the impact of advancing technology and evolving consumer behavior. Mr. Mayer oversaw and executed the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, BAMTech, and 21st Century Fox. After Disney, Mr. Mayer served as CEO of TikTok and COO of its parent company, ByteDance, driving one of the greatest disruptions in social media history and helping to steer one of the world’s largest social entertainment platforms with over 1 billion users. Mr. Mayer holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, MS in Electrical Engineering from SDSU, and MBA from Harvard University.

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