Co-founders of theSkimm visit Penn for Authors@Wharton speaker series

Co-founders of the newsletter theSkimm, 2008 College of Arts and Sciences graduate Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg, spoke at Penn on Tuesday evening about the importance of civic awareness, their journey in start-up culture, and overcoming obstacles as women in business.

Zakin and Weisberg visited as a part of the Authors@Wharton Speaker Series, which was moderated by Management professor Adam Grant and which aims to foster dialogue between various members of the Penn community outside of the classroom. In Huntsman Hall, Zakin and Weisberg discussed their book “How to Skimm Your Life,” a New York Times bestseller that provides insight into personal finance, stress management, and career-building. 

theSkimm is a seven-year-old media company that aims to increase civic engagement through its subscription-only newsletter. Their daily newsletter, along with their Skimm Ahead app and the Skimm This podcast, is curated as a short and easy-to-read summary of news and current events that is marketed toward urban millennial women.

Throughout the event, the pair touched on how their lack of previous management experience, along with advice from various mentor figures, led them to experiment with ways to create a positive company culture and promote brand loyalty.

Longtime friends Zakin and Weisberg met on a study abroad trip in Rome, while both on the hunt for fried artichokes. The two ended up working at the Washington, D.C. branch of NBC and both left at the same time to develop theSkimm.

When Grant asked if their goals have changed as their company has expanded, the pair said they have maintained their goal of creating a source of non-partisan information for the "SkimmGirl" — what Weisberg called the ideal woman who is an informed and active citizen.

“We always loved reading and telling stories, and we always wanted to let people know what was going on first," Weisberg said.

After considering the distance between the conversations in Washington and her native Chicago, Weisberg explained that although she loved working in news, she was frustrated by the lack of connection between the events that were occurring in Washington and the lives of ordinary people they affected.

Zakin said the pair had a “crazy amount of trust” in one another, which was necessary in the early years, as they were so busy that they did not have time for anything less. They spoke specifically of the difficulties they found in the world of fundraising both as women and as individuals who had never raised capital before.

“We don’t advise people to go into business with their friends,” Zakin said. “We know we’re the exception.”

At the end of the event, Zakin and Weisberg emphasized their mission to help people make informed decisions in life through both theSkimm and their book.

“What we say is that it’s a movement for choice," Zakin said. "And it’s a movement so that you have the ability to make an informed decision. We don’t care what you do with it. We don’t care what you do with your personal finance and whether or not you invest. We do care that you have all the information in front of you to make an educated decision and make a choice — and that’s power.”