Thai Randolph, former CEO of Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat and a veteran of Sony, Meta, and WPP, has launched NILE & Co., a brand and IP platform that builds, acquires, and scales creator-driven businesses. The company announced the simultaneous acquisition of “As/Is” and “Goodful” from BuzzFeed, along with a commercial partnership with BuzzFeed’s identity brands Cocoa Butter, Pero Like, and A*Pop.

NILE, an acronym for “Narrative, Influence, Legacy, and Enterprise,” operates across three strategies: building new companies with creators and athletes as equity partners, acquiring brands with established audiences, and serving as an operating and commercialization partner for IP owners and corporations.

The company reports that its launch portfolio reaches more than 50 million consumers, predominantly women ages 25 to 45, with over five billion lifetime content views across the acquired and partner brands.

“I’ve spent my career building brands and scaling businesses alongside some of the most influential creators and commercial partners in the world,” said Randolph. “What I’ve learned is that narrative and influence are two of the biggest accelerants in modern brand building – and women are now in the driver’s seat. Naturally, our first investment is in her.” 

Repositioning the Acquired Brands

“As/Is,” which built its following as a body positivity platform and currently holds more than 15 million followers, will relaunch as a whole-life platform targeting high-performing women. “Goodful,” which accumulated more than 25 million followers around wellness and mental health content, will expand toward what Randolph described as a wellness-to-wealth platform. Both brands are set to relaunch in Summer 2026.

“We look for brands with demonstrable audience affinity, valuable IP, and clear headroom to become something bigger. ‘As/Is’ and ‘Goodful’ have that foundation,” Randolph said. “They built trust with a highly engaged audience and became part of how she lives and sees herself.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, BuzzFeed disclosed in its 2025 annual report that it sold both brands for $500,000, recording an $800,000 loss on the transaction. The brands have remained largely inactive for years, retaining approximately 40 million combined followers across Facebook, YouTube, and other social platforms.

Lifting the Promotional Burden

Randolph said NILE’s model is designed to reduce the pressure on creator-founders to constantly promote their own brands. Creators will hold equity in the businesses they co-found, while NILE distributes and promotes products through its owned channels, including As/Is and Goodful.

“I’ve really spent time in deep partnership with creators, I’ve seen the opportunity and how successful that can be,” Randolph said. “I’ve also seen how cumbersome that can be.”

Leadership and Advisers

Randolph’s founding team includes Manveer Sehmi as CFO, formerly of Hartbeat and FastPay; Heather Johns as Head of Content and Creator Partnerships, formerly of Paramount and UTA; Melinda Lee, BuzzFeed’s former chief content officer, as Operating Partner and Advisor; and Ahmad Barber as Operating Partner and Creative Director. Hilco Corporate Finance and Loop Capital served as financial advisers on the transaction.

Cover photo credit: Joey Rosado

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