Campside Media

Former NYT Exec Geoff Isenman Named CEO Of Campside Media

~ jen

Veteran media executive Geoff Isenman has been named CEO of Campside Media, the award-winning podcasting company known for ambitious, non-fiction storytelling like Suspect, Chameleon, and its most recent global hit, White Devil, which has been lodged on the podcast charts for its entire run, reaching #6 on the Apple Podcast chart and approaching 3 million downloads. 

“The quality and breadth of Campside’s work is inspiring. It is a testament to the commitment and passion of the founders and team they’ve built,” said Isenman. “I’m thrilled to lead the company, with Sister’s partnership, during this transformative period for the entire audio industry.”

Campside co-founder Adam Hoff, who has been serving in the CEO role, will now shift to full-time to oversee the company’s fast-growing film and television slate as Head of Film and TV for the company.

Said Hoff: “Geoff’s deep experience is going to be a tremendous asset to Campside and we’re beyond thrilled to welcome him to the team. It’s been a pleasure serving as CEO and now I’m looking forward to focusing on the creative side of the business.”

Isenman brings with him an extensive resume in deal-making in the media and technology space, with a focus on audio-forward companies. He joins Campside from AccelPro, where he was founder and General Manager of Kaplan Inc.’s audio-first career development platform. Isenman recently produced the Webby-nominated podcast Big Sugar, released in partnership with Imagine Entertainment and iHeartMedia.

From 2017-2021, Isenman was Chief Business Officer of Cafe Studios, a podcast company co-founded by Preet Baharara, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (acquired by Vox Media) and also Some Spider Studios, a portfolio of the leading digital-first parenting brands (acquired by BDG Media).

From 2008-2015, Isenman was an executive at The New York Times. As Vice President, Corporate & Business Development he oversaw the company’s partnerships and M&A, along with its venture investing portfolio which focused on early stage SaaS businesses.

Isenman began his career in the entertainment industry, at Tribeca Productions. Additionally, he has independently advised and invested in early stage companies across technology and media for more than ten years.

Said Campside Media co-founders Josh Dean, Vanessa Grigoriadis, Matt Shaer, and Hoff, “We’re very happy to welcome Geoff to Campside and excited for him to accelerate the growth of our business. With Geoff’s arrival and Adam’s shift to focus on the exploration of our deep well of IP, Campside is well-positioned for the future.”

About Campfire

Specializing in deeply-reported narrative non-fiction podcasts, Campside Media’s award-winning shows have been downloaded more than 100 million times, and featured on “best of” lists compiled by editors at The New Yorker, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vulture, Esquire, and New York Magazine.

Campfire, which was co-founded in 2020 by the veteran magazine journalists Josh Dean, Vanessa Grigoridias, and Matt Shaer, and the screenwriter/producer Adam Hoff, is the creator of the Chameleon and Suspect franchises, the forms of which won the Podcast Academy Award for “Podcast of the Year” in 2022 for its third season “Wild Boys.” 

With over 40 limited series podcasts produced to date, Campside has worked with over a dozen different partners in audio and currently has 25 projects in various stages of development for television and film. Further, Campside has 15 documentary projects in the works, including recent sales to Hulu and Netflix. Campside was named one of Fast Company’s 10 most innovative media companies in 2022.

Wondery Strikes Global First Look Deal With Campside Media For A Multi-Project Slate

~ jen

Podcast studio Wondery announced an audio first-look deal with Campsite Media, a leading podcast production company known for its award-winning and critically acclaimed journalistic storytelling. Under the multi-project commitment, Wondery and Campside will produce Limited Series podcasts, including non-English language titles, to be distributed by Wondery globally.

Building further on the relationship, Wondery and Campside have collaborated previously, including three seasons of Suspect with the fourth season coming later this year, Sports Explains The World from Wondery and Meadowlark, and Campside Co-founder Matt Shaer reporting and hosting Wondery’s Over My Dead Body. Campside and Wondery both strategically align in creating compelling podcasts that serve as the building blocks for television and film adaptations. Currently, Suspect is being developed as a TV series at Amazon MGM Studios with Wondery and Campside Media producing.

“We have worked with Campside on several projects, including Suspect, and I’m honored we’re expanding our collaboration with them,” said Marshall Lewy, Chief Content Officer, Wondery. “Their instinct for fascinating stories and excellence in journalism fits perfectly with Wonder’s commitment to delivering captivating narratives to audiences worldwide. I am particularly thrilled that this partnership includes global investigative series, and it marks a big milestone as we continue to bring the most bingeable, groundbreaking and thought-provoking series we can to our listeners.”

“Marshal Lewy and George Lavender, now Wondery’s Head of Creative Production, were my introduction to audio — the helped teach me how to make a successful narrative podcast,” Matt Shaer, Co-Founder of Campside Media said. “This deal feels like a genuine full circle moment: From those early days of the medium, to collaborating on the Suspect franchise, and now working in partnership on a broad new range of shows. As a creator, I can’t think of a better home for Campside’s work than Wondery.”

Renowned for their compelling journalism-first approach and creator-driven content, Campside Media was recently recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2023, producing over 40 limited series podcasts, with 20 television and film adaptation projects in development. Wondery is an industry leader in transitioning podcasts into television shows and to date has produced 6 prestige limited TV series.