Thai Randolph launches NILE & Co., acquires As/Is and Goodful from BuzzFeed
Variety reports the former Hartbeat CEO is back with NILE & Co., a content-to-commerce platform targeting women 25-45, with a 50M+ follower portfolio built from the acquisition of BuzzFeed's As/Is and Goodful brands. Summer 2026 relaunches are planned for both properties. Founding partners include executives from UTA, Paramount, and BuzzFeed. Randolph has described the platform as designed to close the gap between content and purchase, with commerce built into the content model rather than bolted on.
THE BREAKDOWN
Randolph is building what a number of talent-adjacent companies have tried and struggled to execute: owned IP with commerce infrastructure underneath it. UTA and Paramount involvement signals serious distribution and deal-making backing. For creator clients in the women's lifestyle space, NILE & Co. represents a potential platform partner or acquirer worth tracking — especially for creators who have built audiences in beauty, wellness, or home that overlap with As/Is and Goodful's legacy followings.
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