Owning the Room: Samantha Skey on AI, Imposter Syndrome, and Leading with Intention
Speaker
Samantha Skey is Chief Executive Officer of SHE Media, a top 10 media company reaching 74M monthly unique visitors. SHE Media, including flagship brands SheKnows, Flow Space, StyleCaster, Soaps and TVLine, was acquired by Penske Media Corporation in March 2018.
In addition to the company’s owned and operated brands, the ‘SHE Media Collective’ represents one of the largest networks of independent lifestyle publishers and Creators in the US. Skey launched the SHE Media Collective in 2016 with a focus on supporting under-represented publishers and Creators. The Collective contributes millions of dollars in revenue to independent publishers annually, helping women and minority-led businesses scale both their profits and their social impact.
In 2021, Skey led the launch of SHE Media’s Meaningful Marketplaces (MMP), a community of women and minority-owned publishers and content creators. The “MMP” enables advertisers to buy media at scale from the Collective’s premium publishers, ensuring that independent media receives the economic support to thrive.
Throughout her career, Samantha has exhibited a long-standing commitment to the advancement of equity and inclusion through media. In 2023, Skey led the launch of the SHE Media Co-Lab Whole Life Health at SXSW with a star-studded line-up of experts and thought leaders who brought health innovation to this international stage, earning both a Fierce Pharma and Anthem Award.
In 2023, Skey launched the Flow Space platform for SHE Media. Flow Space is a digital and live media platform providing content, community, and commerce in service of women’s health. It has already garnered recognition, winning an Anthem and a Viddy Gold Award. Flow Space leverages the expertise and scale of the Flow Space Collective, reaching 1/3 of all women 35+ who consume health and wellness content online.
Samantha began her career in digital media and technology over 25 years ago at Interactive Imaginations, a gaming start-up that went public in 1998. She held management roles with CNET, Disney, and Alloy Inc. Prior to joining SHE Media, Skey was Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer for clean tech innovator, RecycleBank, and joined SheKnows in 2013.
SUMMARY
In this episode of *Revenue Room™, Samantha Skey, CEO of She Media, shares her bold, human-centered take on leadership, AI disruption, and the future of digital publishing. From reframing imposter syndrome as a systemic issue to building a diversified media model grounded in authenticity, Samantha offers a masterclass in leading with courage, clarity, and purpose in a time of massive change.
Key Topics Discussed:
-How Samantha approaches leadership with a focus on ethics, empathy, and long-term impact—not just short-term performance. -The tension between AI as an operational asset vs. existential threat to publishers. -Her prediction of a new industry for authenticity verification in content. -Samantha redefined imposter syndrome as a systemic issue, not a personal flaw. -A call to redesign environments to be more inclusive of non-traditional leaders. -She Media’s three-pronged business model: owned brands, creator monetization, and immersive brand partnerships. -The importance of leveraging both quantitative and qualitative inputs to drive business decisions.
About Samantha Skey
Samantha Skey is CEO of SHE Media, a top 10 media company reaching 80 million monthly unique visitors through brands like SheKnows, Flow Space, StyleCaster, Soaps, and TVLine. Acquired by Penske Media Corporation in 2018, SHE Media also operates one of the largest networks of independent lifestyle publishers and creators in the U.S. via the SHE Media Collective, which Skey launched in 2016 to support underrepresented voices. The Collective contributes millions in revenue annually to women- and minority-led publishers.
In 2021, Skey launched Meaningful Marketplaces (MMP), enabling advertisers to scale media buys across the Collective while directly supporting premium independent media. That commitment to equity continued with the 2023 launch of Flow Space, a digital and live media platform focused on women’s health, which won both Anthem and Viddy Gold Awards. Skey also led the debut of the SHE Media Co-Lab Whole Life Health at SXSW, earning accolades from Fierce Pharma and the Anthem Awards.
With over 25 years in digital media and tech, Skey previously held leadership roles at CNET, Disney, and RecycleBank, and joined SheKnows in 2013. She’s been recognized with numerous industry honors, including Ad Age’s “Women to Watch,” Folio’s “Corporate Visionary Award,” and DM News’ “Hall of Femme.” Skey serves on the boards of The Ad Council, World Surf League, and Acast, and is an advisor to Digital Ascendant and Let’s Talk Menopause. She lives in Princeton with her husband and two children and coaches girls’ lacrosse on weekends.
CONTENT & TRANSCRIPT
