Note: This is a re-released episode from June 2025. When Jill sat down with Versha Sharma, she was Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue. Since then, Condé Nast has folded Teen Vogue into vogue.com, eliminating the masthead entirely. Sharma's job and the editorial identity she built were swept away in th...
Note: This is a re-released episode from June 2025. When Jill sat down with Versha Sharma, she was Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue. Since then, Condé Nast has folded Teen Vogue into vogue.com, eliminating the masthead entirely. Sharma's job and the editorial identity she built were swept away in that restructuring, which is exactly why this conversation feels even more relevant now.
Jill sits down with Versha Sharma for the story of her climb to EIC at one of America's most influential youth publications. Drawing from her Louisiana upbringing as the daughter of Indian immigrants, Sharma opens up about the feelings of otherness that fueled her passion for amplifying marginalized voices. The conversation traces her path from Obama's 2008 campaign through her evolution into journalism and her leadership at Teen Vogue during COVID-19 and the social justice reckoning of 2020.
Sharma describes the strategic evolution she guided, from embracing digital-first publishing to prioritizing video content for Gen Z audiences. The episode highlights groundbreaking editorial choices under her guidance, including features on Vivian Wilson, Elon Musk's transgender daughter, and Representative Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress.
Listening back, this conversation is a reminder of what leadership actually looks like in media and how much is lost when the industry sidelines the voices who push it forward.
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Going Rogue is produced by Jill Demling and Maddie Kelly, who also serves as our social media director. Matty Rosenberg is the executive producer