Who's behind the news?
Who's behind the news?
Relationship Graph
Los Angeles, California · CEO and Co-Founder, L.A. Material
Sarah Wick is CEO and co-founder of L.A. Material. She is the sister of L.A. Material Editorial Director and Co-Founder Julia Wick — a fact the organization discloses on its team page. Her background is in media operations and digital business rather than journalism: before co-founding L.A. Material in 2026, she spent six years as Chief Operating Officer at Crooked Media, the audio and subscription-based media company founded by former Obama administration communications staff and known for the Pod Save America podcast network. Before Crooked Media, she served as General Manager of a digital gaming vertical at Disney Interactive.
At Crooked Media, Wick oversaw the operational and business infrastructure of a company that built a substantial membership and live events business alongside its podcast network — directly relevant experience for L.A. Material's stated model of reader-supported, subscription-based local journalism. Crooked Media's growth under her tenure as COO demonstrated that audio-first, membership-supported media could scale beyond a niche audience; that experience informs L.A. Material's business thesis that independent local journalism can be commercially sustainable without institutional subsidy.
As CEO, her role at L.A. Material is focused on the business and operational side of the organization — revenue, subscriptions, partnerships, and the infrastructure that supports the editorial team led by Julia Turner and Julia Wick. She is described on the L.A. Material About page as an L.A. native.
L.A. Material
CEO and Co-Founder (2026–present) · responsible for business operations, subscriptions, and revenue · sister of Editorial Director Julia Wick
Crooked Media
Chief Operating Officer (six years) · audio and subscription media company; Pod Save America network · oversaw operational and business infrastructure
Disney Interactive
General Manager, Digital Gaming Vertical · prior to Crooked Media
Sarah Wick · CEO and Co-Founder, L.A. Material
L.A. Material: lamaterial.com · lamaterial.com/team