The Tempest is an American digital media and entertainment company for millennial and Gen Z women that was founded in 2016 by Laila Alawa. Their purpose is to serve as "the destination for diverse women to share, inspire, and celebrate life through storytelling, experiences, and a global community." In January 2017, it surpassed 8 million monthly visitors, placing it ahead of rival women-oriented sites such as Refinery29, Rookie and xoJane. The Tempest's increasing global popularity among young women is attributed in part to its young staff. Writers are advised to write about stories that interest them; this can range from international politics and up-and-coming beauty influencers, to technology and cultural experiences.
History
The Tempest was founded by Laila Alawa in 2016. Alawa had worked at the White House and Congress for three years prior but left to found the new company. In 2017, Alawa tapped Mashal Waqar to join the company as her co-founder. The name of the website alludes to the disruption that diverse storytelling by women brings to the world. In 2018, the company launched a Middle East edition of the website. In 2018, Cheddar reported that The Tempest now reaches an audience of over 10 million globally across platforms.
Content
The Tempest produces editorial and video programming, live events, and social, shareable content delivered across major social media platforms, and covers a variety of categories including style, health, food, entertainment, careers, technology, news, politics, and more. The Tempest has accounts on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter, where they upload various photos, videos and articles on a wide range of topics for young women. The Tempest features articles and multimedia across the following channels: Life, Love, Social Justice, Tech + Beyond, Pop Culture, Lookbook, More than 2,000 contributors identifying as women or non-binary from more than twenty countries regularly contribute original content.
Founder and CEO, Laila Alawa, is a Forbes 30 Under 30, called by Forbes "a leader transforming the future of media". Co-founder and COO, Mashal Waqar, is a Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Middle East, making The Tempest the first female-run company to ever be named to the list.
