Meet Max Schorr

Q: Max, can you share a bit about your journey and what inspired you to co-found GOOD magazine?

My grandparents and parents were educators and community-oriented professionals who embodied values in a way that inspired me. Temba Maqubela, a former South African freedom fighter and the grandson of the legendary ZK Matthews, ended up being my teacher in high school, and he embodied social good in a way that made it cool and appealing. A friend of mine in high school, Ben Goldhirsh, and I started asking why the broader culture did not seem to view good as cool.  

In college, I became interested in social entrepreneurship. I began to wonder why it felt as though we had to make a career choice after college, whether to prioritize doing good or making money, as we wanted both.

In an ongoing conversation, Ben suggested we do a magazine called GOOD, and I started working on it with him and another friend, Casey Caplowe, while I was also studying for the LSAT. 

The project captured our imagination, and we worked all day, every day though it often felt more like joy than work. We started doing events and short videos and created a community impact model before the magazine came out.

Q: You've worked at the intersection of media and social change for a long time. How has that landscape and your work evolved over time?

GOOD has changed significantly over the years, adapting to a dynamic and shifting media landscape. Still, we remain true to our mission of focusing on the positive in humanity and bringing people together as a force for good.

In 2017, we acquired Upworthy, and in 2018, I became CEO. We now reach millions of people every week through Upworthy. There has been ongoing change in the growth of social media, the disruption of local media, and how people are overloaded with information. Social good has become a bigger part of contemporary culture, and now there are more nuanced conversations.

Amazingly, the mission feels as needed as ever because so much negative and scary information is highlighted in the media. We are also dealing with an epidemic of loneliness, mistrust, and disconnection. The question is how we in the media can positively influence and encourage a sense of community and shared humanity. 

We’ve seen tremendous growth with our editorial team at Upworthy and are proud to be a hub for good news in a media environment increasingly dominated by fear and outrage. We work closely with mission-aligned partners to develop content that we can distribute and amplify through our Upworthy platforms, which have some of the highest engagement rates in the industry. We also develop campaigns that help partners realize their purpose and authentically engage people.

Q: You've led global campaigns with partners like the UN Foundation and the Gates Foundation on major global initiatives. Can you describe a favorite and why you liked it?  

Our project Earth to Paris became the official public engagement campaign of the Paris Climate Summit. We brainstormed internally and came up with Earth to Paris. Everyone on our team quickly loved the name, and then I met with the Head of Communications and Marketing for the UN Foundation. He liked the concept immediately and helped make it the official campaign of the summit. 

Together, we built a coalition of over 100 relevant organizations ranging from all of the environmental UN agencies to the city of Paris, to Facebook and Twitter to a range of environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club, WWF, c40, and many more. All came together with the public to call for a bolder Paris Agreement. We were invited to the Roosevelt Room of the White House with a viral video gaining over a million views daily and a broad coalition spanning businesses, civic groups, and citizens. 

Eventually, the campaign broke public engagement records for the UN and generated over a billion media impressions. The UN and White House both told us that this campaign helped drive a bolder Paris Agreement, an agreement which is often considered the biggest international agreement in history. 

Q: I love following Upworthy on Instagram. Can you tell us about the book Upworthy just published, GOOD PEOPLE: Stories from the Best of Humanity? (Just in time for the holidays, I might note!) 

Well, we started a content format on social media (Spotlight), where we pose questions to the Upworthy community and then highlight some of the responses.

We got tens of thousands of reactions in Upworthy’s Instagram comment section to questions such as, “What is the kindest thing a stranger ever did for you?” or “Is there a teacher who changed your life for the better?” Many of the responses resonated, and we wanted to preserve these stories of human kindness and connection and share them with a broader audience.

So we looked into making a book, and GOOD PEOPLE: Stories From the Best of Humanity was born with our publishing partners at National Geographic and Disney. It debuted on the New York Times Nonfiction Bestseller list. 

GOOD PEOPLE reminds us that little things we do for each other can make a lasting difference. One of my favorite things has been to give copies of the book to those who have positively impacted my life.

Q: Do you have any advice for young entrepreneurs interested in social entrepreneurship?

Lots, but it depends on the context. It is hard work, though worthwhile if you believe in what you are doing. You can learn a lot from others, so it can be a good idea to start by helping someone else.

Q: Max, what prompted your move to Watertown a few years ago, and how has it impacted your life and work?

Family. My parents retired here. I really enjoy being here and building a life with my wife and two young daughters. It’s given me perspective on balancing my career and home life and inspired me to think more deeply about community and local impact. 

Q: What do you like most about living here? Is there anything about living in Watertown that’s been unexpected?

I like biking around and experiencing the diversity of the community. I’m still learning a lot, but our family friends Will and Sue Twombly have made some excellent introductions that have brought this place to life, including meeting you, Nicole, and experiencing your dedicated service to this community. I love to walk in nature with my family, find mini-adventures, and learn more about the area.