Proudly backing The Mighty: A company empowering those confronting disease and disability
May 21, 2015May 21, 2015 | By Upfront Ventures

Proudly backing The Mighty: A company empowering those confronting disease and disability It’s rare to meet a founder with a personal story and professional background so well aligned around a business as The Mighty’s Mike Porath. We certainly have been inspired, which is why we led the company’s $2.5M Series Seed round announced today.

Our first introduction to Mike came with a link to his post on why he created The Mighty. It begins about five years ago when he and his wife faced a difficult, life-changing day:

*In the span of a few hours, we got thumped twice. In the morning, we learned that the baby she was pregnant with was short one organ and maybe more. In the afternoon, we learned that our struggling 2-year-old daughter had a rare chromosome disorder, Dup15q syndrome, and as the doctor put it, her mind probably wouldn’t develop beyond that of a small child. * You don’t have to be a parent to envision the weight of this news. But in adjusting to this new reality, Mike was determined to use his family’s challenges as a catalyst for something good. The Mighty is the manifestation of that commitment.

In his search for personal accounts from people going through similar challenges to his own, Mike saw a glaring hole in the spectrum of online content relating to diseases, disabilities, and chronic health issues. Whereas big health sites like WebMD provide a deep library of medical information, there’s a void of relatable content from individuals facing the everyday challenges and triumphs brought about by these conditions. With The Mighty, Mike set out to create an online media company that fills this void, improving the lives of those impacted by these challenges by publishing real stories from real people.

You’d be hard pressed to find someone more qualified to pursue this mission. Over the past 15+ years, Mike has built a standout resume and reputation in digital media. As the former EVP of Programming at Spin Media and Editor-in-Chief of AOL News, he has managed leading digital properties with 100+ person teams. And through various roles as a writer, editor and producer across media companies such as ABC News, NBC News, and The New York Times, he has cultivated a deep and multifaceted understanding of the digital content business.

So far, Mike’s passion and insight have been an effective combination. A matter of months since launch, The Mighty is connecting hundreds of writers with millions of readers each month and is building one of the fastest-growing communities in health today.

While The Mighty is focused on cultivating and empowering these communities around specific conditions, we believe the company is building a content engine and resource that will reach everyone. Consider anxiety disorders, which directly affect 40 million adults in the U.S. age 18 and older. That’s 18% of the U.S. adult population. Include depression and the number grows by more than 350 million globally. Within mental health alone the list goes on — ADD/ADHD, autism, eating disorders, etc.. Now, imagine how many people are impacted by these disorders, whether directly or indirectly. Spouses, family, friends, even coworkers. To varying degrees, each of these individuals will empathize with personal stories of others going through similar experiences, or at the least be inspired to share such a story with someone they know who may be more directly affected.The reach expands exponentially. Know someone with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)? Take three minutes to see what it can be like in his or her mind as shown through the lens of a talented filmmaker with the disorder — you can start to see why we call it a resource.

Stepping beyond mental health, one begins to realize that this is a category that touches everyone. Cancer, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimers. But whether a condition is widespread or the most isolated of cases, the power of personal narratives can help, and The Mighty’s goal is to give a voice and a megaphone to these stories.

Mike and the team are off to a great start. As their brand and community continue to grow, they’re also investing heavily in the development of a technology platform that will drive performance, scalability and tools for community engagement. We’re looking forward to the road ahead and could not be more proud to back a team and mission.

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Proudly backing The Mighty: A company empowering those confronting disease and disability It’s rare to meet a founder with a personal story and professional background so well aligned around a business as The Mighty’s Mike Porath. We certainly have been inspired, which is why we led the company’s $2.5M Series Seed round announced today.

Our first introduction to Mike came with a link to his post on why he created The Mighty. It begins about five years ago when he and his wife faced a difficult, life-changing day:

*In the span of a few hours, we got thumped twice. In the morning, we learned that the baby she was pregnant with was short one organ and maybe more. In the afternoon, we learned that our struggling 2-year-old daughter had a rare chromosome disorder, Dup15q syndrome, and as the doctor put it, her mind probably wouldn’t develop beyond that of a small child. * You don’t have to be a parent to envision the weight of this news. But in adjusting to this new reality, Mike was determined to use his family’s challenges as a catalyst for something good. The Mighty is the manifestation of that commitment.

In his search for personal accounts from people going through similar challenges to his own, Mike saw a glaring hole in the spectrum of online content relating to diseases, disabilities, and chronic health issues. Whereas big health sites like WebMD provide a deep library of medical information, there’s a void of relatable content from individuals facing the everyday challenges and triumphs brought about by these conditions. With The Mighty, Mike set out to create an online media company that fills this void, improving the lives of those impacted by these challenges by publishing real stories from real people.

You’d be hard pressed to find someone more qualified to pursue this mission. Over the past 15+ years, Mike has built a standout resume and reputation in digital media. As the former EVP of Programming at Spin Media and Editor-in-Chief of AOL News, he has managed leading digital properties with 100+ person teams. And through various roles as a writer, editor and producer across media companies such as ABC News, NBC News, and The New York Times, he has cultivated a deep and multifaceted understanding of the digital content business.

So far, Mike’s passion and insight have been an effective combination. A matter of months since launch, The Mighty is connecting hundreds of writers with millions of readers each month and is building one of the fastest-growing communities in health today.

While The Mighty is focused on cultivating and empowering these communities around specific conditions, we believe the company is building a content engine and resource that will reach everyone. Consider anxiety disorders, which directly affect 40 million adults in the U.S. age 18 and older. That’s 18% of the U.S. adult population. Include depression and the number grows by more than 350 million globally. Within mental health alone the list goes on — ADD/ADHD, autism, eating disorders, etc.. Now, imagine how many people are impacted by these disorders, whether directly or indirectly. Spouses, family, friends, even coworkers. To varying degrees, each of these individuals will empathize with personal stories of others going through similar experiences, or at the least be inspired to share such a story with someone they know who may be more directly affected.The reach expands exponentially. Know someone with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)? Take three minutes to see what it can be like in his or her mind as shown through the lens of a talented filmmaker with the disorder — you can start to see why we call it a resource.

Stepping beyond mental health, one begins to realize that this is a category that touches everyone. Cancer, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimers. But whether a condition is widespread or the most isolated of cases, the power of personal narratives can help, and The Mighty’s goal is to give a voice and a megaphone to these stories.

Mike and the team are off to a great start. As their brand and community continue to grow, they’re also investing heavily in the development of a technology platform that will drive performance, scalability and tools for community engagement. We’re looking forward to the road ahead and could not be more proud to back a team and mission.