Kevin Hart has taken over as CEO of his production company, HARTBEAT, marking the third leadership change in less than two years. According to Bloomberg, Hart stepped in just before Thanksgiving 2024 following a series of layoffs that impacted around 20 employees, nearly one-quarter of the company’s workforce. Shortly after the layoffs, CEO Jay Levine, Chief Financial Officer DJ Jacobs, and Chief Content Officer Brandon Smiley departed amicably due to disagreements about the company’s direction. HARTBEAT is a global, multi-platform media company dedicated to creating entertainment that blends comedy and culture. The company produces films, TV shows, audio series, and branded content. Founded in 2009, Hart merged his two high-growth, profitable companies, Laugh Out Loud and HartBeat Productions, to form the current entity in 2022, per a press release. HARTBEAT was launched with a $100 million investment from the private equity firm Abry Partners, which took a minority stake in the...

After investing a heavy stack into a Black-owned production company, Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat has spun the block to close a deal.

There are many spaces that attempt to prevent Black women from thriving and the comedy industry is no different. However, with Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat — the multi-platform media company founded by the Philadelphia comedian — that’s not the case. In May, the company announced the return of its Women Write Now comedic screenwriting fellowship, which is on a mission to champion the next generation of Black women through advocacy, exhibition, mentorship, and production. The company’s CEO, Thai Randolph, led the most recent funding round, which totaled $100 million, and is excited to play a role in helping to greenlight projects led by women who look like her. “This program really has been a labor of love, but also, a real point of both passion and purpose,” Randolph told AfroTech in an exclusive interview. “The whole founding insight for the program was a very clear observation and experience that there are not enough Black women in the seat to greenlight things, which I am now. And, so,...

Kevin Hart has raised substantial funding to merge his existing entertainment companies. According to a press release shared with AfroTech, the comedian and Hollywood entertainer has merged Laugh Out Loud and HartBeat Productions to form HARTBEAT. In addition, it was also announced that the multi-platform media company raised $100 million from Abry Partners, in which the private equity firm took a minority investment. The funding will support new content, hiring new teams, and the expansion of existing brands and franchises.