Keith Clinkscales

KEITH CLINKSCALES
Chief Executive Officer, REVOLT

Seasoned media veteran Clinkscales is the entertainment powerhouse behind household names loved by music, lifestyle and sports fans for the past 20 years – VIBE, Heart & Soul, Savoy, Honey and ESPN. Hand-picked by Sean Combs to lead one of the largest, independent network launches in cable television history, Clinkscales took the helm of REVOLT Media & TV as CEO in 2013. An expert on the intersection between lifestyle and culture, Clinkscales oversees an aggressive strategy to make REVOLT the new #1 name in music by focusing on building a network that is real-time, multi-platform and fueled by artists & fans.

Among his senior posts Clinkscales counts eight years as a senior vice president at ESPN, four years as the chairman & CEO of Vanguarde Media and eight years at VIBE, where he launched and grew the magazine into the definitive urban lifestyle publication. Most recently at ESPN, Clinkscales created and supervised ESPN series including the award-winning “30 for 30” documentaries; managed ESPN The Magazine; and produced ESPN shows including “The X Games,” “The ESPY Awards,” and “SportsNation.” Early in his media career he founded and led lifestyle magazine titles VIBE, Honey, Heart & Soul, and Savoy as publisher and/or CEO.

One of the only media executives with Emmy nominations and Peabody awards, Clinkscales’ passion for quality journalism has earned him over 40 credits as an executive producer of films and documentaries. In the media industry, he has built a strong reputation for himself by focusing on content that smartly combines pop culture, race, and a passion platform such as music or sports, being honored as a top executive by Crain Communications, Advertising Age, CableWorld Magazine, Black Enterprise Magazine and the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame. A two-time recipient of National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Excellence in Journalism Awards, Clinkscales has demonstrated success in magazine publishing, content development and cable.

Clinkscales earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, recently being presented with a Professional Achievement Award from Harvard Business School’s African American Alumni Association, and earned a BS from HBCU FAMU. Entrepreneurial in spirit, Clinkscales founded The Shadow League (TheShadowLeague.com), a digital sports platform, in partnership with ESPN, which delivers sports content to millennials on a 24/7 basis.