Lauren Jarvis, formerly Spotify‘s head of content partnerships for North America, has joined subscription book club startup Literati as chief business officer.
At Spotify, Jarvis managed the audio streamer’s catalog of more than 2 million podcasts. She also oversaw Spotify’s major exclusive deals like “The Joe Rogan Experience” and Dax Shepherd’s “Armchair Expert.” Before joining Spotify in November 2016, Jarvis was director of business development for Vevo and worked at consulting firm Booz & Co. for more than six years. Earlier in her career, she worked at the Justice Department and YouTube.
Jarvis will help drive Literati’s growth by scaling business operations, identifying new talent for book club partnerships, and developing its relationships with publishers. The Austin-based startup, founded in 2017, says it has raised $54 million to date.
“Lauren’s deep experience working with independent creators and media companies makes her an ideal fit for this role,” Literati founder and CEO Jessica Ewing said in announcing Jarvis’s hire. “But it’s her hardened belief in our mission that makes her the perfect addition to our executive team.”
Jarvis said in a statement, “I had the privilege of bringing podcasts to Spotify where I partnered closely with talent to inform, entertain and inspire their fans through audio. I am excited to expand upon my experience at Literati. I wholeheartedly believe in Jessica’s vision to bring lovers of literature together, evolving the way that people find community online.”
Literati started out a kids’ book club, but it has increasingly branched out to cater to readers of all ages. Earlier this month, Literati more than doubled its curated book clubs, adding seven new authors — including Roxane Gay and Cheryl Strayed — to the platform. They join other partners including Richard Branson, Stephen Curry and Malala, who have also partnered with Literati to host clubs.
