Company: Moguldom Media Group, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Company Description: Company Description: Moguldom Media Group is a global, diversified digital media and entertainment company that owns and operates some of the Internet’s most popular websites in their respective categories. Blazing trails, we identify significant, yet undervalued consumer markets worldwide, and quickly establish the leadership position on-line as the go-to digital content destination for authentic
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Fastest Growing Company of the Year - Up to 100 Employees

Nomination Title: Moguldom Media Group Finds Ways to “Yes” When All Signs Point to “No

Tell the story about the growth of this nominated organization since January 1, 2014 (up to 650 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Begin this section with the following two lines: Year over year revenue growth (%): Year over year employee growth (%):

In 2014, Moguldom Media Group, a leading Global Digital Media and Entertainment Company serving pan-cultural and underserved markets, expanded its worldwide employee base by 30%, from 86 to 111 (with some fluctuation). MMG has increased revenue 33% from $15M in 2013 to $20M+ in 2014. The sole multicultural content company in the Inc. 5000 for the second straight year, MMG is ranked 14th Fastest Growing Media Company in the U.S. by Inc. in 2014.

As of the current year, MMG’s nine distinct properties attract over 16 million users monthly and consistently rank in the top 10 on user engagement according to ComScore. The properties have seen a compound revenue growth rate of 82.27% from 2009 to 2014 annually. Website traffic across desktop and mobile increased over 100% YoY in 2014.

The company’s portfolio of popular pop culture sites includes its first, Bossip, the premier destination for African-American and Black Celebrity Gossip and Entertainment News; top women’s lifestyle sites MadameNoire – which saw breakout growth in 2014 with revenue increase over 100% over 2013 and traffic increase over 150+%, capturing #1 position in the category - and MommyNoire, Hispanic culture sites Lossip and MamiMuse, music and entertainment site HipHopWired and fashion site StyleBlazer, which has the highest industry engagement metrics against every big name in fashion publishing.

Unlike competitors in the space, Moguldom’s properties were each authentically created - no acquisitions - and the company is also widely recognized as being ahead of the competition in employing programmatic and native advertising as key revenue streams. Though debt-free, Martin is judicious in growing the business -- using limited financial resources, and tapping creative, entrepreneurial drive -- to fuel significant advertising partnerships that work hard against competitors such as Vice, Complex, Vox, and TMZ.

CEO Martin seized other important opportunities in 2014, entering into film production via a major distribution agreement with Cinedigm, the largest independent film distributor in the U.S. Two of MMG’s films have placed in the Top 10 downloaded films on GooglePlay – a first for the site.

Martin’s uncanny prescience led to the company’s current position as a first mover in African digital media, launching AFKTravel, in 2014, the only information platform on travel in Africa; on the heels of his successful 2013 debut of AFKInsider, a business website focused on Africa (500K+ UVMs in less than a year). In 2014, Moguldom opened an office in Johannesburg, in addition to Fort Lauderdale, New York, Atlanta, and LA and Detroit (also in 2014.)

In 2014, MMG will launch The Moguldom Scholarship Fund, part of a company-wide philosophy and initiative founder Martin calls Contrarian Humanitarians. He has defined Contrarian Humanitarians as those who carve out their own niche while rejecting common practice. Martin and his lean, loyal, scrappy and focused team exemplify this definition. He encourages his staff to place a high priority on serving underserved, undervalued audiences. To that end, employees are given four paid days a year to perform such community service or volunteer work.

With an unending thirst for knowledge, a boot-strapping sense of determination, and the passion and self-reliance to find a way to “yes” when all the signs point to “no,” Martin credits education (Morehouse College and Syracuse University Law) and work ethic for overcoming early obstacles and building his successful media empire.

Although he held a “day job” as a paralegal, Martin worked through the night, producing a successful blog, The Detached Trader. However, he soon grew restless for business conquests and in 2006 launched Bossip to fill a niche in the nascent African-American digital market.

Armed only with a $6 domain name, Martin then made the aggressive decision to found Moguldom, a from-the-ground-up digital media company aimed at identifying big underserved content categories and rapidly scaling brands within them. Martin, sensing an opportunity, sought to prove that if he “built it they would come.”

And so they have.

In bullet-list form, briefly summarize up to ten (10) growth-related achievements of the nominated organization since January 1, 2014 (up to 150 words).

Top 10 MMG 2014 Achievements

1. Inc. Magazine ranked 14th Fastest Growing Media Company in US.
2. Doubled in revenue from $10M in 2012 to $20M+ in 2014.
3. Experienced 30% staff growth 2013 (86 employees) to 2014 (111 employees)
4. Website traffic across desktop and mobile increased over 100% YoY, December 2014 vs. December 2013.
5. Produced over 10 films in 2014; developed scripted TV series under review for cable networks in 1H 2015; signed major distribution agreement with Cinedigm, largest U.S. independent film distributor.
6. Two films in Top 10 downloaded films on Google Play (1st time ever for Google Play).
7. MadameNoire - breakout year; revenue increased over 100% YoY and traffic increased over 150+% YoY captured #1 position in category.
8. StyleBlazer – highest industry engagement metrics beating out Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, InStyle.
9. Launched AFKTravel, first of its kind Africa travel brand providing content; booking solutions.
10. Opened new offices in Johannesburg; Detroit.