Common Sense Growth Fund

Common Sense Growth is a for-profit subsidiary of Common Sense Media, the San Francisco-based nonprofit founded by Jim Steyer. The entity is jointly owned by the parent nonprofit and a group of private investors, and operates with its own board of directors. Its investments and incubated products must align with the parent's mission of improving digital media experiences for children.

Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, leads Common Sense Growth alongside an experienced board that includes Mary Berner, Geraldine Laybourne, Bob Miller, and Gordon Ritter. The specific investment team or CIO has not been publicly identified. The board's composition suggests operating and venture expertise informs capital-allocation choices.

Common Sense Growth wagers directly on startups and incubates in-house products targeting children and families. Its identified sectors include educational technology and data privacy. The firm uses brand trust built by Common Sense Media's content-rating platform to differentiate consumer products, with its first incubation structured as the Public Benefit Corporation Common Sense Networks.

Yes. The firm launched in 2020 with $25 million raised from a group of private investors alongside capital from the parent nonprofit Common Sense Media. The investor base has not been publicly named beyond this description.

Common Sense Networks is the first incubated project of Common Sense Growth, structured as a Public Benefit Corporation and led initially by media executive Eric Berger. In September 2023 it launched a free, ad-supported streaming channel for children distributed on platforms such as Pluto TV, carrying content rated by Common Sense Media's editorial review standards.