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Old Town Media
Old Town Media, founded by Tom McGeveran and Josh Benson in 2017, builds and invests in local news organizations and media companies.
Old Town Media
Old Town Media was founded in February 2017 by Tom McGeveran, Josh Benson, and Katherine Lehr. McGeveran and Benson ran Capital New York, a bootstrapped local news outlet acquired by Politico in 2013. Lehr, a Politico executive, helped Politico expand into Florida, New Jersey, California, Illinois, and Massachusetts. The firm launches and grows news publications, works with established media companies on revenue and sustainability, and partners with media-tech companies. Asset-class mix includes venture investments, operational consulting, and fund management. Confirmed portfolio companies include The Colorado Sun, Block Club Chicago, Documented, Coda, and Mountain State Spotlight (per firm website). Geographic footprint spans the US and Europe through partnerships with Kinzen and Distributed Media Lab. The firm maintains a venture fund for early-stage media investments. Recent activity includes advising Katie Couric Media and working with the National Trust for Local News and the American Journalism Project (per firm website). Additional offices are located in San Francisco, Fort Collins, Los Angeles, and Fairfax. Old Town Media's structural differentiator is its dual role as both a venture investor and a hands-on operating partner — it provides funding and strategic guidance to journalism startups while also helping established nonprofits and commercial media build sustainable revenue models. This hybrid model is rare among family offices, which typically separate investment and operational roles.
General information
Firm type
Family Office
Year founded
2017
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Additional offices
San Francisco · Fort Collins · Los Angeles · Fairfax
Principals
Tom McGeveran
co-founder
Josh Benson
co-founder
Katherine Lehr
media operations executive
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Old Town Media?
Tom McGeveran and Josh Benson, co-founders, lead investment decisions alongside media operations executive Katherine Lehr. The firm's website lists them as the principal team, though no formal CIO or CEO titles are publicly disclosed.
How does Old Town Media source proprietary deal flow?
Old Town Media sources deals through its network of journalism founders and media executives. The firm's partners previously ran Capital New York and Politico expansions, giving them direct relationships with founders of publications like The Colorado Sun and Block Club Chicago (per firm website).
Is Old Town Media structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
The firm operates as a hybrid: it has a venture fund for early-stage media investments and provides operational consulting to media companies. It is not publicly registered as a family office, but its structure resembles a single-family office that deploys capital alongside hands-on advisory work.
Does Old Town Media participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Old Town Media makes direct venture investments in media companies and also manages a venture fund. The firm does not disclose committing to external funds, but its portfolio consists entirely of direct stakes in news publications and media-tech firms.
What investment stages does Old Town Media typically target?
Old Town Media focuses on early-stage media companies, including launch-stage news publications and growing media-tech startups. It provides seed capital and operational support to organizations like Documented and Coda (per firm website).
Which sectors does Old Town Media explicitly avoid?
Old Town Media avoids non-media sectors entirely. Its mandate is confined to journalism, news publishing, and media technology. The firm's website and client testimonials indicate a strict focus on news organizations and media-tech solutions.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The firm's website does not disclose the source of its capital. Old Town Media was founded by journalists, not by a family with identifiable wealth origin. The capital likely comes from proceeds from the sale of Capital New York to Politico and possibly from outside investors or personal funds.
Does Old Town Media maintain philanthropic structures, and how are they separated?
Old Town Media partners with journalism funders like the American Journalism Project and the National Trust for Local News, but it does not appear to operate its own philanthropic foundation. The firm's for-profit venture fund and advisory services are separate from these nonprofit relationships.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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