Ricky Van Veen

Richard Rafael Van Veen (born December 14, 1980)[1] is an American entrepreneur. He is currently Head of Global Creative Strategy at Facebook.[2] Van Veen co-founded the popular comedy brand/website CollegeHumor. He was also CEO of Notional, a television production company born out of CollegeHumor.

Ricky Van Veen
Van Veen speaking at SXSW in 2007
Born (1980-12-14) December 14, 1980
Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materWake Forest University
OccupationHead of Global Creative Strategy at Facebook, Co-founder of CollegeHumor
Years active2006–present
Spouse(s)
Allison Williams
(m. 2015; div. 2019)

Van Veen created CollegeHumor as a student at Wake Forest.[3] Van Veen's site was earning between $10–15 million a year before the partners sold a controlling stake to IAC/InterActiveCorp.[4][5] He is also one of the principal owners and founders of Connected Ventures, a company formed around CollegeHumor that included BustedTees.[6] He also appeared in episode six of Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld's podcast, If I Were You, becoming the first guest to do so.

He made appearances in several College Humor video series, such as Jake and Amir and Hardly Working,[7] and the former MTV program The CollegeHumor Show.

In July 2009 Van Veen was announced to be the CEO of the new production company, Notional,[8] which would be producing material for the traditional media of television. One of Notional's most noteworthy TV shows is Chopped on the Food Network. Van Veen would be mentored by Barry Diller, who is the chairman and senior executive of IAC/InterActiveCorp.

Ricky also co-founded product company Scroll Commerce in 2015, where he would invent products designed to sell online, including the popular "Homesick Candle." The company was later acquired by BuzzFeed to be the foundation of its new Product Labs division.[9]

Personal life

Van Veen is from Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland. He is the son of Helen and Richard Van Veen.[10] Van Veen married actress Allison Williams in September 2015.[1] On June 27, 2019, they issued a joint statement that they will be splitting up.[11]

References
  1. "Get the Details on Allison Williams and Ricky Van Veen's Wedding (Tom Hanks Officiated!)". People. September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2015. Ricky Van Veen ... the 34-year-old College Humor co-founder...
  2. "Facebook hires CollegeHumor's Ricky Van Veen to make its giant video business even bigger". Recode. June 8, 2016. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  3. St. John, Warren (2005-07-24). "Sophomorically Incorrect". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
  4. Gangemi, Jeffrey (2006-09-12). "Buying Sites with a Built-in Audience". Business Week. Archived from the original on October 3, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
  5. "Barry Diller Buys CollegeHumor". Gawker.com. August 15, 2006. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  6. Mead, Rebecca (2005-01-25). "Funny Boys". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
  7. "Ricky Van Veen's College Humor Page". CollegeHumor.com. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
  8. Ali, Rafat (2009-07-25). "paidContent - CollegeHumor's New Production Spinoff: Notional; Van Veen's Heading It". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  9. "BuzzFeed Wants to Sell You Stuff". Fortune.
  10. "news". Baltimore County, Maryland. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  11. "Allison Williams & CollegeHumor founder Ricky Van Veen files for divorce, Here's why". Union Journalism. June 28, 2019.
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