Thesis
Overview
Founded in 2023, Thesis is committed to publishing bold ideas that shape tomorrow’s discourse. Our imprint fosters unique perspectives, encourages intellectual diversity, and pushes the boundaries of conventional thought. Our mission: to provide a platform for voices that challenge the status quo, navigate the headwinds of ideological thought, and steer the evolution of tomorrow’s conversation.
The inaugural list, launching in spring 2024, features The End of Race Politics by opinion columnist Coleman Hughes, Morning After the Revolution by Nellie Bowles , and Takedown by activist Laila Mickelwait, set for release in summer 2024. Other notable authors to be published under the Thesis imprint include “America’s government teacher” Sharon McMahon, evolutionary psychologist Diana Fleischman, and neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan.
Meet the Team
Adrian Zackheim, Founder, President, and Publisher
Adrian Zackheim joined Penguin Group in September 2001 as Founder and Publisher of Portfolio. He then took on the additional challenge of starting Sentinel in April 2003. In 2018, he announced the addition of another new imprint to the group: The Optimism Press, in collaboration with Simon Sinek.
Previously, he was the Associate Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of HarperInformation, a division of HarperCollins that included HarperBusiness. His editorial career has also included positions at William Morrow, Doubleday, and St. Martin’s Press, and his first job was as School and Library Publicity Assistant at G.P. Putnam’s Sons, which was then a privately held small publishing company. He later moved to Putnam’s Editorial department under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Phyllis Grann.
Among the many bestselling books he edited and published before joining Penguin Group were Good to Great by Jim Collins; Die Broke by Stephen Pollan and Mark Levine; The Dilbert Principle by Scott Adams; The HP Way by David Packard; and Swim with the Sharks without being Eaten Alive by Harvey Mackay.
Niki Papadopoulos, VP and Editor in Chief
Niki Papadopoulos joined Portfolio in 2011 as a Senior Editor, and is a passionate advocate for business as a tool for empowerment, innovation, and social good. In addition to overseeing general acquisition strategy for the Portfolio imprint, she acquires and edits a wide range of commercial nonfiction for ambitious people, from idea-driven business books to narrative, biography, memoir, investigative journalism, and self-help. In the last decade she has published twelve New York Times bestsellers and seventeen Wall Street Journal bestsellers, including This Is Marketing by Seth Godin; The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday; The Four by Scott Galloway; Captivate by Vanessa Van Edwards; Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke; The Death of Money by James Rickards; Hooked by Nir Eyal; and American Kingpin by Nick Bilton. She tweets about grammar, dogs, and what happens to authors who don’t turn their manuscripts in on time at @niki_pop.
Niki's Featured Titles
Margot Stamas, Associate Publisher and Director of Publicity and Marketing
Margot Stamas joined Portfolio in 2012. As the Associate Publisher and Director of Publicity and Marketing, Margot is responsible for overseeing the promotional strategy across the Portfolio, Sentinel, and Optimism lists. She has led bestselling campaigns for Sophia Amoruso’s #GIRLBOSS, Marie Forleo’s Everything Is Figureoutable, Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism, Emily Chang’s Brotopia, Gregory Zuckerman’s The Man Who Solved the Market, and more.
Bria Sandford, Executive Editor
Bria Sandford joined Portfolio and Sentinel in 2012 and helped launch Thesis in 2022. She has edited twenty New York Times bestsellers, and her authors include Chris Arnade, Michael Lind, Russell Moore, Abigail Shrier, Christine Emba, Nellie Bowles, John McWhorter, Arthur Brooks, Brian Kilmeade, and Oprah Winfrey. She tweets at @blsandford.
Bria's Featured Titles
Casey Ebro, Executive Editor
Casey Ebro joined Portfolio in 2024. A dedicated author advocate, she believes in the power of books to expand minds, transform behavior, and improve both our professional and personal lives. She specializes in prescriptive titles by top experts, thought leaders, and practitioners in the areas of leadership, management, workplace culture, communication, entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, professional development, and personal finance. She’s also interested in groundbreaking work by behavioral and organizational psychologists, narratives by business journalists, insider accounts from within America’s top companies, and biographies of and memoirs by iconic leaders. Prior to Portfolio, Casey was an Executive Editor with the Business Group of McGraw Hill Professional. Her notable titles include Madoff Talks by Jim Campbell, now the Netflix documentary series Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street; the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller Connect First by Melanie Katzman; the Wall Street Journal bestsellers Zero to IPO by Frederic Kerrest, Power Your Tribe by Christine Comaford, The Promise of Bitcoin by Bobby Lee, and Intended Consequences by Hemant Taneja and Kevin Maney; and the New York Times Science bestseller The Digital Doctor by Robert Wachter.
Noah Schwartzberg, Executive Editor
Noah joined Portfolio in 2019, focused on business, economics, finance, and politics. His authors run the gamut from economists to entrepreneurs, generals to journalists. He’s especially interested in stories that shine a light on critical but overlooked issues at the intersection of business and society.
Lydia Yadi, Senior Editor
Lydia loves publishing books for ambitious readers who are curious about how to do their best work and live well. She’s interested in fresh perspectives and prescriptive books on success, careers, female empowerment, psychology, self-help, and entrepreneurship. She also has a soft spot for gripping narratives and memoirs about creative industries like fashion, music, and cinema. She has published New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestsellers, and multiple #1 Sunday Times bestsellers when she worked at Penguin Random House in London, where she’s originally from. She seeks out coaches, creators, academics, and entrepreneurs with unique voices and bags of personality. She works with authors like Steven Bartlett, Chris Williamson, Marie Forleo, Cal Newport, Jenny Wood, and Anastasia Soare.
Helen Healey-Cunningham, Executive Editor
Helen gets excited about idea-driven books that offer bold new ways to see the world. She’s always looking for books that warn of looming dangers, make provocative arguments, meditate on serious issues, and inspire positive change. She has edited a diverse cast of experts, from survivalists and evolutionary psychologists to clinical psychologists, activists, philosophers, and CIA analysts.
Helen's Featured Titles
Megan McCormack, Assistant Editor
Megan is interested in books on infrastructure, technology, and systemic societal issues—books that challenge us to reexamine aspects of everyday life we may take for granted. She is also particularly keen to find provocative takes on feminism, gender, and relationships. Her forthcoming books with Thesis include a polemic from the creators of The War on Cars podcast, a parenting book on youth mental health from psychologist Peter Gray, and How to Train Your Boyfriend by evolutionary psychologist Diana Fleischman.
Amanda Lang, Publicity Director
Amanda Lang joined the Portfolio team in 2020. As Associate Director of Publicity she oversees the imprint’s media campaigns and its immensely talented team of publicists. She has worked on many bestselling and high-impact campaigns for authors including Arthur Brooks & Oprah Winfrey, John McWhorter, Cal Newport, Coleman Hughes, Annie Duke, Matthew Yglesias, Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera, and more.
Mary Kate Rogers, Associate Marketing Director
Mary Kate Rogers joined Portfolio in 2018. As Associate Marketing Director, Mary Kate oversees day-to-day marketing operations across Portfolio, Sentinel, Thesis, and Optimism lists. She has led New York Times bestselling campaigns for Build the Life You Want by Arthur Brooks and Oprah Winfrey; Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara; Slow Productivity by Cal Newport; and many more.
Stefanie Rosenblum Brody, Assistant Publicity Director
Stefanie Brody joined Portfolio in 2013. Over the last decade she has led campaigns for notable authors such as Ryan Holiday, Morgan Housel, Katy Milkman, Jennifer Breheny Wallace, and others. She is passionate about working closely with authors to develop strategic publicity campaigns that leverage their platforms, grow their tribes, and help their books find new audiences. She is originally from Los Angeles and has a BA in English from Wheaton College Massachusetts.
Stefanie's Featured Titles
Kirstin Berndt, Senior Publicity Manager
Kirstin Berndt joined Penguin Random House in 2021. As Senior Publicity Manager, Kirstin has led bestselling campaigns for the #1 New York Times bestseller Algebra of Wealth; Power Failure; Unreasonable Hospitality; and more. Previously, she worked with an impressive range of authors, including David Rubenstein, Lulu Miller, Twyla Tharp, and Sebastian Junger. Before her career in publishing, Kirstin spent several years working for the US Army.
Heather Faulls, Marketing Manager
Heather Faulls joined Portfolio in 2021, bringing with her over 10 years of publishing experience. She thrives in dynamic environments where creativity and strategy combine to captivate audiences and elevate brand stories. She has led bestselling campaigns for the #1 New York Times bestseller Algebra of Wealth and national bestsellers like Choose Your Enemies Wisely and Prepared. Heather also oversees the imprint’s social media channels and influencer program, delegating tasks to a talented team of marketers.
Heather's Featured Titles
Lauren Ball, Publicist
Lauren joined Portfolio in January 2023 after working in the self-publishing and music industries. She is passionate about discovering ways to connect books with their readers and has worked with multiple New York Times bestselling titles including Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence and Vivian Tu’s Rich AF.
Jackie Galindo, Marketing Associate
Jackie Galindo joined Portfolio in May 2022, bringing a robust background in digital marketing and a vibrant Texan spirit. A UT Austin graduate, she honed her skills at the University of Texas Press, working with a diverse range of books. Passionate about diverse, thought-provoking titles, Jackie has played a key role in propelling New York Times bestsellers like Never Enough and Rich AF to new heights. She also manages Portfolio’s monthly influencer program, collaborating closely with the marketing team to bring our titles to new audiences through bookstagrammer support.
Jackie's Featured Titles
Savana Bishop, Marketing Associate
Savana joined Portfolio in May of 2022 and brings a passion for connecting readers to books they’ll love. She enjoys championing bold, idea-driven books that challenge and inspire. Savana has worked with a diverse group of authors including John Lovell, Coleman Hughes, Benji Backer, and Tessa West. She recently led marketing efforts for the instant #1 New York Times bestselling The Small and the Mighty. Savana is a proud Clemson University graduate, and when she’s not working on books, she’s reading them.
Savana's Featured Titles
Taylor Williams, Publicity Associate
Taylor joined Portfolio as a publicity assistant in June 2022. She has a passion for working on books written to improve both our professional and personal lives, amplify marginalized and underrepresented voices, and offer new ways to see the world. Since working at Portfolio, she’s worked on New York Times Bestsellers including Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey and Rich AF by Vivian Tu. She graduated from the University of Southern California: Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism with a M.A. in Public Relations and Advertising.
Taylor's Featured Titles
Bridget Sjoberg, Marketing Assistant
Bridget joined Portfolio in 2023 after graduating with an MA in English literature from New York University. She loves to help craft pre-order initiatives that are specific to each author’s unique audience, and enjoys handling social media engagement and influencer analytics for the imprint. Bridget is interested in books featuring unconventional success stories, psychology, religion, and the environment. She has assisted on the campaigns of three New York Times bestsellers— Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan, Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick, and Morning After the Revolution by Nellie Bowles.
Daniel Marx, Publicity Assistant
Daniel Marx joined the Portfolio, Sentinel, Optimism Press, and Thesis imprints as a Publicity Assistant in 2024. With a particular interest in nonfiction, Daniel loves working on titles that explore themes of race, class, global politics, and economics. Prior to joining the Publicity team, Daniel taught English in Paris and earned a master’s degree from Montclair State University.
Catherine Morrissette, Publicity Assistant
Catherine Morrissette joined Portfolio in 2024 as a publicity assistant. She is passionate about books that challenge the status quo, encourage readers to think beyond themselves, and subject matters related to international affairs, business, psychology, and technology. Originally from Maine, she is a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course and Brown University with degrees in English nonfiction and political science.