Create Happy Media
Create Happy Media is a New Zealand non-profit youth-operated media outlet that trains and publishes work by young journalists aged 10-24 through a free digital magazine, blog, and podcast. Founded in 2022 under Every Body is a Treasure Trust, it serves rangatahi across Aotearoa with compassionate journalism programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersAotearoa/New Zealand, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Create Happy Media does
Create Happy Media is a New Zealand non-profit youth-operated media outlet that publishes a free digital magazine, blog, and podcast written by young journalists aged 10-24. Founded in 2022 by three students from the 2021 Click Happy photography programme at Manurewa High School, the organization emerged in response to mainstream media's negative representation of rangatahi (Maori youth) and operates as a charitable initiative under the Every Body is a Treasure Trust (CC56586).
The platform's core products include the Create Happy Magazine (themed editions: Aroha, Grit, Impact, Innovation), the Create Happy Blog (syndicated on Substack), the Create Happy Podcast (launched December 2024), the annual Compassionate Journalism Workshop, and the "Create With Us" quarterly intake program. The technology stack is conventional and low-cost: a WordPress-based website (createhappy.org), Canva for magazine layout and design, standard podcast hosting, email newsletter distribution, and Substack for content syndication. There is no proprietary technology, mobile app, or API layer. The production model is community-driven, with 50+ active young journalists, structured mentorship from professionals including mentor Mandi Lynn, and editorial leadership by a board that includes a 15-year-old CEO (Lola Fisher) and 13-year-old COO (Leisha Hodgson).
The business model is donation-funded with no paid reader tiers, no subscription fees, and no commercial advertising. Revenue relies entirely on charitable donations routed through the parent trust, supplemented by potential grant funding. Distribution is fully digital and domestic (New Zealand only), reaching readers across 25+ regions of both the North and South Islands through the website, email, social media (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn), and downloadable PDF archives. The go-to-market motion is community-led and product-led: content is produced by volunteer youth contributors, recruited through quarterly intakes, with growth driven by social media engagement and word-of-mouth within schools, libraries, and youth networks.
Create Happy Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Create Happy Media
- Legal name
- Create Happy Media
- Website
- https://createhappy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Create Happy Media is a New Zealand non-profit youth-operated media outlet that trains and publishes work by young journalists aged 10-24 through a free digital magazine, blog, and podcast. Founded in 2022 under Every Body is a Treasure Trust, it serves rangatahi across Aotearoa with compassionate journalism programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Create Happy Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Media Publishing / Nonprofit Journalism
- NAICS
- Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK), Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG)
Keywords
Where Create Happy Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aotearoa/New Zealand
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Create Happy Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Funding: Operates as a charitable initiative under Every Body is a Treasure Trust. Accepts donations of any size to cover operational costs. Uses donor demographic information for funding opportunities and reporting.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free magazine with optional donation support |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
Create Happy Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Create Happy Media is a youth-operated, New Zealand-based non-profit media initiative that produces and distributes a themed digital and print magazine, a searchable blog, an interview podcast, and in-person compassionate journalism workshops. Editorial content is created by and for young people (teens), with the organization operating under the Every Body is a Treasure Trust (charitable entity CC56586) and supported by donations.
Product overview
Create Happy Media operates as a unified youth media platform offering multiple content formats: the Create Happy Magazine (a digital and hybrid print-and-digital publication released in themed editions - Aroha, Grit, Impact, and Innovation - featuring articles by young journalists on social issues, culture, mental health, art, and more); the Create Happy Blog (a searchable archive of articles syndicated on Substack); the Create Happy Podcast (interview-based audio content); the Compassionate Journalism Workshop (educational workshops teaching youth media skills); and the Create With Us Program (a youth recruitment initiative for contributors aged 13-24). The platform's kaupapa is centered on compassionate journalism, amplifying youth voices, and teaching Non-Violent Communication principles.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Create Happy Magazine: The digital magazine publication featuring editions such as Impact Edition, Grit Edition, Aroha Edition, and Innovation Edition.
Products and services
- Create Happy Magazine A themed digital and print magazine produced by teen editors and writers for a New Zealand youth audience, featuring original youth-perspective journalism and storytelling.
- Create Happy Blog An online searchable blog publishing youth-written articles and journalism, extending the magazine's editorial content to a continuously updated web format.
- Create Happy Podcast An audio podcast featuring interviews and youth-perspective storytelling produced by teen contributors of Create Happy Media for a youth audience.
- Compassionate Journalism Workshops In-person workshops delivered to young people (and via schools/community organizations) that teach compassionate journalism skills, supporting the initiative's youth-empowerment mission.
Quantifiable outcome
- 250+ published articles with 50+ active young journalists
Companies that use Create Happy Media
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Create Happy Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Create Happy Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Every Body is a Treasure Trust (CC56586)coreCreate Happy Media is a charitable initiative operated under the Every Body is a Treasure Trust. All donations go to the Trust bank account and are safely stored for Create Happy Media use. The trust provides the organizational umbrella and charitable status.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Create Happy Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- PBS Kids: PBS Kids is the U.S. public broadcaster's children's brand providing educational, age-appropriate media and journalism-adjacent content. It is a broad incumbent in children's and youth public media and a reference point for what a public/youth-media organization can look like at scale.
- RNZ (Radio New Zealand): RNZ is New Zealand's public service broadcaster and the dominant domestic nonprofit media entity. It represents a broad incumbent analog — a publicly funded media organization operating across the same New Zealand market where Create Happy Media focuses its youth-content mission.
- BBC Young Reporter: BBC Young Reporter is the BBC's program that supports young people to tell their own stories through the public broadcaster. It is a broad incumbent analog — a public-media initiative built around training and publishing youth journalism, though at vastly larger scale and inside a major broadcaster.
Regional players
- Pacific Media Centre: Pacific Media Centre is a New Zealand-based academic and nonprofit media research/publishing hub focused on Pacific and underrepresented voices. It shares Create Happy Media's regional focus on marginalized New Zealand voices but operates from an academic/advocacy base.
- NZ On Screen: NZ On Screen is a New Zealand non-profit digital archive and showcase for local screen content, with a strong youth-content and education remit. It is a regional peer in the same country and overlapping mission of preserving and amplifying NZ creative voices, including youth work.
Direct peers
- Children's PressLine: Children's PressLine is a NYC-based nonprofit news bureau staffed by young reporters covering issues affecting children and youth. Like Create Happy Media, it is built around mentored youth contributors producing professional-grade journalism for a public-mission media outlet.
- Y-Press: Y-Press is a global nonprofit news service powered by young journalists, producing articles and multimedia on children's and youth issues. It shares Create Happy Media's mission of professional-quality youth-led reporting and structured contributor training.
- VOX ATL: VOX ATL is a nonprofit youth-led media outlet in Atlanta that trains teens to produce journalism, video, and podcasts on issues affecting young people. It is the closest international analog to Create Happy Media's by-youth-for-youth publishing and training model.
- Radio Rookies (WNYC): Radio Rookies is WNYC's long-running youth journalism program that mentors teenagers to produce radio documentaries aired on a major public broadcaster. It mirrors Create Happy's combination of youth training, mentor-supported production, and broadcast/multimedia distribution.
Emerging players
- The Spinoff: The Spinoff is an independent New Zealand online media outlet covering culture, politics, and youth-relevant issues. It is a more established emerging media brand operating in the same New Zealand market with overlapping audience interests, though it is not youth-led or youth-trained.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Create Happy Media social profiles
Digital presenceCreate Happy Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Create Happy Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Create Happy Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Create Happy Media M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Create Happy Media
What does Create Happy Media do?
Create Happy Media is a youth-operated, New Zealand-based non-profit media initiative that produces and distributes a themed digital and print magazine, a searchable blog, an interview podcast, and in-person compassionate journalism workshops. Editorial content is created by and for young people (teens), with the organization operating under the Every Body is a Treasure Trust (charitable entity CC56586) and supported by donations.
Is Create Happy Media a public or private company?
Create Happy Media is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Create Happy Media founded?
Create Happy Media was founded in 2022. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Create Happy Media based?
Create Happy Media is headquartered in Aotearoa/New Zealand, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Create Happy Media make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Funding.
Who are Create Happy Media's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are PBS Kids, RNZ (Radio New Zealand) and BBC Young Reporter. Regional players are Pacific Media Centre and NZ On Screen. Direct peers are Children's PressLine, Y-Press, VOX ATL and Radio Rookies (WNYC). The Spinoff is listed as an emerging player.
Does Create Happy Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for Create Happy Media.
What industry is Create Happy Media in?
Create Happy Media's product category is Youth Media Publishing / Nonprofit Journalism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAJ, Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAGALAK, Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment). Its NAICS code is 516 and its SIC code is 2741.