EXCLUSIVE: Comic Relief has promoted Lauren Spitzer to Chief Strategy and Impact Officer and Jordan Kurzweil to Chief Creative Officer.
The appointments are intended to lend added fuel to Comic Relief’s mission: using comedy to shift how people see poverty, engage communities, and fund the work being done on the ground.
“Lauren and Jordan will lead the next phase of Comic Relief’s evolution as we continue to harness the power of comedy to challenge the way people think about childhood poverty and inspire them to do something about it,” said the organization’s CEO, Michele Ganeless. “We are continuing to build on our deep roots in the comedy community, ensuring our work remains culturally resonant, leveraging the unique power of comedy to drive the mass engagement needed to create real change. Lauren’s and Jordan’s decades of experience combining entertainment with impact make them the perfect team to take this organization to new heights.”
With over two decades of experience working at the intersection of entertainment and philanthropy, Spitzer joined Comic Relief in 2017 with a mandate to build new revenue streams, reach younger audiences, and diversify the brand partner portfolio. In her expanded role, she now integrates the organization’s impact work — grantmaking, community engagement, and narrative change — with her existing oversight of partnerships, funders, and donors.
Notably, Spitzer pioneered Comic Relief’s move into gaming and streaming, building new media partnerships and events that have raised millions of dollars. She has also overseen marquee initiatives such as Comic Relief Live, Hope from Home, and last year’s Stand-Up for LA wildfire benefit. Her work has led to collaborations with a broad portfolio of brand partners, including NBCUniversal, Nickelodeon, Bloomberg LP, Citi, Apple, Roblox, Target, and Lego, along with major institutional funders.
Spitzer’s background includes leadership roles at Single Stop, where she secured growth capital and investments from major philanthropic and individual funders, and United Way of New York City, where she was responsible for award-winning events, led a $50M corporate portfolio, and was a key architect of the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. She currently serves on the board of the She Runs It Foundation, focused on achieving gender equity in leadership roles in marketing, media, and technology.
In a statement to Deadline, Spitzer observed, “Comedy meets people where they are. It’s how we open the door to conversations about childhood poverty that feel human and actionable. Entertainment is a powerful platform for social good. By engaging people in ways that make them both laugh and think, we create a pathway to understanding and connection that moves people to get involved in improving kids’ lives.”
As Chief Creative Officer, Kurzweil has a mandate to lead Comic Relief’s brand, content, marketing, and audience work. His focus is on building the content, campaigns, and events that bring together the creative community and nationwide audiences to take on childhood poverty, driving engagement with donors, local communities, and a new generation of supporters.
Kurzweil’s approach is rooted in a 30-year career creating content and campaigns at the intersection of culture and technology. Previously, he founded Superlative, a creative agency that has partnered with over 50 global brands, including Nike Foundation, SoundCloud, Levi’s, MTV, The Economist, and Condé Nast. His background also includes leadership roles at News Corp, where he launched Fox.com as a platform for original digital entertainment, and AOL, where he built the company’s first original programming organization, executive produced its Emmy-winning Live8 live stream, and developed content verticals spanning comedy, fashion, music, and tech. He started his career in the NYC indie film scene as a writer and director.
“No child should grow up in poverty, and addressing it takes all of us,” Kurzweil said. “As creators, we have an incredible ability to shape how the world sees a problem and to cut through the noise of a crowded media landscape. Whether you are a comedian, writer, filmmaker, or agency creative who wants to lend your skill or your platform to this mission, we want to work with you. At Comic Relief, there is real work to do.”
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