Lucia Knell is the vice president of Upworthy, a media platform dedicated to sharing the best of humanity with the world. She’s spent her career championing the belief that the internet can and should be used as a tool to unite people vs. stoke division.
During her tenure at Upworthy she developed the @Upworthy Instagram account, which now has 5 million followers (and counting).
She is the co-author of the New York Times bestselling book, GOOD PEOPLE: Stories From the Best of Humanity, published in partnership with National Geographic Books in September 2024.
A fierce advocate for mental health access, she strongly believes in the power of taking a step back from social media and engaging in the real world.
Her work has been covered in The New York Times, Glamour, Vogue, Forbes, Fast Company and mental health publication Made of Millions.
She is a proud cum laude graduate of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio with a B.A. in Spanish Literature and Dance.
She splits her time between Los Angeles and New York City.
Photo: Liz Charky
Now a New York Times bestseller
GOOD PEOPLE: Stories From the Best of Humanity
GOOD PEOPLE: Stories From the Best of Humanity is the brainchild of Upworthy, the beloved social media and news platform that shares intimate real-life stories with more than 100 million people each month.
In this welcoming counterpoint to a consistently anxiety-inducing news cycle, company leaders Lucia Knell and Gabriel Reilich have canvassed their community to collect 101 stories showcasing the very best of human decency.
Aligned with the site’s more popular questions—from the kindness of strangers to lifechanging teachers—the book introduces a series of unforgettable voices. You’ll meet John, a coast guard enlistee whose chance encounter with a veteran changes his life forever; Sky, a waitress at the Cheesecake Factory whose regular customer pays for her LSAT prep course so she can pursue a law degree; and Joe, a teacher who helps his student gain the courage and acceptance she so desperately needs.
Think of Upworthy as the just-as-heartwarming, social media-savvy inheritor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand. Let’s restore peoples’ faith in… people.
Talking conscious use of social media with 93.5 KDay
Social media isn’t inherently good or bad… it’s all about how you use it. 🚀