Elaine Welteroth Biography
Elaine Welteroth is an American author, magazine editor, television host and journalist. She is best known as the editor-in-chief of the magazine Teen Vogue.
Elaine Welteroth Career
Welteroth graduated from Newark Memorial High School in Newark, California, in 2004, where she actively participated in track and field. In 2007, she furthered her education at Sacramento State University, earning her degree in mass communication and media studies with a minor in journalism. As a trailblazer in her family, she became the first to achieve a college degree, graduating with a major in public relations and a minor in journalism from Sacramento State University. She then began her career as a mascot for Hometown Buffet in her hometown, wearing a bird suit. Following her graduation from California State University-Sacramento, she secured an internship at Ogilvy & Mather through the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP). She then worked as a content producer for SomaGirls.TV before breaking into the magazine industry with an unpaid internship at Ebony magazine.
Eventually, she became Beauty & Style Editor and later Beauty & Health Director at Teen Vogue, making her the first African-American to hold this position. In September 2011, she joined Condé Nast, initially as the Beauty & Style editor for Glamour magazine. Later, she became the Beauty & Health Director at Teen Vogue in October 2012. In May 2016, she was appointed editor of Teen Vogue, succeeding Amy Astley. She received recognition at the 2016 Fashion Show & Style Awards and was named Editor of the Year. Welteroth officially became the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue on April 29, 2017. Additionally, she was honored by Girls Write Now in 2017 and was included in the Ebony Power 100 List in 2020. Furthermore, she co-founded the non-profit organization 15 Percent Pledge, advocating for major enterprises to allocate 15% of their shelf space to products from Black-owned businesses.
She also hosts the vodcast “Build to Last,” highlighting and uplifting Black influencers and their contributions. Additionally, she briefly replaced Eve on the daytime talk show “The Talk” in December 2020 but later departed from the show. Through Instagram, she strategically built her personal brand and enhanced Teen Vogue’s image. She achieved this by sharing behind-the-scenes content, including photos and videos from photoshoots, personal images, and selfies with celebrities. In 2014, during her tenure as Teen Vogue’s beauty and health director, she collaborated with Target to curate a Fashion Week Instagram Diary, providing an insider’s look at her experiences backstage during New York and London Fashion Week. She effectively utilized social media to showcase not only her personal achievements but also the accomplishments of Teen Vogue.
Her Instagram activity involved frequent updates, sharing glimpses of her personal and professional life on a daily basis, reinforcing both her individual identity and the magazine’s success. In 2015, at New York Fashion Week, Welteroth played a pivotal role in leading a discussion on diversity in fashion, addressing beauty standards, and tackling cultural appropriation. This discussion took place during “The Future of Fashion Talk Series,” sponsored by HQ Events, where Welteroth engaged in a conversation with Bethann Hardison, a former model turned fashion activist. Her presence extends beyond the fashion world, as she has been a featured speaker at various conferences. Notably, she participated in the 2017 celebration of PATH’s 40 Years and the 2017 Women of Power Summit organized by Black Enterprise magazine.
Her talks at these conferences covered diverse subjects, ranging from integrative technology and global health to activism and culture. This showcases her commitment to engaging in meaningful discussions on a broad spectrum of topics beyond the fashion and media industries.
Elaine Welteroth Salary
Welteroth earns an annual salary of about $50,000-$150,000.
Elaine Welteroth Net Worth
Welteroth has an estimated net worth of about $1 Million – $6 Million which she has earned through her career as an author.
Elaine Welteroth Age
Welteroth was born on December 10, 1986, in Winchester, United States. She is 38 years old as of 2024, and she celebrates her birthday on the 10th of December every year.
Elaine Welteroth Height and Weight
Welteroth stands at a height of 5 feet 7 inches tall, and she weighs 125 lbs (75kgs).
Elaine Welteroth Family
Welteroth is the daughter of Jack and Debra. She also has a brother called Eric Welteroth.
Elaine Welteroth Husband and Children
Welteroth is married to Jonathan Singletary who is a musician. They met as children while they attended the same church. They tied the knot on May 2020, on Her Brooklyn Stoop. Together they have been blessed with one child, whom they named Silver Isley who was born in April 2022. She resides in California together with her family.
Elaine Welteroth Son
The journalist and Project Runway judge, Welteroth, 38, and her musician husband, Jonathan Singletary, joyfully announced the arrival of their first child, a son. The couple shared the news through a joint Instagram post on Tuesday, coinciding with the release of Singletary’s new song, “Before You Arrive,” dedicated to their newborn. Their baby boy was born at home, measuring 21 inches and weighing 9 lbs. The couple also unveiled a music video for the song, featuring footage from Welteroth’s pregnancy, the home birth, and the family’s initial moments with their new addition. Welteroth initially revealed her joyful pregnancy news in October.
Elaine Welteroth Teen Vogue
Welteroth significantly transformed Teen Vogue during her tenure by expanding its focus on politics and social justice, earning recognition for its critical coverage of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Under her editorial leadership, Teen Vogue’s content diversified, and the December 2016 issue, her first as editor, featured Willow Smith on the cover and headlines emphasizing “Cultural Appreciation: Real Girls, Real Beauty, Real Talk.” The “Smart Girls” issue showcased Rowan Blanchard and Yara Shahidi as cover stars and guest editors, a historic first for the publication. She initiated the “Teen Vogue Book Club,” partnering with Blanchard and Shahidi to engage the magazine’s audience in discussions about impactful books, such as Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”
Additionally, a conversation between Zendaya and former First Lady Michelle Obama on global girls’ education was featured in the December 2016 issue. This shift in focus led Teen Vogue to embrace digital publication more prominently, altering its print schedule to quarterly issues with a larger format. The magazine’s YouTube channel, launched during her tenure, garnered over 2 million subscribers by 2023, featuring content that combines fashion with political analysis, such as fact-checking former President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress. Teen Vogue’s impact extended beyond print and digital media, as Welteroth played herself in an episode of the TV show “Black-ish,” exploring the theme of nepotism and its impact on black communities.
Her editorial direction received praise for treating teenagers as intellectually engaged individuals, offering political coverage, legal analysis, and celebrating diverse cultures. The magazine was acknowledged for its commitment to representing various ethnicities and backgrounds, fostering broader inclusivity in the fashion and media industry.
Social Media Platform
Welteroth is very active on her Twitter and Instagram pages. She has 63.5k followers on Twitter and 736.6k followers on Instagram.