Elaine Welteroth

Elaine Welteroth was an American journalist who became the editor of Teen Vogue in 2016, and was subsequently lauded by her peers for retooling the magazine's content so as to focus more on social and political issues. Born in Santa Clara and raised in Fremont, California, Welteroth's love of journalism began when she was still in her teens. She planned on heading to New York City to pursue her career in the country's thriving media capital, but knew that she needed some training on the fine art of journalism first. With that in mind, Welteroth attended California State University-Sacramento and studied Mass Communication. She went on to earn her B.A. in the field in 2007. After graduating from the university, Welteroth packed her bags and headed to New York City. She wanted to work in the magazine industry and landed her first job in 2008, when she became the Beauty and Style Editor at Ebony Magazine. Welteroth stayed in the role for three years, learning the ins and outs of the magazine business from the ground floor. She left Ebony in 2011 to take a position as the Beauty and Style Editor at Glamour, which was run by Conde Nast. Welteroth stayed with Glamour for one year before jumping over to Teen Vogue, which was also owned and operated by Conde Nast, in October of 2012. By joining the magazine as its Beauty and Health Editor, Welteroth, who is biracial, made history by becoming the first African-American woman to hold the position. While working at Teen Vogue Welteroth thrived - so much so that when Teen Vogue's editor Amy Astley left the magazine in 2016 Welteroth was promoted to fill her spot. Under Welteroth's direction, Teen Vogue took a more active role in covering social and political issues, most notably the raucous 2016 presidential campaign. As a result, Teen Vogue readership soared, which in turn made 30-year-old Elaine Welteroth, seemingly overnight, one of the most respected magazine editors in the country.