Leading with Purpose | Sarah Harden
Saturday, September 19, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Join us for a conversation with Sarah Harden, former CEO of Hello Sunshine, as she reflects on her journey of leadership across industries, from sports to media and technology.
As CEO of Hello Sunshine, the media company founded by Reese Witherspoon, Harden grew a bold vision into a global cultural force. She oversaw acclaimed productions like Big Little Lies and The Morning Show, while shaping a storytelling ecosystem that broadened whose voices are seen, heard, and brought to market, culminating in a landmark $900 million sale to Candle Media.
Her impact extends into sports, where she serves as an investor and board member of Angel City Football Club and on the Board of Governors of the National Women’s Soccer League, helping shape one of the most dynamic areas of growth in the industry.
A visionary leader, Harden brings a distinctive ability to transform industries, advancing gender equity while creating lasting cultural and economic value.
Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Registration is now open for Grace Farms Members
General Registration opens at 10 am on Monday, May 18, 2026
Leading with Purpose
This series highlights innovative leaders and transformational thinkers who are advancing more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive systems across industries. Leading with Purpose shines the spotlight on bold ideas and purpose-driven leadership that shape culture, influence capital, and drive lasting change.
About Sarah Harden
Sarah Harden is a visionary creative executive and business builder with a track record of building enterprises that combine cultural impact with exceptional commercial outcomes.
Most recently, Harden served as CEO of Hello Sunshine and Candle Studios. Alongside founder Reese Witherspoon, she reimagined what a media company could be — building Hello Sunshine from a startup into a premium content producer and direct-to-consumer media brand, cultivating a community of over 150 million weekly followers, and spearheading its $900 million sale to Blackstone-backed Candle Media in 2021.
Harden’s career spans two decades of building and creating transformative value from media businesses globally. As President of Otter Media, she pioneered investments in and launched some of the most innovative digital video services of their era — including Crunchyroll, Fullscreen and Roosterteeth — driving the business to a $1.56 billion sale, and originating the first investment in Hello Sunshine. Earlier in her career she held senior roles at News Corp Asia in Hong Kong, including a board seat at ESPN-Star Sports, and as SVP of Business Development at Fox Networks Group in Los Angeles. She began her career at Boston Consulting Group in Melbourne, Australia, and holds degrees from the University of Melbourne and Harvard Business School, where she graduated as a Baker Scholar.
Harden is a committed advocate for the commercial potential of women in sports, media and consumer businesses. She serves on the Board of Angel City Football Club and the National Women’s Soccer League Governing Board, and as an active angel investor with a portfolio of over 30 companies, consistently putting capital behind her conviction that investing in women drives outsized returns.
She also serves on the Board of Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), is Operating Chair of Bindery, an innovative publishing company, and is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences.
2026/2027 season
The 2026/2027 season deepens our ongoing exploration of the programmatic theme, We all build, through a new slate of one-of-a-kind experiences rooted in our mission to foster more grace and peace locally and globally. Join us for unforgettable musical performances, stirring dialogue from today’s leading thinkers, and community moments — each held in an immersive setting where boundaries between people, architecture, and landscape dissolve. Visit us throughout the seasons to sit at this unique intersection and explore topics that aim to inspire both introspection and joy. From there, we hope you connect with our theme that encourages all to build a more graceful and peaceful world, every day.
