Sarah Harden
Chief Executive Officer
Hello Sunshine
Sarah Harden is the CEO of both Hello Sunshine, a Candle Media company that puts women at the center of every story it creates, and Candle Studios, Candle’s premium live action unit which includes Hello Sunshine, Exile, Candle True Stories, and Faraway Road. With Harden as CEO, the newly consolidated Candle Studios will be in production on over 30 premium originals in 2024.
Since launching in 2016, Hello Sunshine has set the standard for mission driven companies, not only inspiring others to follow in their footsteps, but igniting a true and genuine shift across the entertainment industry as a whole with respect to the roles and opportunities available for women and underrepresented voices. Alongside founder Reese Witherspoon, Harden leads Hello Sunshine’s rapid growth as a premium content studio and direct-to-consumer media brand developing films, scripted and unscripted television series, digital series, podcasts, live events and more under a singular mission to prioritize and elevate female authorship and female-driven stories from an inclusive, wide-ranging set of storytellers.
Prior to her time with Hello Sunshine, Harden was President of Otter Media, a privately held joint venture between AT&T and The Chernin Group, where she spearheaded Otter’s first investment in Hello Sunshine. As the President of Otter Media, Harden acquired, invested in and launched global over-the-top (OTT) video services with a variety of media companies, including Fullscreen, Roosterteeth, Ellation, Crunchyroll, Gunpowder and Sky. Prior to her work with Otter Media/The Chernin Group, Harden was Group Director at New Corp Asia, where she oversaw joint ventures, investments, and growth initiatives in Hong Kong. Additionally, Harden served as SVP of Business Development for Fox Networks Group, identifying, cultivating, and executing all new business opportunities for Fox. Harden began her career at Boston Consulting Group in Melbourne, Australia, and she graduated from the University of Melbourne and Harvard Business School with high distinction as a Baker Scholar.
Since launching in 2016, Hello Sunshine has set the standard for mission driven companies, not only inspiring others to follow in their footsteps, but igniting a true and genuine shift across the entertainment industry as a whole with respect to the roles and opportunities available for women and underrepresented voices. Alongside founder Reese Witherspoon, Harden leads Hello Sunshine’s rapid growth as a premium content studio and direct-to-consumer media brand developing films, scripted and unscripted television series, digital series, podcasts, live events and more under a singular mission to prioritize and elevate female authorship and female-driven stories from an inclusive, wide-ranging set of storytellers.
Prior to her time with Hello Sunshine, Harden was President of Otter Media, a privately held joint venture between AT&T and The Chernin Group, where she spearheaded Otter’s first investment in Hello Sunshine. As the President of Otter Media, Harden acquired, invested in and launched global over-the-top (OTT) video services with a variety of media companies, including Fullscreen, Roosterteeth, Ellation, Crunchyroll, Gunpowder and Sky. Prior to her work with Otter Media/The Chernin Group, Harden was Group Director at New Corp Asia, where she oversaw joint ventures, investments, and growth initiatives in Hong Kong. Additionally, Harden served as SVP of Business Development for Fox Networks Group, identifying, cultivating, and executing all new business opportunities for Fox. Harden began her career at Boston Consulting Group in Melbourne, Australia, and she graduated from the University of Melbourne and Harvard Business School with high distinction as a Baker Scholar.