At The Standard, we set out to build something rare: a modern media company rooted in San Francisco, built for readers who want smart journalism about a city that sets the pace for trends around the globe. Today, we’re taking a big step in that direction.
We’ve acquired Charter, a widely respected publication devoted to the future of work and leadership and how emerging technology is shaping both. Its team, research capabilities, and global network are now part of The Standard — and that’s good news for our readers and followers.
This isn’t just an expansion. It’s a bet on the idea that San Francisco shapes the way the world works — and that San Franciscans deserve a publication that tells the story with clarity, rigor, and edge. Charter takes a distinctive view of leadership, AI, organizational change, and the way business is evolving — topics that start here and ripple across the globe.
As part of this acquisition, we’re thrilled to welcome Charter CEO Kevin Delaney as The Standard’s editor-in-chief. Before launching Charter in 2021, Kevin cofounded Quartz, where he pioneered a modern voice in business journalism. Before that, he guided The Wall Street Journal’s digital transformation as managing editor of WSJ.com and held senior roles at The New York Times and The Information. Kevin is sharp, collaborative, and knows how to build newsrooms that matter in the age of AI. Having spent his early career living and reporting in San Francisco for The Wall Street Journal, he believes deeply in our mission to tell the city’s story for readers here and across the world.
We’re also welcoming Charter’s full team, including Jay Lauf, Charter’s cofounder and former publisher of The Atlantic and Wired. Jay has shaped some of the world’s most influential media brands and is known widely for his smart, high-integrity approach to partnerships. Erin Grau, Charter’s cofounder and COO, brings deep operational experience from Away and The New York Times. Erin knows how to provide the backbone for mission-driven companies and brings entrepreneurial discipline and creativity that will strengthen The Standard. Along with their talented colleagues who are also responsible for Charter’s success, this team expands our capacity to build the next chapter of The Standard better and faster.
If you’re a Standard fan, you can expect deeper coverage of tech, business, and the evolving workplace — including more reporting on AI’s impact on jobs, leadership trends, startup culture, and tech policy — seen through a distinctly San Francisco lens. Over time, you’ll see new features and sections devoted to workplace coverage, presented in the reader-first, fun, and accessible style you expect from us.
If you’re a Charter devotee, welcome. You’ll still get the same newsletter and insights under the Charter name, now with the resources and platform of The Standard behind them. Charter’s reporting, research, and events will continue unchanged as we work on integrating our products and teams over the coming months.
Our purchase of Charter will underscore San Francisco’s vital place in the world. Just as we’ve been unflinching in reporting on City Hall, public safety, culture, and sports, we’re extending that fearlessness to covering tech innovation and workplace trends that have local impact and global significance.
We’re striving to improve every day. With Charter joining The Standard, our newsroom just got a lot stronger. We’re building toward the company we envision for the long haul: one that’s bold and built to last.
Thank you for following and sharing this news and for being part of The Standard’s journey. We’re glad — and grateful — you’re with us.