Building Ideas That Expand Opportunity
From educational access to culture-shaping media.
Creating What’s Next — From Achieva to OZY.
After starting at McKinsey and Goldman Sachs, Carlos followed his entrepreneurial drive — founding Achieva, one of the nation’s first comprehensive college-prep companies, later acquired by The Washington Post’s Kaplan.
A decade later, he co-founded OZY Media with his mother, Rose. Built to tell “the new and the next,” OZY discovered voices and ideas before they hit the mainstream — from Trevor Noah and AOC to Aaron Judge.
Over ten years, OZY produced Emmy-winning TV shows, top-ranked podcasts, major festivals, and partnerships with Coca-Cola, Target, Walmart, and PBS, generating over $250 million in commercial deals and employing nearly 1,000 people worldwide.
1997
Achieva — Helping Students Reach Higher
Founded in 1997, Achieva became a pioneering college-prep company providing guidance on admissions, essays, test prep, and financial aid. Achieva served over 100,000 students across 75 school districts and was acquired by The Washington Post Company.
Achieva in the press
- Stanford MagazineStanford Magazine spotlighted Achieva as the bold startup reinventing college counseling — backed by Silicon Valley’s top investors.Read in Stanford Magazine (opens in a new tab)
- ForbesForbes profiled Achieva as a breakout education company backed by Silicon Valley legends betting on its national expansion.Read in Forbes (opens in a new tab)
- TIME MagazineTIME called Achieva the first company to unify tutoring, test prep, and college counseling into a powerhouse program with unparalleled results.Read in TIME Magazine (opens in a new tab)
2012
OZY — The New and the Next
Co-founded in 2012 by Carlos and his mother, Rose, OZY spotlighted rising stars before they became household names. Over a decade, OZY generated $250M+ in partnerships, produced 14 TV shows, 10 podcasts, 5 award programs, and won an Emmy.
Emmy Award–winning journalism and storytelling
- $250M+
- in partnerships
- 14
- TV shows
- 10
- podcasts
- 5
- award programs
Selected OZY Press Coverage
- Variety“How Ozy Media Built a Brand Driven by ‘The New and the Next’”(opens in a new tab)
- USA Today“OZY Media is a futuristic news organization”(opens in a new tab)
- Forbes“OZY Discovered Amanda Gorman Early”(opens in a new tab)
- CNBC“OZY Signs PBS Television Agreement”(opens in a new tab)
- Deadline“OWN Orders Four-Part OZY Series”(opens in a new tab)
- BBC / All Access“BBC & OZY Team Up for Podcasting”(opens in a new tab)
- PBS“OZY Genius Awards Celebrating Young Innovators”(opens in a new tab)
- A+E Networks“First-look production pact”(opens in a new tab)
- iHeart“Multi-year co-production partnership”(opens in a new tab)
- NYT / TimeOut“OZY Fest — “TED Meets Coachella””(opens in a new tab)
- Secret NYC“OZY Fest returns with A-list lineup”(opens in a new tab)
- Hollywood Reporter“Expanded partnerships with PBS & A+E”(opens in a new tab)
Brands & Platforms
Now — ROSE Media
ROSE Media is a bold media platform amplifying smart, soulful, funny, and meaningful voices — home to The Carlos Watson Podcast, The Watsons: Stronger Together, and From Behind This Chair.
The shows
5× Signal Award Winner · 2026
The 5th Annual Signal Awards • 2026
- Official result for Malcolm Gladwell Says The U.S. is Missing The AI Boom (opens in a new tab)
Gold · The Carlos Watson Podcast
“Malcolm Gladwell Says The U.S. is Missing The AI Boom”
Best Video Podcast (Individual Episodes)
- Official result for Former CIA Officer John Kiriakou Explains the Part Everyone Missed (opens in a new tab)
Silver · The Carlos Watson Podcast
“Former CIA Officer John Kiriakou Explains the Part Everyone Missed”
Best Video Podcast Guest (Shows)
- Official result for 50 and Still Single (opens in a new tab)
Silver + Listener’s Choice · The Watsons: Stronger Together
“50 and Still Single”
Best Video Podcast Co-Host Team (Individual Episodes)
- Official result for Why Age Has Me Scared (opens in a new tab)
Bronze · From Behind This Chair
“Why Age Has Me Scared”
Culture, Belonging & Inclusion (Individual Episodes)
Builder, Investor, Advisor
A journey of creating disruptive platforms, backing visionary founders, and scaling purpose-driven organizations.
Early-Stage Investor & Advisor
- Backed funds that invested early in Facebook, Tesla, and Yelp.
- Advisor to founders across media, technology, and social impact.
- Served on corporate, nonprofit, and educational boards.
Early-Stage Startups
Supporting innovative companies with transformative potential in media, technology, and social impact sectors.
Diverse Founders
Championing entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds who bring fresh perspectives and solutions.
Social Impact
Investing in ventures that create positive change while delivering sustainable returns.
Strategic Growth
Providing not just capital, but mentorship and strategic guidance to help companies scale.
“Investing is about more than returns, it's about believing in people and ideas that can change the world.”
Building ideas into movements.
Creating What’s Next — From Achieva to OZY.
2012 — Co-founder
OZY — The New and the Next
Co-founded in 2012 by Carlos and his mother, Rose, OZY spotlighted rising stars before they became household names. Over a decade, OZY generated $250M+ in partnerships, produced 14 TV shows, 10 podcasts, 5 award programs, and won an Emmy.
- in partnerships
- $250M+
- in partnerships
- TV shows
- 14
- TV shows
- podcasts
- 10
- podcasts
- award programs
- 5
- award programs
1997 — Founder
Achieva — Helping Students Reach Higher
Founded in 1997, Achieva became a pioneering college-prep company providing guidance on admissions, essays, test prep, and financial aid. Achieva served over 100,000 students across 75 school districts and was acquired by The Washington Post Company.
100,000+
students across 75 school districts
Early-Stage Investor & Advisor
- Backed funds that invested early in Facebook, Tesla, and Yelp.
- Advisor to founders across media, technology, and social impact.
- Served on corporate, nonprofit, and educational boards.
Early-Stage Startups
Supporting innovative companies with transformative potential in media, technology, and social impact sectors.
Diverse Founders
Championing entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds who bring fresh perspectives and solutions.
Social Impact
Investing in ventures that create positive change while delivering sustainable returns.
Strategic Growth
Providing not just capital, but mentorship and strategic guidance to help companies scale.
On Investing
“Investing is about more than returns, it's about believing in people and ideas that can change the world.”
Giving Back — Co-founder of College Track; decades of mentoring students nationwide.