Biography of Atoosa Rubenstein

Her most recent position was as editor-in-chief of Seventeen. Prior to that, at age 26 she founded and served as the editor-in-chief of CosmoGIRL! This made her the youngest editor in Hearst Magazine’s 100-year history. Her new ventures will expand her reach beyond print into multi-media platforms including online, television, public speaking and more.  Her MySpace page (www.myspace.com/atoosaspage) is visited by over 40,000 “friends” encompassing young women between the ages of 13-30.     

Rubenstein was named editor-in-chief of Seventeen in July 2003. Seventeen is the largest teen title in the U.S. with more than 13 million readers. Immediately upon starting, Rubenstein reversed a five-year decline in Seventeen’s newsstand sales and delivered total newsstand growth of 23% by the end of 2005.

In the fall of 2005, a series that Rubenstein conceived titled “Miss Seventeen,” debuted on MTV. The series featured seventeen girls competing for the honor of being Miss Seventeen – a life-changing award that included a college scholarship, an internship at Seventeen and an appearance on the iconic magazine’s cover. Rubenstein was the Creator and an Executive Producer on the series.

In 1998, Cathleen P. Black, president of Hearst Magazines, decided to create a new teen title and asked Rubenstein to develop a prototype. Within 48 hours, she presented the idea for CosmoGIRL!, a product that was so compelling that Black offered her the job as editor-in-chief on the spot. During her tenure at CosmoGIRL!, the magazine was honored with some of the industry’s highest honors including Adweek Startup of the Year in 1999. Rubenstein went on to make CosmoGIRL! a success with a circulation of 1.25 million readers.  

Rubenstein began working in magazines throughout her junior and senior years of college, as an intern at Sassy magazine. After graduating from Barnard College, she took a job as a fashion assistant at Cosmopolitan, under the leadership of renowned editor-in-chief Helen Gurley Brown. Quickly her talent and enthusiasm propelled her through the ranks, where she became a senior fashion editor at Cosmopolitan in five short years.

Columbia University honored Rubenstein in 2004 by naming her one of the top 250 alumni through the ages. She was also recognized by the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York as a Woman of Distinction. Rubenstein has been featured in Crain's New York Business’ “40 Under 40” and Folio's “30 Under 30.” In addition to her professional work, she is a member of The Candie’s Foundation Board of Directors, which helps educate young people about the consequences of teen pregnancy.