iONE Digital's Kirsten West Savali Honored By 'Urban Magazine'
‘In Every Lifetime, I Want To Be A Black Woman’ — iONE Digital VP Of Content Kirsten West Savali Honored By Urban Magazine For Championing Our Stories With Power And Purpose
Congratulations are in order for iONE Digital’s very own VP of Content, Kirsten West Savali. On March 16, Urban Magazine named the seasoned media professional as one of this year’s honorees for its “Women’s Issue,” celebrating phenomenal women across film, media, fitness, fashion, and business. West Savali was recognized for her outstanding contributions to media and journalism, work that has preserved, elevated, and honored the stories, communities, and legacies of Black people for over a decade. With intention and care, she continues to empower these narratives while paving the way for future generations.
A cultural leader and truth teller.
West Savali started her career at iONE Digital as a Contributing Editor in 2011, later returning as Senior Director in 2021 and was swiftly promoted to VP of Content in 2022, making an immediate and lasting impact. She has led innovative growth strategies that resulted in record-breaking increases in traffic and revenue across iONE Digital brands.
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In addition to expanding the team, she has fostered strong collaboration across sales, marketing, video, and social media, helping the company thrive. Throughout it all, she has remained deeply committed to amplifying diverse voices and perspectives, ensuring that Black stories are told with truth and integrity, exemplified by her powerful 2025 one-on-one conversation with Dr. Cornel West on the urgency of resisting fascism.
In 2025, she also helped launch the Bison ONE Newsroom, NewsOne’s exclusive partnership with student journalists under the mentorship of renowned, award-winning journalist, author, and professor Dr. Stacey Patton at Howard University’s Cathy Hughes School of Communications. The initiative is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of Black journalists while honoring the vital role HBCUs play as incubators of cultural and political transformation.
Speaking about the Urban Magazine honor with MadameNoire, West Savali said:
“In every lifetime, I want to be a Black woman. So, I am honored that Urban Magazine is recognizing me alongside such phenomenal sisters creating, curating, and protecting our cultures. There are so many of us doing incredible work that people should know. But even when they don’t, the work continues. There is beauty and power in that truth.”
A native of Natchez, Mississippi, West Savali previously served as executive producer at Essence Magazine and as senior editor of news and politics. A respected writer and cultural critic, she has appeared on networks, including MSNBC and C-SPAN, offering insight on justice, politics, and Black life.
She has also spoken at prestigious institutions such as Harvard and Yale University. Her work has earned her honors from the National Association of Black Journalists, as well as recognition on Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 list.
Congratulations to Kirsten West Savali!
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