Longwood alum Travis Lyles ‘15 named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list

Travis Lyles '15, deputy social director at The Washington Post, recently was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 List, which recognizes trailblazing innovators across North America who have turned to entrepreneurship to solve the world’s most complex challenges.

The Forbes’ Under 30 Class of 2023 features honorees in 20 different categories, and Lyles, 29, made the magazine’s list of 30 Media pioneers under the age of 30.

“Unconventional thinking is at the heart of Forbes’ Under 30 list, and amidst war, market crashes, and layoffs, tomorrow’s brightest minds continue to forge new paths forward,” said Steven Bertoni, assistant managing editor at Forbes.

Lyles joined The Post in 2017 as a social media editor. In January 2021 he became The Post’s first Instagram editor and, under his leadership, the organization’s main account grew from 675,000 followers to almost 6 million. He was promoted to his current role this summer and is currently leading the strategic growth of The Post’s expanding social portfolio. He also is The Post’s youngest-ever senior editor.

Lyles is known for his innovative approach to storytelling across social media platforms. In managing the news organization’s Instagram account, he focused on breaking news photos instead of feature photos and shareable posts that prioritized simple headlines. The Post won back-to-back Webby Awards in 2020 and 2021 for social media, and it was a finalist in 2022.

“A lot of people are relying on us to get their news,” Lyles said in a feature story that appeared in the spring 2019 issue of Longwood magazine. “Our job is to react to news as it happens and get it out as quickly as possible.”

Prior to joining The Post, Lyles worked at the Virginian-Pilot and Business Insider. A native of Newport News, Virginia, he earned a degree in communication studies with a concentration in digital media. Lyles always knew he wanted to be in the news business, and his affinity for breaking news can be traced to his years at Longwood working on the staff of The Rotunda.