How Grand Ledge grad Haley Kluge ended up on Forbes' 30 under 30 list
LANSING — Grand Ledge grad Haley Kluge had no idea she was picked as one the brightest young leaders by a prominent national publication until she happened to check her phone at 4 a.m.
That's when she learned she had been named as one of Forbes Magazine's 30 under 30 in the media category.
"They don't tell you beforehand whether or not you made the list, so you find out when the public finds out," she said. "I knew that I had made the short list in July... I was online and I just happened to check my email at 4 a.m., and that's how I found out that I was on. Obviously I didn't go back to bed and I called all my family and friends on the East Coast."
Kluge, who lives in Los Angeles, is the creative director of Variety Magazine, a position she's held since March. She's responsible for making the magazine visually appealing and the brand cohesive.
The 29-year-old talked with the State Journal about her career, the struggles she's faced as a young woman in a high-profile position, leading a team and meeting Hollywood stars.
Forbes annual 30 under 30 list recognizes the top 30 "brightest young entrepreneurs, leaders and stars" in their respective industries, a group of 600 people. Categories include everything from "Hollywood" and "Music" to "Education" and "Science" and "Media," where Kluge was chosen.
Other people recognized in the 2024 edition included actor Jenna Ortega, rapper Ice Spice and Angel Reese, a forward on the Louisiana State University women's basketball team.
Jeremy Steele, associate director of the Michigan State University School of Journalism, has known Kluge since her time at Grand Ledge High School.
"I'm not surprised she ended up on a list like this, because of her work ethic" Steele said. "She always puts her all into whatever she does ... I remember always seeing her working on something new, with multiple cans of empty Diet Coke around her."
From Scarlett Johansson to Lizzo
Kluge has designed magazine covers for the weekly featuring some of the world's most well-known actors, musicians and creatives. One of her favorite magazine covers she's worked on features Scarlett Johansson, she said.
"The set was red steps, like the Cannes Film Festival, which are these iconic red steps and when you see them, you know what they are.
"(Johansson) was wearing this red bodysuit-dress and on the red step with the red background, it looked like a French film poster. So we kept that theme, and instead of the typical magazine typography with what's inside, it's just her signature." Kluge said. "It looks like an old French movie poster with a signed autograph, which I think is really cool."
'I wanted to learn'
"I think I watched too much '13 going on 30' as a kid," she said about the popular romcom. "No, but seriously, I knew I wanted to work in magazines."
Kluge was a journalism major at MSU with a concentration in graphic design. While at MSU, she interned in New York City at Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan magazines. Immediately after graduating in 2017, she moved to New York City to work at Men's Health magazine.
"A lot of people asked why (Men's Health)?" she said. "You know, I was single and not in the best shape... I really had no connection to the magazine. But it really is a beautiful magazine, with some of the best creatives at the time."
She left Men's Health in 2018 to work at Variety. She started as the senior designer, and after a couple years became the art director.
In 2022, she was recruited to work at Netflix, as part of the team designing Netflix's news website.
"I'd never done a job like this before... But I wanted to learn," she said. "I also had a fear of staying in one place for too long and not learning."
Kluge had to learn how to design a website, because she'd only worked on designing print products.
"I've never worked on designing a digital platform," she said. "There was a lot I didn't know and I had to learn a lot... There were times when I asked myself, 'Do I know how to do any of this?'... But we had a great team."
'Never thought entertainment would be part of my job'
Kluge returned to Variety in 2023 as the creative director, a position she initially felt underqualified for.
"I was promoted by the people I'd worked with before, so it was like an internal stamp of approval," she said.
Every day, she meets with her team to go over the news and what they plan to cover for the day. Kluge is in charge of a team of six employees and a freelancer and she is responsible for delegating tasks to her team and managing their workflow, a new role compared to when she first worked at the magazine.
It was a little shocking to her when she realized she was now the mentor to new people entering the industry, but it's a new role she said she's proud to have.
"I have a junior hire now, and it's so nice to be able to work with her," Kluge said. "She has wonderful ideas, and I feel like I learn from her as much as she does from me."
Kluge said she never anticipated she'd be in the position she's in today. She's had the opportunity to be on set with people she'd never thought she'd get the chance to meet, like Lady Gaga.
"I never thought entertainment would be a part of my job," she said. "I'm from a small town near Lansing, Grand Ledge. Every time I go home, my mom asks me to tell her who I've met and who I've worked with... And to me, I'm just doing my job, you know? These people are just people I have working relationships with."
Kluge spends her time outside of work with the people she cares about, which can be hard with her job's schedule and having family back in Michigan.
"We are constantly trying new restaurants and exploring Los Angeles," she said. "I love traveling, and visiting my friends across the country. I stay busy, but better busy than bored."
Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@lsj.com. Follow her on X, @sarahmatwood.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: How Grand Ledge, MSU grad ended up on Forbes' 30 under 30 list
