Founder - 6AM City

There’s no doubt the guys behind one of the fastest growing local media companies in the nation love Greenville. Suffice it to say "the Ryans" are dialed in. They are visible. They are involved. Even as their daily eblast, GVL Today, expanded into a nationwide enterprise, they kept the connection to their home base. They say the city has a cheerleading mentality and supports entrepreneurs who are moving HERE from somewhere else.

"There’s no doubt the guys behind one of the fastest growing local media companies in the nation love Greenville. Suffice it to say "the Ryans" are dialed in. They are visible. They are involved. Even as their daily eblast, GVL Today, expanded into a nationwide enterprise, they kept the connection to their home base. They say the city has a cheerleading mentality and supports entrepreneurs who are moving HERE from somewhere else."

There’s no doubt the guys behind one of the fastest-growing local media companies in the nation love Greenville. Suffice it to say “the Ryans” are dialed in. They are visible. They are involved. Even as their daily eblast, GVL Today, expanded into a nationwide enterprise, they kept the connection to their home base. They say the city has a cheerleading mentality and supports entrepreneurs who are moving HERE from somewhere else.

Where Are They Now? Building a National Media Company from Greenville

When Ryan Johnston and Ryan Heafy launched GVLtoday in 2016, they had a simple goal: create a daily newsletter that helped people feel more connected to Greenville.

What started as a local media experiment quickly became something much bigger.

The idea was first sparked in 2013 while Johnston was working at Community Journals. Inspired by the success of Charlotte Agenda, he began exploring whether Greenville was ready for a similar model. Through Leadership Greenville Class 40, he connected with Heafy, and over a few conversations, the two began mapping out what would eventually become GVLtoday.

The first newsletter landed in inboxes on July 1, 2016.

As readership grew, so did the opportunity. In 2018, Johnston and Heafy spun the business out as an independent company, forming 6AM City and raising capital to support expansion into additional markets across the Southeast.

Over the next several years, 6AM City continued to grow, attracting investors who shared the company’s belief that local journalism and community connection still matter. New city launches followed, expanding the company’s footprint well beyond the Southeast.

A major milestone came in 2025 with the acquisition of Good Daily, a network of AI-powered local newsletters. The acquisition dramatically expanded 6AM City’s reach and product offerings, allowing the company to serve communities of all sizes across the country. Today, the network reaches more than 1,500 U.S. cities.

While many media companies have struggled to adapt to changing technology, 6AM City has embraced it. The company has become a leading example of how artificial intelligence can support local media, using AI-powered systems to efficiently produce community-focused newsletters while maintaining editorial oversight and quality standards.

The result is a business that has scaled nationally while remaining headquartered in Greenville.

In 2026, 6AM City reached profitability, a significant milestone that reflects both the strength of its business model and the vision Johnston and Heafy set in motion more than a decade ago.

What began as a newsletter for Greenville has become one of the country’s most innovative local media companies, proving that world-class startups can be built right here in the Upstate.