The MTV of Gen Z: Berkeley Political Economy Alumna redefines entertainment

What does entertainment look like for a generation raised online? That’s the question Political Economy Alumna Alice Ma set out to answer when she co-founded Mad Realities, a media collective often described as the “MTV of the internet generation.”

At Mad Realities, Ma is reimagining how Gen Z audiences engage with entertainment, science and culture. The company has generated more than 1.3 billion organic views through viral series like “Shop Cats” and “Blow My Mind,” while featuring appearances from actress Emma Stone, former MLB player Alex Rodriguez and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Ma’s work has also earned recognition from Forbes and The Hollywood Reporter, which named her to their “30 Under 30” and “35 Under 35” lists.

Long before entering entertainment, however, Ma’s entrepreneurial roots were shaped by her time at UC Berkeley. As a student, she co-founded Archer, a public-data investigation platform later used by organizations including The New York Times and the Treasury Department. Her coursework ranged from political economy to Arabic, helping shape the interdisciplinary approach that now defines Mad Realities. 

Ma recently spoke with Berkeley Social Sciences about her family’s influence on her work, the realities of building a startup and the advice she has for Berkeley students interested in entrepreneurship.

How did your time at Berkeley influence your thinking about media and entrepreneurship?
Alice Ma: In college, I started a company with a bunch of other Berkeley students called Archer. We were building software tools to help breaking news investigators leverage public data in news articles. A bunch of our users ended up going in the Investigations Unit at The New York Times. A few of our big partners were the Berkeley Human Rights Center and Berkeley Law School. We got a medal from the Department of the Treasury because they used our tools every day as well. I think that experience really influenced me and exposed me to the entrepreneurial environment.

When I got into Berkeley, I also took a class in about 20 different departments, like physics, psychology, computer science, math, English, political economy, molecular and cell biology — the list goes on. I wanted to see the world. I landed on majoring in political economy and minoring in computer science and Arabic. But that journey impacted my very multi-hyphenated worldview, where I now do a mix of entertainment from technology to culture.

Mad Realities calls itself the “MTV of the internet generation.” Can you tell me about the inspiration behind creating Mad Realities?
Alice Ma: Ever since Archer, I’ve been fascinated by news media and recognized its importance. Growing up, I was deeply influenced by my family’s history. My dad protested in Tiananmen Square and left when the tanks came in. Shortly after, my parents immigrated to the U.S., where I was born and raised. Realizing that the Chinese Communist Party’s suppression of free speech ultimately shaped my own life made me appreciate how important it is for people to have a voice. 

Right now, there’s a gap in network TV because the many people running it are from a different generation and are often disconnected from what the youth actually wants. That mindset led me to meet my co-founder, Devin Lewtan, who created “NYU Girls Roasting Tech Guys,” which was one of the biggest shows on Clubhouse. Together, we’re constantly thinking about what our generation wants to see. We recently created a science show called “Blow My Mind.” There really aren’t any Gen Z-focused science shows on network television, almost as if young people aren’t seen as interested in science, so we decided to make one ourselves.

Mad Realities shows quickly garnered traction, with over 1.3 billion organic views. What does that achievement mean to you?
Alice Ma: I grew up with Chinese immigrant parents, so I feel like they kind of teach you to stay humble. When I talked to them about the success of Mad Realities, that I was on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” and The Hollywood Reporter’s “35 Under 35,” the thing I said to my parents was, “you should be proud of yourself.” They set up this foundation for me and came to America to live the American Dream. Now your kids have the opportunity to have security and build and innovate. That was the most meaningful thing. 

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while starting Mad Realities?
Alice Ma: I would say, like any consumer business, it’s extremely brutal because no one cares almost 99% of the time. So, you have to be okay with building, succeeding and failing in public. I think consumer businesses in general are very hard. Starting a company is like chewing glass and staring into the abyss every single day for years on end. In the early years, a lot of people didn’t understand what we were trying to build. But eventually, our worldview — and our predictions about where the industry was headed — started to play out in real time.

What advice do you have for Berkeley students interested in entrepreneurship?
Alice Ma: I’m happy to chat with and mentor people who are spunky, motivated and self-starting. In college, it’s really about working with great people and optimizing your skill set. Be the best that you can in your technical field and try to make a lot of friends and work with people. It’s not really like, what internship you’re going to get or climbing the career ladder, if you want to be an entrepreneur. Ultimately, it’s about skill and collaboration.