Critical Role, a leader in storytelling and world-building, today officially announced that Alyssa Zeisler has joined the company as General Manager of Beacon, its membership program designed to bring critters closer to the worlds and creators they love. Beacon offers a wide range of exclusive and early access programming, live event pre-sales, instant access to VODs and podcasts, discounts on merchandise, and more. In the role, Zeisler will oversee Beacon’s product roadmap, business performance, content and platform strategy, as well as the continued evolution of Beacon as a community hub, creator-led ecosystem, and a central destination for all things Critical Role and TTRPGs.
Critical Role Appoints Alyssa Zeisler as General Manager of Beacon
“Beacon is central to how we think about the future of Critical Role, and it’s time for it to level up and evolve,” said Travis Willingham, CEO and Co-founder of Critical Role. “Alyssa brings exactly the kind of leadership this next phase requires. She understands how to build lasting, audience-first platforms at scale, and her experience leading subscription and direct-to-consumer businesses makes her a perfect fit to help Beacon grow while staying true to the unique authenticity that makes Critical Role what it is.”
Zeisler is a veteran digital media and product executive with a distinguished track record of scaling subscription and platforms while bringing user-centric, data-informed strategy to legacy media brands. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Product at Hallmark Media, where she helped lead the relaunch of Hallmark+, a membership platform that unified content and commerce into a seamless, audience-driven experience.
“My goal for Beacon is to make it the gold standard for direct-to-consumer platforms,” said Alyssa Zeisler, General Manager of Beacon. “It’s a place where we can experiment with new formats in the TTRPG space while creating a seamless experience for fans. We’re building the blueprint for how a community-led brand transitions into a sustainable, global media company, and I’m excited to be at the helm as we evolve this ecosystem into something truly industry-defining.”
Prior to Hallmark, Zeisler held a series of senior leadership roles at Dow Jones, including Vice President of Subscription and Strategic Products and Research & Development Chief at The Wall Street Journal, where she led multidisciplinary teams focused on emerging technologies, audience engagement, and newsroom-supporting innovation. As Audience Managing Editor at Barron’s, she helped accelerate the 100-year-old publication’s digital transformation. Earlier in her career, Zeisler also held editorial and audience leadership roles at the Financial Times.
Under Zeisler’s leadership, Beacon will continue to grow as a fan-first membership experience while supporting Critical Role’s long-term vision for sustainable, meaningful expansion across relevant formats, platforms, and markets.
For more information on Beacon, please visit beacon.tv, and follow Beacon on Instagram, TikTok, and Blue Sky at @hellobeacon.
