Complexly
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Online video and audio content production, Educational entertainment |
| Predecessor | EcoGeek LLC |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | John Green, Hank Green |
| Headquarters | Missoula, Montana and Indianapolis, Indiana , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Julie Walsh Smith (acting CEO), John Green (founder), Hank Green (founder) |
| Products | Crash Course, SciShow, Dear Hank & John, The Anthropocene Reviewed, Healthcare Triage, and others |
Number of employees | 70+ (2024) |
| Website | complexly |
Complexly is a U.S.-based company specializing in producing online video and audio content, with offices located in both Missoula, Montana and Indianapolis, Indiana. Established in 2012 by siblings John Green and Hank Green, who are widely recognized for their influential Vlogbrothers YouTube channel, Complexly focuses on creating educational entertainment. Its premier offerings include the Crash Course and SciShow channels, along with additional branded series such as Dear Hank & John, The Anthropocene Reviewed, and Healthcare Triage.
The company began as EcoGeek LLC, founded by Hank Green to support his environmental blogging efforts, before rebranding to Complexly in 2016 to better represent its growing range of projects. Although it shares connections with other ventures led by the Green brothers—such as DFTBA Records, Project for Awesome, and VidCon (now owned by Viacom)—these entities function independently from Complexly’s main operations.
Complexly’s revenue model centers on educational content supported through partnerships with prominent organizations like Google, PBS, and the Poetry Foundation. These collaborations have strengthened its position within the digital education sector. By 2024, the company employs more than 70 staff members and is managed by acting CEO Julie Walsh Smith, while the Greens continue to serve as founders and strategic advisors.
In early 2024, Complexly ventured into esports sponsorship by signing Blue Scuti, a widely recognized Tetris competitor, signaling an expansion into new digital entertainment markets and business opportunities.
Crash Course
Crash Course is a YouTube channel dedicated to delivering educational courses often aligned with Advanced Placement (AP) standards, primarily aimed at high school and early college students. Initiated in 2012 with World History and Biology lessons taught by founders John Green and Hank Green, the channel frequently collaborates with PBS Digital Studios to broaden its content offerings.
SciShow
SciShow presents science-focused videos primarily hosted by Hank Green and Michael Aranda, covering scientific news, concepts, and historical topics. The brand has expanded into several specialized offshoots: SciShow Space, launched in 2014 focusing on astronomy and space exploration; SciShow Kids, created in 2015 for younger audiences but paused between 2019 and 2020; and SciShow Psych, introduced in 2017 to explore psychology and neuroscience. The franchise also includes the podcast SciShow Tangents, started in 2018 to engage adult listeners with lively scientific conversations.
SciShow Kids
Host: Jessi Knudsen Castañeda Co-host: Anthony Brown (since return)
Targeting elementary school students, SciShow Kids resumed production in August 2020 after a break beginning January 2019, reflecting Complexly’s dedication to offering educational content tailored for various age groups.
The Art Assignment
Host: Sarah Urist Green
Produced in partnership with PBS Digital Studios, The Art Assignment explores contemporary art through artist-led projects and broader cultural discussions. In 2020, host Sarah Urist Green authored You Are an Artist, a book expanding upon themes introduced in the series.
Healthcare Triage
Presenter: Aaron Carroll
Healthcare Triage focuses on topics related to healthcare policy, medical studies, and clarifies questions concerning medicine and health, catering to viewers interested in contemporary healthcare challenges.
PBS Eons
Presenters: Blake di Pastino, Kallie Moore, Michelle Barboza-Ramirez (since 2021); formerly Hank Green
Produced jointly with PBS Digital Studios, Eons investigates the evolutionary past of life on our planet, appealing to audiences fascinated by natural history and scientific learning.
Journey to the Microcosmos
Presenters: Hank Green, Deboki Chakravarti (since 2021)
This series highlights microscopic organisms collected by microbiologist James Weiss, blending scientific explanation with narration by Hank Green and musical accompaniment from Andrew Huang.
Ours Poetica
Presenter: Various
In collaboration with The Poetry Foundation, Ours Poetica offers intimate poetry performances delivered by unique voices, aimed at literary communities and poetry lovers.
Bizarre Beasts
Presenters: Hank Green, Sarah Suta
Originating as a monthly segment on the Vlogbrothers channel by Hank Green, Bizarre Beasts showcases animals with extraordinary characteristics. It has since developed into a standalone monthly series featuring a subscriber-supported pin club that sells collectible pins of the animals featured.
Complexly
Presenters: Various
Established in May 2018, the Complexly channel features curated themed playlists, standalone videos, miniseries, and pilots for new content. Its inaugural ongoing series, Ask Hank Anything, launched in January 2025.
Audio productions
In November 2018, Complexly collaborated with WNYC Studios to co-produce three podcasts—two existing shows and one new format. This partnership concluded after two years; Complexly now independently manages these productions.
Dear Hank & John
Presenters: Hank Green and John Green
Since 2015, this weekly podcast features the Green brothers responding to listener inquiries with humor while sharing updates about Mars exploration and English soccer team AFC Wimbledon.
Eons: Deep Time
Presenters: Kallie Moore, Blake de Pastino, Michelle Barboza-Ramirez, Gabriel Santos
Debuted in March 2022, Eons: Deep Time is a spin-off from the YouTube series PBS Eons. Its initial season, titled Mysteries of Deep Time, investigates significant enigmas in natural history, while the following season, Surviving Deep Time, imagines scenarios where hosts navigate critical events in natural history to evaluate survival outcomes.
The Brain Scoop
Presenter: Emily Graslie
Founded by Hank Green in January 2013 at the zoological museum of the University of Montana, The Brain Scoop quickly attracted attention. By August 2013, it transitioned to the Field Museum in Chicago. After initially licensing and then acquiring full rights to the series, the Field Museum produced it internally until 2020. Graslie regained ownership and revived the channel in 2024.
Mental Floss Video
Presenters: John Green, Elliott Morgan, and others
As the video segment of Mental Floss, this channel specialized in delivering concise and informative content. Complexly managed its production from 2013 until 2018, after which Mental Floss took over production internally in 2019.
The Financial Diet
Presenter: Chelsea Fagan
Designed primarily for young adults, particularly women, The Financial Diet provides personalized financial guidance suited to this audience.
Sexplanations
Presenter: Lindsey Doe
Led by clinical sexologist Dr. Lindsey Doe, Sexplanations offers educational videos focused on sexual health and related subjects.
Animal Wonders
Presenter: Jessi Knudsen Castañeda
Produced by a wildlife center near Missoula, Animal Wonders showcases the care and environments of over eighty exotic animal species.
100 Days
Presenters: John Green, Chris Waters
This series was a personal project by John Green in early 2017, documenting his journey through a midlife crisis with physical challenges alongside friend Chris Waters.
The Anthropocene Reviewed
Presenter: John Green
Debuting in January 2018, this podcast featured John Green rating various elements of human existence on a five-star scale. Named after the Anthropocene epoch to reflect humanity’s environmental impact, episodes combined reviews with personal narratives. The final installment aired in August 2021.
Crash Course Kids
Presenter: Sabrina Cruz
Produced by the Crash Course team, Crash Course Kids was a biweekly educational series aimed at elementary-level science topics.
How to Adult
Presenters: Hank Green, Rachel Calderon Navarro
Offering practical advice for young adults transitioning into independence, How to Adult was originally created in 2014 by T. Michael Martin and Emma Mills, who hosted until 2016. Complexly revived the channel in 2017 before concluding it in April 2018.
Holy Fucking Science
Presenters: Various hosts
Targeted at mature audiences, Holy Fucking Science featured SciShow team members and guests sharing scientific knowledge with humor and entertainment. Sponsored by Montana’s Big Sky Brewing Company, it ran for 58 episodes until March 2018 and was succeeded by SciShow Tangents in November 2018.
Nature League
Presenter: Brit Garner
This monthly series explored topics related to nature through diverse weekly formats.
The Origin of Everything
Presenter: Danielle Bainbridge
Originally launched by PBS Digital Studios in 2018, The Origin of Everything examined lesser-known historical and cultural subjects. In its second season (2019), it became a Complexly co-production before PBS ended the series after the third season in 2020.
How to Vote in Every State
Presenters: Hank Green (2016, 2018, 2022), Nicole Sweeney (2020), Evelyn Ngugi (Voter Guide)
This voter education project offered detailed guides for voter registration and election participation across all U.S. states during the 2016, 2018, and 2020 election cycles. Supported by the Poynter Institute's MediaWise initiative in 2020, it included an eight-episode Voter Guide series. Complexly chose not to continue the series for 2024, citing sufficient alternatives such as Vote.org.
Crash Course Pods: The Universe
The podcast series Crash Course Pods: The Universe comprised 11 episodes and served as an audio extension of the Crash Course brand. Hosted by John Green alongside astrophysicist Katie Mack, the series aired from April through September 2024, broadening the educational reach into podcast format.
SciShow Tangents
SciShow Tangents, featuring hosts Hank Green, Sam Schultz, and Ceri Riley, originated as a successor to the previous program Holy Fucking Science. This weekly science-focused show captivated listeners with compelling facts and conversations. Starting in May 2022, video editions were introduced on YouTube. The series concluded in March 2025.