Arianna Huffington will leave The Huffington Post

Arianna Huffington, the editor in chief of The Huffington Post, announced on Thursday she’s leaving the pioneering online news company she co-founded.

I thought HuffPost would be my last act. But I’ve decided to step down as HuffPost’s editor-in-chief to run my new venture, Thrive Global. — Arianna Huffington (@ariannahuff) August 11, 2016

To everyone at HuffPost: it’s you who make HuffPost what it is. I’m filled with gratitude to all the colleagues and friends I’ve made here. — Arianna Huffington (@ariannahuff) August 11, 2016

Thrive Global, a health and wellness startup, will offer “educational workshops, e-courses and certifications to help companies improve the well-being of their employees,” according to an internal Huffington Post memo reported in June by CNBC.

In Huffington’s absence, an interim editorial committee comprised of Executive Editor Liz Heron, D.C. Bureau Chief Ryan Grim and News Director Katie Nelson will lead the search for a replacement:

HuffPost interim editorial committee will be involved in search for Arianna’s replacement, per Tim Armstrong memo pic.twitter.com/5WIJPt3OJl — Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) August 11, 2016

Huffington’s departure was spurred by the realization that she couldn’t build a new company and run a news organization, she told The Wall Street Journal:

“I really thought I could do both, but as we started building it up, I realized that it really needed my full attention,” she said in an interview. “It is important to know when one door closes and another opens and I felt that moment had arrived.”

The Huffington Post was founded in 2005 by Huffington, Jonah Peretti, Andrew Breitbart and Ken Lerer.

In a farewell memo to the staff of The Huffington Post, Huffington suggested she’ll remain a part of HuffPost in spirit, if not in title:

You have made the last 11 years truly unforgettable, and you will always be part of my life. And of course, I’ll never stop recruiting bloggers for Bryan, suggesting splashes to Whitney, and acting as HuffPost’s unofficial Sleep Ombudsman.

HuffPost will have an 11 a.m. meeting to discuss Huffington’s departure in more detail, according to the memo.

Here’s the memo: