Upfront Ventures

Forbes Senior Editor Alex Konrad interviews Adobe EVP & Chief Product Officer Scott Belsky to discuss how AI is playing a role in the creative industry. Recorded March 2, 2023 at the Upfront Summit.

David Marcus, CEO of Lightspark sits down with Aditi Maliwal to talk about his entrepreneurial journey, why and how money moves the way it does today and thoughts on the crypto winter. Recorded March 2, 2023 at the Upfront Summit.

Moderated by Rob Toews of Radical Ventures, leaders in the field of generative AI Cristóbal Valenzuela (CEO & Co-Founder, Runway), Dave Rogenmoser (CEO & Co-Founder, Jasper) and Phil Blunsom (Chief Scientist, Cohere) discuss their thoughts on the future of this industry and its capabilities. Recorded March 1, 2023 at the Upfront Summit.

ALOK sits down with Jamie Lee Curtis to explore themes of gender, race, trauma, belonging and the human condition. Recorded March 2, 2023 at the Upfront Summit.

Alexis Ohanian of Seven Seven Six sits down with Julia Boorstin to discuss the firm's thesis and how they work with founders, trends he's bullish and not bullish on, and what he's currently seeing in terms of valuations. Recorded March 1, 2023 at the Upfront Summit.

Kara Swisher interviews Donna Langley & Jamie Lee Curtis about where filmed entertainment is going in the coming years. Recorded March 2, 2023 at the Upfront Summit.

Jeff Berman of Magnet Companies sits down with V Pappas, COO of TikTok to discuss the creator economy, how the platform is prioritizing transparency and balancing mental health among its users. Recorded March 2, 2023 at the Upfront Summit.

Kara Swisher sits down with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff for a 1:1 interview. They touch on Salesforce's recent earnings reporter, Marc's thoughts on employees returning to the office, and the future of generative AI. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on March 2, 2023.

Erik Sebusch of Mercer Alternatives Group sits down with Kevin Moore of Spur Capital Partners, Nancy Donohue of Summit Rock Advisors, and Nat Fraser of Agility, to discuss how LPs make investment decisions, what they look for in GPs, and what emerging managers can do to successfully raise funds. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Applebaum interviewed by Upfront Managing Partner Mark Suster discusses the history of Poland, autocracy, challenges to democracy, and what the US needs to know in order to stay a democracy.

Tom Colicchio of Crafted Hospitality and Founder and CEO of Bowery Farming Irving Fain sit down with Los Angeles Times Columnist Jenn Harris to discuss vertical farming - the technology behind the process and how it's reimagining farming in today's world. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on March 2, 2022.

Steven Dietz of United Dwelling dives into the housing affordability crisis, what solutions can be put in place to combat the issue, and the three pillars to building new, low-cost homes. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on March 2, 2022.

Pinwheel CEO Kurt Lin takes the stage to present what payroll APIs can unlock, how Pinwheel can reimagine credit with real-time data, and why it can improve financial outcomes for those who need it the most. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on March 1, 2022.

LL COOL J chats with Courtney Reum of M13 about hard work, growing up in Queens, his big break moment in his career, how to become successful, and what he thinks about DEI in today’s world. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on March 2, 2022.

TQ Ventures Co-founders Scooter Braun and Schuster Tanger chat with Hamet Watt of Share Ventures about the pair's unconventional approach to investing, how their philosophy led to the firm's founding, and the journey to raising their first fund. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on March 2, 2022.

Laura Dern sits down with PLUS Founder and Managing Partner Adam Lilling to discuss how she leverages her own platform to effect change, making connections through authentic relationships and making deliberate choices through investing to help move the world forward. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on March 2, 2022.

Congressmember Karen Bass sits down with Upfront Chief of Staff Evan Hamilton to discuss the elements that most excite her about Los Angeles, issues she’s currently working on to address and tackle in the city, using her past learnings in her work today, raising awareness of homelessness, and more. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on March 2, 2022.

Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Grammy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer sits down with Upfront Managing Partner Yves Sisteron to discuss the similarities between being a producer and an entrepreneur, how people can work creatively with others, what Grazer defines as curiosity and using that to one’s own benefit. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on March 2, 2022.

Airtable CEO Howie Liu sits down with Axios reporter Kia Kokalitcheva to discuss the makings of Airtable, the company’s long-term vision, thoughts on the competitive landscape, and pandemic learnings from working remotely. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on March 2, 2022.

Alanis Morissette sits down with Kirsten Green of Forerunner Ventures to talk about her inside-out approach to her career, how art has allowed her to express her involvement in activism and human conditions, as well as what's next for her life and career. Recorded on March 2, 2022 at the Upfront Summit.

CapitalG General Partner Laela Sturdy shares with Upfront Partner Greg Bettinelli the lay of the land of how Alphabet thinks about venture, building a diverse team, and how to use resources to help build the next generation of great tech companies. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on March 1, 2022.

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Walter talks with Jeff Berman of Magnet Companies about how civil wars start, how to mitigate risks for one, and the unique aspects of American democracy. Recorded March 1, 2022 at the Upfront Summit.

Russell Wilson and Harry Wilson sit down with Upfront Partner Kobie Fuller to discuss what it's like to start a company (Limitless Minds) with your sibling, how to optimize mindset for peak performance, the benefits of having a neutral mindset, and more. Recorded March 2, 2022 at the Upfront Summit.

Snap's Mike Su discusses with Jon Chu (film director, producer, and screenwriter) and Eugene Wei (Stanford graduate and product executive) about combatting Asian hate; how the role their identity played in their upbringings, what being Asian American means to them, and the experiences they've been through from the Hollywood and tech industry lens. Recorded March 1, 2022 at the Upfront Summit.

Floodgate co-founder and partner Ann Miura-Ko and serial entrepreneur, advisor and investor Elad Gil discuss with Upfront Partner Aditi Maliwal about their current investing process, how startups are winning in recruiting, identifying markets ahead of the curve, and technology trends such as AI and Web3, in addition to a special quick lightning round. Recorded on March 2, 2022 at the Upfront Summit.

Jeff Morris Jr. (Chapter One), Katie Stanton (Moxxie Ventures) and Peter Boyce II (Stellation Capital) sit down with Michael Kim (Cendana Capital) to talk about the evolution of seed investing - the increase in competition among VC, how sourcing deals look like today, how founders are now thinking about raising funds, and what venture will look like in ten years. Recorded on March 1, 2022 at the Upfront Summit.

Bessemer partner Elliott Robinson sits down with Upfront managing partner Kara Nortman to discuss his strategy in leading Bessemer's growth investment practice, the firm's value props, what success means for him and the importance of supporting the Black venture community. Recorded March 1, 2022 at the Upfront Summit.

CNN's Brian Stelter sits down with Jason Hirschhorn of REDEF to talk about media reporting in today’s world, combatting misinformation, the value of transparency, and more. Recorded March 2, 2022 at the Upfront Summit.

a16z General Partner Andrew Chen speak with Bloomberg's Katie Roof about what the cold start problem is, the sectors he's most excited about as an investor, and what drew him to Substack and Clubhouse.

Dannie Herzberg and Jess Lee of Sequoia Capital sit down with Alex Konrad of Forbes to discuss how the two partners became involved with Sequoia, what makes the firm stand out, and recent industry trends they lean into as they look ahead. Recorded at the Upfront Summit on March 1, 2022.

Ron Conway and Topher Conway of SV Angel speak with Upfront managing partner Mark Suster about the firm's investing strategy, learnings from being one of the OG angel investors, as well as the announcement of their first-ever growth fund, SV Angel Growth.

Jeffrey Katzenberg and Sujay Jaswa of WndrCo sit down with CNBC's Julia Boorstin to discuss WndrCo's investment thesis, the opportunities they see in NFTs, lessons from Quibi, and the latest on the cybersecurity landscape. Recorded March 2, 2022 at the Upfront Summit.

Emilie Choi of Coinbase and Paris Hilton sit down with Carter Reum of M13 to discuss all things NFTs, Web3 and crypto. They discuss their journey and how they got involved in the crypto space, why Web3 is the next frontier and the large engaged community it has created. Recorded March 2, 2022 at the Upfront Summit

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Applebaum is interviewed by Jeff Berman (Magnet Companies) about authoritarianism, Ukraine, and what the US can learn from history.

Founder and Managing Partner of First Round Capital Josh Kopelman talks with Upfront Managing Partner Mark Suster about scaling a VC with early stage as a focus. Topics include: - What's changed in the early stage ecosystem - Why Josh believes 70% of VC is picking the right founder - His advice for new funds and for LPs considering new venture investments - How and why they've invested in platform as a value-add service

Chefs Wolfgang Puck and Byron Lazaroff Puck talk with investor D.A. Wallach about the birth and expansion of the Puck global food empire; the connection between food and the arts; quality control across the brand; and how the Puck food empire is innovating for sustainability and cultural change.

Paris Hilton talks with M13's Courtney Reum about being the CEO of a billion dollar brand; balancing her entrepreneurial efforts including product lines, properties, retail outlets and entertainment; her start as the first "influencer" and connecting with fans; the differences between her public and private personae; and the leaders and advice that have inspired her career.

David Lawee and Jason Lemkin Interviewed by Teddy Schleifer | Upfront Summit 2020 by Upfront Ventures

a16z Managing Partner Jeff Jordan speaks with Upfront partner Kara Nortman multi-stage investing at the firm; trends in VC; how and in what sectors he makes investment decisions including Airbnb and Overtime; how his experience as an operator informs his role as a board member; and the benefit of sports experience as a VC.

Founder and CEO of Happy Returns, David Sobie, shares his perspective on the myth of the "retail apocalypse" and why DTC brands are well situated to the new retail reality.

Pulitzer Prize winning author Jared Diamond speaks about why geography is still relevant in a connected world: how geography impacts global wealth and why wealth inequality is a global concern (including health, security, and immigration); how geography and climate change are interlinked; and how geographic disunity aids in innovation and leadership. Note: background noise in this video due to high winds outside the theater where this was filmed.

Former Director of the NSA and Commander of Cyber Command Admiral Michael Rogers talks with Niloofar Razi Howe about nationstate activity in cyberspace as a tool for attacking money, systems or information; why it's important for the United States to be active in cyber engagement; the roles for public and private sector collaboration; and how to build a technology-backed cyber system that reflects American values.

Marc Merrill (Co-founder of Riot Games) talks with Upfront partner Kevin Zhang about the founding of Riot Games and development of League of Legends in 2006; what the company's acquisition by Tencent has meant to the company; his perspective on e-sports ecosystem development and fan engagement; and his predictions for cloud and mobile gaming. For a recap of the 2019 LoL Championships: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PswnONyX23I

James Rogers (Founder & CEO, Apeel Sciences), Walter Robb (Stonewall Robb Advisors & former CEO of Whole Foods), and Yves Sisteron (founder & Managing Partner of Upfront Ventures) talk with Upfront Ventures partner Aditi Maliwal about the genesis of Apeel Sciences; the benefit of Apeel to retailers and the food supplies; the coming transformation in our food supply and food systems; and the growing opportunities for environmental tech investing.

Founder of Forerunner Ventures Kirsten Green talks with Upfront Ventures partner Michael Carney about her path to starting and building a consumer-focused firm; how her investing process and thesis has evolved; building a diverse investing team; the challenges of building and acquiring consumer businesses; and how the environment is improving for female founders and funders.

Eva Longoria Bastón and Zoe Saldana discuss the 60 million strong and growing Latino demographic, and why this demographic matters in entertainment, politics, and the workforce. They discuss Zoe's startup Bese, and why she wanted to create more content for underrepresented people; how culture can impact public policy; the Eva Longoria Foundation and her work creating the next generation workforce; and why it's literally and figuratively important for technology to have diverse voices around the table.

Geopolitical strategist and author Peter Zeihan explains how we got to the current state of geopolitics and the changing demographics across the global superpowers that will impact our coming economy.

CEO of Land O'Lakes Beth Ford talks with #NewsNotNoise 's Jessica Yellin about the Fortune 200 company's structure and work with farmers; how technology plays a role in the business; sustainability and the "barn to biogas"; and why she believes that "rural America is the new inner city" and what all Americans can do about it.

Nick Kokonas (CEO, Tock) talks with Connie Loizos (StrictlyVC) about building and scaling software for traditional markets. Topics include: - How restaurants are operating with opaque information and how he's capitalizing on that need - The process and decisions behind building software from scratch - The opportunities in dynamic pricing and the psychology of pre-paying for experiences - The emotional resonance of restaurants and why you won't see a lot of Tock branding in the user experience

Ted Sarandos (Chief Content Officer, Netflix) talks with REDEF's Jason Hirschhorn about the business of global storytelling; the changing nature of the content medium; Netflix's strategy of original content and animation; the consumer lifespan strategy for Netflix; and the prognosis of growth moving forward.