Upfront Ventures

Former Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul speaks with Upfront Ventures partner Stuart Lander on his experience in Russia, the genesis and purpose of disinformation and fake news, what Vladimir Putin is really like and how he uses kompromat, and why he's cautiously optimistic about the U.S. democracy.

Union Square Ventures partners Fred Wilson and Albert Wenger talk with Erin Griffith (The New York Times) about the firm's investing thesis to solve the climate crisis. Topics covered include: - The firm's entry into climate technology and recent portfolio investments - What the firm looks for in climate technology sectors - How capitalism can co-exist with climate solutions, and the role for government - Why there's reason for optimism

Comedian Chelsea Handler talks with Jason Hirschhorn about white privilege and what she learned making her recent special, her return to standup comedy, and her new cannabis venture.

Bad Robot Co-CEOs JJ Abrams and Katie McGrath talk to Upfront Ventures partner Kara Nortman about scaling and productizing creativity; building an equitable partnership and a company that looks like its audience; what it was like to helm a franchise like Star Wars; the importance of creative guardrails and feedback; and the simple way to fix diversity in an organization.

Debra Lee (former CEO of BET, founder of Leading Women Defined) talks with CNBC's Julia Boorstin about building diversity on boards and in the C-suite. They cover topics including Debra's experience as the CEO of BET and on boards including Marriott, Revlon and Twitter; the importance and obligation of mentorship in building wealth and succession planning; how boards can hold leadership accountable for diversity; and whether she thinks there will be meaningful change as a result of the MeToo movement and organizations like TIME'S UP.

Founder & Chairman of Idealab Bill Gross shares his plan for how technology can solve the climate crisis, why it's so urgent, and what solutions exist today.

Preet Bharara (Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Host of the Stay Tuned with Preet podcast) talks with Jeff Berman (Magnet Companies) about the dynamics of impeachment, John Bolton's options, the state of the Justice Department and why it's hard to have conversations across the aisle in Washington.

Meg Whitman (CEO, Quibi) chats with Upfront Ventures partner Mark Suster about the development and upcoming launch of Quibi: - What will make the service stand out - Why they're betting that consumers will pay for premium content - How the platform is inspiring and incentivizing creators in unexpected ways - How Quibi is a technology platform first - The importance of 5G and why they feel Quibi is the perfect use case - The dynamics of her long partnership with Jeffrey Katzenberg

John Legend and his mentor James Lowry talk with Upfront Ventures partner Kobie Fuller about the importance of mentorship and the mutual benefit in a mentor-mentee relationship; John Legend's work in criminal justice reform and local political reform; James Lowry's roadmap for building black economic power and a more positive future for everyone; and John's experience as a BCG consultant building PowerPoint slides by day and creating music by night.

Ice Cube sits down with Hamêt Watt (Share Ventures) to discuss his entrepreneurial journey in founding BIG3 - where his drive and work ethic come from, why the league is on track for profitability and longevity, the importance of authenticity and really listening to the customer, and how he remembers and honors Kobe Bryant's legacy.

Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Harden discuss creating their media company Hello Sunshine and developing projects that put marginalized creative voices and storytelling at the forefront - how it was started, the untraditional power structure at the head of the company, and how they're architecting the business for the next 20 years. They also discuss how much they love data and books, about the journey of Reese's Book Club, and what it takes to change and diversify the media landscape.

Chairman of the LA Clippers and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sits down with Upfront Ventures partner Greg Bettinelli to discuss: - How he got into basketball ownership and how a basketball team is like a tech company - Why philanthropy matters and how to measure government impact - Operating as a non-founder business lead and why he encourages everyone to drop out - His favorite search engine

Keith Rabois of Founders Fund sits down with Dan Primack of Axios to discuss making big bets in venture, how Founders Fund operates as a partnership with unique perspectives, and his views on the upcoming election cycle.

Jackie Reses (Head of Square Capital) speaks with Upfront Ventures partner Greg Bettinelli about how Square has grown to be one of the biggest small business lenders in the country; diversity in lending; managing people and stoking creativity in companies; fragmented workforces; and the rules of engagement for operating globally.

Filmmaker Ron Howard and Jason Hirschhorn (Founder, REDEF) discuss the changing media landscape (and what hasn't changed), the evolution of Imagine Entertainment from a two-man production team to a venture-backed business, and the kinds of stories that drive Ron as a filmmaker.

Mellody Hobson (President, Ariel Investments) sits down with Jason Hirschhorn to discuss the influences and mentors over her career; the role of a board member in good times and in crisis; addressing diversity in businesses, community and content; and the future of media.

Mark Suster (Managing Partner, Upfront Ventures) presents thoughts on the state of VC, the increase in "private IPOs", how VC is now really three distinct markets and the global dynamics at play to make this a great time for investors. Slides available here: https://www.slideshare.net/msuster/is-vc-still-a-thing-final

Scott Painter (Fair CEO), Ian Siegel (ZipRecruiter CEO), Daniel Broukhim (FabFitFun co-CEO), and Upfront Ventures' Michael Carney discuss the evolution of the Los Angeles startup ecosystem, bootstrapping versus mega-fundraising, and scaling lessons learned along the journey to unicorn status.

David Sacks (Co-Founder and General Partner, Craft Ventures) sits down with Upfront Ventures partner Kara Nortman to discuss the most exciting investment categories in tech today; the diligence and go-to-market process; the challenges to entrepreneurship today; LA as a tech ecosystem, and "dos and don'ts of a great board member."

Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA 33) and Ian Bremmer (President and Founder, Eurasia Group) discuss global issues facing the US including the erosion of trust in institutions, Russian interference in elections, China and cybersecurity, and the future of democracy. Moderated by Jeff Berman (Co-Founder, Magnet Groups).

Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn and partner at Greylock, sits down with Mark Suster to discuss his book Blitzscaling and the state of technology and venture capital.

Kai-Fu Lee discusses the rapid progress and adoption of artificial intelligence in China and the implications this has on the present and the future of global technology markets.

Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams sits down with Lisa Borders to discuss her historic run as the first African-American woman nominee of any major party in the history of the United States. She discusses the record turnout across demographics, the changing electorate her campaign was able to drive, and the fractures facing American democracy when it comes to the ability to vote.

Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA 28th District) sits down to discuss his role as Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, the Russia investigation, and several other issues that have a restored focus with the recently sworn in Democrat majority House.

Charles Grob and Bob Jesse sit down with Joe Green to discuss the reemergence of psychedelic research. Charles Grob, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine and Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He conducted the first government-approved study of MDMA, and was the principal investigator of an international biomedical psychiatric research project in the Brazilian Amazon of the plant, ayahuasca. He is currently conducting an investigation of the effects of psilocybin on anxiety in cancer patients. Robert Jesse is convenor of the Council on Spiritual Practices. Through CSP, he was instrumental in creating the psilocybin research team at the Johns Hopkins University, and he is one of its co-investigators. Prior to CSP, he worked as a consultant in information technology for AT&T Bell Labs and others, then in several capacities for Oracle Corporation, lastly as a vice president of business development.

Ted Bunch discusses his organization "A Call to Men" and their mission to educate and train young men and boys. He addresses how masculinity forms early in childhood, and how it affects men and women into adulthood.

David Marcus, VP of Messaging at Facebook and board member at Coinbase, sits down with Julia Boorstin at Upfront Summit 2018.

Anne-Marie Slaughter discusses with the Upfront Summit audience how care, craft, and the circular economy will shape the future of work.

Tye Sheridan (lead) and Chris deFaria (executive producer) sit down with Brent Weinstein to discuss their movie Ready Player One.

Michael Carney sits down with Garry Tan, Nick Tomaino, and Preethi Kasireddy to dig into key issues involving blockchain technology.

Actress, producer, and activist Kerry Washington sat down with Kara Nortman at the Upfront Summit to discuss leadership, performance, and personal growth.

Author and political commentator David Frum (The Atlantic) sat down with government relations expert Heather Podesta (Invariant) to discuss the current political climate, the White House, and what fake news really means.

Adam Ludwin, founder and CEO of Chain, joins Kevin Zhang of Upfront Ventures to discuss the current state and future promises of blockchain technology for the general public and enterprise.

Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, sits down with Jeff Berman of Greylock Partners on stage at Upfront Summit to discuss compassionate leadership and the evolving role of the CEO in the modern workplace.

Mark Suster sits down with Dan Rather to discuss his outlook for our country one year into the Trump presidency. The interview was conducted around the thesis of Dan’s newest book, “What Unites Us,” which is a must read.

Convoz is a mobile video app that connects people across the world through collaborative face to face video conversations. Founder and CEO Chamillionaire is joined on stage by Snoop Dogg to discuss Convoz for the first time. Download Convoz https://convoz.com

Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett of Crooked Media (formerly of The Ringer podcast), join Jeff Berman of Whalerock Media to discuss Donald Trump, the election, and politics at Upfront Summit 2017.

Colin Carrier (Twitch), Stephen Ellis (Facebook), Clinton Foy (CrossCut Ventures), and Matt Wolf (The Coca-Cola Company) join Greg Bettinelli (Upfront Ventures) to discuss eSports and investment opportunities.

Defy Ventures works with currently and formerly incarcerated men and women to transform their innate entrepreneurial talents and drive into legal, successful businesses. Listen to Catherine’s inspiring presentation at Upfront Summit.

Mayor Eric Garcetti, Mayor Of Los Angeles | Upfront Summit 2017 by Upfront Ventures

Sallie Krawcheck (Ellevest) and Robin Hauser (Finish Line Features and Unleashed Productions) sit down with Michael Carney (Upfront Ventures) to discuss bias in the workplace and how managers and executives can work to create a more inclusive and diverse company culture.

Rebecca Kantar Presents Imbellus | Upfront Summit 2017 by Upfront Ventures

Fred Wilson and Andy Weissman of Union Square Ventures join Lindel Eakman of Foundry Group Next to discuss managing generational change at a venture capital firm.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana is a Democratic mayor in a predominantly Republican electorate. He sits down with Joe Green (Causes, Nationbuilder, FWD.us) to discuss what motivated '08 and '12 Obama voters to become Trump voters in '16. They discuss how people in his part of the country are feeling and what we can do as a country to engage in a more effective national dialogue.

Mark Suster Presents State of the VC Industry | Upfront Summit 2017 by Upfront Ventures

Jonah Peretti, CEO of Buzzfeed, joins Mark Suster of Upfront Ventures to discuss viral media, his days at Huffington Post, founding Buzzfeed, and how fake news affected the election and continues to shape the media landscape.

Mark Cuban Interview by Jason Hirschhorn | Upfront Summit 2017 by Upfront Ventures

Glenn Beck Interview by Brent Weinstein | Upfront Summit 2017 by Upfront Ventures

Troy Carter sits down with Mark Suster in front of a live audience at Upfront Summit 2016.

Hamet Watt of Upfront Ventures moderates a panel with Beatriz Acevedo (mitú), Magic Johnson (Magic Johnson Enterprises), Tristan Walker (Walker and Co. Brands) and Troy Carter (Atom Factory) in front of a live audience at Upfront Summit 2016.