Gen C

Olivia Santarelli, Gemini’s Head of Marketing, breaks down how innovative campaigns and visionary storytelling drive long-term growth, simplify crypto adoption and redefine the future of finance. Olivia Santarelli, Gemini’s Head of Marketing, has been building Gemini's marketing strategy for six years, helping transform the exchange from a small team into a major crypto brand. In this conversation...

Frank Mong of Helium reveals how blockchain-powered hotspots and shared infrastructure are disrupting traditional telecom to build a decentralized, user-owned wireless network. In this episode of Gen C, Frank Mong, COO of Helium, unpacks how blockchain, crypto incentives and shared infrastructure are transforming global connectivity. From early IoT use cases and crypto hotspots to major telco part...

Maya Draisin, Chief Brand Officer at TIME, highlights how the 102-year-old brand evolves with new technologies while maintaining its core values of trust and integrity. TIME's Chief Brand Officer, Maya Draisin, outlines how the iconic brand is adapting to transformative technologies such as generative AI, blockchain and NFTs. She highlights TIME’s dedication to blending innovation with its endurin...

Haun Ventures CMO Rachael Horwitz breaks down how crypto is going mainstream through stablecoins and why the industry needs better storytelling to reach broader audiences. Haun Ventures CMO Rachael Horwitz shares insights on branding in crypto, from navigating market volatility to building long-term conviction. Drawing on leadership roles at Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Coinbase, she breaks down...

Jonathan Ledgard of Tehanu explains his revolutionary concept of "interspecies money" where animals and natural resources can hold digital identities with crypto wallets to receive payments for the services they provide to humans. Jonathan Ledgard is the CEO of Tehanu and the pioneering mind behind "interspecies money" - a concept that extends digital identity and cryptocurrency payments to animal...

Mike Winkelmann, aka Beeple, joins Sam Ewen on an episode of "CoinDesk Spotlight" with a conversation about the transformative potential of AI and the journey that led him from computer science to digital art and the NFT ecosystem. Beeple shares insights into the evolution of his artwork, the role of technology in his creative process, and the impact of AI tools in pushing the boundaries of digita...

Yield Guild Games founder Gabby Dizon breaks down the state of Web3 gaming, from Axie Infinity's cultural moment to building sustainable crypto-native games today. Gabby Dizon founded Yield Guild Games during the height of the Axie Infinity craze, helping players in developing markets access play-to-earn opportunities through innovative guild structures. In this conversation, he shares insights on...

Dr. Melyn McKay of Coala Pay explains how blockchain rails are transforming humanitarian aid by enabling instant, secure payments to partners in the world's most challenging locations. Dr. Melyn McKay brings 15 years of humanitarian aid experience to her role as founder of Coala Pay, a blockchain-based payment platform revolutionizing how aid money moves globally. In this conversation, she shares...

Maz ElJundi, Head of Crypto at Revolut, discusses how the financial app is creating a bridge between traditional banking and Web3, driving crypto adoption through education and intuitive user experiences. In this episode of Gen C, Avery comes back to join Sam and welcome Mazen ElJundi, who leads crypto at Revolut. With his global perspective from living across the Middle East, Europe and the US, M...

Razorfish President, Dani Mariano, explores how brands can build authentic connections through emerging technologies and explains why Gen Alpha is reshaping the future of marketing and commerce. In this episode of Gen C, host Sam welcomes Dani Mariano, President of Razorfish, a 30-year-old creative agency known for innovation in the marketing world. Dani discusses how Razorfish has evolved from a...

Rebecca Barkin discusses Lamina1's mission to create a decentralized platform that empowers creators with more control and direct audience engagement, showcasing their partnership with "Owen Nowhere," a new animated series about a teen influencer with vampire parents created by Chris Jammal and Jaclynn Demas of We Ghosted Media. Rebecca Barkin, CEO of Lamina1, joins Sam to discuss her journey from...

Returning for another season of ‘Gen C’, Sam sits down with Kyle and Jay to learn how they transformed Milk Road into a leading crypto media brand and why they believe media should be the foundation of every business. Kyle and Jay, co-owners of Milk Road and co-founders of marketing agency Impact3, discuss their journey from meeting in a Toronto bar to building successful crypto-focused businesses...

In this farewell episode, Avery and Sam reflect on her journey as co-host and share insights on the evolving digital landscape and what’s next for the pod. Avery Akkineni, Chief Marketing Officer at VaynerMedia, records her final episode as co-host of the Gen C podcast after a two and a half year run spanning 112 episodes. They discuss the evolution of Web3 adoption among brands, from the initial...

Christina Smedley of Lightspark, live from Consensus HK, to discuss how their technology enables cross-border payments without high fees and serves both developed and emerging markets. Christina Smedley, who has previously worked at Amazon, PayPal, Facebook, and Robinhood, discusses her current role at Lightspark where she's helping to revolutionize payments through Bitcoin's Lightning Network. Sh...

In this special Gen Z episode, artist and world builder Sam Spratt discusses his career, creative journey, and innovative use of technology in art. He shares insights from his early life and education, the development of his artistic style, and the impact of his project 'Luci,' including his newest chapter Masquerade. The conversation delves into his unique use of AI in the mask maker system, the...

This episode touches on crypto marketing with Kraken's CMO Mayur Gupta who shares how technical expertise, brand values and customer trust can drive digital finance innovation. Mayur Gupta, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at Kraken, brings unique insight as a former developer turned marketing executive at one of crypto's longest-standing exchanges. In this episode, Mayur discusses the evolution...

In this episode, we sit down with CEO, Connor Gaydos who spent $275 to acquire the abandoned Enron brand and is now working to transform one of America's most infamous corporate scandals into a symbol of redemption and innovation. Connor Gaydos, co-creator of the viral "Birds Aren't Real" movement and now the CEO of Enron, joins ‘Gen C’ to discuss his surprising acquisition and the relaunch of one...

DJ Skee joins us this week to talk about  the evolution of marketing through product placement and the power of nostalgia in collecting. DJ Skee is a multifaceted entrepreneur known for breaking artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Lorde and pioneering marketing strategies in music and tech. As the founder of The Realist, he's revolutionizing the sports memorabilia industry through blockchain a...

Former TikTok Head of Marketing Nick Tran shares how the traditional marketing playbook is evolving and why brands need to rethink their approach to connecting with modern consumers. Nick Tran is a marketing innovator whose career spans leadership roles at Samsung, Hulu and most notably as Head of Marketing at TikTok during its explosive growth phase. In this episode, he discusses how TikTok revol...

Gen C's first episode of 2025 features hosts Avery and Sam trading predictions about the future of entertainment, technology and sustainability, including bold forecasts about creator crossovers, AI personalization and the revival of dead brands. In the first episode of the year, hosts Avery and Sam share their predictions for 2025 across various sectors including creator economy, AI, gaming, cryp...

Comic Con pioneer Gareb Shamus discusses the transformation of geek culture from niche to mainstream and reveals his latest venture in collectibles. Gareb Shamus, Founder of Wizard Magazine and Co-Founder of Comic Con, shares the untold origin story of cosplay at conventions and how his magazine revolutionized comic collecting through price guides and industry coverage. Gareb discusses transformin...

From accountant to TikTok executive to "Sir Candle Man," Kudzi shares his insights on authentic content creation and the evolving creator economy. In this episode, we sit down with Kudzi Chikumbu, former Global Head of Creator Marketing at TikTok turned creator, investor and advisor who helped shape the platform's early creator partnerships and brought it into modern awareness. Kudzi shares his un...

Rembrandt Flores joins the pod to talk about his journey from PR to crypto to now Flip.shop, where he's revolutionizing social commerce through authentic brand partnerships and consumer rewards. Rembrandt Flores, Chief Brand and Amplification Officer at Flip.shop, brings his extensive background in communications and crypto to discuss the future of social commerce. Rembrandt shares how Flip.shop i...

This week, Avery and Sam dissect three major cultural shifts happening: Web3 going mainstream, creator influence reaching new heights and the increasing financialization of culture. In this episode, hosts Avery and Sam discuss the McDonald's x Doodles partnership and what it signals for Web3 brand collaborations. They also explore the growing power of creators and influencers, using Jake Paul's re...