Gen C

In this week’s episode of “Gen C,” VeeFriends President Andy Krainak comes on the podcast to discuss VeeCon year two, creating with Gary Vaynerchuck and how VeeFriends is activating a very loyal audience with empathy. This episode is sponsored by Chainalysis.com. Andy took a chance 11 years ago by tweeting at Gary V and asking for an internship. Fast-forward and Andy now leads VeeFriends, Gary’s s...

On this week’s episode of Gen C, Coinbase's Kate Rouch talks about how the brand is looking to not only attract new users but also improve the industry at large through technology and education. Kate was at the forefront of growing the Meta brand, formerly Facebook, and product marketing for eleven years prior to making the jump to Coinbase. She joins the podcast to discuss how working at an innov...

Avery and Sam sit down with streetwear legend and Web3 entrepreneur Bobby Hundreds on the eve of the release of his new book, "NFTS ARE A SCAM." Bobby discusses his thoughts on how brands should build Web3 projects, his approach to culture and community and how AIR may be the most Web3 movie ever made. This episode is sponsored by Chainalysis.com. For the last 20 years, Bobby and Ben Hundreds of T...

MoonPay’s Ivan Soto-Wright joins Avery and Sam to discuss how MoonPay is helping to onboard brands and consumers into Web3 with simple tools to expand opportunities in a digital future. From the origin story of trying to create a buy crypto button for bitcoin.com to today, when over 15 million people have engaged with MoonPay financial services, Ivan Soto-Wright has helped to create one of the mor...

This episode is sponsored by Chainalysis.com. Recorded live at Consensus 2023 in Austin, Texas, Oana Ruxandra, chief digital officer for Warner Music Group joins Avery and Sam on stage to discuss fandom, non-fungible tokens in music and how artists and music labels are strategizing 360 approaches to help artists’ careers. Oana Ruxandra started her career as a financial portfolio manager before tra...

This episode is sponsored by Chainalysis.com  Ciara Byrne, vice president of new business innovation at Condé Nast joins the podcast to discuss the many ways the publishing company has experimented with the metaverse, digital art and digital collectibles through brands including GQ and Vogue. “Gen C” is sponsored by Chainalysis. Ciara Byrne discusses her journey from Google, where she focused prim...

This episode is sponsored by Chainalysis.com  Ian Rogers, chief experience officer for Ledger, joins the podcast to talk about his career in innovation, the importance of security and his long view of the ever-increasing role of digital assets in our lives. Ian Rogers discusses his early career moves at Winamp, Beats, Apple Music, LVMH and having that "aha" moment when he decided to join Ledger as...

Ryan Wyatt, president of Polygon Labs, joins the "Gen C" podcast to discuss his extensive experience in gaming prior to his current role and how he and Polygon Labs are helping bring brands into Web3 through their technology. Ryan Wyatt shares his experience growing the Polygon Labs team, the development and growth team of Polygon, which has worked with big name brands ranging from Starbucks to Im...

Neda Whitney, SVP, Head of Marketing at Christie’s discusses her career in Marketing, the historic Beeple sale and being the first auction house to exist on chain. On this week’s episode, Neda, Sam and Avery talk about the value of collecting digital art, dispelling the meaning of ‘crypto art’ and building loyalty with audiences through NFTs. Prior to Christie’s, Neda spent 20 years in agencies sp...

Mickey Friedman, founder of Flair.ai, a product photography and advertising composition tool that is AI generated, joins the “Gen C” podcast this week to discuss the future of artificial intelligence. Mickey Friedman shares her knowledge of AI, a hot topic for not only those in Web3 but anyone on the internet who has come across ChatGPT, DALL-E or Midjourney. Mickey was at Tesla and Adobe prior to...

Nick Adler joins the podcast to talk about his journey into Web3 and how he’s bringing culture to digital wearables through his love of streetwear. From onboarding Snoop Dogg into Web3 to being an early holder of Bored Apes and most recently, founding MNTGE, a Web3 company focused on streetwear, vintage fashion and digital collectibles, Nick shares his long-term version and approach in the space....

Rosie Perper, Web3 journalist for CoinDesk, joins “Gen C” to discuss the latest moves in Web3. Rosie Perper, CoinDesk’s Deputy Managing Editor for Web3 joins Avery and Sam to discuss some of the bigger stories happening in NFTs, Web3 gaming, tokenized social clubs and playlists as well as the latest Vayner research on the Web3 consumer. Links mentioned from the podcast:  Coinbase starts Wallet as...

Ty Haney, the founder of Outdoor Voices, joins Gen C to discuss community loyalty, rewards, Web3 and her new company, Try Your Best. Ty Haney is a serial entrepreneur. She started Outdoor Voices while she was in her early 20s and built the company into an athletic apparel powerhouse through community and social media power. She is now the CEO of Try Your Best, a platform for brands and fans to con...

Avery, Sam and Carly Reilly, the host of Overpriced JPEGs, break down the events and ticketing industry and why NFTs and the blockchain can help rewrite the system. Carly Reilly, the host of Overpriced JPEGs, joins Avery and Sam on a joint episode to discuss how NFTs and the blockchain are changing IRL experiences for attendees. They also introduce Microcosms, CoinDesk’s first NFT Pass for Consens...

Angelic Vendette discusses the importance of brand authenticity and how a mission that is centered around mindfulness and wellness can enter either immersive worlds or the NFT space authentically while staying true to core brand values. CMO and Global Head of Marketing of Alo Yoga, Angelic Vendette joins the podcast to share insights on how Alo Yoga built one of the most successful experiences on...

Adam Brotman and Andy Sack of Forum3 discuss how they help brands build Web3-powered loyalty programs, most notably for Starbucks Odyssey. Adam Brotman and Andy Sack talk about their journey into Web3, one that includes the actor and entrepreneur, Brock Pierce. Together they’ve created Forum3, a strategic advisory company for Web3 initiatives, and have worked with some of the largest brands enteri...

Erika Wykes-Sneyd joins “Gen C” this week and discusses how her passion for Web3 resulted in her creating the Adidas /// Studio dedicated fully to Web3 initiatives. As a seasoned marketer, Erika’s career prior to Adidas includes Playstation, Google, Uber and Paypal where she was at the forefront of launching brands and initiatives that have had a large impact in culture. Her current role at Adidas...

Avery and Sam look back on the past ten episodes of the podcast and share their observations and perspectives on hot and emerging topics for brands, creators and consumers. This week on “Gen C,” Avery and Sam discuss a number of topics that have been top of mind both in the news and generally in the Web3 space. From NFT tickets and collectibles to AI and its impact on creators and brands, tune in...

Hear how Sophie’s curiosity for Web3 allowed her to tap into a new market of consumers and connect with them in ways that are more collaborative and iterative than in Web2. Sophie Kelly, SVP of Whiskies at Diageo North America joins us this week on the podcast to share her experience spanning from media to advertising and digital agencies and her current role on the client side at Diageo. She shar...

Jaime Schmidt, Co-Founder of BFF and Club CPG joins the podcast to share her journey as a serial entrepreneur. From founding Schmidt’s Naturals to Club CPG to BFF, Jaime drops insight on how creating products and brands for niche interest groups has proven successful and that it doesn’t need to be a one-size-fits-all. Jaime Schmidt has had great success across multiple endeavors and is recently kn...

Marc Mathieu not only is the Co-Founder of the Web3 Studio at Salesforce but previously was CMO at Samsung Americas. He has held senior marketing positions with Unilever, Coca-Cola, among others. His unique and provocative approach to a Web3 strategy should be a must listen for all marketers. The Web3 Studio at Salesforce is focused on bringing hundreds of thousands of brands large and small into...

With billions of customers around the globe, Anheuser-Busch (AB) produces some of the most popular products in the world. In this episode, Spencer Gordon joins us to discuss how AB entered the Web3 space and how Anheuser-Busch is utilizing its heritage brands to deepen customer relationships and create unique connections through collectibles, communities and experiences. Spencer Gordon, group vice...

Hear how TokenProof is making Web3 safer while bringing utility, identity and access points to brands and NFT communities for live events around the world. This week’s guest is Fonz, Founder and CEO of TokenProof. Hear how TokenProof started and why the growing platform is the chosen method of ticketing and wallet identification for events from NFTNYC to Art Basel to brand activations large and sm...

For big corporations like PepsiCo, we talk about the challenges of bringing their heritage brands into the space. This week’s guest is Kate Brady, Head of Next Gen DTC Connections and Innovation of PepsiCo. Brady has helped bring highly beloved brands including Cheetos, Gatorade and Pepsi into the metaverse and Web3. She discusses the mindset needed to bring Web3 innovation to a large, cross-funct...

Matt Kalish joins the podcast this week to talk about how bullish he is on Web3 and NFTs, going so far as to updating his LinkedIn picture to a BAYC PFP. In this episode, we touch on brands entering the World Cup conversation with their own digital collectibles, and a potential hot take on how Apple is missing the mark when it comes to the blockchain. Matt Kalish, president of DraftKings North Ame...