Masters of Craft

Appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti, Peter Marx is Los Angeles' first Chief Innovation and Technology Officer. Born and raised in the city of angels, his motivation is simple: "I want to see my city become a better place." With a self-referenced "$40 title," a seemingly oversimplified work goal, and zero experience in government, the former Qualcomm and EA exec comes to Innovation Crush to breakdown...

Before Walter O'Brien discovered his intellectual gift, he was a socially awkward and often bullied kid at his school. One day, a bully had gone too far, and Walter was able to use his new found martial arts skills for a schoolyard triumph. Like a true scorpion, Walter was a docile creature, that when pushed enough, will attack and cause some pretty serious damage. Fast forward to 2014 where adult...

Amanda Slavin is a former teacher and event planner who just happened to be given a great opportunity... to build communities with some of the world's top minds in business and creativity. That opportunity birthed CatalystCreativ, a one-of-a-kind "community design firm" that focuses on developing ecosytems that foster seemingly serendipitous moments of networking, education, and collaboration. Her...

Andy Rohm is a marketing professor at Loyola Marymount University. The Detroiter turned marketer (Reebok, Brooks) turned surfer turned education innovator is one of the minds behind LMU's M-School, a new education program that covers all things marketing, innovation, and even invention. On this installment of Innovation Crush, Andy Breaks down how he and his team are reinventing the way we teach y...

Hugh Forrest has been an integral part of the SXSW movement since its inception in the late 80's. The veteran festival director has been the visionary behind mulitple components, including primarily the interactive programming, which now sees more attendees than both its music and film counterparts. On Innovation Crush, Hugh breaks down the multiple levels of perseverance, support, and vision it's...

For some, the introduction of wearable technology is like the introduction of fire, or the wheel to mankind. The growing industry has opened a whole new ways to how we think, interact, learn, and survive, and progress. On this 1 year anniversary episode of Innovation Crush, the king of wearable tech, and co-founder of Wearable World, Kyle Ellicott guides us through the past, present and future of...

Director Joel Zwick and and producer Steve Sunshine are legends in the entertainment business. Classic storytellers, the two have helmed legendary projects ranging from Laverne & Shirley, to Webster, Full House, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, EXTRA, Mork and Mindy, Shake It Up!, and more, touching over 1000 episodes of television and dozens of films in their careers. On Innovation Crush, the hilarious...

We've all been there... at the height of success or in the midst of on-the-job misery, and saying to ourselves, "You know what? This isn't for me!" Steve Belanger was a talented media executive, holding top positions at publishers like Penthouse and TIME. Then, he became an actor, comedian, host, and author. On this is installment of Innovation Crush, Steve breaks down the careful nature of his de...

Nancy Gale is a not only a survivor, but a thriver. While overcoming many personal difficulties at various stages throughout her life, the luxury accessory designer has skyrocketed beyond success with an attention to detail and craftsmanship second to none. Always inventive and holistically innovative, she has woven social responsibility into her productions, working with underprivileged youth to...

Innovation Crush goes live in partnership with Tribe Talks, a series of entertaining and informative events created by millenial focused marketing and branding agency, Tribemint. In this episode, we chat with Natasha Case and Freya Estreller, co-founders of Coolhaus, a specialty dessert company that seamlessly fuses architecture and... err ice cream! Launching at Coachella 5 years ago with one tru...

Jamen Shively possesses an insane ability to envision ecosystems. When he thinks of an idea, he almost just as immediately can frame up all its social implications, hypothetical nuances, pros, cons, supporters, naysayers, and world changing opportunities. A former top executive at Microsoft, Jamen left to begin an in depth venture into the business and social ecosystem of Cannibis, that has involv...

Keith Clinkscales is the man responsible for making Sean Combs gigantic dream, a gigantic reality. The former ESPN executive, and Vibe Magazine president is now leading the effort behind Revolt TV, a new music platformed some have labeled the perfect rebirth of MTV. On Innovation Crush, Keith discusses the impact of hip hop culture, how the music business has changed over the years, what its like...

In this farewell episode of Innovation Crush, Robert Dones Jr, says goodbye to the Innovation Crush crew and the Crushers he's entertained for the past year... But not without a few of his peers and colleagues who see him as an on-the-job, peer-to-peer mentor, and friend. Together they discuss their generation's social habits, technology, the future of the workforce, entitlement, and share a few w...

Chris Gore is probably one of your favorite independent creator's favorite independent creators. The multi-hyphenate Gore, has hosted television, published a magazine, made films, performed stand up, and probably even dabbles in cooking and fine art. He is one of the most sought after authorities in creating independent success within industries traditionally dominated by large corporations. On In...

Chris Dancy has been labeled everything from cyborg to robot to the most connected man in the world. The 45-year-old former software developer has sensors and gadgets galore; his body, home, and car, and even his dog Rocko, are all pumping information in and out at any given time. Where most see techno-clutter, Chris's personal philosophies and natural gravitation toward technology give him the cl...

When Nirvan Mullick's story behind Caine's Arcade hit the front page of Yahoo!, the media giant proclaimed it as the most positively received story on their home page of all time. Part philosopher, part filmmaker, part marketer, part adventurer, and a whole lotta awesome - one day Nirvan walked into used parts store to get a door handle, and walked out with the beginnings of one of the biggest cre...

Among many accolades, Ondi Timoner has the rare accomplishment of having won the Sundance Grand Jury award twice. 2014 marks the 10 year anniversary of the Yale graduates first win for a film called DIG. Her second, an early exploration in social internet behavior, called WE LIVE IN PUBLIC. On Innovation Crush, Ondi stops by to talk about the power of storytelling, her history in filmmaking, and h...

Kenny Mac is the tastemakers' tastemaker. A connoisseur of cool, Kenny has spent the majority of his career creating organic and effective relationships between influencers and brands. Whether a producing a swanky party in NYC for Moet-Hennessy, or rebranding one of the world's largest conferences, Kenny's expertise has been sought after by some of the most influential brands and individuals on th...

Look up Cindy Gallop, and you'll find any number of accomplishments and descriptors - Chairman of the Board at BBH, Theater Publicist, TED Talker, Sex Educator, Feminist, Public Speaker, etc. The list goes on and on. She is most recently noted for her jaw-dropping appearance at TED where she launched Make Love Not Porn, a revolutionary platform designed change the how intimacy is perceived around...

As human beings, we are hard-wired for preservation and re-creation, constantly stimulated by sexual imagery. Given our "sex cells," it's no wonder that fans of the adult industry consume by the millions, allowing porn to set many precedents in everything from marketing to technology to law. At the same time, not only is the topic of sex a cultural taboo, but the industry itself faces a ton of cha...

Nolan Bushnell is undoubtedly the Godfather of the video game industry. Best known as the creator of Atari, and Chuck E. Cheese, Nolan is 20+ time entrepreneur with businesses ranging from education to restaurant. His son, Brent (one of 8 children) is CEO of Two-Bit Circus, a company that combines technology, fabrication, and engineering to create one-of-a-kind gaming experiences for companies lar...

It's no secret that the world has gone mobile-mad. This year alone, there will be 1.75 BILLION smart phone users around the world. The opportunities for brands and content makers are endless and often times, incredibly confusing. At the forefront of this mobile revolution we find Trigger Global, a leading mobile technology and experience design firm having worked with clients ranging from Sony's S...

This year marks the 5th annual Business Innovation Awards, part of a grand cultural celebration of creative and business collaborations between the UK and Los Angeles. On this installment of Innovation Crush, we chat with Navin Govind and Joan Burney Keatings, two previous winners from both the medical technology and film industry, respectively. This amazing conversation dives deep into the every...

For the past 8 years, Doug Campbell has been the mind, muse, and maestro behind Mindshare LA. But what else would you expect from a man who once traveled the world in a Tuxedo to raise money for charity. Several times per year, brilliantly creative minds gather at these events for information, ideas, and inspiration, sharing never seen before forms of art, technology, science and music. Mindshare...

Whether you're a marketer, entrepreneur, investor, strategic thinker, or somewhere in between, your work life is constantly affected by influence. You're either exerting influence to change consumer behavior or to motivate your teammates, or even affected by the influence of trends and individuals you come in contact with on a day-to-day basis. When it comes to influence, Robin Kaminsky hates to l...