The Next Stage podcast by Web Summit

FaZe Clan COO Jaci Hays shares how focusing on three critical pillars in order to reach today's youth made the esports organisation a cultural phenomenon.  Jaci answers two big questions: Why is Gen Z different than any generation before it, and what does it take to build authentic connections? Jaci Hays, COO at FaZe Clan, delivered a keynote speech on ContentMakers at Web Summit 2021. "...

The appetite for content has never been bigger, says Shutterstock CEO Stan Pavlovsky. In fact, we spend seven hours a day consuming online media, according to research firm DoubleVerify. It’s never been a better time to be a content creator but trying to find the right image or video can be difficult with millions of assets to wade through. Stan says this has shifted Shutterstock’s strategy to inc...

As more data emerges about the potentially grim fate of our planet, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that we need new solutions to the climate change crisis. How is AI facilitating the advancement of sustainability? What innovations and systems look set to change the energy landscape?  We hear from Dan Jeavons of Shell, Hege Skryseth of Kongsberg and Junta Nakai of Databricks about how AI can be...

Unicorn founders Florian Otto and Michele Romanow share their insights on how to address pressing issues in our society. What does it take to drive a paradigm shift, and what are the key learnings these founders have grown from – collectively and individually? Cedar co-founder and CEO Florian Otto and Clearco co-founder and CEO Michele Romanow were in conversation with Grit Daily executive editor...

Between the January 6 insurrection, so-called ‘vote audits’, gerrymandering, social media polarisation, two impeachments, and accusations of voter suppression, the four years of the Trump presidency were tumultuous to say the least.  Join Obama Foundation CEO David Simas, ACLU president Deborah Archer, and Federal Election Commissioner Ellen Weintraub to find out if American democracy is on its la...

What does the future of healthcare look like? In some cases, it’s almost like science fiction has become a reality. Mental health and wellness is entering this realm with therapeutic chatbots like Woebot Health. Founder Alison Darcy talks about the importance of clinical validation and how studies have shown that Woebot can not only engage deeply with users but also develop a bond of trust with th...

DreamWorks Animation is home to some of the world’s most beloved franchises, including Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, The Boss Baby, The Croods, and How to Train Your Dragon. But none of these award-winning films would be possible without cutting-edge film technology.  We speak to Kate Swanborg, DreamWorks’ SVP of technology communications, to explore how technology is fuelling our imaginations...

In the very near future, the devices and services we rely on will become much more proactive. AI will turn off the lights before bed, offer to start your coffee in the morning, or adjust the thermostat when you’re away – all without being asked.  Tom Taylor, SVP for Amazon Alexa, shares how 'ambient computing' is coming to life, and what the future holds. "The best technology confer...

Unicorns are popping up at an unprecedented rate, so what better way to understand what it takes to get there than by hearing from those who have already succeeded?  Juan Pablo Ortega, co-founder of Rappi, and Mada Seghete, co-founder and VP of marketing at Branch, talk through their early days as startup founders and the steps they took towards success. Juan Pablo Ortega, co-founder of Rappi, and...

Debates have raged for years of whether and to what extent Big Tech - often known as the Big Four (Amazon, Meta/Facebook, Google and Apple) - should be regulated. As Rob Cox, global editor for Reuters Breakingviews, says in this episode: “The horse has bolted on this one”.  So the matter turns to what kind of regulations should be put in place and for what purpose. Will regulation only serve to sh...

Gen Z has a native understanding and appreciation of how AI shapes their world, digitally and otherwise.  Young entrepreneurs and ambassadors for Arm Emma Yang, Josh Lowe, Avye Couloute and Samaira Mehta discuss what they love about AI, where they think the technology falls short, and what they want to see in the next generation of AI-powered products. Gen Arm2Z ambassadors Emma Yang, Josh Lowe, A...

Working from home became de rigeur during the pandemic and it has widespread benefits. People have been able to work from the comfort of their own homes while complying with Covid-19 restrictions. Remote-first also meant companies could widen the net and hire abroad, effectively “pulling up global wages in developing markets in ways that would have been very surprising only a few years ago” accord...

Fashion, like everything else, needs a serious sustainability overhaul, from manufacturing right up to point of sale.  In this session, Anthony Marino, president of thredUP, sits down to discuss what’s gone wrong in the fashion industry and how the solution won't be one size fits all. Anthony Marino, president of thredUP, was in conversation with Jennifer Crichton, founder, editor and present...

Cryptocurrency mining has come under scrutiny of late, specifically for the environmental impact of such an energy intensive practice. Kathleen Breitman, co-founder and CEO of Tezos, advocates for the less power-hungry proof of stake consensus mechanism as opposed to Bitcoin’s proof of work while Bitgreen CEO Adam Carver thinks mining via renewable energy is another way forward.  Kathleen Breitman...

Is owning a collectible from the Bored Ape Yacht Club the 2022 equivalent of saying you have a Picasso? Paris Hilton and many others would like to think so. The reality TV star and DJ owns a Bored Ape NFT and even creates her own NFT art. In this episode of the Next Stage, Paris and her VC husband – M13 Ventures founder Carter Reum – talk about the brave new worlds of NFTs, cryptocurrency and the...

When three hugely popular influencers get together in 2021 and talk about their secrets to success, you might guess that the social media platform they would be on is TikTok… but you’d be wrong! Nas Daily, Sarati Callahan, Alfie Deyes and Caspar Lee talk about their respective journeys to where they are now – ie, with more than a million followers each. They also give tips on how to grow a loyal f...

When people speak of the ‘glass ceiling’, they’re usually talking about the invisible barriers women face when advancing in the workplace. This episode of the Next Stage explores the digital glass ceiling. This is a wide-ranging topic covering everything from gender-based harassment and hate speech on social media to gender inequality in access to technology (especially in developing nations). It...

Low-code technology helped build 75 percent of all enterprise software in 2021, according to Forrester and Gartner analysts. In fact, according to a 2021 Siemens survey, 75 percent of IT leaders say the no-code/low-code trend is something their organisation cannot afford to miss.  Hanna Hennig, CIO at Siemens, talks about how digital technology – which is transforming society – needs low-code and...

What will it take to get humans back on the moon? It’s been almost 50 years since humankind set foot on the satellite’s surface, and NASA is gearing up for a return, according to Carlos Garcia-Galan, the head of European Service Module (ESM) Integration at NASA. He is working specifically with the Orion spacecraft in the Artemis programme. The launch of Artemis I is planned for the first half of 2...

Hootsuite CMO Maggie Lower talks about customer engagement online, and what's next for marketing in this space. She covers every big trend from tapping into the creator economy to employee advocacy. Maggie says the most basic principle of social media is to know your audience, and that the only way to achieve this is to listen. So listen to her top tips for successfully leveraging your presen...

Blockchain.com president Nicolas Cary predicts that, by 2030, roughly three billion people will use cryptocurrencies every day. In this session, Nicolas shares the trials and tribulations of running the digital wallet accountable for almost 30 percent of all crypto transactions in the last five years. He also goes into detail on other trends in the crypto world, such as NFTs and crypto mining, as...

Optimised MDMA dosing, psychedelic precision medicine, LSD neutralising ... The landscape of psychiatry is changing fast. As traditional medicine continues to advance, and in order to combat the wave of mental health problems heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic, the industry is reconsidering forms of treatment previously disregarded. This session brings Robert Barrow, CEO of biotech company MindMe...

Swedish popstar Zara Larsson has a loyal fanbase who have been able to attend her concerts throughout the global pandemic and even do meet and greets and take selfies with the singer. How is this possible? Through the metaverse, of course! Zara has her own custom world known as the Pink Lakehouse, hosted on online game platform Roblox . She not only performs and meets with fans but is also selling...

Health apps are not just for tracking exercise or sleep. In a fast growing space often referred to as ‘femtech’, there are apps for all aspects of menstrual health and Clue is leading the charge. This period tracking app is the first and only to receive FDA approval for all digital birth control. In this episode of The Next Stage, co-CEOs Audrey Tsang and Carrie Walter talk about how they have dif...

Cryptocurrency’s extraordinary recent run from US $1 trillion to US $3 trillion in value has attracted lots of new investors, drawn by the potential for huge profits and a culture defined by risk-taking.  Kathleen Breitman, co-founder of Tezos, Pascal Gauthier, CEO of Ledger, and Tim Draper, founder of Draper Associates, are long-standing proponents of the decentralised tender. They have exercised...