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 gove...

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 accountabl...

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...

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...

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 journ...

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 engin...

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 v...

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 internatio...