Thanks to NextUp Ventures for an engaging demo day, full of interesting pitches from emerging SportsTech Startups! A few topics covered on today’s demo day included:
Athletic Turf technologies
Sustainable football gear
Off-field athelete/creator fund monitization
Name & Likeness management and optimization
Looking forward to more solid investments from the NextUp Team.
How does AI feel about trends in Sports Tech? Let’s ask ChatGPT:
Sports technologies have come a long way in recent years, transforming the way athletes train, perform, and recover. With advances in technology, the sports industry is constantly evolving and exploring new opportunities to enhance the sporting experience. Here are five emerging trends in sports technologies that are expected to revolutionize the industry in the near future.
Wearable Technology: Wearable technology has already made a significant impact on the sports industry, with the likes of GPS tracking and heart rate monitors becoming commonplace. However, the future of wearable tech is set to be even more exciting, with new innovations such as smart fabrics, which can monitor athletes’ body temperature and hydration levels, and smart insoles, which can analyze an athlete’s gait and provide real-time feedback.
Virtual and Augmented Reality: Virtual and augmented reality technologies are being increasingly adopted in sports training and broadcasting. Athletes can now use VR to simulate game situations and develop their skills in a safe and controlled environment. In addition, fans can use VR and AR to experience live sporting events in new and exciting ways, with the ability to view games from multiple angles and even interact with players in real-time.
Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence is transforming the way sports data is analyzed and used. With the ability to process vast amounts of data in real-time, AI algorithms can provide coaches and athletes with insights that were previously impossible to obtain. This includes analyzing an athlete’s performance, identifying areas for improvement, and predicting future outcomes.
Biometric Sensors: Biometric sensors are becoming increasingly prevalent in sports, with athletes using them to monitor their physical health and wellbeing. These sensors can measure everything from heart rate and breathing to muscle activity and fatigue. This information can be used to optimize an athlete’s training program and prevent injuries.
Esports: Esports is a rapidly growing industry that is starting to gain recognition in the sporting world. While esports involves competitive video gaming rather than physical activity, it still requires skill, strategy, and training. As a result, esports is increasingly being seen as a legitimate sport, with professional players competing in tournaments for prize money.
In conclusion, sports technologies are evolving at a rapid pace, and these emerging trends are just the tip of the iceberg. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more exciting innovations that will transform the sports industry and enhance the sporting experience for athletes and fans alike.
ChatGPT. (2023, April 6). Write me a 300 word blog post about 5 emerging trends in Sports Technologies. [Response to user question]. Retrieved from https://chat.openai.com/chat.
As humans, I believe we’re now at the dawn of a new revolution in technology, information, understanding, and inteligence with the rise of Generative Artificial Intelligences that are becoming good enough for true productivity. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking a dive into Generative AI, and exploring the possitilbiites of using it for producivity and entertainment.
To start off, Google’s BARD will explain “why artificial intelligence is important for the future of humanity”, and DALL·E 2 will provide a “Drawing of artificial intelligence building a city”.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that deals with the creation of intelligent agents, which are systems that can reason, learn, and act autonomously. AI has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives, from the way we work to the way we interact with the world around us.
Here are some of the reasons why AI is important for the future of humanity:
AI can help us solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. AI can be used to develop new technologies that can help us address issues such as climate change, poverty, and disease. For example, AI can be used to develop new drugs and treatments for diseases, or to develop new ways to generate clean energy.
AI can help us automate many tasks that are currently done by humans. This can free up our time so that we can focus on more creative and fulfilling activities. For example, AI can be used to automate tasks such as customer service, data entry, and transportation.
AI can help us understand the world around us better. AI can be used to analyze large amounts of data to identify patterns and trends that would be difficult for humans to see. This can help us to make better decisions about everything from business to government. For example, AI can be used to analyze data from social media to understand public opinion, or to analyze data from scientific research to understand the causes of climate change.
Of course, there are also some risks associated with AI. For example, AI could be used to develop autonomous weapons that could kill without human intervention. AI could also be used to create systems that are biased against certain groups of people. However, these risks can be mitigated by developing AI in a responsible and ethical way.
Overall, AI has the potential to be a powerful tool for good. It can help us solve some of the world’s most pressing problems, automate many tasks that are currently done by humans, and help us understand the world around us better. However, it is important to develop AI in a responsible and ethical way, so that we can maximize the benefits and minimize the risks.
I got my private pilots license (PPL) flying a Cessna 172S. I primarily trained with Aspen Flying Club at Centennial Airport (KAPA), in addition to a number of training flights originating from Western Air Flight Academy at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport KBJC. My solo cross country training flights were from Centennial KAPA down to Pueblo KPUB then onto LaJunta KLHX and back to Centennial KAPA. I also completed night VFR flights from Centennial KAPA up to Fort Collins KFNL. Also, lots of laps between Centennial KAPA and The Colorado Air and Space Port KCFO.
Training in the Denver Metro area was certainly interesting. I gained a good amount of experience flying in congested and convoluted airspace, handling the unique mountain and plains weather patterns we have, as well as well as navigating around our many military and other restricted areas.
Interested in learning to fly? Happy to talk to you about my personal experience with flight training any time!
Dance, groove, travel, work, repeat. The master playlist for The Acid Lounge. Music on this playlist reflect scope and vibe of The Acid Lounge, spanning genres and moods. While lots of tracks that appeared on “classic” Acid Lounge radio broadcasts on Radio1190 KVCU are on the list, those classic playlists have not been comprehensively collected into this unified ongoing playlist. It’s a fresh start from the classic days.
Recently, I was honored to teach the Global Innovation Catalyst’s iX Online October 2021 Program Fundraising and Ownership Workshop for a great group of global entrepreneurs:
Jeffrey Donenfeld teaching the Global Innovation Catalyst’s iX Online October 2021 Program Fundraising and Ownership Workshop
Webinar 11: Fundraising and Ownership | GIC iX Online October 2021 Program – January 13, 2022
The Global Innovation Catalyst (GIC) Innovation Execution (iX) Program takes participants through the phases of launching a new venture from concept generation, to development, through planning and execution. It provides a complete view, whether launching a simple local start-up, or a disruptive new global venture. The frameworks and tools are made accessible to anyone with the desire to innovate.
iX is a collaboration with Stanford Online, and features the entire course content from Stanford’s Idea-to-Market entrepreneurship program, with discussions, regional contextualization, and feedback led by GIC facilitators. Participants who successfully complete the program receive a Certificate of Completion from Stanford Online.
Last week, I spent time with a few very wonderful friends aboard a small expedititon cruise ship in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Throughout the trip, I was proud to show off my meticulously selected gear. Here’s a general summary of what I brought…
Thanks to the Russian CIEE Russia Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Virtual Exchange Program for having me speak with them about startup investing and entrepreneurship. Looking forward to hearing the business pitches at the end of the program.
This virtual exchange program for Russian and American university students aims at creating a dialogue between peers in the two countries, developing students’ intercultural competencies, while at the same time developing their entrepreneurial skills. During the ten-week, non-credit course, participants will acquire an understanding of the entrepreneurial process, including customer, market, and industry analysis that are used to develop a viable product. Special attention will be devoted to the topic of inclusion by ensuring employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Course sessions are designed to motivate students to generate their own business ideas by working in groups on a concrete project, to be presented during the last week of the program. The program participants will be divided in teams, comprising Russian and US students.
Learning objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will:
advance their intercultural competences, as well as their problem-solving and negotiating skills by working in teams with their peers from culturally and geographically diverse backgrounds;
develop conceptual and practical knowledge of entrepreneurial process and an entrepreneur’s role in different cultural contexts;
recognize the importance of creating diverse and inclusive workplaces for organizational success;
enhance pitching skills by actively participating in group discussions and contributing to the final presentation of their group.
Methods of Instruction
The course material is presented via on-line (synchronous) sessions, running twice a week. Sessions on Wednesday will introduce the major business concepts and ideas, while Friday sessions will focus on their use in practice. Invited guest speakers from business, academia and NGO sectors will address students in various weeks, followed by Q&A sessions. Weekly readings and assignments will be posted every Monday on the Canvas course site. Although fluid from week to week, students’ workload will on average include:
120 minutes of live class sessions;
30 minutes for home assignments;
30 minutes engaging in team work on the final project.
The final project: In-class Business Pitch
The culminating assignment of the program will be an in-class business pitch, which students will develop over the course of the program. Its presentation will assess student abilities to articulate their business idea, their initial start-up needs, and the business launch timeline. Students can draw from the lectures, practical sessions, guest talks and reading materials while preparing their presentations. The presentations should follow the template and the criteria, which will be provided at the beginning of the course. Student teams will deliver their presentations during the concluding session (Week 10) as a team. Course participants and instructors will offer their feedback to each team’s presentation based on the set of criteria that were previously discussed in the course.
Entrepreneurship and innovation are everywhere, in every country, across all people, around the globe. During my time working with Boomtown Accelerators on finding, selecting, and supporting seed-stage entrepreneurs, I’ve had the opportunity to get involved with innovation around the world – interviewing founders who have applied for a Boomtown program, discussing emerging technology and investment ideas with my team and our partners, attending and speaking at conferences, and immersing myself in innovation, technology, investment, and entrepreneurship every day.
Description
This project is a 4-year long blogging project covering innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship in every country on earth. I’ll leverage my experience and insight, as well as my excitement to uncover and catalog the most interesting innovators, coolest innovations, and centers of innovation around the globe.
I’ll be writing an individual article on each country in the world, sticking to a general format for each article.
Countries will be published alphabetically, once per week on my blog at JeffreyDonenfeld.com.
I’ll use the list of UN Member States as of 2020-05-12. I’ll also include non-member permanent observer states Holy See and Palestine. That’s 193+2=195 articles.
It’s likely that I’ll be covering countries by region, rather than alphabetically. This will allow me to really immerse myself in one region at a time, and ideally pick up on some regional trends along the way.
In addition to publishing an article, I’ll also make a best effort to get in touch with the parties discussed and referenced in the article.
It’s also worth noting that this project will be mostly focused on innovation by startups and entrepreneurs, and will be heavily subject to my own personal interests and whims. Evaluating and ranking global innovation and innovators is nothing new, and there are a number of prominent indexes from large organizations that exist. These include the Bloomberg Innovation Index, the International Innovation Index (put out by The Boston Consulting Group and the National Association of Manufacturers), and the Global Innovation Index published in installments by the World Intellectual Property Organization. The key differentiator here is that my focus will be mostly on smaller businesses, early-stage entrepreneurs, and emerging fields. I won’t be looking at entire economies, large, established corporations, or broad sectors.
These are the most innovative countries for 2020 according to Bloomberg.
Objectives and Key Results
Objective: Gain an in-depth understanding of the breadth and scope of innovation and entrepreneurship around the world. This objective will be first satisfied by the production of each article, and furthered by my pursuit to achieve objective #2, since connecting myself with the people I write about will inherently tie back to this first objective. Key Result: 197 Articles published – 1 intro (this post), 195 main articles, 1 wrapup.
Objective: Connect me personally with interesting people and organizations around the world and forge new relationships, embark on new adventures. Key Result: 1 person per article located in the country the article is about reached out to about the publishing of my article (this is in addition to anybody I need to contact while researching for the actual article)
Objective: Explore career and life pathways, and keep me vigilant in exploring the world, trying new things, and always pushing ahead on pursuits. Key Result: Publish a final wrapup article that includes a section on how this project has affected my life in general, which new pathways I uncovered, including which ones I chose to follow and not follow.
Discussing innovation, entrepreneurship, funding, and mentorship between US and Saudi startups at Innovation to Impact at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. I spoke to the group about the importance of building community, engaging with involved mentors, and “big idea” thinking.
Background
I think of this snippet of President Kennedy’s 1962 Moon Speech when considering projects and motivation, and I’d like to think that this sentiment continues in me with this project. “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”
I want to stay sharp, interested in my world, and constantly pushing things forward. In the past, I’ve used both external projects and well as blog projects to focus and unite my skills and interest, as a way of constantly staying interested in the world around me.
Back in 2008, I made the big decision that I wanted to live in Antarctica – a lofty goal that I had no idea how to achieve – but I decided to make it happen no matter what. That goal turned out to be a great unifier of my skills and interest and focused my time on something I was passionate about. During the years I was pursuing my dreams to go to Antarctica, I became deliberate with how I spent my time – both in working at my job at Morpheus Media, my personal life, free time, and time spent working on my Antarctica project – it was great. In parallel with Antarctica, I also decided to pursue a blogging project whereby I would publish a blog post every day for a year – on any topic, of any length. This was also a great focuser, and kept me on track with staying interested in what was around me, and provided additional focus to stay on the Antarctica project.
This global innovation blogging projet is my next grand focus project, which will hopefully lead to and couple with many future adventures, and possibly even new life pathways.
Standardized Article Outline
***
Intro
The name of the country the article is about, including a small map.
Introduction to the country in general – where it is, what language the people speak, etc.
Introduction to their recent history, and key factors that have added or subtracted from innovation productivity in recent years.
Thoughts on why this country is interesting. Th
Key Innovators
Notable people, organizations, and groups who are driving innovation, supporting innovation, or innovating themselves.
Key Innovations
Something interesting that has come from this country, been developed inside it, or other items of interest in the theme of this article.
The Hotspot
The place in this country where the most innovation is happening. Or multiple hotspots?
SWOT
-Considerations on the state of the country, potential, detractors, and other factors to consider – both from a founder’s perspective, as well as an investor’s perspective.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Upcoming Events
Relevant events happening in this country that may be of interest – as indicators of progress, state of affairs, or future attendance.
Countries
Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas (the) Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic (the) Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros (the) Congo (the) Costa Rica Côte d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (the) Democratic Republic of the Congo (the) Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic (the) Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia (the) Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People’s Democratic Republic (the) Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands (the) Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia (Federated States of) Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands (the) New Zealand Nicaragua Niger (the) Nigeria North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines (the) Poland Portugal Qatar Republic of Korea (the) Republic of Moldova (the) Romania Russian Federation (the) Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan (the) Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic (the) Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates (the) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the) United Republic of Tanzania (the) United States of America (the) Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Holy See (the) * State of Palestine (the) *
This month, I had the opportunity to speak with career coaching firm Terawatt founder Francie Jain about my views on venture investing and the future of technology and entrepreneurship. It was a pleasure speaking with Francie, and I’m honored to join the team of business leaders profiled on the site. Read the full interview on Terawatt. (PDF)
Regarding Boomtown’s new partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal:
Working with big corporate partners is a great way for us to provide entrepreneurs with resources they wouldn’t get otherwise. By partnering and collaborating with these partners and not just using their name but really working with them for their expertise and connections is a powerful way to give entrepreneurs and businesses an even better start to their companies.
Going up? We sure were at the Denver Startup Week Elevator Pitch Event. I stood in an elevator in downtown Denver and listened to short 1 minute pitches from emerging startups.. super fast, super fun. I also had a chance to introduce Boomtown, and speak a bit about how we work with founders.
GAN, a highly curated group of accelerators, partners and investors, presents a pitch competition in an actual elevator! Startups line up to pitch in the elevator – each startup will pitch in front of a panel of Denver judges, which includes Investors, Directors from top GAN Accelerators such as Boomtown Accelerators, Canopy Boulder, Telluride Venture Accelerator, Exponential Impact, ICELab, Techstars & UpRamp, as well as local business leaders. The ride takes about one minute round trip – a true elevator pitch!
GAN is a highly-curated community of accelerators, partners, and investors who all share a collective purpose of creating opportunities for startups around the world to access the human and financial capital they need to create and grow their businesses, wherever they are.
This event is a great opportunity to hear directly from the leaders from GAN Accelerators right here in Colorado and beyond: Techstars, Exponential Impact, Canopy Boulder, Boomtown, UpRamp, ICELab, Telluride Venture Accelerator and NMotion. Each accelerator will give a quick pitch on their program, explain what makes them unique, and answer questions from attendees.
The Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) Fellowship is a flagship young European leaders program of the U.S. Department of State that is supported in its implementation by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF).
During this year-long fellowship, young European entrepreneurs from 45 eligible countries will participate in a series of activities designed to strengthen their businesses and create a transatlantic innovation network.
YTILI fellows are young entrepreneurs between the ages of 24-35 with either commercial or social ventures that they are seeking to scale in their home countries. The YTILI experience is a professional development opportunity for innovators to become changemakers by developing the skills to be successful entrepreneurs. YTILI Fellows are given access to a network of professionals, mentors, and resources aligned to support the growth of their venture during the fellowship experience. By exploring entrepreneurship in the transatlantic context, YTILI fellows will also develop the expertise to better engage in policy conversations in their home countries, across Europe, and in the transatlantic sphere.
At Montreal StartupFest 2019, I led a roundtable discussion on Building Startup Accelerator Communities, accompanied by industry colleague Tariq Haddadin of Techstars. Thanks to the StartupFest team for putting on a solid event!
Discussion Notes: Montreal StartupFest 2019 – Building Startup Accelerator Communities Roundtable Discussion
Led by Jeffrey Donenfeld of Boomtown Accelerators and Tariq Haddadin of Techstars
Opening
Accelerator model and Accelerators Networks
Round table
Local vs global networks
Startup partners (AWS, Google for Entrepreneur, etc.)
How your accelerator can be a part of the network and a catalyst for corporates
You are building a social network for your accelerator but more importantly for your companies and founders and alumni
GAN
Building a network for your accelerator (pipeline, investors, etc.)
How to use corporate relationships with accelerators to apply their network to your accelerator companies + alumni
Benefits of creating a global network of partners
Community events
Managing founder<>Mentor relationships and setting expectations – do staff manage mentors or do you setup separate person for managing these relationships?
Asking questions rather than doing work. (Bob, Innova Corp)
Educating mentors on how to mentor effectively (Tariq) and setting up initial Mentor Madness meeting
Weekly update emails from Mentors on what they can do
(David F)Building mentors network through tiers. Give first and divide of giving vs selling (Jeffrey)
Hybrid local/remote mode (Alex Reid ) zoom meetings and quarterly reviews,planned meetings – tech to engage folks
Mentor company vs mentor entrepreneur – mentor the person for longterm (robert)
Connecting accelerators around the world
Look for synergies of founders for prioritizing connections (tariq)
GAN (Jeffrey)
Build local network first
Used to enhance dealflow synergies (jeffrey)
Using network to build investor relationships
Rise of pre-venture community
Seattle angel conference, rockies venture club
Corporate Accelerators
Corporate resources that an accelerator can’t necessarily provide (tariq) pushing give first
Learning how to deal with corporations (jeffrey)
(Vivek (loreal)) – do boomtown/techstars compete on comcast – find unique strengths for each program
This year at Montreal StartupFest, I hosted a discussion with startup accelerator and venture investment leaders on startup network building, alumni services, and dealflow community. Thanks to Montreal StartupFest for a solid event.
Startupfest is the leading startup event in Canada. Founded in 2011, it has become the annual gathering at which entrepreneurs, investors, makers, large enterprises, industry veterans, and startup communities chart the course of technology entrepreneurship.
The unique, informal format, set in one of the world’s most iconic cities, tackles the entire lifecycle of new venture creation, from the spark of an idea to the final signature on acquisition or the ringing bell of an IPO. Attendees leave with four days of world-class content; fresh connections; back-of-the-napkin ideas; and the allure of champagne-popping exits.
The festival is more than just great content and global attendees, however. Over the years, we’ve earned a reputation for rethinking the standard event formats—from panels of Grandmother Judges, to Tent Villages that encourage networking around relevant themes, and elevator pitches in actual elevators, we combine aspirational keynotes with hands-on practicality and a healthy dose of irreverence.
PHOTOS
A few notes from our discussion:
Topics: 1. Setting KPIs 2. Building a network for your program 3. Alumni services
Go Viral is an international festival sponsored by the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan that brings together innovators in media, culture, business, and technology to learn about the latest trends and big ideas from leading thinkers and influencers in various industries. Festival speakers are active, creative, and passionate professionals from the United States and Central Asia.
Speaker Jeffrey Donenfeld delivering the keynote speech on Startup Investing in the USA at the 2019 GoViral Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan
I had a wonderful time speaking with journalist Ulyana Salapaeva writing for Forbes Kazakhstan about making the connecting between US and KZ investors. In summary, I feel that there are a ton of options for Kazakh startups to approach US investors. It’s important to understand the mindset of the US investor, fully realize the type of interaction the investor is looking for (a full pitch, a conversation, a presentation etc), and be open to discussing challenger and being intellectually honest. (PDF-RU) (PDF-EN)
On Day 1 of GoViral in Almaty, Kazakhstan, I participated in an engaging panel discussion covering details, nuances, and issues with Kazakh startups appealing to an international audience. Thanks for a solid discussion, panel!
Go Viral is an international festival sponsored by the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan that brings together innovators in media, culture, business, and technology to learn about the latest trends and big ideas from leading thinkers and influencers in various industries. Festival speakers are active, creative, and passionate professionals from the United States and Central Asia.
I had a solid discussion about how to position your startup for investors during GoViral.kz in Almaty, Kazakhstan with U.S. Embassy Tashkent Information Officer Susannah Wood. Thanks for the awesome discussion!
Go Viral is an international festival sponsored by the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan that brings together innovators in media, culture, business, and technology to learn about the latest trends and big ideas from leading thinkers and influencers in various industries. Festival speakers are active, creative, and passionate professionals from the United States and Central Asia.
Aliya Shaikhina and I sat down during the Go Viral Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan to discuss how Central Asian startups can position themselves for US investors, #entrepreneurship, #investing, #technology, and Boomtown Accelerators. Thanks for your time Aliya, and thanks to the U.S. Consulate Almaty for hosting me at GoViral.kz!
Go Viral is an international festival sponsored by the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan that brings together innovators in media, culture, business, and technology to learn about the latest trends and big ideas from leading thinkers and influencers in various industries. Festival speakers are active, creative, and passionate professionals from the United States and Central Asia.
Thanks to GoViral Organizers and my amazing conference colleagues Rolf Potts, Gani Abadan, Daniyar Amanaliyev, and Saken Nigma for an engaging panel discussing long term travel, working remotely, and the changing landscape of digital productivity.
Go Viral is an international festival sponsored by the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan that brings together innovators in media, culture, business, and technology to learn about the latest trends and big ideas from leading thinkers and influencers in various industries. Festival speakers are active, creative, and passionate professionals from the United States and Central Asia.
I’m proud to have spent an action-packed week mentoring startups from global emerging markets at part of the Seedstars 2019 World Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland on behalf of Boomtown Accelerators (where I currently serve as Investment Director) It’s always a pleasure to connect with founders from across the globe, trade ideas, and teach them about what we’re working on in the USA/Colorado market. Stay tuned to Seedstars.. you’ll continue to hear about the startups in their programs well into the future.
I’ve watched this one over and over again… the feel of this “found footage” is simply incredible, and its amazing to see the “slice of life” surrounding the Apollo 11 mission. Apollo 11 (2019)
From director Todd Douglas Miller (Dinosaur 13) comes a cinematic event fifty years in the making. Crafted from a newly discovered trove of 65mm footage, and more than 11,000 hours of uncatalogued audio recordings, Apollo 11 takes us straight to the heart of NASA’s most celebrated mission—the one that first put men on the moon, and forever made Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin into household names. Immersed in the perspectives of the astronauts, the team in Mission Control, and the millions of spectators on the ground, we vividly experience those momentous days and hours in 1969 when humankind took a giant leap into the future.
Thanks to NextUp Ventures for an engaging demo day, full of interesting pitches from emerging SportsTech Startups! A few topics covered on today’s demo day included:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that deals with the creation of intelligent agents, which are systems that can reason, learn, and act autonomously. AI has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives, from the way we work to the way we interact with the world around us.
Thanks to the Russian CIEE Russia Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Virtual Exchange Program for having me speak with them about startup investing and entrepreneurship. Looking forward to hearing the business pitches at the end of the program. 
This month, I had the opportunity to speak with career coaching firm Terawatt founder Francie Jain about my views on venture investing and the future of technology and entrepreneurship. It was a pleasure speaking with Francie, and I’m honored to join the team of business leaders profiled on the site. 
This week, I was proud to spend a bit of time working with a group of international entrepreneurs participating in the 
At 
