Upfront Podcast

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 government - Why there's reason for optimism

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 accountable for diversity; and whether she thinks there will be meaningful change as a result of the MeToo movement and organizations like TIME'S UP.

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 the perfect use case - The dynamics of her long partnership with Jeffrey Katzenberg

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 PowerPoint slides by day and creating music by night.

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 journey of Reese's Book Club, and what it takes to change and diversify the media landscape.

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 engine

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).