Money Talks: Venture Capital Landscape

RECORDED LIVE: June 4, 2020
Time: 10:00 - 11:00 am PDT / 1:00 – 2:00 pm EDT

Last year posted another strong year for the Venture Capital ecosystem, so it was hard to imagine the industry would be facing a new period of transition as a result of a global pandemic within just a few months of 2020. The topline numbers from the venture industry in Q1 2020 might not reflect a major disruption, since the COVID-19 chaos came into full effect in March when venture deals were already in progress. However, the global pandemic is having a massive impact on startups, late stage companies and VC investors, just as with the rest of the US economy.

Hear from Chris Hill, a Principal at Comcast Ventures who holds a diverse range of experience in SaaS, consumer marketplace, entertainment, and real estate technologies; Holly Liu, a founder who built and sold a billion dollar gaming company as well as advises and invests in tech startups; and Vinay Singh, a Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Archer Gray, which is a production, finance, and venture investment firm.

As a VC within the entertainment and media space, where are the next opportunities for innovation and growth? Get the latest on the Venture Capital landscape with our speakers.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS:

Chris Hill is a Principal at Comcast Ventures. He holds a diverse range of investment and consulting experience in areas including SaaS, consumer marketplace, entertainment, and real estate technologies. His limitless view of the connected world comes from curiosity and deep-rooted industry connections in the Los Angeles startup ecosystem. Prior to joining Comcast Ventures, Chris served as Principal at Siemer & Associates where he focused on digital media and software startup transactions. He spent his early career as SVP at IMT Capital where he identified growth opportunities and implemented the M&A due diligence process for the firm. In 2013, he was appointed by California’s governor to join the State of California Workforce Investment Board. He received his B.A. in History from Yale.

Holly Liu has been a Visiting Partner at Y Combinator working closely with over 200 companies. Prior to that, she founded Kabam, a venture backed mobile gaming company, in 2006 with UC Berkeley alumni. Kabam has built games for beloved franchises such as Marvel, Hobbit and Fast and Furious that has continuously been Top 10 in both iOs and Google Play. Her work has contributed to record revenue growth for Kabam year over year from $0 to $400MM annually, that led Kabam into the unicorn club in 2014. She led the product design for Kabam’s award-winning “Kingdoms of Camelot” franchise, which has grossed over $350 million in less than four years. In 2017 Kabam exited to FoxNext and Netmarble.

Vinay Singh is a Partner and COO at Archer Gray, a hybrid production, finance, and venture investment company. Vinay currently leads the firm’s venture capital and content finance businesses. In addition to managing Archer Gray’s investment portfolio and strategy, he also oversees the firm’s corporate strategy and operations. Vinay was recognized by Variety in 2018 as one of Hollywood’s New Leaders.

At Archer Gray, Vinay has overseen investments in disruptive media companies including Battlefy, Inked Brands, and ShareGrid; films such as Michael Moore’s Where To Invade Next and SXSW award-winner Transmilitary; and theater productions including The Elephant Man. He serves as board observer for Inked Brands.

In his previous roles, he has advised some of the leading names in the media sector. Vinay started his career at McKinsey & Company, in New York and Australia. Prior to joining Archer Gray, Vinay oversaw the consulting division of Cinetic Media.

Vinay graduated from The University Of Pennsylvania. He serves on the boards of Rooftop Films, the Made in NY Media Center, and EFM Innovation Platform. Vinay has also produced several narrative and documentary films that have premiered at Sundance, SXSW, and Tribeca.

MODERATOR: Katherine Winston
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
WINSTON | BAKER

Katherine Winston has been at the forefront of event production, marketing and emerging trends for nearly twenty years. As co-founder and managing partner of WINSTON | BAKER, she oversees business operations, event production, marketing strategies, and new initiatives. In her previous role as Director of Marketing for RealD, she was in charge of creative advertising, supervised public relations, and organized event participation, product launches, and screenings. Prior to RealD, Winston was Senior Marketing Manager for GoTV Networks, where she was responsible for all aspects of marketing strategy and execution, including corporate and consumer marketing, web-to-mobile advertising, print, online, and experiential marketing, public relations, and managing brand partnership deals. Before GoTV, Winston was Conference Producer for Strategic Research Institute where she was responsible for producing high profile investment conferences for various sectors, including e-commerce, nanotech, defense & aerospace, biotech, law, real estate, and entertainment, among others. Winston earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with honors from the University of Washington and is a Phi Beta Kappa and National Association of Professional Women member. As a fervent advocate of entrepreneurialism, Winston is dedicated to connecting innovators with seasoned professionals who can fuel development and growth.

In support of the independent entertainment community, Winston Baker will be offering webinars for free or at highly discounted rates so that you can continue to acquire strategic knowledge and connect with industry leaders through these challenging times. Space will be limited so we can allow our attendees time for questions after each webinar.