Summit 2024 Press Release

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PRESS RELEASE

LEADERS IN MEDIA, TECH, INVESTING, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT GATHER IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR NEW MEDIA VENTURES 

2024 SUMMIT: “POWERING THE COLLECTIVE”

Two-Day Convening at KQED Featured Fireside Chat with MACRO Founder & CEO Charles D. King

“Changemakers Film Showcase” Launched in Partnership with

Michael Latt Legacy Fund to Spotlight BIPOC Artists

For Immediate Release

July 30, 2024 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA – From July 23-25 New Media Ventures hosted its 2024 Summit: Powering The Collective – an invitation-only gathering that served as a convergence point for entrepreneurs, investors, and influencers across media, technology, business, social movements, and civic engagement. Through dynamic discussions, interactive workshops, and live demos, participants collaborated over two days, exploring cutting-edge ideas, projects, and strategies with the power to transform U.S. democracy. Timely topics covered at the Summit included:

  • New models for capitalizing media

  • Film as a catalyst for community transformation

  • Innovative models in social impact investing

  • Ethical AI

  • AI for newsrooms

  • Path to Democratic victory in 2024 and beyond 

Access the Full Summit Agenda Here

Hosted by Activist and Author Brea Baker, the Summit was headlined by MACRO Founder & CEO Charles D. King, who joined NMV Partner Phillip Sanders for an insightful fireside conversation, sharing insights into his remarkable journey leading MACRO and as a general partner at the affiliated venture capital firm, MaC Venture Capital. 

Additional Summit speakers included:

  • Cheryl Contee, CEO of The Impact Seat Foundation

  • Deepti Doshi, Co-Director of New Public

  • Elliot Kotek, Founder of Nation of Artists

  • Tracy Van Slyke, Chief Strategy Officer of Pop Culture Collaborative

  • Andrea Longton, Author, The Social Justice Investor

  • Amber Payne, founding co-editor in chief of The Emancipator

  • Ericka Hines, Principal, Every Level Leadership

  • Ernesto Aguilar, Executive Director of Radio Programming and Content DEI Initiatives, KQED

  • Julian Walker, Chief Executive Officer, PushBlack

  • Rachel E. Cooke, Vice President of Impact, 1Community

  • Vondell Burns, Director of Marketing & Communications, Atento Capital

Find the full 2024 speaker line-up here

"We were thrilled to host this dynamic convergence of leading experts from media, technology, civic engagement, philanthropy, venture capital, and business," said NMV Chief Investment Officer Jessica Salinas. "This summit was a unique opportunity to collaborate across sectors, collectively envisioning and strategizing the future of democracy, media, and civic innovation -- a truly intersectional approach to democracy-building that has a major role this November and well beyond."

A key Summit highlight was the “NMV Changemakers Film Showcase” hosted in partnership with the Michael Latt Legacy Fund to empower and spotlight the work of emerging BIPOC artists. The showcase led off with a panel discussion featuring acclaimed filmmaker Boots Riley (“I’M A VIRGO,” “SORRY TO BOTHER YOU,”), four-time Emmy Nominated producer Deniese Davis (“INSECURE,” “A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW,”) Black List Founder & CEO Franklin Leonard, and San Francisco International Film Festival Executive Director Anne Lai. 

The discussion was moderated by Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director of Artists Programs at The Sundance Institute and co-founder of the Fund, which she established with David J. Latt, and Franklin Latt to celebrate and continue the legacy of their son and brother, the award-winning strategist, producer and Lead With Love Founder Michael Latt. Launched in late 2023, the Fund endeavors to support artists from underrepresented communities and boldly advocate for positive and lasting change in the world. At the showcase, NMV made a $10,000 contribution to support the Fund.

Said Michelle, David and Franklin, "We were honored to join New Media Ventures in a program that celebrates Michael Latt's legacy through the work of visionary filmmakers and changemakers using the power of storytelling to leverage social and cultural impact. This was such a meaningful experience that supports Michael's work building community, bringing hope and light into the world and his life-long commitment to leading with love." 

NMV’s existing portfolio companies working with artists and creatives – kweliTV, Represent Justice and Undocumented Filmmakers Collective – served as partners in identifying and selecting the eight featured films. See the full list of films and their creators here. 

To learn more about the New Media Ventures 2024 Summit, visit: https://newmediaventures.org/2024-new-media-ventures-summit

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ABOUT NEW MEDIA VENTURES

NMV invests in entrepreneurs and activists wrestling with the biggest challenges facing our democracy, and we apply the tools and frameworks of venture capital to the problem of building progressive power. We source, conduct due diligence on, invest in, and introduce impactful early-stage projects to the movement. NMV invests across three verticals: Media & Narrative, Elections & Civic Engagement, and Advocacy & Organizing. NMV has invested in nearly 140 startups over 13 years. We were the first institutional investor in Vote.org and Blavity; we were Swing Left's biggest funder in its first year; we catalyzed an additional $700K of funding for PushBlack; and we raised the round of capital that allowed ActBlue to build ActBlue Civics, their c4 arm that now raises billions of dollars for non-profits.