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Ever notice that many famous innovators seem a bit…prickly? Joshua Kendall, author of "America's Obsessives," says visionaries - like H.J. Heinz and Melvil Dewey - often exhibit the kind of obsessive behavior that leads to great ideas, but troublesome personal lives.


Innovation and Obsession

Saturday Morning BreakfastCereal artist Zach Weinersmith talks about making fun of nerds and asks: if you can’t laugh at vector calculus, what can you laugh at?  Read more about out interview:  http://blogs.wgbh.org/innovation-hub/2014/3/20/smbc-finding-humor-quantum-physics/


SMBC: Finding the Humor in Quantum Physics

Tristan Walker, founder and CEO of Walker and Company Brands, describes living your authentic brand as an entrepreneur. Traveling from the housing projects of Queens, New York to working on Wall Street and experiences at Silicon Valley tech firms, Walker discusses creating context to see opportunities and the importance of being in the problems and solutions business, in conversation with Stanford Professor Tina Seelig.

Tristan Walker - Be an Authentic Entrepreneur

Sal Khan, founder and executive director of Khan Academy, discusses elements for a new vision for education. While offering examples of how his organization is bringing disruptive approaches to traditional learning experiences, Khan touches on the early days starting Khan Academy and the power of collaboration in creating change around the world.

Sal Khan - Education Reimagined

Given that physical retail is expensive, what’s the right distribution mix for startups? In this podcast with Tristan Walker (who is building health and beauty brand Walker & Company from scratch), we hear Ron Johnson's lessons learned from arguably the world’s most successful physical retail outlet: the Apple Store -- as well as a discussion of the challenges of brand and retail in a multichannel world.

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The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.
 
This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by a16z. (An offering to invest in an a16z fund will be made only by the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement, and other relevant documentation of any such fund and should be read in their entirety.) Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Andreessen Horowitz (excluding investments and certain publicly traded cryptocurrencies/ digital assets for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly) is available at https://a16z.com/investments/.

Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see https://a16z.com/disclosures for additional important information.

a16z Podcast: Building Brands and Running Retail -- Ron Johnson and Tristan Walker Break It Down

Skip Bedell was birthed in excellence and professional integrity.  The master carpenter comes from a long line of successful builders.  While Skip once abandoned the family business to pursue other endeavors, he returned to the trade and now is the star - alongside his wife, Alison and comedian, Adam Carolla - of Spike TV's record breaking series, Catch a Contractor.  On Innovation Crush, he and Alison discuss their television pairing, what excellence means, and the personal nuances that have made the show (and their businesses) a massive success.  

#63:  Skip & Alison Bedell - Crafting Excellence

When it comes to design thinking, few do it better than Tristan Walker.  Early in his career, the award winning, 30-year-old entrepreneur served as an intern at then fledgling "microblogging" site, Twitter.   Later, he moved on to become the golden child of Foursquare, helping build it to the point of cultural critical mass.  And now in addition to co-founding Code 2040, an organization designed to discover and create successful minority techies, Tristan helms his own Andreessen Horowitz supported operation, Walker & Company, focused on creating suite of non-digital, consumer conscious products.   On Innovation Crush, Walker breaks down his mastery of designing products and relevant marketplace experiences for his customers, building a team focused on innovation and diversity, and how his humble upbringing shapes his business thinking today.

www.getbevel.com 
www.code2040.org

#69:  Tristan Walker - Razor Sharp Design Thinking

Jess Weiner grew up consuming media cascaded with women who looked nothing like her. Even at a young age, the bullied performing arts enthusiast knew her life's work would be focused on image consciousness and empowerment.   Fast forward to 2015 and that young girl has become a highly sought after media maven, consulting with the world's top brands on creatomg empowering interactions with today's women and young girls.  In fact, for the past 9 years, Jess has served as Dove's Global Self Esteem Ambassador, leading programs and creative engagements aimed at the women the brand serves through its powerful messaging.  On Innovation Crush, Jess breaks down the myths behind industry buzzwords like "authenticity" and "empowerment," how improv encourages her consulting, the hurdles of entrepreneurship, and sheds light on the creative craftsmanship that goes in to supporting the groups that brands promise to support.  

http://jessweiner.com/
www.twitter.com/jessweiner

#70:  Jess Weiner - Taking Branding Personal

At age 5, Jason Mayden almost died due to an infection in his blood.  On his near-death bed, he had visions of what he wanted his future to look like, and after surviving the experience, he held on to that vision.  Fast forward to age 19, when Jason becomes the youngest design hire at the Jordan brand.  Over the next 13 years, he would become Head of Global Design, launching everything from special edition shoes to the fuel band.  On this special episode of Innovation Crush - in partnership with Behind the Hustle - Jason breaks down design, his personal philosophies, his successes with Jordan, and his new found journey as an entrepreneur with Mark One.  

www.twitter.com/jaymay_chicity
www.twitter.com/behindthehustle

#73: CRUSH LIVE! -- Jason Mayden - From Death to Designer

Cenk Uygur has mastered the art of news and storytelling for the digital generation.  As co-founder and CEO of The Young Turks, his news platform amasses BILLIONS of impressions each month through content deals with the likes of Hulu, Facebook, and YouTube (TYT has 2 Million subscribers on YouTube alone) and even broadcasts live, daily.  Numbers like these - especially for millienial audiences  - put traditional news outlets to shame and there is certainly more to come.   On Innovation Crush, Cenk divulges on the difference between truth and honesty, how news and politics don't mix, and his experience as a multi-hyphenate journalist and CEO.  

feat special guest co-host, Paula Miranda.

https://twitter.com/cenkuygur
twitter.com/paulaisms
www.tytnetwork.com


#75: Cenk Uygur - The Angry Truth About Honesty in Media

Listen to an excerpt of Sophie McKenzie's You Can Trust Me audiobook, read by Marisa Calin.

On a quiet, gray, Saturday morning, Livy arrives at her best friend Julia's flat for a lunch date only to find her dead. Though all the evidence supports it, Livy cannot accept the official ruling of suicide; the Julia she remembers was loud, inappropriate, joyful, outrageous and loving, not depressed. The suspicious circumstances cause Livy to dig further, and she is suddenly forced to confront a horrifying possibility: that Julia was murdered, by the same man who killed Livy's sister, Kara, eighteen years ago.

Desperate to understand the tragedies of her past and hold her unraveling life together, Livy throws herself into the search for Kara and Julia's killer, who she now believes is someone close to her family. But if that is true, can she still trust anyone? Damien, the man Julia was secretly dating? Leo, her husband's boss and a close family friend? His son Paul, her husband's best mate since college? Or even Will, her own dear husband, who has betrayed her perhaps one time too many?

And when Livy finally faces her sister's killer, and he traps her with one horrible, impossible choice, she must finally decide: is she strong enough to trust herself?

Get lost in the dark, gripping story of You Can Trust Me.

Buy the audiobook

You Can Trust Me by Sophie McKenzie audiobook excerpt

How do you win TIME Magazine's invention of the year? Build a device that helps a fully paralyzed graffiti artist create art with only his eyes. This is how Elliot Kotek and his business partner, Mick Ebeling began Not Impossible, an organization that exploits the possibilities of technology for- as they put it - "the sake of humanity." In the past 7 years since the Eyewriter, Not Impossible has gone on to win both hearts and awards for inspiring projects that have allowed people to speak for the first time in 17 years, feed themselves after losing their arms, walk again, and plenty more. Along the way, they've managed to work with partners like Intel, HP, and others for marketing amplification and technology development. On Innovation Crush, Elliot breaks down Not Impossible's methodology for innovation, ideas, amplification, entrepreneurship, and creating good in the world. 

(recorded on location at SXSW)

More Projects at:
http://www.notimpossiblenow.com/labs

#77:  Elliot Kotek - The Death of Impossibility

Listen to an excerpt of O's Little Book of Happiness from the editors of O, The Oprah Magazine. The audiobook is read by a multicast.

With a sprightly dose of insightful inspiration, a sprinkling of practical advice, and a bounty of exuberant stories by great writers, O's Little Book of Happiness features some of the best work ever to have appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine. Inside you'll find Elizabeth Gilbert's ode to the triumph of asking for what you want, Jane Smiley's tribute to the animal who taught her about lasting fulfillment, Roxane Gay's sure-fire cure for complaining, Brené Brown's celebration of the powers of play, Neil deGrasse Tyson's take on the joyful participation in the universe, and much more. Revisiting fifteen years of the magazine's rich archives, O's editors have assembled a collection as stunning as it is spirit-lifting.

O's Little Book of Happiness audiobook excerpt

Is information, the lifeblood of democracy, under attack in Canada? Mark Bourrie argues it is. Where Stephen Harper promised transparency, the nation's business is done in secret. Lobbyists and public-relations flackies set the agenda and decide what we get to know. www.posthypnoticpress.com

Audiobook: Mark Bourrie "KILL THE MESSENGERS"

Among many things, Dennis Hong is an award-winning roboticist, a magician, a best selling author, and a master chef.  Robotics (his "day job," as he puts it) has won him spots on Popular Science's "Brilliant 10" list, Purdue University's "40 under 40," a place on the TED main stage, and get this - the coveted Louis Vuitton Cup Best Humanoid Award.

The all-star roboticist stops by Innovation Crush to dish on his personal philosophies, squash the fear of the machines, riff on science education, his experience as a contestant on Master Chef, and tell us what ties all his many sides together. Oh, and he also built a car for the blind to drive. ;) Feat. guest host, Paula Miranda.

https://twitter.com/dennishongrobot
http://www.romela.org/
https://twitter.com/paulaisms

#80:  Dennis Hong - Robots, Magic, and Happiness

When it comes to multi-hyphenates, Ben Parr is one of the best.  Among many things, he is the multi-award winning former Editor-at-Large of Mashable, a columnist at Inc Magazine, a regular CNET pundint, Founder of Dominate Ventures, and author of CAPTIVOLOGY, the quintessential book on the science of attention.   On this installment of 'Crush, Ben walks through how attention works in the age of information, things his grandfather instilled him, getting over his own ego, and tips and tricks of the intersection of startups, marketing, and venture capital. 

www.captivology.com

#81:  Ben Parr - Cracking the Attention Deficit

Every week, Innovation Crush smashes convention to bits by profiling some of the world's most daring projects and the people behind them.  From marketing ideas to technology innovations, disruptive business models, personal development, and everything between, IC is a one stop shop for all the "who-to-know" and "what-to-know" you'll ever need to know.   Hosted by long-time idea maker, Chris Denson, the show serves up a giant helping of some of the best minds around the world, all with a heaping side of occasional bad jokes.  Listen.  Enjoy.  Repeat.   #innovationcrush

created by Chris Denson and Robert Dones Jr.       