a16z Cultural Leadership Fund

🌟 Unforgettable 🌟 Last week(ish), I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in southern France. It was a whirlwind of reconnecting with old friends, making new connections, and engaging in thought-provoking discussions around AI and creativity. 💖One of the highlights was sponsoring a fellow to travel to Cannes, France, with the Cannes Can: Diversity Collective, promoting inclusivity and diversity in the industry. I also had the privilege of hosting a captivating evening of conversation alongside the a16z Cultural Leadership Fund and AI at Meta, featuring cultural icons like André 3000, Robin Arzon, Drew Butler & more. Special thank you to Charlton Gholson & Nathaniel Barling for joining me as we led a truly captivating discussion and delved into the practical applications of AI, emphasizing its role in our daily lives beyond just science fiction. At a16z Cultural Leadership Fund, we aim to bridge the gap between cultural leaders and top tech companies by empowering young African Americans in the tech sector. AI is not a distant concept; it's rapidly integrating into our lives, revolutionizing how we interact with technology. A heartfelt thank you to new friends and old. Cheers to my fellow innovators for embarking on this journey with me. It was great seeing you in Cannes 💋🇫🇷 Amanda Slavin, Ashumi Sanghvi, Carlota Rodben, Felicity Fellows, Francesca Hogi, Chrysi Philalithes, Julie M. Wenah, Ken Hertz, Simone Berry 🇯🇲, Stephanie Alexis Smellie, Alicia Hanf, Nadia Alam, Nikita T. Hamilton, Ph.D., Daniel Yaffe, Jonathan Yaffe, Lars Bengston, Adam Jones, Jake Wildstein (韦杰柏), Megan Cunningham, Ally Love ❤️, Jordan Solomon, Jeffrey Brenner, and many more✨ Bisous 💋💖

💖 I am incredibly grateful to have attended The Summit by Joy-Raising in Chicago on behalf of the a16z Cultural Leadership Fund. It was an honor to share the stage with my friend, taller but not big brother (lol) Brandon Nicholson founder and CEO of The Hidden Genius Project, a nonprofit within our ecosystem partnerships that creates access to tech knowledge and career opportunities for communities of color every day! Our mission as a fund is to accelerate access to technology, ensuring it becomes a powerful catalyst for wealth generation in the Black community. We aim to make tech literacy accessible and keep pace with the rapid scale of technological innovation. Thank you, Tesha McCord Poe, for welcoming me to your community. I left incredibly inspired. 🫶🏾 Joy-Raising is dedicated to cultivating joy, creativity, and innovation in the workplace and beyond. Their mission is to empower individuals and organizations to harness the power of joy to drive meaningful change and foster collaboration. The Joy-Raising Summit☀️ is a transformative event that inspires and empowers individuals and organizations to foster joy and innovation through engaging workshops, thought-provoking panels, and invaluable networking opportunities. It provides a platform for attendees to learn, grow, and connect with like-minded professionals dedicated to making a positive impact. Thank you to the entire Joy-Raising team for organizing such an insightful and uplifting event. The energy, knowledge, and passion shared were truly inspiring. I am excited to implement the new ideas and strategies I gained and continue to foster a culture of joy and innovation in my work. #JoyRaisingSummit #Innovation #Inspiration #Gratitude Thank you to Christian McKenzie 🇯🇲for pulling up to support me ✨🫶🏾💋 Love to those who joyfully inspire: Daynia La-Force, Rhonda Hopps, Julio Suárez, Jerome' Holston, MPA, Jessyca Dudley, Jonah Nigh, Ruth Jurgensen, Tovah McCord, Liz Thompson and so many more! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gHwcdxhJ

Black Design Week | June 20| Day 3: future forward 🚀 🖤 Dr. Sheneese Thompson, Ph.D. helped us storm assumptions (aka road blocks) and took us into Afrofuturism. 🖤 Dr. Robbie Melton kept us futuring with AI in the classroom + a visit to TSU's SMART Center. 🖤 Dr. Terrance McNeil, Ph.D. + Dr. James Bernard Pratt, Jr. PhD pushed us further with Solutioning: Get to Getting. Tennessee State University The Stanford d.school a16z Cultural Leadership Fund #HBCU #ProfessionalDevelopment #DesignThinking #BlackDesigners #BlackDesign #BlackDesignWeek #BlackDesignersChangeTheWorld

Aiming for 100 healthy years, Function Health's platform collects over 100 biomarkers from lab tests, surpassing typical annual physicals, then combines the data from labs, EHRs, and wearables to deliver clear, personalized health insights. This approach shifts the focus from treating symptoms to proactive health management, aiming to discover health issues early. Welcome Function Health to the a16z Bio + Health portfolio! Read our investment thesis here: https://lnkd.in/gnGzcAnm None of the above should be taken as investment advice or an advertisement for investment services; please see https://lnkd.in/gjmYWkHi for more information.

Big congrats to the Function Health team, Mark Hyman, MD, and Jonathan Swerdlin! CLF is thrilled to support this journey to making 100 healthy years possible alongside Kevin Hart, Blake Griffin, Colin Kaepernick, Jimmy Rollins, Joel Embiid, Pedro Pascal and numerous others.

🌟 Reflecting on an unforgettable evening with the a16z Cultural Leadership Fund and Meta! 🌟 I’m thrilled to share highlights from our recent invite-only dinner, where visionary thinkers, builders, creative minds, and cultural leaders explored the exciting intersection of AI, creativity, and culture. The conversations were insightful and the connections, invaluable. 🇫🇷 At the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, CLF and Meta gathered on the French Riviera to discuss technology’s role in shaping media, content, and culture. We also highlighted opportunities for the Black community to lead in emerging trends in AI and media. Thank you to everyone who joined and shared their insights!

🇫🇷 The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity celebrates just that: the brilliant minds and perspectives shaping how we connect through media, content, and culture. CLF, together with our friends Meta, gathered creative forces on the French Riviera for a spirited evening discussing technology’s role in the future of these spaces and opportunities for the Black community to participate at the forefront of emerging trends in AI and media. Thank you to all who joined us and lent their views to this important dialogue! ✨ Nathaniel Barling Charlton Gholson Judene Small Jean-Louis

CLF's very own Megan Holston-Alexander recently took the stage at Stanford University Graduate School of Business Black Leadership Conference with 4X NBA champion and investor Andre Iguodala talking about pivoting excellence on the court to business and the boardroom. Thank you to Andre for sharing your wisdom and some fun stories along the way!

Megan Holston-Alexander recently sat down with Angela Yee and Stacey Tisdale for Wealth Wednesdays on Way Up with Angela Yee to discuss CLF's mission and technology as an opportunity for wealth generation. Check out the full interview and all of her insights 💎 at the link in comments!

It's always a good time linking up with our friends All Star Code, Black In Gaming, Black Product Managers Network, Per Scholas, and The Marcy Lab School - even better during TECH WEEK by a16z! We started the week out by connecting with other community builders across the tech ecosystem to discuss developing company culture, tips for career advancement, and exciting areas of tech. Plus, those NYC rooftop views 😍 Thanks to everyone who showed up and stayed late sharing ideas, meeting new people, and re-connecting with friends. #NYTechWeek #NYTW