The Intersection of Tech, New Venture, and Entertainment explained by CAA's Michael Yanover. Join the Chicago Booth alumni in Silicon Beach to hear about his path to success.
Event Details
Have you ever wondered how certain tech startups become the "little darlings" of big business and what rockets them to success? Well, if they were a cool, innovative, tech startup that could be leveraged in media and entertainment, then they were likely discovered by Michael Yanover.
Once discovered, these unique startups were invested in, incubated, and tweaked to service multiple revenue driving initiatives of the Information and Entertainment industries.
Come hear Michael speak about how you take a background that is equal parts venture investment and creative arts to create an enviable career of cool hunting. Whether it is discovering "Funny or Die" before the college kids did, or finding a way to leverage famous personalities as content creators for brands, he is the person you want to take for a beer.
With a cross-functional perspective on tech, investments, media and entertainment, you won't want to miss Michael's musings on the industries that coalesce in order to make them profitable, modern marketing machines.
$15 in advance includes food and drink.
Please register for this event, as we will not be allowing walk-ins.
Parking will be paid for by Booth, but you must have your ticket validated by CAA.
Program
5:30 PM-6:00 PM: Check-in and Networking (drinks and food provided)
6:00 PM-6:45 PM: Fireside Chat with Michael Yanover
6:45 PM-7:00 PM: Audience Q&A
7:00 PM-7:30 PM: Networking (drinks and food provided)
Speaker Profiles
Michael Yanover (Speaker)
Head of Business Development, Creative Arts Agency
https://www.caa.com/
Michael Yanover is the Head of Business Development at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). CAA's Business Development group creates new lines of business for CAA, in addition to servicing clients across the agency in their pursuit of broader initiatives. Yanover also focuses on the representation of individual and corporate clients within the technology sector.
Yanover has spearheaded CAA's incubation of several venture-financed Internet companies, including Funny or Die, a leading transmedia company co-founded by CAA, Sequoia Capital, and actor Will Ferrell; WhoSay, a digital media management platform for high-profile individuals, backed by Greylock Partners, Comcast Ventures and Amazon, since sold to Viacom; Empowered, a comprehensive online education and software company, since sold to Qualcomm; and most recently, Creative Labs, a start-up studio that focuses on developing consumer-facing technology companies and next generation media and entertainment experiences.
Yanover's team also represents business-to-business and consumer-oriented technology companies looking to leverage opportunities in entertainment, which, among others, have included Amazon, Tencent, LINE, and Cisco.
Yanover oversees Star Avenue Capital, an investment vehicle, in partnership with Irving Place Capital, focused on providing growth equity for consumer retail companies in fashion, beauty, health and fitness. Star Avenue Capital's investments include luxury hair product company Macadamia Natural Oil, sports supplement company MHP, and leading premium denim company J Brand Jeans. Star Avenue Capital sold its controlling interest in J Brand Jeans to FAST RETAILING CO. LTD. Yanover also led CAA's investment in, and turnaround of, couture fashion brand Proenza Schouler with a group of investors in 2011, including industry veteran Andrew Rosen, as well as its investment in break-out beauty company, Charlotte Tilbury. He also spearheads CAA Ventures, a formal venture fund consisting of third-party capital investing in tech start-up companies, whose portfolio includes Medium, Giphy, and Bark & Co., among others.
Prior to joining CAA, Yanover was Senior Vice President and General Manager at Macromedia (now part of Adobe), where he launched their successful online entertainment division, Atom Entertainment (now part of Viacom). Previously, he ran his own entertainment production company, which produced two television series for domestic and international broadcast, and a theatrical film released by MGM. Yanover began his career in M&A, corporate finance, and entertainment law at Bankers Trust and Stroock & Stroock & Lavan in New York, and at Sinclair Tenenbaum & Co., a leading entertainment law firm in Los Angeles.
Yanover holds an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Chicago and J.D. from the University of Toronto.