(2019, Hosted screening of “The Black Godfather” at Netflix)
The responses on the launch of our community The Authenticated, our weekly newsletter and the forthcoming tour have been incredible. The new subscribers, emails, phone calls, fist pounds and head nods are much appreciated. I’ve done this once before in the incredible Web 1.0. days of 1997 so familiar with this concept of free styling off the top of the dome but the commitment I now have around dropping the codes for the generations to pick up has intensified.
We believe in the power of niche networks and digital third spaces. That’s what we have created in The Authenticated. Our community is not just an app and web platform, not just events, dinners and gatherings, it is far more. This tribe started off as a Whatsapp community committed to just being hella cool, without ego and generous. That beautiful group has now transitioned into what we have today.
Please pass this along, looking to be the weekly read for those building the culture businesses of the future.
I am forever grateful for the following
career pivots
knowing how to wash my hands correctly
hustle
my first computer, commodore vic 20
black panther breakfast program
odd nights at The Grammy’s
13 years in Atlanta
deep conversations at Summit Series
early days of being a “latch-key kid”
my transition from oakland to palo alto
mentors/friends who passed away (George Jackson, LeBaron Taylor, Ron Archer, Shakir Stewart, Reggie Osse / Ed Woods)
If you are interested in becoming a part of our community please email andy@authenticated.la for membership details.
Signals I’m Watching
CoronaVirus creates more dependency on content and community versus real live experiences.
Rappers Who Hate Their Labels & Use Social Media To Voice
CBD Market
Tools That Allow You To Work Remote
Supplements, Vaccines and Health & Wellness Experiences Launching During COVID-19
Paige Bueckers, Best High School Girl’s Basketball Player In The Country
(WorldWide Wes and Detroit Bruce)
News About Authenticated Members
How crazy, I wrote that story about WorldWide Wes last week and then ran into him in Detroit with Bruce Schwartz at The Shinola hotel. I wish I could tell you that kind of thing doesn’t happen all the time. My life seems to be like that a lot. Is that just me?
I’m obsessed with this kid YellowPain. He’s the second coming of KRS, he clearly can spit and his timing is impeccable and necessary. Shout out to Diddy’s guy Corey Jacobs for the hat tip.
Joey Rubin has Goldland BBQ a bomb bomb bomb BBQ business going on right now. Super excited for you my man.
Been on this Intermittent Fasting game with Mike Maser’s new app Zero. Maser was my classmate at Palo Alto High School and sold his last company. As he was in the hospital with stage 4 cancer he was at the same time signing the term sheet to sell the business. Maser made a pact to do everything he could to fight cancer and believes intermittent fasting was a big part of him beating cancer. Zero is the large app based fasting community on the web.
Newly Added Companies To The Authenticated Advisory Practice
Newly Added Members To The Authenticated
Niles Heron (Pop Dog, E-Sports)
Dr. Alyx Porter Umphrey (Medicine / Health)
Kate Weaver (Jackson Spalding, Public Relations)
Tracy Christian (TCA, Film / TV
Ricardo Politi (Mindset Ventures, VC/Finance)
Dileepan Siva (Consultant, CPG E-Commerce)
Ilana Finley (VP, Communications, Converse)
Alice Gu (Director / DP, Film)
Netta Dobbins (CEO, Co-Founder, MimConnect)
Matthew Segal (Advertising, Los Angeles)
Lori Kozlowski (Shondaland, Los Angeles)
Kelvin Beachum (NY Jets Lineman, New York)
Barry Johnson (Rock Ventures, Detroit)
For more info on the community please email andy@authenticated.la
Join Us This Friday, March 20th in Inglewood, CA
If you are grounded in Los Angeles frustrated you can’t be at SXSW and looking for great content and community, join us this Friday in Inglewood.
Detroit For 36 Hours “Dry Run”
Just spent 36 hours last week in Detroit as a part of a series we do for Authenticated called A36. We believe in 36 Hours we can show you all the things, people, ideas, investors you need to know in a city. We are planning our series of cities and Detroit is one of our first. A few years ago, I built a similar tour called “Culture & Code” and Detroit was one of our favorite stops. Last week we did a quick run thru the city. Detroit we are coming back and bringing our community with us, email us for more info.
Detroit is magical and full of opportunities and our vision is to unpack the opportunities, ideas, companies and investors that are driving the city. We can’t do this without us having authentic conversation through authentic relationships. Our access is all about authenticity, we look for the people driving the culture and the founders building the companies you will become to know especially if you are from out of town.
This trip for me was incredible. After doing a few prior tours here I really feel like I am now super connected from the Mayor’s Office to Detroit Pistons and from Corktown to Eastern Market.
Consider coming with us to Detroit in May for Authenticated 36: The Detroit Episode
Here’s a few people, places and things in Detroit that caught our eye.