Creative Innovators with Gigi Johnson

In this episode, Arabian Prince shares the rest of the story -- both before and after working with NWA. He shares how he got started with tech, entrepreneurship, and music creation at a young age. He talks with Gigi about how he taught himself new gaming and creative technologies, and how he brings that energy to his many current adventures.

Guest: Arabian Prince, Founder of iNov8 Next Open Labs and GGGOAT

A songwriter, rapper, producer, DJ, technologist Pro Gamer and futurist, Arabian Prince is best known for being a founding member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted rap group N.W.A., West Coast electro music pioneer, and producer of the Grammy-nominated #1 hit song Supersonic. Founder of iNov8 Next Open Labs, GGGOAT, and Partner at Covitech.

His passion for technology led to him create a 3D animation and special effects studio in the ’90s working with companies like Saban Entertainment and Fox, including 100+ videogame, film, and TV titles for Fox interactive and Vivendi Universal. As a consultant, Arabian has advised many companies on bridging the gap between technology and the youth, while bringing new product innovations to market. He is currently working with his tech partners to bring Open Labs to communities across the country in support of youth, women, diversity, veterans, and anyone else who wants to explore the future of technology.

Mentioned Links:

• @OGArabianPrince
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/OGArabianPrince 
• IG -https://www.instagram.com/ogarabianprince/ 
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ogarabianprincenwa 
• SoLa Impact - https://solaimpact.com
• mClassic - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/mclassic-the-first-plug-play-graphics-processor
• Covitech - https://covitech.us 

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In this episode, Akira Nakano takes us through his journeys in piano performance, music composition, video editing, and starting a non-profit. These led to the launch of the LA Inception Orchestra, which works with youth and composers to launch Composers of Tomorrow. He shares his experience in piloting a learning non-profit organization and how his diverse skills and relationships combined into its launch and now growth in this Learn-From-Home era.

Guest: Akira Nakano, President, CEO, and Artistic Director, Los Angeles Inception Orchestra

Akira Nakano studied at the Colburn School of Performing Arts in both piano and percussion, soloing with numerous orchestras throughout Southern California as a young performer. He studied with Dr. Heewon Kwon with masterclasses from Jeffrey Kahane, Leon Fleischer, Ilana Vered, John Perry, and Daniel Pollack. He was the winner of the 1st Annual Herbert Zipper Award in Music Composition amongst other piano competitions. Entering UCLA on a full-ride piano performance scholarship, he won the UCLA Concerto Competition and graduated with a B.A. in Film & Television production.

Mr. Nakano spent over twelve years working as a video editor, writer, producer, and live event director at TRW Space & Electronics and went on to have 20+ years of video marketing/communications and film producing experience which will dovetail into the LA Inception Orchestra's Virtual Reality/360 music education program. 

Akira returned to the Zipper Hall stage in March 2012 with a solo recital accompanied by Michael Sushel. In September 2013, he paired with the Dream Orchestra in a concert of Liszt, Rachmaninov, and several original works. Since then, Akira has appeared as a performer/lecturer as part of the Great Speaker Series at the Beach Club in Santa Monica benefiting the California State Parks Foundation; soloed with the Southeast Symphony; and has played multiple engagements at the Huntington Library President's house for their donor dinners.

Mentioned Links:

• Websiteshttps://www.inceptionorchestra.org/
• https://www.akiranakano.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AkiraNakano
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/inceptionorchestra
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akira-nakano-ab91025/
• Eventbrite link for Nov 7th Event - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/inception-orchestra-for-the-love-of-composing-an-on-line-event-tickets-123638288449
• Inception Orchestra - www.inceptionorchestra.org
• American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC) - asmac.org

Additional Links:

• Classical Saxophone Project - https://classicalsaxproject.org/
• Fox Family Foundation - foxgiving.org
• Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment - causeusa.org
• Asia American Symphony Association - aasymphony.org
• Colburn School - https://www.colburnschool.edu 
• UCLA Extension Film Composition Program - https://www.uclaextension.edu/entertainment/music/c ertificate/film-scoring 
• TRW - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRW_Inc. 

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In this episode, Christopher Hope shares his journey to found The Loop Lab in Cambridge, MA. He learned through DJing, community service, religious studies, and partnering with local organizations to deliver a unique blend of higher education, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurship training. He has grown this nonprofit into a live and virtual training program for womxn and BIPOC youth to build jobs and creative companies in audiovisual industries. He began locally in The Port neighborhood and now connects with community leaders around the world. We discussed challenges in launching and growing The Loop Lab and its transformation during the current WFH challenges -- including how they are helping other non-profits in their local communities.

Guest: Christopher Hope, Founder and Exec. Director, The Loop Lab

Christopher Hope, CTS is the founder and executive director of The Loop Lab, a non-profit dedicated to empowering young adults of color to enter careers in the media arts industry in Cambridge, MA. Hope received his B.A. from Tufts University, and a Masters at Harvard Divinity School. He now serves on the board of advisors for the George Washingon University School of Business in D.C., for the My Brother's Keeper Task Force in the Cambridge Mayors office, and on the community board of Lesley College of Art + Design. He is also an alumnus of the Creative Community Fellowship with the National Arts Strategies and has served on board of the South By Southwest festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.

Hope is also an accomplished audio-video professional and on-air DJ with a podcast and radio broadcast called “Hip-Hope Radio,” having interviewed guests like Dr. Cornel West.

The Loop Lab:

The Loop Lab is a Cambridge-based non-profit social enterprise specializing in media arts internships and digital storytelling. Their mission is to empower Womxn and People of Color in the media arts to develop careers in audio/video through job training and job placement. As an organization, they are committed to ending inequality and racism through digital storytelling.

Photo credit - Matt Malikowski/ The Loop Lab

Mentioned Links:

• The Loop Lab
• Website: www.TheLoopLab.org
• IG: www.Instagram.com/wearethelooplab
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/wearethelooplab
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-loop-lab
• Christopher Hope: www.LinkedIn.com/in/c-hope and [email protected]
• Eastern Bank: https://www.easternbank.com
• WBUR/NPR, Boston: https://www.wbur.org
• Moses Michel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-moses-michel-he-him-his-8399b7101
• The Port neighborhood: https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/planud/neighplan/neighs/4
• Pentecostal Tabernacle: https://ptspice.org
• Leslie School of Art + Design: https://lesley.edu/academics/college-of-art-design
• Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology: https://www.bfit.edu
• LISC Boston: https://www.lisc.org

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In this episode, Sasha Samochina shares her journey connecting art, VR, and science together -- to her trio of roles at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). She illustrates why she is “thankful for [her] boldness” in interning and pushing into each new job and new technology. The Field Museum in Chicago became an opportunity to connect art, science, computing, and social storytelling. By the end, you’ll see the arc that returned to her desire as a young student to be a teacher and librarian but on an inter/planetary scale. 

Guest: Sasha Samochina

Deputy Manager of the Ops Lab, Project Lead for ProtoSpace, and the Technical Group Supervisor for the User Interface Development Group (397M) at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Sasha Samochina (sam-ocean-uh) is an Emmy award-winning creative technologist. She joined the team at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) after working in New York in the fields of video and web development and in Chicago, where she was a Media Producer at The Field Museum of Natural History. After dreaming up content for JPL’s Communications department, she began to explore the world of 360 videos and XR. Through Sasha’s visualization skills, she pioneered the very first 360° video release on social media for NASA. She is currently the Deputy Manager of the Ops Lab, Project Lead for ProtoSpace, and the Technical Group Supervisor for the User Interface Development Group (397M) at JPL. Sasha dedicated herself to helping create software that incorporates innovative forms of visualization that aid scientists, engineers, and astronauts in transforming their workflow, and she leverages that same experiential technology to educate and inspire the public to engage in STEAM. She loves all things digital, animal, sound-emitting, cosmic, and views the world through XR-colored glasses.

Mentioned Links:

• Sasha’s overall work: CloudSasha - https://www.cloudsasha.com
• Reach out: Twitter: @cloudsasha - https://twitter.com/cloudsasha 
• IG: @Cloudsasha - https://www.instagram.com/cloudsasha
• YouTube - von Karman lecture - https://youtu.be/Xv_9C5Mms4w 
• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL): https://jpl.nasa.gov
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NASAJPL 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/NASAJPL 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JPLnews 
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/nasajpl 
• Access Mars: https://accessmars.withgoogle.com 
• Protospace: https://www.cloudsasha.com/#/protospace 
• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov
• Field Museum of Natural History: https://www.fieldmuseum.org 
• Hololens: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/hololens
• Katie Stack Morgan at JPL: https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/StackMorgan 
• Cassini’s Grand Finale: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/17628/cassinis-grand-finale 
• “Reach Across the Stars” AR app on Female Space & Science Heroes for smartphones from the Smithsonian Institute:

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In this episode, Ty Frankel shares how as a young music creator and entrepreneur he pushed to create relationships to build Shut Down Media. His multi-country company creates hip hop music for integration into film and television. He talks about how he overcame obstacles, how he got distracted, and how he returned to his core business. He talked about being inspired by Rich Dad, Poor Dad and other books on how to build his career. Ty shares how his company has pivoted with film and television during this crisis, and how it has spurred him to launch even more adventures. 

Guest: Ty Frankel, Founder and CEO, Shut Down Media

Ty Frankel started making rap beats from his home in Israel at just 14 years old. Since inception in 2017, Shut Down Media has grown with divisions like Shut Down Production Music, Shut Down Art, and Shut Down Sync. In only three years, Shut Down Media has worked with clients such as UMPG, Warner, NBA 2K, Fortnite, The Ellen Show, Mercedes-Benz, and many more. 

Ty is a writer for UPMG and Warner and has secured placements on shows like Saturday Night Live. Not only has he built multiple companies at the age of 22, but he's also created new in-house record labels with the likes of FirstCom and No Sheet Music.

Mentioned Links:

• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter: @thetyfrankel https://twitter.com/thetyfrankel
• Shut Down Media:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shut-down-media/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyfrankel 
• IG: @Shutdown_pmhttps://www.instagram.com/shutdown_pm
• https://www.instagram.com/sdpm_unreleased
• https://www.instagram.com/shutdown_art
• https://www.instagram.com/shutdown.media 
• https://www.instagram.com/thetyfrankel/ @thetyfrankel
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/shutdown_pm 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/shutdown_pm
• First Com Music: https://www.firstcom.com 
• No Sheet Music: https://www.nosheetmusic.tv 
• BooksRich Dad, Poor Dad: https://www.richdad.com 
• How to Win Friends and Influence People: https://www.amazon.com/Friends-Influence-People-Illustrated-International-ebook/dp/B08H8BXYX5 

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Zack Zalon has shifted and grown along with a transforming music industry. He began as (and still is) a musician, then blossomed at the Troubadour before launching into websites, marketing, Farm Club, Virgin, and through that Moment of Mojo into taking his background and the now-possible world of artificial intelligence into Super Hi-Fi. We wrap up with advice to his younger self after this intriguing journey across music and digital transformation.

Guest: Zack Zalon, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Super Hi-Fi

Zack Zalon is co-founder and CEO of Super Hi-Fi, a Los Angeles-based music technology company that is creating transformative listening experiences for the world’s largest music experience providers. Current partners include Peloton, iHeart, The Associated Press, Universal Music Group, Napster, and Target Spot. Zack also is a musician, with a recent release in 2018 of “Into the Great Divide.”

Prior to Super Hi-Fi, Zalon served as co-founder and managing partner for We See Dragons, a “S.W.A.T.-style” digital agency that developed consumer platforms for brands including National Geographic, Johnson & Johnson, Ticketmaster, Comcast, Citibank, Experian, and Madison Square Garden. Earlier, Zalon was Managing Partner at Wilshire Media Group; President of Virgin Digital, the global digital platform for the Virgin Group; President of The Factory Network; and general manager of Doug Weston’s Troubadour.

Mentioned Links:

• URL: http://superhifi.com/
• LinkedIn: Zack Zalon - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zack-zalon-04b49/
• LinkedIn: Super Hi-Fi -  https://www.linkedin.com/company/superhifi
• Co-Founder: Brandon Cassidy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendon-cassidy-6b07873
• Not mentioned: YouTube interview about “Into the Great Divide” 2018 “instrumental progressive rock novel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnpFd9-X_yw
• Troubadour: https://www.troubadour.com

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Enjoy the tales of Carlo Fox, Ben Willis, and Josh Andriano working together as the three-partner independent music management company leadership team running Indie-Pop. After meeting when Josh and Ben married sisters (no longer in the picture), they formed Indie-Pop and have learned to work together making decisions about talent, investment, and growth . . . and now in starting a new independent music label, Independent.co. They discuss future rights flow in building generational wealth for artists and their reasons for launching a new label in these streaming times. They close with how their lockdown experiences have made them see their daily lives and spend their time in a new way -- rethinking family, health, relationships, and travel.

Guests: Carlo Fox, Co-Founder and CEO; Ben Willis, Co-Founder and Strategic Relations, and Joshua Andriano, Co-Founder and Head of New Talent, Indie-Pop and Independent.co

Carlo Fox: Carlo came into Indie-Pop as the social media whiz and now is CEO and co-lead of both companies. 

Ben Willis: An executive and entrepreneur with over two decades of music-business experience, Ben Willis is forging a new path for artists who defy the confines of pop convention. He’s devoted much of his career to identifying left-of-center talent with a potentially massive appeal, then incubating that talent in order to foster both artistic integrity and long-lasting success.

Joshua Andriano: Josh is a former DJ turned former entertainment attorney turned co-founder. He is a New York Law School graduate who shifted into music in 2008 and is now Indie-Pop and Independent Co-Founder and Partner.

Indie-Pop: Founded in 2008, Indie-Pop had its first triumph with The Cataracs (a hip-hop duo they helped propel to multi-platinum status) and later helped build the career of rapper/singer/songwriter KYLE (whose Indie-Pop-released hit “iSpy” went six-times-platinum). With Indie-Pop’s roster including global artists like Malaysian singer/songwriter Yuna, the team now co-launching Independent—a record-label solution offering all the creative benefits of autonomy while securing exceptionally fair and financially compelling deals for each artist.

Mentioned Links

• Indie-Pop: https://indie-pop.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/indiepopmgmt/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/indiepopmgmt/
• Independent.co: https://www.independent.co/IG: https://www.instagram.com/independentco/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/independentco/
• Carlo’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlofox/
• Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-willis-328819175/
• Josh’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-andriano/
• The Cataracs: https://www.facebook.com/TheCataracsMusic

Your Host: Gigi Johnson, EdD

I run transformative programs, speak/moderate, invest, advise, and produce multimedia on creativity and technology. I taught for 22 years at UCLA, where I ran the Center for Music Innovation and the podcast "Innovating Music," built four industry-connecting programs, and taught undergraduates, MBAs, and executives about disruption in creative industries. Before UCLA, I financed media M&A at Bank of America for ten years.

Connect with Us

• Our Website
• How to submit a Creative Innovator Guest: Information Page
• Subscribe to our newsletter here.
• Join our Patreon community here.

Sponsored and Produced by the Maremel Institute

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Jack Conte blends the worlds of music creation (Pomplamoose and the funk band Scary Pockets) and solving creators’ problems with systems (crowdfunding and community with Patreon). He shares how he balances (or doesn’t balance at times) creating music with running a large tech business. He also shares what he has learned, how his companies have shifted with the work-from-home world shift, and how he has changed/staffed his own creative processes in this distributed era. His career journey has been an interesting mingling of music and science/technology, all the way back to his science teacher who got him interested (who he still connected with monthly over Costco pizza).

Guest: Jack Conte, CEO and Co-founder of Patreon; band member of Pomplamoose and Scary Pockets

Jack Conte is a musician, filmmaker, half of band Pomplamoose and Scary Pockets, and a co-founder at Patreon, a membership platform that makes it easy for creators to earn salaries directly from their biggest fans. Patreon was founded in 2013, and is on track to pay out more than $500 million to creators in 2019 alone.As a musician and filmmaker, Jack spent his days in a converted dog kennel-turned-recording studio in Sonoma County, making YouTube videos that have amassed over 120 million views. Now, he’s in full-time CEO mode at Patreon HQ in San Francisco where the company is paying millions of dollars to creators every month around the world. Jack also loves working with robots.

Mentioned Links:

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/creator-home
• Patreon Twitter: https://twitter.com/Patreon
• Pomplamoose: https://www.pomplamoose.com/
• YouTube - Pomplamoose - https://www.youtube.com/user/PomplamooseMusic
• Scary Pockets: https://www.facebook.com/scarypockets/
• Personal: http://www.jackcontemusic.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jackcontemusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JackConteMusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jackconte

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This week on the Creative Innovators with Gigi Johnson podcast, we are joined by Ted Cohen, who shared tales of doing things for the right reasons and seeing decades ago the dimensions of our current music streaming playlists and challenges. He talks about genuineness of artists vs. overproduction in livestreaming and concerts, pricing the risks of new markets, scarcity, negotiations, how business challenges repeat, and how some people don’t see or know the past launches in their very own businesses. He shares his search and joy for things that are “effing amazing” as a whole with elegant execution. And he shares the joy of paying it forward from those who got him started as mentors.

Guest: Ted Cohen, Head of Development, Mediatech Ventures; Managing Partner, TAG Strategic

Known as “part connector/part evangelist/always a futurist,” Ted Cohen is Managing Partner of TAG Strategic, an LA-based digital entertainment consultancy. Additionally, Ted is Head of Corporate Development for Mediatech Ventures, the Austin-based VC/incubator/accelerator. Previously, as SVP-Digital for EMI Music, Cohen led global digital business development. Prior to EMI, Ted led Consulting Adults, clients included Universal Studios, Amazon, Microsoft, and Napster. Cohen also held senior positions at both Warner Bros Records & Philips Electronics. A 40+ year digital entertainment industry veteran, Cohen created & chaired MidemNet and served on the Grammy National Trustee Board. Ted continually looks for the next innovative technology & his next challenge, he really loves his life.

Mentioned Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlcohen/
• Email: [email protected]
• Arthur C. Clarke’s 3 Laws - #3 -- “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” 
• Droplabs Sneaker - https://droplabs.com

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A year ago, Dmitri Vietze launched a new thought leadership conference on music technology in Los Angeles and had to move it with one day's notice. This year, he has moved his whole thought leadership with Music Tectonics online with virtual conferences and community gatherings. He shares his thoughts on crisis-driven shifts to music livestreaming, expanding new releases, and digital access, along with tidbits on intriguing companies in this current listen-from-home era.  

Guest: Dmitri Vietze, CEO and Founder, rock paper scissors

Dmitri Vietze is the Founder and CEO of rock paper scissors, inc. It was his crazy idea to transform a global music PR firm into what has become a predominant music tech PR firm. Dmitri is a regular presenter at SXSW Music, SF MusicTech, Music Biz, APAP, and WOMEX. He is also the founder and CEO of StoryAmp.com. He has a jaw harp collection, can juggle five balls, and has a titanium leg. 

Links:

• rock paper scissors website: http://hello.rockpaperscissors.biz/
• Music Tectonics Website: https://www.musictectonics.com/
• Podcast: https://www.musictectonics.com/podcast
• Blog: https://www.musictectonics.com/blog
• Community App: https://app.musictectonics.com
• Conference: Oct. 27-28, 2020 - https://www.musictectonics.com/conference
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmitrivietze/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmitri.vietze
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/dmitrivietze/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmitrivietze

Mentioned Links

• Topeka: https://topeka.live/
• YouNow: https://www.younow.com
• Emma McGann: https://www.emmamcgann.com
• Bandsintown: https://www.bandsintown.com/
• Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/
• CD Baby: https://cdbaby.com/
• Audiobridge: https://www.audiobridgeapp.com
• Soundstorming: https://soundstorming.com
• Chartmetric: https://www.chartmetric.com
• CD Baby: https://cdbaby.com

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