by: LA – ‘beyond yourself’ Los Angeles / Hermosa Beach Pier – Mar 22, 2014

10:00 AM SPEAKER: Michael Davidson

Michael P. Davidson serves as the CEO of Gen Next, an exclusive organization of successful individuals dedicated to learning about and becoming engaged with the most pressing challenges facing future generations. He is also the President of the Gen Next Foundation (GNF) which utilizes venture philanthropy and social entrepreneurship strategies to create high impact solutions to challenges in the areas of economic opportunity, education, and global security. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and enjoys spending time with family and friends, travel, movies, trying to play guitar, and reading.

10:30 AM SPEAKER: Kim Schaefer

Kim Schaefer is Director of Communications for Downtown Project, a group of passionate people committed to helping to revitalize Downtown Las Vegas. The organization has allocated $350 million to aid in the these efforts through investments in real estate, education, small businesses, and tech startups. Downtown Project aims to accelerate collision, co-learning, and connectedness through the serendipitous interactions of the people who live in and visit Downtown Las Vegas.

1:00 PM SPEAKER: Chris Gebhardt

Christopher Gebhardt joined Participant Media in September 2008 to lead the start up of Participant’s digital division, the hub of which is takepart.com. Participant’s digital and social media footprint has grown to one of the largest cause-oriented communities online. Chris took on a new assignment in 2013 to develop and launch Participant/TAG, a new division offering cause marketing services and consulting to brands and foundations. Participant Media is a media company that invites audiences to participate in making a difference. Some of their movie titles include An Inconvenient Truth, The Cove, Contagion, Fast Food Nation, Food, Inc., and Waiting for Superman.

2:30 PM SPEAKER: Joe Lonsdale

Joe Lonsdale is a Partner at Formation 8, a fund which invests in top Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and connects them with Asian conglomerates to drive innovation at a global scale. Joe co-founded Palantir Technologies, a multi-billion dollar software company which develops mission-critical analysis systems used by government and financial organizations around the world. He is also the founder of Addepar, a leader in private wealth management technology. Previously, he worked with the financial arm of PayPal while still a student, and then joined as an early executive at Clarium Capital, and was a key player in growing Clarium into a $5-billion AUM global macro hedge fund. On the side, Joe is Chairman of ONEHOPE Inc, a charity-focused wine brand. Joe has a variety of philanthropic pursuits, including the board of cacs.org. He earned a BS in Computer Science from Stanford University in 2003.

4:00 PM SPEAKER: Sebastian Fries

Sebastian joined TOMS in January 2012 as the Chief Giving Officer to lead TOMS’ Shoe and Sight Giving strategy in over 60 countries through 100+ Giving Partners. TOMS, the One for One company, has given over 10 million pairs of new shoes to children in need and has helped restore sight to more than 200,000 people. Prior to TOMS, Sebastian launched the Global Access Initiative in the Emerging Markets Business Unit at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and was a consultant with Vertex Partners. Sebastian holds a MBA in International Relations and European History from the University of Cologne, a PhD in International Affairs from the Free University of Berlin and was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University. He loves sailing, soccer, his classic British sports car and wearing TOMS Botas.

PANEL TOPIC: Social Impact Investing

THE PANEL: Jacquelyn Hunter (Profit+Impact Partners), Ian Gardner (LACI), Vivienne Lee (REDF), Gloria Nelund (TriLinc Global)

Social Impact Investing is an investment approach that focuses on generating a positive social and environmental impact as well as a financial return. This panel discussion will include investors and investment managers who make Social Impact Investing decisions on a daily basis and will address the investment decision-making process to make the most significant Social Impact.

PANEL TOPIC: Beyond Yourself Silicon Beach

THE PANEL: Erik Rannalla (Mucker Lab), Nate Redmond (Rustic Canyon), Mark Turk (Silicon Valley Bank), Walter O’Brien (Scorpion)

The 3-mile region called ‘Silicon Beach’ that stretches from Santa Monica to Venice and now Playa Vista, is rich in Internet technology-related start-up companies that have seen tremendous growth over the past five years. The region has attracted close to $1 Billion in venture capital, includes close to 20 accelerators, 20 seed funds, and 30 incubators. Join us for a panel discussion with leaders in this thriving start-up community. Their discussion will focus on the companies that currently exist, the direction they are heading, and the opportunities for growth in the future.

PANEL TOPIC: Cause-Centric Commerce

THE PANEL: Melissa Lake (ONEHOPE), David Simnick (Soapbox Soaps), Carrie Maloney (Imagine1Day)

The Cause-centric commerce (CCC) phrase was invented by ONEHOPE. It is the proven belief that companies that give back do better in the long run. 86% of consumers prefer to purchase from companies that give back, and we believe that this is a trend that isn’t going to go away anytime soon. This panel includes some of the leaders in the CCC industry from ONEHOPE, Soapbox Soaps, and Imagine1Day to offer perspectives on how CCC builds your business, engages your customers, and makes a huge positive impact.