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Here are the latest headlines regarding how the protests around the killing of George Floyd are impacting the Los Angeles startup and tech communities. Sign up for our newsletter and follow dot.LA on Twitter for the latest update.
Today:
- MagicLinks CEO hopes his company's actions will have ripple effects inside and out
- Scooters, just redeployed, are pulled off city streets after becoming fodder for barricades
- L.A. braces for more curfews after a day of peaceful protests
MagicLinks CEO hopes his company's actions will have ripple effects inside and out
Brian Nickerson, CEO of Venice-based MagicLinks, which provides tools to online video creators to help them earn money through e-commerce, sent an open letter this week to his 25 employees and the 20,000-odd creators and brands in his company's ecosystem.
"Dear MagicLinks Community," the letter began. "Black. Lives. Matter. Our collective way of being, of relating, needs to change. Now."
"To move from words to action," as Nickerson put it to dot.LA, MagicLinks will also be donating cash to the NAACP, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) and the People's City Council. The company is also matching employee donations and giving paid time-off to those who feel they need it, for whatever reason.
"But it's more than the moment," Nickerson said. "How do we systematically change this?"
Nickerson wants the actions that MagicLinks has already taken to galvanize further action. One plan his company has is to put together a panel of black and minority creators to raise awareness of systemic biases among brands in casting and promotional decisions.
Nickerson was deliberate in composing the letter and deciding which initial actions to take.
"It starts with listening and trying to empathize as best we can and understanding the fears of the people who are most directly impacted by this," he said. To that end, Nickerson and his team sought to create a safe space for MagicLinks' black employees to share how the current unrest and its precursors make them feel. One employee spoke of having a relative on the East Coast who was recently jailed, but no one in her family knew where. Another described having to occasionally fear for his life, and the nightmare that his absence would bring upon his mother.
Nickerson, who describes himself as "white, male and privileged," then sought feedback from black colleagues about what to put in his letter. In his first draft, he included a personal anecdote about learning how his grandparents had faced their own form of racism. But after consulting with his advisory team, that wasn't the right message.
"This isn't about my experience right now," Nickerson reflected. "It's sitting with the scourge of racism that's been in our country since its founding and just sitting with that and knowing that it exists and asking what we can do to change it."
In his letter Nickerson invokes a Hawaiian prayer, which he wrote "can be used as a tool to heal the racism and prejudice within each of us." The prayer: I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.
Response to his letter has mostly been positive, Nickerson said, with a few exceptions. Some clients and partners have threatened to cut ties. Nickerson's initial reaction was to simply write them off, but he has found power in invoking that same Hawaiian prayer in these interactions.
"Those are people that probably need to hear the message more than anyone else," he noted.
MagicLinks' actions in the wake of the ongoing unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic are the culmination of a change of heart in Nickerson.
"I used to think that as a small startup, once we were successful, then we can do right," he said. "I've changed that dramatically: we have to be doing right as we're going. Even if our dollar contribution to certain causes isn't what Facebook or Google can do, it's important to instill that in the culture and DNA of a company."
Nickerson now wants to empower MagicLinks' network of creators to have more social impact, and for his letter to resonate within his team and out to the community of brands and talent.
"Small actions have ripple effects," he said.
— Sam Blake
Scooters, just redeployed, are pulled off city streets after becoming fodder for barricades
In the last two years, e-scooters have become a common sight on city sidewalks. In the last few days they have taken on a new role as tools of resistance since they are light enough to pick up but heavy enough to cause serious damage. The largest company, Bird, has been criticized in the past for a lack of diversity and for avoiding black neighborhoods.
Social media images have shown protestors using scooters to block off city streets in downtown Los Angeles and tossing them into a fire in Paris.
Demonstrator in DTLA made a cordon blocking the road out of Bird scooters pic.twitter.com/aV8c63SG4k
— Anna Merlan (@annamerlan) May 30, 2020
It's really kicking off in Paris now! pic.twitter.com/GPnWJFYlje
— Jerome Roos (@JeromeRoos) June 2, 2020
Companies have reacted by pulling their scooters from cities, according to Mashable. The timing is terrible since companies had just begun to redeploy scooters as cities eased coronavirus restrictions.
Bird's headquarters is not far from where riots broke out in Santa Monica. Employees have criticized the company for a lack of diversity, which was made worse by massive layoffs in March that disproportionately effected minorities. The company's former chief legal officer once said Bird should not put scooters in black neighborhoods like Crenshaw because people might steal them, according to The Verge.
The company's only statement on protests has been this tweet on Sunday:
pic.twitter.com/P1NG3tpQw6
— Bird (@BirdRide) June 1, 2020
L.A. braces for more curfews after a day of peaceful protests
Windows in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of L.A. were boarded up Tuesday night.
Thousands of people streamed along Hollywood streets that normally teem with tourists. They protested downtown at the foot of City Hall and marched in the San Fernando Valley. The signs read "No Justice No Peace," "BLM," "Stop Killing." A week of national protests over the killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer continued as people of all colors poured into the streets in outrage.
Frustration over years of police brutality directed at black men and continued inequities in education, health and housing has fueled a national rage. It's also provoked some of America's top corporate players from Nordstrom to TikTok to respond in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Companies across the music industry, many whose top executive ranks are devoid of black Americans, staged a 'Blackout Tuesday', to reflect and hold conversations about how to support the black community. Other businesses outside the music industry followed suit.
At the same time, the protests seemed to grow even larger after a weekend that was marred by vandalism and looting, across the country as fringe groups broke into stores. Thousands have been arrested, the Los Angeles Times reported, as vandals ravaged some of the toniest neighborhoods including Santa Monica, downtown and Beverly Hills, spurring the national guard to be called in.
But on Tuesday afternoon, it appeared that peaceful protests reigned across the region as a concerned Los Angeles County and city issued curfews for 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. Wednesday.
"We are keeping the curfew in place tonight to protect everyone's safety and help our first responders keep the peace," said Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Exceptions to the curfew are in place for emergency responders, people going to and from work, and anyone traveling to and from participating in voting. There are elections in Pico Rivera and Commerce.
Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, which saw extensive damage in the previous days, set a citywide curfew from 1 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. Santa Monica's curfew is from 2 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
"We continue to grieve for the losses to our businesses and neighborhoods on Sunday, and we continue to be outraged over the death of George Floyd and the unacceptable persistence of institutional racism," said Santa Monica Mayor Kevin McKeown in a statement. "Nonetheless, on Monday we showed that we can learn from tragedy, get back up, and commit ourselves to a better city."
— Rachel Uranga
- Snap and Twitter reportedly used by ill-intentioned protesters to ... ›
- George Floyd Protests: L.A.'s Tech Community Reacts - dot.LA ›
- Santa Monica, Beverly Hills announce 1 pm curfews - dot.LA ›
- George Floyd Protests: a16z Launches Fund For Diverse Founders; Snap Drops Trump From Its Discover Feature - dot.LA ›
- Disney will donate $5M to Social Justice Groups - dot.LA ›
- George Floyd Update: Los Angeles County and City Lift Curfews - dot.LA ›
- George Floyd Protests: L.A.'s Tech Community Reacts - dot.LA ›
- George Floyd Protests: Why This Time Feels Different - dot.LA ›
- George Floyd Videos Were Watched Over 1.4 Billion Times - dot.LA ›
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Genies Wants To Help Creators Build ‘Avatar Ecosystems’
Christian Hetrick is dot.LA's Entertainment Tech Reporter. He was formerly a business reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and reported on New Jersey politics for the Observer and the Press of Atlantic City.
When avatar startup Genies raised $150 million in April, the company released an unusual message to the public: “Farewell.”
The Marina del Rey-based unicorn, which makes cartoon-like avatars for celebrities and aims to “build an avatar for every single person on Earth,” didn’t go under. Rather, Genies announced it would stay quiet for a while to focus on building avatar-creation products.
Genies representatives told dot.LA that the firm is now seeking more creators to try its creation tools for 3D avatars, digital fashion items and virtual experiences. On Thursday, the startup launched a three-week program called DIY Collective, which will mentor and financially support up-and-coming creatives.
Similar programs are common in the startup world and in the creator economy. For example, social media companies can use accelerator programs not only to support rising stars but to lure those creators—and their audiences—to the company’s platforms. Genies believes avatars will be a crucial part of the internet’s future and is similarly using its program to encourage creators to launch brands using Genies’ platform.
“I think us being able to work hands on with this next era—this next generation of designers and entrepreneurs—not only gets us a chance to understand how people want to use our platform and tools, but also allows us to nurture those types of creators that are going to exist and continue to build within our ecosystem,” said Allison Sturges, Genies’ head of strategic partnerships.
DIY Collective’s initial cohort will include roughly 15 people, Sturges said. They will spend three weeks at the Genies headquarters, participating in workshops and hearing from CEOs, fashion designers, tattoo artists and speakers from other industries, she added. Genies will provide creatives with funding to build brands and audiences, though Sturges declined to share how much. By the end of the program, participants will be able to sell digital goods through the company’s NFT marketplace, The Warehouse. There, people can buy, sell and trade avatar creations, such as wearable items.
Genies will accept applications for the debut program until Aug. 1. It will kick off on Aug. 8, and previous experience in digital fashion and 3D art development is not required.
Sturges said that the program will teach people “about the tools and capabilities that they will have” through Genies’ platform, as well as “how to think about building their own avatar ecosystem brands and even their own audience.”
Image courtesy of Genies
Founded in 2017, Genies established itself by making avatars for celebrities from Rihanna to Russell Westbrook, who have used the online lookalikes for social media and sponsorship opportunities. The 150-person company, which has raised at least $250 million to date, has secured partnerships with Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group to make avatars for each music label’s entire roster of artists. Former Disney boss Bob Iger joined the company’s board in March.
The company wants to extend avatars to everyone else. Avatars—digital figures that represent an individual—may be the way people interact with each other in the 3D virtual worlds of the metaverse, the much-hyped iteration of the internet where users may one day work, shop and socialize. A company spokesperson previously told dot.LA that Genies has been beta testing avatar creator tools with invite-only users and gives creators “full ownership and commercialization rights” over their creations collecting a 5% transaction fee each time an avatar NFT is sold.
“It's an opportunity for people to build their most expressive and authentic self within this digital era,” Sturges said of avatars.
The company’s call for creators could be a sign that Genies is close to rolling out the Warehouse and its tools publicly. Asked what these avatar tools might look like, the startup went somewhat quiet again.
Allison Sturges said, “I think that's probably something that I'll hold off on sharing. We will be rolling some of this out soon.”
- Bob Iger, Former Disney CEO, Joins Avatar Startup Genies - dot.LA ›
- Genies Raises $150 Million To Make Avatars For The Metaverse ... ›
Christian Hetrick is dot.LA's Entertainment Tech Reporter. He was formerly a business reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and reported on New Jersey politics for the Observer and the Press of Atlantic City.
Here's What To Expect At LA Tech Week
Christian Hetrick is dot.LA's Entertainment Tech Reporter. He was formerly a business reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and reported on New Jersey politics for the Observer and the Press of Atlantic City.
LA Tech Week—a weeklong showcase of the region’s growing startup ecosystem—is coming this August.
The seven-day series of events, from Aug. 15 through Aug. 21, is a chance for the Los Angeles startup community to network, share insights and pitch themselves to investors. It comes a year after hundreds of people gathered for a similar event that allowed the L.A. tech community—often in the shadow of Silicon Valley—to flex its muscles.
From fireside chats with prominent founders to a panel on aerospace, here are some highlights from the roughly 30 events happening during LA Tech Week, including one hosted by dot.LA.
DoorDash’s Founding Story: Stanley Tang, a cofounder and chief product officer of delivery giant DoorDash, speaks with Pear VC's founding managing partner, Pejman Nozad. They'll discuss how to grow a tech company from seed stage all the way to an initial public offering. Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Santa Monica.
The Founders Guide to LA: A presentation from dot.LA cofounder and executive chairman Spencer Rascoff, who co-founded Zillow and served as the real estate marketplace firm’s CEO. Aug. 16 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Brentwood.
Time To Build: Los Angeles: Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) hosts a discussion on how L.A. can maintain its momentum as one of the fastest-growing tech hubs in the U.S. Featured speakers include a16z general partners Connie Chan and Andrew Chen, as well as Grant Lafontaine, the cofounder and CEO of shopping marketplace Whatnot. Aug. 19 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Santa Monica.
How to Build Successful Startups in Difficult Industries: Leaders from Southern California’s healthcare and aerospace startups gather for panels and networking opportunities. Hosted by TechStars, the event includes speakers from the U.S. Space Force, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, Applied VR and University of California Irvine. Aug. 15 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Culver City.
LA Tech Week Demo Day: Early stage startups from the L.A. area pitch a panel of judges including a16z’s Andrew Chen and Nikita Bier, who co-founded the Facebook-acquired social media app tbh. Inside a room of 100 tech leaders in a Beverly Hills mansion, the pitch contest is run by demo day events platform Stonks and live-in accelerator Launch House. Aug. 17 from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Beverly Hills.
Registration information and a full list of LA Tech Week events can be found here.
Christian Hetrick is dot.LA's Entertainment Tech Reporter. He was formerly a business reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and reported on New Jersey politics for the Observer and the Press of Atlantic City.
VinFast Cuts Through Rebate Confusion With Cold, Hard Cash
David Shultz is a freelance writer who lives in Santa Barbara, California. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Outside and Nautilus, among other publications.
With the Inflation Reduction Act well on its way to being written into law, the calculus of which vehicles from which manufacturers will be eligible for the $7,500 rebates is pretty confusing. dot.LA has previously covered how the new law is set to upend the status quo, but the short version is the car and its battery need to be assembled in the United States and the rebates only apply to vehicles below certain price points. Individuals who make more than $150,000/yr or to households making more than $300,000/yr are also no longer eligible for the rebate. This has led to a flurry of customers trying to lock in buyers’ agreements with companies like Rivian and Fisker before the law becomes official.
Vinfast, the Vietnamese automaker that is trying to establish itself on US soil here in Los Angeles, has taken a different approach: Just give people the money.
In an email to customers, the company announced that anyone with a preorder will get $7,500 back, regardless of whether the vehicle eventually qualifies for the government rebate or not. The catch is that buyers will also need to sign a contract saying they will actually buy the car—a much more serious commitment than a refundable preorder. (On the other hand, Vinfast still hasn’t delivered any cars yet, so who knows if the company can even deliver on its end of such a contract. Presumably yes?)
It's a nice play from the EV hopeful as they try to build customer loyalty, and it also highlights just how confusing and tumultuous the new legislation has made this landscape. Without knowing the income level of all preorder customers, it’s unclear exactly how many rebates Vinfast could wind up having to cover, but since customers have to switch to a binding contract and actually buy the vehicle, the numbers will likely stay fairly low.
David Shultz is a freelance writer who lives in Santa Barbara, California. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Outside and Nautilus, among other publications.