C-Suite Quarterly

VISIONARIES

Christina M. Francis Mitchell Modell Rohan Oza Ilya Pozin

NEXTGEN 10

This year’s short list of the future leaders in sports, media, and entertainment C-SUITE QUARTERLY LOS ANGELES | NEW YORK SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT Q3 2019

BUSINESS MEETINGS & RETREATS

The ultimate guide to your next out of office

PLUS: New private membership clubs in Santa Barbara and Miami; an exotic escape with 13 private beaches; your pull-out guide to a perfect weekend in Napa; what it’s like to partner with basketball all-star Paul Pierce; and furnishings from football legend and actor Terry Crews Chef Wolfgang Puck shares a culinary journey through Los Angeles and New York

Visionary of the Year

BYRON ALLEN

Cover

From performing on Johnny Carson at 18 to acquiring The Weather Channel and closing billion-dollar deals with Disney, the comedianturned-businessman has been quietly building a global media empire under his production and distribution company Entertainment Studios

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Features Q3 2019: Vol. 11 No. 3 Los Angeles and New York Sports, Media, & Entertainment

OP-ED

VISIONARIES Los Angeles and New York

42 CAUSE CELEB Partnering with NBA All-Star Paul Pierce in the CBD industry.

By Elliot Mermel, Co-Founder of Airmyth Supply

52 ILYA POZIN This serial entrepreneur shares how he developed a contentstreaming service worth $340M—and where he’s headed next.

58 MITCHELL MODELL Building on Modell’s Sporting Goods’ 130-year legacy, its leader balances brand loyalty with the needs of the fastchanging retail market.

VISIONARY OF THE YEAR

60 56 54

TOC - Visionaries

CHRISTINA M. FRANCIS How one woman became indispensable to international powerhouses such as Burger King, Disney, and Magic Johnson Enterprises through her unwavering commitment to continual learning and meeting each opportunity with excellence.

Media mogul BYRON ALLEN is building an empire. The 58-year-old founder, chairman, and CEO of Entertainment Studios recently agreed to acquire 11 TV stations, part of a multiyear buying

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spree that includes investing, in partnership with Sinclair, $10.6B in Fox’s former regional sports networks, and spending more than $300M on The Weather Channel.

ROHAN OZA As the architect of the modern celebrity partnership deal, Rohan Oza shifts his focus but continues to lead the conversation on entrepreneurship.

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Departments

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DESIRABLES 18 Tech and Gadgets New tech gear for the at-home sports enthusiast 19 Cigars Autumn brings to mind spice, foliage, warmth, and the changing colors of nature.

Full-bodied and rich, these five cigars match the season 20 Wine President and principal of Wally’s Wine & Spirits, Christian Navarro, reveals his latest discovery: the fine wines from former Los Angeles Laker Sasha Vujačić 21 Spirits Three years of patience is now being rewarded as a cult bourbon returns to retail shelves 22 Style In line with the athlete-driven businesses that we profile in our Q3 issue, we’ve partnered with Forward to curate fashionable looks for an active lifestyle from coast to coast

27

37 SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

24 Air Thomas Flohr, who recently acquired JetSmarter and XOJET to run one of the largest private aviation companies in the world, shares how he found success in the sky 26 Land Land Rover’s new take on the classic Defender delivers an SUV with a penchant for off-road adventures 27 Water Now in its 60th year, the largest in-water boat show in the world just got better

38 Visionary Alumni in Sports, Media & Entertainment

45

40 Of Note Briefings, Updates, and Analysis 44 Innovative Office Los Angeles–based Tim Grajewski of NxT studio designs a pair of offices: the entertainment law offices of Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano in Los Angeles and music giant BMG Music in New York

TOC - Desirables

30 Furnishings Modern Renaissance man Terry Crews reveals a new furniture collection with Bernhardt Design

46 NextGen10 Meet this year’s class of forward-thinking founders in sports, media, and entertainment—all under age 40

32 Private Club Report The under-the-radar, private Miramar Club debuts in Santa Barbara, and the iconic Bath Club in Miami Beach is ready to reemerge in time for Art Basel Miami 34 Watches A behind-the-scenes look at timepieces that steal the show on Ballers

40

In Every Issue 10 12 14 108 117 128 130

08

Masthead Founder’s Note Contributors C-Suite Advisors™ Index The Network Advertiser Directory C-Suite Quoted

69

This edition’s lineup of C-Suite Advisors™

C-SUITE ADVISORS™

DESTINATIONS

92 A Celebrity’s Guide to Financial Enlightenment Howard Grobstein Grobstein Teeple, LLP

70 Health A recent acquisition by Intercontinental Hotel Group pushes Six Senses even higher into the health and wellness stratosphere

94 What You Need to Know When Thinking about a Buy-Side M&A Transaction Jim Freedman and Joseph Husband Intrepid Investment Bank 96 Does Your Generation Know Best When It Comes to Money?

Ryan Bristol JP Morgan Private Bank 98 The Industrial Revolution in the 21st Century Brian Werdesheim Oppenheimer & Co 100 Live Well into the Future Dr. Ram Dandillaya (Atelier Health) and Dr. David Karow (HLI)

71 Guide to Business Entertaining, Meetings, and Retreats Feel like you’re a world away while building camaraderie with the team at an American Riviera hideaway hotel, recovering from the grind at an exclusive Pacific Palisades retreat, hosting meetings at a modern Las Vegas conference center, and strengthening business partnerships at the hottest entertainment center in downtown L.A.

111 CULTURE & TASTE tees up. Plus, the top 5 golf courses in Colorado to play right now 82 Travel: The Getaway Easy three-day escapes from Los Angeles and New York: head to Napa and go beyond the vines or keep it coastal and discover Quintana Roo’s most compelling hideaway 84 Travel: The Journey Immerse yourself in nature in some of Chile’s chicest accommodations and discover why this country is South America’s hottest destination. Or, escape the world at your own pace on Bawah, a private archipelago with 13 white-sand beaches in Indonesia’s Riau Islands

TOC - CSA

80 Golf Getaway Bold shots and breathtaking views define the adventurous rounds of golf that Colorado’s latest championship course

88 Breaking Ground New resort developments launching around the world

112 Exhibits and Performances This season in Los Angeles and New York 113 Required Reading and Viewing Luxe Hotels Founder and CEO Efrem Harkham shares the media that influences and uplifts him 114 Proprietor’s Profile Dining around Los Angeles and New York with Wolfgang Puck 116 Social Responsibility A pioneer in the resort world, Taos Ski Valley is the first ski resort in the world to become a B Corp. Here, its CEO shares how doing good has helped the company do well

84

102 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do Lisa Helfend Meyer MOLM 104 Unicorns Stumble as Pot and Crypto Grow Up Sander Zagzebski Greenspoon Marder 106 Anticipating the Secret Scion in Estate Planning Scott Rahn RMO, LLP

CSQ Q3 2019

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On the Cover Byron Allen Location Weather Channel HQ Atlanta Photo Steve Glass

C-SUITE QUARTERLY

CSQ.COM

Founder and Publisher David L. Wurth

Illustration Maxim Zudilkin

CONTENT

C-SUITE ADVISORS™

Editor in Chief Samantha Brooks

Elite C-Suite Advisors Ryan Bristol Dr. Ram Dandillaya Jim Freedman Howard Grobstein Lisa Helfend Meyer Scott Rahn Brian Werdesheim Sander Zagzebski

Art Director Dima Kuzmichev Designer Olesya Plugovenko Content and Community Coordinator Sheean Hanlan Copy Editor Dora Dalton Photo Editor Lauren Schumacher Contributors Ryan Byers Carole Dixon James Faris Jessica Ferguson Steve Glass Subrina Hudson John Lyon Carolyn Meers Elliot Mermel Christian Navarro Geoff Nudelman Degen Pener Matt Pressberg Ramsey Qubein Paul Rubio Carey Sweet Shaun Tolson Whitney Vendt David Weiss

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ADVERTISING AND MARKETING

INQUIRIES

Head of Sales and Partnerships Ian Tenenbaum

Advertising advertising@csq.com

Marketing Director Gioia Giacomelli

C-Suite Advisors™ advisory@csq.com

Sales and Marketing Coordinator Robert Bramley

Editorial editorial@csq.com

Masthead

C-SUITE MEDIA ADVISORY BOARD Larry Braun Diana Derycz-Kessler Jim Freedman Paul Kessler Steve Lehman Robin Richards James Segil Drew Sheinman Irv Zuckerman

SPECIAL THANKS Chris Achar Jonathan Fitzgarrald Don Peebles Drew Sheinman

Marketing Assistant Sydney Weber Marketing Partner Hawke Media

OPERATIONS Accountant Stan Arutti Bookkeeping Maggie Bialack Legal Scott Barlow Steven C. Sereboff Distribution Right-Way Distribution

Events events@csq.com Reprints reprints@csq.com Subscriptions subscriptions@csq.com

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FOUNDER’S NOTE

Sports + Media + Entertainment

David L. Wurth (left) with 2019 Visionary Ilya Pozin at this summer’s Hawke Media Hawkefest.

When I reached out to our 2019 Visionary of the Year in Real Estate & Finance, developer Don Peebles, and asked who he thought would be a special 2019 Visionary of the Year in Sports, Media, & Entertainment, within minutes he responded, “my dear friend, Byron Allen.”

Annually, CSQ has had a capstone summit for our Visionaries and NextGens, bringing together the entire network of the most inspired and inspiring leaders across industry. Two years ago, Byron Allen was in attendance and was introduced to me as someone I need to be paying attention to, as “he’s doing big things” in media. The following year he bought The Weather Channel for $300M. This year he participated in the $9.6B syndicated purchase of 21 regional sports networks once owned by 21st Century Fox. Byron is certainly doing “big things,” with storied career in entertainment both in front of the camera and behind. He was doing stand-up on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show at age 18 while attending USC. As a visionary leader and charismatic and endearing personality, we are proud to honor him on the cover of this edition, tell his story in the magazine (p. 60) and online, and recognize him in-person at our Visionary Awards as Visionary of the Year in Sports, Media, & Entertainment.

As Byron has evolved, so has the ever-changing media landscape. More are cutting (cable) cords and going OTT, or “over the top,” streaming their content. Pluto.tv, the brainchild of under-40 immigrant entrepreneur Ilya Pozin, has grown from a YouTube aggregator inspired by his daughter to become the play Viacom invested $340M in earlier this year (p. 52).

We’ve all heard that “content is king” and there has been a gold rush for (good) content to facilitate all of the new media platforms to keep the audience’s attention and keep them paying. That said, there are still baseline concepts in the media-deal landscape pioneered by another 2019 CSQ Visionary, Rohan Oza. Some might recognize him from Shark Tank, others might know him from his days as a marketing and relationship magnate for some of the world’s largest and most notable brands. He’s the one who put a Sprite into every DJ’s hand in the ’90s to connect culture to brand—leading that legacy brand to 30 percent year-over-year growth in sales. Rohan, better known as the “Hollywood Brandfather,” shares his experience as the purveyor of the 50 Cent/Vitaminwater deal and how his knack for connecting athletes and entertainers to brands has led him to develop disruptive venture capital firm CAVU (p. 54).

Speaking of celebrities in business, perhaps no one is more recognizable than the great Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The former Lakers star has built an empire of companies and brands under his Magic Johnson Enterprises, partnering with organizations like 24-Hour Fitness, and the only noncorporate franchise partner for Starbucks. From movie theaters and insurance to tech start-ups and more, this behemoth organization needed a leader to manage, maintain, and grow both the company and its culture. Christina M. Francis rose through the ranks, gaining decades of experience in marketing and management and years working side-by-side with Johnson. Read more about that journey and what’s next for Christina and MJE (p. 56).

Johnson is a sports icon, and Modell’s is a sporting goods icon in the Northeast U.S. Fourth-generation CEO Mitchell Modell runs its 150 stores, which have over $850M in annual revenue, and was an authentically captivating Undercover Boss in season 4. When CSQ Advisor Drew Sheinman approached me with this idea, I jumped on it. Mitchell is one of the most endeared and respected leaders in and around the tri-state area, and this New Yorker is one of the most connected in the sports world—hosting galas and dinner for the most prominent professional athletes as friends and for philanthropy. He’s raising his two boys to take over the business one day, and Mitchell’s story and family legacy is legendary on the East Coast. It is such an honor to tell his story (p. 58).

In addition to the Visionaries, we honor a host of 10 NextGen leaders already making their mark in sports, media, and entertainment. Leaders like Jukin Media’s Jonathan Skogmo, the XFL’s Heather Brooks Karatz, Observer Media’s James Karklins, and Epic Records’ Michelle Edgar (p. 46).

Per usual, our contributing C-Suite Advisors™ share vital insights, including what to think about when considering an acquisition, updates on the hot marijuana and cryptocurrency markets, and the future of precision medicine (p. 90).

Naturally, CSQ is not all business, because when we’re out of the office, we need to unplug. One of my favorites from the issue is world-renowned chef Wolfgang Puck’s best restaurant selections in Los Angeles and New York (p. 114).

Founder’s Note

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Happy connecting,

David L. Wurth Founder & Publisher

david@csq.com

“A BEAUTIFUL NEW APPROACH TO MARKETING.” — COLORFUL ENGINEERING

Quad

Welcome to the future of marketing. A more vibrant, integrated world that touches people’s lives in new, imaginative and effective ways, accelerating commerce through ingenuity, artistry, vision and passion.

This is Colorful Engineering.

Contributors

JESSICA FERGUSON

JOHN LYON

GEOFF NUDLEMAN

Jessica Ferguson is a Los Angeles–based writer, brand/sales strategist, and aspiring abolitionist. Her editorial emphasis is on entrepreneurship, cultural change, and individual empowerment. She has collaborated with some of the city’s brightest innovators in technology, pharmaceuticals, media, entertainment, and philanthropy, and is currently pursuing a creative catharsis in Northern California’s Gold Country, where she unwittingly keeps company with several families of deer. When it comes to entertainment, she enjoys The Good Place for its ethical fortitude point-system formula, which has infiltrated almost all of her decision-making moments.

John Lyon is a Southern California native who cut his teeth in writing and editing during a 10-year stint at Robb Report. His natural affinity for technology has led him to write about subjects ranging from mechanical watches to hi-fi audio equipment to airplanes. A TV junkie, he is looking forward to rooting for super-hacker Elliot during the final season of Mr. Robot, and his inner comic book fan is hoping against hope that Batwoman ends up being good.

As a writer, storyteller, and strategist, Geoff Nudleman has built a career telling unique stories around the globe. He began covering the travel lifestyle in 2016, and has contributed to Travel Channel, Bloomb-

The Magic Touch, p. 56

Home Game, p. 18

Keeping Up with Culture, p. 54

RAMSEY QUBEIN

PAUL RUBIO

WHITNEY VENDT

Ramsey Qubein writes about the hotel, cruise, and airline industries from every corner of the globe. He flies more than 450,000 miles per year, has traveled to 166 countries, and has lived in Madrid and Paris.

His work has appeared in numerous consumer and industry publications, including Travel+Leisure, Reader’s Digest, BBC

Travel journalist and photographer Paul Rubio has lived in nine countries and traveled to 132 (and counting). His writing appears in Condé Nast Traveler, AFAR, Florida Design, Palm Beach Illustrated, and Fodor’s publications. Though reruns of Portlandia and Parks and Recreation are his TV go-tos, his current TV obsession is The Handmaid’s Tale for the dark show’s relevance in today’s political climate.

Whitney Vendt is a journalist and author in Los Angeles and has been contributing to CSQ since 2013. She has also written for Annenberg Digital News and served as fiction editor for Southern California Review.

She has a master of professional writing degree from USC and a degree in English from Kenyon College. Currently her favorite show is Stranger Things due to its exemplary storytelling and pacing.

Explora It All, p. 84

Personal Paradise, p. 86

Modell of Success, p. 58

Worldwide, USA Today, Frommers.com, Fodors.com, Conde Nast Traveler, Airways, Travel Age West, MSN.com, Bustle.com, and AAA magazines. You’ll find him watching Schitt’s Creek on Netflix and reruns of Family Guy anywhere he can find them.

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Contributors

erg Pursuits, Digital Trends, Robb Report, Barron’s, and AskMen.com. He can’t get

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18 Tech and Gadgets 19 Cigars 20 Wine 21 Spirits 22 Style 24 Air 26 Land 27 Water 30 Furnishings 32 Private Club Report 34 Watches

Desirables

Part 1

Desirables - Cover Page

Madsummer, the 311-

foot megayacht from Lßrssen, will debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Read more about the event on page 27.

CSQ Q3 2019

17

TECH & GADGETS

GOLD MEDAL ANTIQUE CITATION 16-OZ. POPPER Proper game-day grub is always close at hand with Gold Medal’s Antique Citation 16-ounce popcorn popper. Exhibiting a charming vintage aesthetic, the popper is equipped with a large kettle that can accommodate even the biggest party and a forced-air crisping system to ensure the snack stays nice and crunchy between reloads.

Home Game New tech gear for the at-home sports enthusiast. By John Lyon

$2,500

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SENNHEISER AMBEO Forget about complicated surround-sound setups: The AMBEO Soundbar from legendary German audio manufacturer Sennheiser emulates a multi-speaker 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos experience— including a subwoofer and four ceiling speakers—with a single powerful unit placed under the HD MULTI-SPORT SIMULATOR Take armchair quarterbacking to the next level by completing that pass you just know Tom Brady should have made with the HD Multi-Sport Simulator. In addition to football passing and field-goal kicking, the simulator can replicate sports ranging

GARMIN MARQ ATHLETE The Garmin MARQ Athlete smartwatch is jam packed with features to take any active sports lover’s game to the next level, whether their preferred pursuit is swimming, biking, skiing, golfing, or a myriad of others. In addition to the connected features you would expect from a smartwatch (email, text messages, music controls), it is equipped with GPS and a color screen that can display course layouts, trails, and maps. It also features a bevy of sensors to keep track of health metrics like heart rate—useful information whether you’re playing a particularly intense pickup game or your team is just down in the fourth.

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18

DESIRABLES

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from golf and soccer to hunting, bowling, and even lacrosse. It is available in a number of standard curved- and flat-screen configurations, but can also be built to custom sizes.

From $795

Desirables - Tech

SAMSUNG 98-INCH CLASS Q900 QLED The centerpiece of any sports fanatic’s game-time shrine, a big beautiful TV is the key to an immersive experience, and the Samsung 98-inch Class Q900 QLED hits it out of the park. The giant display delivers unmatched clarity with its 8K resolution and top-of-the-line, high-dynamic-range image processing that makes colors pop off the screen. While there isn’t much 8K content available yet— although sports are usually the first to broadcast in new resolutions—the Class Q900 will upscale content broadcast in lower resolutions to take advantage of all those pretty pixels.

television. Utilizing an array of 13 drivers, the AMBEO creates a 3-D sound space by analyzing the room’s specific acoustics and using its reflections to replicate sound coming from multiple positions.

hdmultisport.com

SHINOLA FOOTBALL Whether kept on display in your den or enlisted into active duty between quarters, this gorgeous football from Detroit-based luxury goods maker Shinola is sure to catch an eye or two. Bedecked in fine royal blue leather, the football is handsewn with black stitching and emblazoned with the Shinola logo. For those with more conventional tastes, the company also offers a version in traditional brown. $150

shinola.com

GAMEROOM GOODIES NFL BLITZ 2000 GOLD Midway’s NFL Blitz series defined arcade-style football action in the late ’90s. With simple controls and over-the-top tackles (including body slams and elbow drops), it was the perfect pick-up-and-play game for settling casual grudges or just punishing your rival team. Now,

Gameroom Goodies brings that excitement into your home with the NFL Blitz 2000 Gold arcade machine featuring an original arcade board (the game’s “brain”) housed within a newly built cabinet with a modern LCD display and controls for four. $3,700

gameroom-goodies.com

CIGARS

Cigars to Fall For

Autumn brings to mind spice, foliage, warmth, and the changing colors of nature. More full-bodied, rich, and hearty than the lighter selections we suggest for summer, these five cigars feature a medium body and flavor without being too peppery or biting, with tasting highlights that match the season.

By David Weiss, Owner, Lone Wolf Cigar Company & Lounge

E.P. CARRILLO ENCORE MAJESTIC Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, the man behind the famed La Gloria Cubana brand, scored a No. 2 cigar of the year with his La Historia line. The Encore cigars are, fittingly, an encore to that hit cigar, and they don’t disappoint, earning Carrillo the No. 1 cigar of the year this time around. The first all-Nicaraguan cigar from the Carrillos, it features filler tobacco from MICALLEF RESERVA LIMITADA PRIVADA Micallef cigars are produced by the legendary Gómez Sanchez family in Nicaragua, and the Reserva Limitada is the crown jewel of the Micallef flagship brand. Blended from five different unique tobaccos each aged eight years, the cigar features a filler of Honduran, Dominican Republic, and Peruvian leaves,

the Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa regions that has been aged for two years along with its Nicaraguan binder and wrapper. This is a complex but relatively smooth and naturally sweet smoke, unusual for a Nicaraguan puro. Notes of caramel, nutmeg, and cinnamon, along with an undertone of citrus, round out this wonderful, balanced, and intriguing cigar. $11.50

binder from Nicaragua, and habano wrapper from the famed San Andrés region of Mexico.

This combination makes for an incredibly rich and complex smoke, containing unusual tasting notes of sweet peppers along with fresh fruit and nutty undertones. A truly rich, unique, bold entry into the cigar world. $42

Desirables - Cigars OLIVA SERIE V MELANIO

Smoother Nicaraguan smokes are hard to find these days, but Oliva has produced one of the best in their Melanio series, earning the No. 1 figurado-shaped cigar of the year in Cigar Aficionado a few years back. The Melanios feature long-filler Nicaraguan habano ligero tobacco, usually known for its heavy power and spice. By carefully selecting leaves TATUAJE 15TH ANNIVERSARY Offered in two sizes—a Belicoso and the larger Torpedo Grande—the Tatuaje 15th Anniversary cigars feature a pointed tip, which tends to focus and intensify flavor. They feature Nicarguan binder and filler and an Ecuadoran Rosado wrapper that comes in two varieties, an Oscuro and a Claro. The Oscuro offers a dense, DAVIDOFF ROBUSTO REAL ESPECIALES 7 Davidoff ’s special-edition cigars are nothing less than spectacular, and the Robusto Real Especiales 7, a reissue of one of its most popular short-run limited editions from 15 years ago, lives up to this reputation. The 7 stands for the seven different strains of tobacco blended to make up this incredible cigar. Here we have filler from five different regions of the Dominican Republic, a Dominican binder, and a spe-

CSQ Q3 2019

from the Jalapa region, coupled with a precise aging and fermenting process, Oliva has managed to keep the full, complex nature of Nicaraguan ligero without overwhelming strength or peppery bite. This filler, along with an aged Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, yields a balanced, smooth yet full smoke that’s leathery and nutty, naturally sweet with chocolate notes, and a mild spicy quality. $14

rich flavor and remains smooth throughout its smoke with a wonderful blend of coffee, chocolate, some mild spice, and a nutty, slightly floral character as well. Many of Pete Johnson’s Tatuaje cigars lend an almost candy bar–like flavor to the typical Nicaraguan spicy offering.

This cigar highlights that quality.

Belicoso: $19 Torpedo Grande: $21 cial Ecuadoran habano wrapper. The result is a smoke that combines the best flavor qualities of Davidoff’s Signature, Aniversario, Grand Cru, and Millennium lines. A medium-bodied cigar with a roasted, nutty quality, the flavor is balanced by sweeter light chocolate flavors, at times even floral, it remains a darker, denser smoke than your typical Davidoff Dominican blend. It’s rich, smooth, never harsh or spicy, with a consistent burn and draw. $28.50

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WINE

President and principal of Wally’s Wine & Spirits (wallywine.com), Christian Navarro, reveals his latest discovery: the fine wines from former Los Angeles Laker Sasha Vujačić.

Full Court Press

After working in wine for over three decades, I like to think I have an innate talent for recognizing right away when a wine is special. After the first sniff of Aleksander Estate’s (aleksanderwine.com) illustrious Bordeaux-style blend, I knew we had something marvelous on our hands. Aleksander Estate is the newest Paso Robles star and is rooted in a belief that a family’s bond is the strongest bond of all. Their journey started in Slovenia, a country recognized for distinct wines of all kinds. Goran and Ksenija Vuja were professional volleyball players, while their son Aleksander “Sasha” was a young, rising basketball star. The family moved to Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy, where Sasha signed a professional basketball contract. Goran felt inspired to take full advantage of living in another incredible wine region. Together, Sasha and Goran’s passion for wine developed further and they hoped to one day make wine of their own. In 2009, while Sasha was helping the Lakers to what would become a championship season, Goran and Ksenija focused their time on finding the perfect piece of land for their family winery. With soil like Bordeaux and sunshine like Napa, the S&G Estate in Paso Robles was the ideal foundation. Aleksander Estate’s wines are far more than world-class Bordeaux blends—they are the result of a family’s promise to make something truly spectacular. These wines are not to be missed. Here, my conversation with Sasha about family, winemaking, and business.

Desirables - Wine

Why did your family come to Paso Robles to make wine?

We saw great potential in the region, primarily in terms of terroir, as well as the Central Coast’s growing recognition as a wine county. On a more practical note, Paso also stood out for its proximity to our home base, Los Angeles. Our quest for the ideal property was deeply influenced by our search for the Merlot variety of grapes. When we came across the property that we now call S&G estate, we immediately recognized its potential and could not pass up the chance to call it our own. Its healthy vines, idyllic landscape, and charming aesthetic made it the perfect place in which to bring our vision to life. Our main Merlot vines, which are now nearly 30 years old, provide us with quality fruit each year.

What is the mission of Aleksander wine?

To produce a quality product and a meaningful wine experience. Our wine club was founded on our desire to connect with our members in a human way. Wine is poetic and powerful in that it has the capacity to bring people together and reignite their appreciation for the simple things: conversation, laughter, and storytelling. It is our hope to make Aleksander a family tradition, one that

20

DESIRABLES

will be passed down from generation to generation. Aleksander will always reflect our Old-World palate and the wines we love to drink. If I could use a somewhat marketing catchphrase, our goal is to “produce OldWorld-style wines in the New World.”

How does wine coincide with your basketball career?

I discovered my passion for wine through basketball. I began to explore the wine regions of Italy with my dad during the early stages of my professional career. I quickly developed an interest in the wine industry and was eager to expand my knowledge.

Team dinners almost always included wine since it is an essential facet of Italian culture, and sharing a good glass of wine after a win,

or even after a loss, always brought the team closer and made for interesting stories and anecdotes. During off-season, the wine-making process also helps me to relax and unwind before the basketball season.

What does the future of Aleksander wine look like?

The future of Aleksander looks bright! As with any business, it took us a couple of years to learn the industry. I’m a firm believer that life is not a sprint, but a marathon. We have been blessed to have met the right people who see potential in our product and our family passion. We are constantly inspired by the support and loyalty of our wine-club members and are committed to nurturing our family tradition.

SPIRITS

Three years of patience is now being rewarded as a cult bourbon returns to retail shelves.

Scout’s Honor

John Foster and John Little

By Shaun Tolson

Desirables - Spirits When Smooth Ambler was founded almost a decade ago in the sleepy town of Maxwelton, West Virginia, the small-batch distillery produced gin, vodka, and a wheated bourbon that was bottled young and that served as a precursor to the company’s current Big Level expression.

About 18 months later, the distillery further diversified its portfolio with the release of Old Scout, a 5-year-old bourbon that boasted a high-rye mash bill. To anyone paying attention, that chronology made it clear that Smooth Ambler was relying on sourced whiskeys to create its latest bourbon, but the distillery’s operational and marketing executives took no chances with that clarification, brandishing Old Scout bottles with a label that declares the liquid was “scouted during our efforts to find an exceptional American Whiskey with smoothness and flavor we admire.”

“We saw the chance to source whiskey and do it openly and honestly and to celebrate it,” says John Foster (above, left, along with CEO John Little), the distillery’s co-founder and national director of sales and marketing.

Thanks to its comprehensive facility, which includes a staging and bottling area, Smooth Ambler could take control of the final stage of Old Scout’s creation. The distillery’s team received all barrels of its sourced bourbon and, after tasting the examples, cherry-picked the best to be expertly blended

CSQ Q3 2019

and subsequently bottled on site. “Imagine a chef that goes to the farmers’ market every morning,” Foster says. “He’s picking the best ingredients that are available that day. That’s what we do with Old Scout.”

Less than two years later, as many craft bourbon brands were rightfully being chastised for crafting romantic yarns about the origins of their whiskeys—when, in reality, that liquid was sourced from industry-leading producers like MGP of Indiana (the same source as Smooth Ambler’s high-rye bourbon)—Old Scout retained its cult following, perhaps in part due to its early commitment to transparency. In fact, demand for Old Scout increased to where, three years ago, Smooth Ambler’s team realized its reserves were running low.

Rather than blend and bottle younger whiskeys to maintain Old Scout’s availability, Smooth Ambler decided to temporarily suspend Old Scout bottling. “We’re not afraid of money,” Foster says, “but we don’t want to hustle anybody. It didn’t seem right to sell a whiskey much younger than what we had established it as.”

Now, after a multiyear hiatus, Old Scout is back. “We got barrels transferred here recently, and when I first smelled their contents, I thought, ‘This is why I fell in love with this whiskey,’” Foster reveals. Of that first tasting that he conducted with Smooth

Ambler’s CEO and master distiller, John Little, he says, “We got really nostalgic because I remembered smelling this whiskey for the first time in 2011 and being blown away by it.”

The whiskey pours a medium amber, which suggests some richness, and it delivers expected toffee, caramel, and vanilla notes, with additional hints of leather and tobacco. The whiskey’s long finish is accented with a touch of spice from the rye, but not so much as to impact the bourbon’s easy-drinking nature.

Best of all, Old Scout is produced at a retail price of $45. Before you let that modest price tag influence your opinion of the whiskey, keep in mind that Henry McKenna Single-Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon was named Best Bourbon of 2018 following a blind taste test at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and that 10-year-old bourbon carries a price of just $35. Hefty prices don’t always equal high-quality liquid.

“It is priced well for whiskey lists and cocktails,” Foster says of Old Scout. “That high-rye recipe is fantastic for some classic cocktails.”

Of course, Old Scout is equally enjoyable poured neat, on the rocks, or with a splash of water. Its versatility is something to cherish.

“We’re serious about the whiskey,” Foster says, “but unpretentious about the way that somebody would choose to enjoy it.”

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STYLE

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Desirables - Style 2.

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1. JOHN ELLIOTT 2. 1017 ALYX 9SM 3. WALES BONNER 4. PERSOL 5. VETEMENTS

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DESIRABLES

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1. BALENCIAGA 2. BALENCIAGA 3. BALENCIAGA 4. BALENCIAGA 5. BALENCIAGA 6. JACQUEMUS

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Desirables - Style

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1. SACAI 2. PALM ANGELS 3. RICK OWENS 4. SAINT LAURENT 5. BOTTEGA VENETA

CSQ Q3 2019

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1. BURBERRY $270 2. GUCCI $435 3. BURBERRY $1,090 4. BURBERRY $450 5. BOTTEGA VENETA $7,000 6. BURBERRY $490

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VISIONARY AIR

Flying High

THOMAS FLOHR FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN VISTA GLOBAL

Thomas Flohr, who runs one of the largest private aviation companies in the world, shares how he found success in the sky.

By Samantha Brooks

Desirables - Air

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Earlier this year, JetSmarter and XOJET were acquired by Vista Global, which was founded by Thomas Flohr in 2018 to create an on-demand, private travel platform, XO. XO leverages the power of JetSmarter’s innovation and technology and combines it with XOJET, one of the largest and most well-respected private aviation companies in North America.

Under Flohr’s leadership, Vista Global offers a range of private aviation services, from jet management to on-demand booking. Here, Flohr shares insights into running one of the largest and most expansive brands in the ever-evolving aviation industry.

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DESIRABLES

What got you into aviation?

What was your vision for VistaJet?

After university I started working in asset fi- While I was growing my first company, VistaJet, nance but very quickly found my experience in into the global-market-leading brand it is today, the corporate world too political, too regiment- I could see there would be significant demand for ed, too slow. But working in a large corporate a larger group that could offer a truly combined environment gave me access to the world of customer offering, no matter your needs or budget private air travel. Immediately, I was struck by or where in the world you needed these services. the huge variation in standards and quality— Being an entrepreneur and striving for the there was no definite in what you were going best you are always looking for the next opto meet on the tarmac and most aircraft were portunity to disrupt a market. Our industry reliant on owner’s release. I could see there was too fragmented, technology was beginwas a gap in the market to create a premium, ning to make its way into the sector, and yet at cost-effective, simple, and standardized mod- the same time, there remained a huge disconel for all fliers globally, which is why I start- nect between the large amount of supply and ed VistaJet, and more recently, Vista Global. high demand in the market.

There was a major gap for a group to come in and link everything together, to create an ecosystem. So, I established Vista Global to create a network that manages the industry better, more efficiently, for operators and for customers.

We’re introducing the latest and most innovative technology, managing successful on-demand operators, operating a live marketplace, while continuing to seek the best growth opportunities globally, albeit with different brands. VistaJet is the asset-light alternative to aircraft ownership, while XO is the digital marketplace for on-demand flying.

Our goal is to make flying privately simpler for everyone.

What has it taken to get where you are today?

First is the passion for bringing value to clients. I always wanted to fly planes and kept an interest in aviation, so it was natural for me to end up starting an aviation business.

The second point that led to the success of my companies is creating a good culture, maintaining a start-up culture even if you end up expanding into a large global company and scaling up. I believe that it’s vital to encourage a collaborative company, where everyone is encouraged to generate ideas and where they feel they have a stake in the business succeeding—encouraging discussion and debate for the benefit of customers and the brand.

And the third point and maybe the most important point, relates to the people I’ve hired during my time. Experts in their field, entrepreneurially minded themselves, and ones who will continue to push our company for the future.

the next generation of internet connectivity technology, a first in our industry.

The second trend is that people are moving away from the aircraft itself being a luxury. Ten to 15 years ago, just the aircraft itself was the luxury. What we’re now seeing are customers who want their discerning lifestyle carried into the aircraft cabin itself. The customers are more demanding and continuity needs to be delivered.

The third is to be global. People are no longer doing business on the road. It’s across countries and continents. But it’s not just business, it’s also personal relationships too.

Mobility is vital for business leaders. The old adage of doing business with people is still there, but business leaders are no longer sticking to their comfort zones. They’re moving into new frontiers and markets that have rarely been explored before. People are always looking for new opportunities and they can’t always do that in their backyard anymore. Private aviation gives them that flexibility.

What are some misconceptions about private aviation?

The biggest misconception is that it’s just about luxury and excess. The vast majority of our fliers are people who are looking for an efficient and time-saving way to travel. We provide a service that ensures consistency and ease of use.

Desirables - Air

Looking back, is there anything you’d do differently?

We have flown to and from the United States since the beginning, but in terms of operations we could have brought our commitment to the U.S. market further forward. North America remains a key growth driver—in 2018 VistaJet saw a 46 percent increase in flights in the region and 21 percent of the brand’s global fleet at any given time is in the market.

Our flights, particularly through our VistaJet business, ensure a home away from home for our fliers. VistaJet is continually flying the world’s leading CEOs and boards across the world—what we provide them is a time-saving way of travel that completely removes stress and hassle. Our role is to ensure they can get to the right meetings on time and in comfort. The biggest problem probably remains wasted flights and seats. With XO, we’re aiming to vastly reduce that by providing seat-sharing options. If we have fliers that don’t need to book a whole aircraft then they can book a seat on an existing flight and share with others. It means that flying is even more efficient and accessible for everyone involved.

Where would you like Vista Global to be in 5 or 10 years?

We’ve built the scale and infrastructure and have the experience to challenge industry norms. Our focus is on bringing the most innovative products and technological solutions to strengthen our unrivalled customer offerings. In five years, I believe we’ll be a case study for innovation-backed, fast, and sustainable growth.

It is clear to see the impact that disrupters across industries have made in recent years, just take the likes of Spotify, Uber, Amazon, and Netflix. We are taking the same ambitious approach to private aviation and are driving the industry forward. end

1. Thomas Flohr runs Vista Global, one of the largest private aviation companies in the world.

2. An aircraft in the XOJET fleet.

3. The XO app, powered

by JetSmarter, allows customers to book flights on demand.

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What are most CEOs/executives looking for when flying private?

The overarching demand from our travelers is that they can save time, stay connected and travel in a comfortable environment that matches their exact needs. In terms of the trends we’re starting to see more often, by far the biggest change we’ve seen is connectivity and that’s a reflection of the way the world is moving. Everyone is more connected, whether they’re in the air or on the ground. The more time our customers are spending in the air, the more they want to be keeping close to their business engagement and their families too. Hence, we just announced the rollout of CSQ Q3 2019

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Land Rover’s new take on the classic Defender delivers an SUV with a penchant for off-road adventures. By Shaun Tolson

LAND

Off Road and On Point

Desirables - Land From the moment it made its debut at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948, the Land Rover Defender—then known simply as Land Rover—has epitomized off-road, all-terrain, adventurous driving. By 1966, the British automaker had built half-a-million examples and exported them all around the world.

A decade later, those production numbers had doubled. In 1990, the iconic adventure vehicle was formally branded the Defender, and across subsequent decades, Land Rover’s flagship model has continued to evolve. That is, until global production came to a screeching halt in early 2016.

In September 2019, after 43 months of extensive engineering and testing, Land Rover’s new Defender was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The automaker’s contemporary interpretation retains the model’s characteristic short front and rear overhangs—design features that create optimal approach and departure angles—plus a sidehinged rear tailgate and externally mounted spare tire. Those elements, combined with the vehicle’s purposeful upright stance, have produced a modern Defender that pays homage to the original’s unmistakable silhouette.

“The new Defender is respectful of its past but is not harnessed by it,” says Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s chief design officer.

“This is our vision of a modern Defender.

The clean body side contrasts dramatically

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DESIRABLES

against the sheer verticality of its front and particularly its rear to create a reassuringly purposeful stance.”

Speaking of purposeful, Land Rover developed an all-aluminum platform for the new Defender, a monocoque construction that has produced the stiffest Land Rover body to date. Three times more rigid than a traditional body-on-frame design, the new Defender’s foundation now supports a fully independent suspension, twin-speed transfer box, and permanent four-wheel drive.

It also means that every body panel on the Defender is exclusive to the model, fabricated on a dedicated assembly line.

The new Defender also offers plenty of customizable options. Buyers can choose from a dozen wheel designs—ranging from 18-inch, white-painted, pressed steel rims to 22-inch Luna alloys. They can also select one of seven exterior colors (including three new metallic shades), and they can further enhance their vehicles with one of four accessory packages. The explorer pack, for example, includes a lightweight expedition roof rack and an exterior side-mounted gear carrier; while the adventure pack features a trunk-mounted integrated air compressor and a portable rinse system equipped with a 1.7-gallon pressurized water reservoir. For those who prefer trekking the concrete jungle, Land Rover created an urban

pack identified by a bright rear scuff plate, a front undershield, and a spare wheel cover, among other accoutrements.

Regardless of the terrain that they intend to traverse, consumers can accelerate with confidence, knowing that Land Rover put the model through all its paces. The vehicle’s on-road dynamics were dialed in at Germany’s Nürburgring facility, for example, while its off-road capabilities were tested along the rocky trails in Moab, Utah and across Dubai’s sand dunes. All told, the Defender performed in environments where the mercury spiked as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit and plummeted to as low as negative 40 degrees.

By the end of April, the model’s fleet of prototypes had logged almost 750,000 miles.

Buyers in the U.S. market have two powertrain options: They can select a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which produces 296 horsepower, or a six-cylinder Mild-Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) powertrain, which produces 395 horsepower. In either configuration, the new Defender is boosted by Land Rover’s proprietary Configurable Terrain Response, a system that allows drivers to fine-tune the vehicle’s setup to best conquer an area’s unique off-road conditions.

The new Defender 110 will go on sale this coming spring, starting at $49,900, with a shorter wheelbase variant scheduled for release later in the year. landroverusa.com

Now in its 60th year, the largest in-water boat show in the world just got better. By Samantha Brooks

WATER

Come Sail Away

Marquis Lexus 65

Excellence

Desirables - Water

As the yachting capital of America—with its central location, expansive marina, yacht brokers, repair yards, and variety of marine-related business—Fort Lauderdale hosts its namesake boat show each fall. As the largest boat show in the world, it’s known for featuring a wide arrange of yachts, yacht accessories, and boats of all sizes.

“Where Monaco is just for big boats, we represent all of the marine industry, so we have everything from paddleboards to super yachts,” says Andrew Doole, president of U.S. boat shows for Informa, the company behind the Fort Lauderdale and Miami shows. “Every facet of the boating business is represented.”

To that end, this year’s show, held October 30 to November 3, will exhibit all of the key elements it has become noted for, including yacht furnishings and accessories,

CSQ Q3 2019

48 Wallytender

Vida

a separate pavilion just for electronics, and all the biggest names in yachting: Feadship, Heesen, Benetti, Abeking & Rasmussen, Burgess, and more. Plus you can visit the new Superyacht Village at Pier 66 South, designed for boats of 300+ feet.

“It’s an entirely new concept where we’re moving these big names to their own luxury yacht village, along with exhibitors like Airbus and Ferrari,” explains Doole. “It’s a different ambiance, where you’re meant to linger for a while. There’s a bar and restaurant, and events that will be hosted there throughout the show.”

Fort Lauderdale’s mayor, Dean Trantalis, will host an opening-night cocktail party, while a November 1 chef’s competition will feature chefs from the top local yachts.

Also new for this year, the VIP section

has moved to the waterfront, and will include new watches from Ulysses Nardin and displays from Delta Private Jets.

When it comes to show-stopping yachts, there are numerous debuts this year. Among the highlights: Excellence from Abeking & Rasmussen, a 262-foot, futuristic ship

by Winch Design; the 180-foot Vida from Heesen, featuring nearly 1,200 square feet of sundecks and designed to be environmentally sensitive; Majesty 140, a 140-foot superyacht from Gulf Craft, a first-time exhibitor; Marquis Lexus 65, a 65-foot yacht from Marquis-Larson and car manufacturer Lexus; and 48 Wallytender, the first collaboration between Wally and Ferretti Group, built by Ferretti and designed by Wally. flibs.com

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CUSTOM CONTENT

Selling in Style Nikki and Robb Friedman have been fortunate to work with a diverse group of clients, from families aiming to purchase their first homes to high-profile individuals, celebrities, and professional athletes looking to sell. Natives and residents of Calabasas, Nikki and Robb have extensive knowledge of cities and neighborhoods across Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, and the Conejo Valley. Here, the team shares their insights into what makes for a successful real estate relationship.

Luxury real estate agents Nikki and Robb Friedman of Compass share their insights and expertise.

What separates you from the many other real estate agents?

Robb: Nikki and I have diverse backgrounds.

deals with players from the Lakers, Dodgers, Rams, and more. Nikki and I continue to nurture those relationships and other high-profile referral clients to handle their home sales or purchases. Building trust and true value to all that we work with is priceless.

I bring over 30 years in marketing and advertising experience to the table and have always had an eye for aesthetics, designing motion picture sets in my early years, which led me to interior design. Nikki’s degree in What is the most rewarding thing about psychology and her 20-plus years’ experience your job? in the service-and-hospitality industry give Nikki: I know that buying a house is one of her the unique ability to work with anyone the most stressful moments in a person’s life. and truly understand where they are coming When a client gets their dream home, I see from at each moment of the real estate expe- them smile and know that we have made rience, along with all the emotions involved a huge impact on their life. My husband and I love finding properties that are diamonds in in the process. the rough. It’s amazing to transform someHow has your design background impact- thing that someone would have walked away from into the envy of the neighborhood. ed your work in real estate?

Nikki: Design is so important to what we do, These special moments contribute to building as we’re not just buying and selling homes, we lifelong relationships with our clients. are really selling a lifestyle. Not only do we help put our clients’ houses on the market, but Tell us more about why giving back to your in many cases, we stage them, and our buy- community is a big part of what you do. ers usually bring us on after their purchase to Robb: I donate many paintings each year help them remodel and design. I can now walk to various charities to help raise money and into any house and know what walls need to Nikki has worked many different charities, come down to maximize the space or how such as The Cheesecake Factory Oscar & Evemuch it will cost to completely revamp the lyn Charitable Foundation, to raise millions over the last several years. I sit on the board of property into a well-designed home.

Walking Strong, a charity that raises money How does sports intersect with what you do? for families that have a child with Duchenne Robb: I have been a sports and entertainment muscular dystrophy, a tragic disease in young fine art painter since college and have had the boys, and we both work to execute their anhonor of creating many commissioned pieces nual gala. Working with pro athletes to raise for professional athletes. In 2006, the Muham- awareness and fight for a cure is important to mad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, chose us both. And for the last 11 years, I have had my painting of Muhammad Ali to open the the honor of serving as a reserve deputy with museum, and from there I created several last- the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Departing relationships with pro athletes that even- ment, where I serve and protect the commutually turned into negotiating endorsement nities around us.

Compass - Friedman

Q&A 28

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LetsDoThisLA.com

1. Before spend­ ing seven years in the NFL as a linebacker, Terry Crews studied art at Western Michi­ gan University.

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FURNISHINGS

Crews Control Modern Renaissance man Terry Crews reveals a new furniture collection with Bernhardt Design.

By Carolyn Meers

For Becca, his third furniture collection for Bernhardt Design, actor, TV host, author, artist, and furniture designer Terry Crews melds sleek modernism with plush, inviting comfort. Named for Terry’s wife of 30 years, Rebecca, the collection has been crafted to address the complaints she often has about modern furniture: that it tends to be rigid and uncomfortable. The Becca collection includes an 8-foot sofa (starting at $5,000), a large, cozy club chair (starting at $2,400), and a 6-foot settee (starting at $4,000).

“The furniture should feel like a warm hug,” says Crews. “It’s voluptuous, it’s curvy, there are no hard lines to it, and it’s very comfortable, which is a new thing for a lot of modern furniture.”

Crews, 51, attended Western Michigan University and majored in art before becoming a linebacker in the National Football League for seven years, where he enjoyed field time with the L.A. Rams, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins before retiring and revving up his acting career. Current credits include television series Brooklyn Nine-Nine and films The Expendables and Deadpool 2. During his days in the NFL, Crews maintained a strong affinity for making art, often earning extra money by painting teammates’ portraits.

Crews first partnered with Bernhardt Design in 2017 for Ibis, his debut furniture collection.

“As an artist, Terry understands the beauty of lines and shapes that can be captured by the human hand and are difficult to achieve with computer-based design,” says Jerry Helling, president of Bernhardt Design and a devoted Crews collaborator. “Due to its simplicity of form, Becca works well in many different architectural settings and blends well with other furniture and design objects.”

To create the new collection, Crews began by hand sketching the designs. The pieces’ softly sloping lines and sumptuous shapes were inspired by “transitional architecture,” which fuses classic and modern aesthetics to create a look that—much like Crews’ eclectic career—defies simplistic categorization. “At the end of the day, Terry is a storyteller who can move comfortably between styles,” says Helling.

Crews describes Becca as being “an encapsulation of the principle of transitional architecture because it blends soft curves that suggest emotion with modern lines that propose intellect.”

The new Becca collection is available in any Bernhardt textile fabric, or a material of the client’s choosing. Crews’ material of choice for all Becca designs is a rich velvet, which he says looks good in any color. “My favorite piece in the Becca collection is the sofa— it’s the centerpiece of the home,” he says.

In addition to the trio of pieces available now, a collection of modular elements will be released later this year. bernhardtdesign.com

2–3. His new furnishings collection is called “Becca,” named after his wife.

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4. Each piece in the collection is meant to feel like a hug.

Desirables - Furnishing

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DESIRABLES

Troy Anthony

The under-the-radar, private Miramar Club debuts in Santa Barbara.

PRIVATE CLUB REPORT

West Coast

Beach Bliss

By Samantha Brooks

1. The new Miramar Club is located on the 16-acre beachfront Rosewood Miramar Beach.

2. The Manor House bar is a cozy refuge.

3. One of the property’s many areas to relax and repose.

4. The new Rosewood Miramar Beach was more than a decade in the making.

Over a decade in the making, the Rosewood Miramar Beach resort debuted in March 2019 with 161 rooms and suites nestled on 16 acres of secluded beachfront. Over the years, hoteliers from Ian Schrager, who purchased it in 1998, to Ty Warner, who purchased it next, attempted to revive it before Caruso stepped in and reawakened the project in 2007. While the resort has garnered much fanfare and attention, what has received little attention is its private club.

With only 200 members at launch, the Miramar Club is geared toward locals and second-homeowners in the Montecito community. Founding members include former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas Nicole Avant and her husband, Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer; talent manager Scooter Braun and his wife, Yael Cohen; and acclaimed Southern California interior designer Jeffrey Alan Marks. The invitation-only venue was designed

by Dan Fink and is located adjacent to the Rosewood Miramar Beach hotel, where members have access to the hotel’s gym and serviced beach.

The vibe is intentionally casual yet sophisticated, meant to be a well-tended, well-designed spot for the Southern California community that appreciates Santa Barbara’s accessibility, coastal charm, and unbuttoned luxury. The two-story club is outfitted with nautical-inspired furnishings, dark woods, and shades of deep blue that complement the hotel’s Paul Williams–inspired designs. Among its facilities are a private bar and restaurant, available exclusively to members and their guests, as well as private outdoor deck space that overlooks the Pacific, just north of the hotel.

While the intimate club offers its members full services, varied menus, and its own holiday parties and events, members are also encouraged to visit the hotel for its spa, bocce ball courts, many bars, including the Manor Bar with its oversized fireplace, and restaurants like the beachfront Caruso’s and Malibu Farm. Although the club intends to stay small and quiet, ultimately the entire project is created to invoke a sense of community, and the Miramar Club is just another way to bring locals together. For inquiries,

Desirables - Private Club - LA 1

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miramarclub@caruso.com

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DESIRABLES

PRIVATE CLUB REPORT

East Coast

Fresh Face

The iconic Bath Club in Miami Beach is reawakened with a new design, new membership, and new attitude.

By Samantha Brooks

1

In its early days, the iconic Bath Club, located at 5937 Collins Avenue in the heart of Miami Beach, counted founding members as internationally recognized as Hoover, Cartier, and Boeing when it opened in 1927. While it has spent the last several years as a private event space, its current owners, CSQ’s 2019 Visionary of the Year in Real Estate & Finance, Don Peebles, and his wife, Katrina, are set to debut its revamped interiors this winter, during Art Basel Miami.

“About 20 years ago, when we came to Miami on a break from Washington, D.C., we had rented an apartment across the street from the Bath Club,” recalls Katrina. “Our son was 2 and I had been looking for a good beach to take him to. I stumbled across the club, and we ended up becoming members.”

Shortly after, Don received a call from the media, asking how he felt about being the first black member, and his response was, “If there’s a barrier to break, I’m happy to do it.”

Fast forward to 2006, and the property was available for sale. The couple put an offer on the historically designated, Mediterranean Revival building, ultimately winning over the board with their pledge to allow the club to carry on. Legacy was most important to its members.

The club continued to run as a private event venue until this year, when the couple decided to turn it back into a private beach club steeped in heritage but for today’s world. “One of the most important points we plan to enact is our Bath Club vision of fostering exclusive inclusivity,” says Katrina. “Our club will be imbued with a feeling of home and easy elegance for our members.”

The club will be intentionally uncrowded, with membership limited to a small group of no more than 200 members. “Many of the early members who have come to us already have a beautiful home in Miami or Miami Beach

Desirables - Private Club - NY

CSQ Q3 2019

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1. The private dining room will provide an intimate space for just 20 guests.

2. Local women-led design firm Antrobus + Ramirez took a global approach to the design and furnishings of the new Bath Club private beach club.

but not directly on the beach,” says Katrina. “They want a place that is authentic and premium and that’s for their family and has heritage.” Katrina also points out that family memberships are liberal, allowing extended guests.

To help realize this project they’ve chosen local womenowned-and-led design team Antrobus + Ramirez. “We’re always committed to giving 35 percent of our work to womenand minority-owned businesses, and the rebirth of this icon is no

3

different,” says Katrina.

“This is a special passion project,” says designer Alison Antrobus. “We took a global approach to the design and furnishings. It’s colorful, but not too loud. There’s a layer of patina on everything, like a home passed down from generation to generation.”

Not including the interior courtyard, outdoor areas, and poolside lounge, the club offers 26,000 square feet of indoor space. The historic Governor’s lounge and courtyard will be-

3. In addition to a beautiful stretch of serviced beachfront, members will have access to a variety of dining venues.

come the club’s main restaurant, while the ballrooms will be kept as event venues and private member spaces for resting, meeting, and working. Additional features include a private dining room with a fireplace and seating for about 20, courtyard loggia, poolside café, and terrace with Latin spirits, aged rums, and tequilas.

The club will have a soft debut during this December’s Art Basel Miami (December 5–8), hosting a handful of events (including one for Dior). thebathclub.com

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WATCHES

Amid all the sports cars, private jets, yacht parties, and big-money power plays on HBO’s show Ballers, are some pretty sweet watches. Through its five seasons, the over-the-top show, which stars Dwayne Johnson as a retired NFL player turned sports-business dealmaker, has been one of the best places on TV to spy impressive timepieces, thanks to the interest in horology of both the show’s costume designer, Robert Mata, and its 6’ 5” star.

The Fast & Furious franchise actor and former

Buying Time A behind-the-scenes look at timepieces that steal the show.

By Degen Pener

WWE champion—who topped the Forbes list of most money earned from acting in 2018 ($124 million) and 2019 ($89 million)—values durable, highly legible watches with a heavy feel that can be worn anywhere. CSQ spoke with Mata, who has dressed Johnson since 2014 for fi lm and television roles, about how he chooses timepieces for Johnson’s flashy character, Spencer Strasmore (whose wardrobe is full of bright colors and bold plaids) and what watches he has his eye on now.

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Desirables - Watches

How do you source watches for the show?

A lot of times I will be looking through a magazine and go, “That’s a great watch.” I’ll tell HBO’s prop department that that’s a watch I want to use this season and they’ll reach out. That’s how I came across Arnold & Son. We used a couple of their watches in season 2.

It’s interesting though, some of the watch companies are really cooperative and sometimes they just don’t want to deal with us.

Really? You mean not every watch brand is tripping over themselves to loan Dwayne Johnson a watch?

I think some watch companies don’t need the exposure.

How did watches become such an important accessory on the show?

That was one of the first things we tried to do when we first created the character. We created small things that would set him apart.

Watches can be really subtle and not a lot of people really know about great watches.

We tried to find watches that were not really ostentatious but would stand out because they are quality timepieces. Most of all, they have to be the right size for him.

What are some other accessories that have gotten noticed by fans?

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DESIRABLES

We also make him stand out with his sunglasses and shoes. The last couple of seasons we’ve used Dita sunglasses, including their Flight-Seven model. Those are really awesome glasses. For shoes, I like the Magnanni brand because the color options are just incredible.

With his character, I want that Miami flamboyance, vibrant colors and interesting plaids and nothing boring. You could put a grey suit or a blue suit on anybody.

Tell me about some of the watches he’s worn on the show.

Th is season, he’s wearing Panerai, Audemars Piguet, and Arnold & Son. In past seasons, he’s worn pieces by Hublot and Ulysse Nardin; a Richard Mille Automatic Flyback Chronograph Regatta with a white band that was like $180,000; Arnold & Son’s Time Pyramid skeleton watch; and a Breitling Transocean Chronograph Unitime. I liked it because it was not the general look of the brand.

What does Johnson have in his personal watch collection?

He’s always been into Panerais. I think he must have eight or nine of them. Pretty much whenever he does a new fi lm, we always try and give him something different from the last fi lm. In Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, he wore a Panerai Luminor

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Submersible and we put a suede band on it.

How long have you been into watches?

Growing up, I loved watches. I remember the first watch I bought when I started working.

It was a Movado Museum watch, the classic.

After that I bought a TAG Heuer, then I went to a Krieger, and then jumped to a Rolex Submariner and then kept going. I’ve got a couple of Panerais and a Cartier Santos. I’ve gotten my wife into watches, Chanel and Cartier, as well. I’m a big fan. I just love going to a watch store and looking to see what’s out there.

How do you match a watch to an outfit?

If it’s a leather band, you generally match it to you belt and your shoes. If it’s a metal bracelet, you can pretty much wear that with anything.

And you just try and keep the tone of the face along the same color lines of the outfit. If it’s a dark suit, you go for a grey or a dark face.

For some of these lighter outfits, you can make it a little bit more playful watch.

WATCHES WORN ON BALLERS SEASON 5 AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK FROSTED GOLD SELFWINDING CHRONOGRAPH

PANERAI LUMINOR DUE

ARNOLD & SON TOURBILLON CHRONOMETER NO. 36

“Dwayne wore this in a scene where he’s contemplating taking ownership of the Kansas City Chiefs. We wanted him to look like a million bucks. This watch is gorgeous,” says Mata of the 41mm automatic watch with a royal purple dial. The glinting frosted effect is achieved by hammering the white gold case and bracelet with a tiny diamond-tipped tool. Limited edition of 200.

Panerai, Johnson’s go-to brand, has appeared on his wrist in such films as San Andreas, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Fast Five, and most recently, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. On the newest season of Ballers he wears Panerai’s 45mm automatic Luminor Due, which features a grey sunburst dial and a case made out of the brand’s patented Goldtech alloy, which includes copper and platinum (to reduce oxidization).

Johnson has worn Arnold & Son since season 2 of Ballers, when he sported its Time Pyramid skeleton watch, which he tweeted was “one of my fav watches. Amazing piece.” For season 5, he wears two Arnold & Son watches: the brand’s TEC1 in a palladium case and its 46mm Tourbillon Chronometer No. 36 with a tourbillon, gunmetal DLC-coated case, red-gold bridges, and main plate. Limited edition of 28.

$63,300

$25,500

$40,500

audemarspiguet.com

panerai.com

arnoldandson.com

Desirables - Watches WATCHES MATA HAS HIS EYE ON

1. Robert Mata has been dressing Dwayne Johnson for film and television roles since 2014.

2. Dwyane Johnson as his Ballers character, Spencer Strasmore, whose watches enhance his character.

CSQ Q3 2019

IWC PORTUGIESER CHRONOGRAPH

VACHERON CONSTANTIN TRADITIONELLE GRANDES COMPLICATIONS

“I love IWC and the Portugieser is just such a classy-looking watch. The one with the silver face is one of my favorites. You can dress it up.

You can dress it down,” says Mata, who would love Johnson to wear this piece sometime in the future. This 40.9mm self-winding timepiece in 18-carat 5N gold has a slate-colored dial and 44-hour power reserve.

“I love how complex the face looks. It’s such a beautiful watch,” says Mata of this wish-list watch. A highly complicated, hand-wound perpetual calendar timepiece in pink gold, it includes a tourbillon and such functions as sunrise/sunset, leap year, and equation of time, in a 44mm case.

$16,600

iwc.com

Price upon request.

vacheron-constantin.com 35

VISIONARIES AWARDS IN SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

CSQ VA

VISIONARY OF THE YEAR

Byron Allen | Entertainment Studios

NEXTGEN 10 Michelle Edgar | Epic Records David Halperin | Criterion Global

OTHER VISIONARIES BEING HONORED

Ben Hindman | Splash

Christina M. Francis | Magic Johnson Enterprises

Heather Brooks Karatz | LA Wildcats

Mitchell Modell | Modell’s Sporting Goods

James Karkling | Observer Media

Rohan Oza | CAVU Venture Partners

Katie Loeb | Loeb.NYC

Ilya Pozin | Pluto TV

Matthias Metternich | Art Of Sport

OCTOBER 28, 2019 CORE CLUB NEW YORK 66E 55th Street New York, NY 10022

Travis Montaque | Holler Jonathan Skogmo | Jukin Media Danny Wax | Forelinx

SPONSORS & PARTNERS

To inquire about sponsorship or access please contact us: events@csq.com

By Invitation Only csqvisionaries.com

38 Visionary Alumni Updates 40 Of Note 42 Op-Ed by Elliot Mermel INNOVATIVE OFFICES 44 Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein &Â Lezcano 45 BMG Music LIST 46 NextGen 10 VISIONARIES 52 Ilya Pozin 54 Rohan Oza 56 Christina M. Francis 58 Mitchell Modell VISIONARY OF THE YEAR 60 Byron Allen, Entertainment Studios

Sports, Media & Entertainment

Part 2

Sports Media Ent - Cover Visionary of the Year, Byron Allen, at the headquarters for The Weather Channel, which he recently purchased for $300M.

CSQ Q3 2019

37

CSQ ALUMNI COMMUNITY OF

Visionaries in Sports, Media & Entertainment

VISIONARIES OF THE YEAR

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2018

2016

2013

BRIAN GRAZER Co-Founder and Producer, Imagine Entertainment

TROY CARTER Founder and CEO, Atom Factory

CLIVE DAVIS CCO, Sony Music Entertainment

September marked the Netflix debut of the heralded documentary Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Life, created by Ridley Scott and Chris Perkel. Davis serves as executive producer of the upcoming Aretha Franklin installment of National Geographic’s Genius series, produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard.

2017

2015

JANET EVANS Vice Chair and Director of Athlete Relations, LA 2028

DAN BECKERMAN President and CEO, AEG

2017

2014

2012

ALLYSON FELIX Athletes’ Advisory Commission, LA 2028

DANA WALDEN Chairman, Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment

PAUL KESSLER AND DIANA DERYCZ-KESSLER Founders, Bristol Capital Advisors

Sports Media Ent - Alumni

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

VISIONARIES

BONIN BOUGH Founder and Chief Growth Officer, Bonin Ventures JEFF LEVICK CEO, The Players’ Tribune DAVID RENZER Former Chairman and CEO, Spirit Music Group GILLIAN ZUCKER President of Business Operations, Los Angeles Clippers

Zucker was recognized

by UN Women as a Champion of Change. Last year, the Clippers debuted CourtVision, a revolutionary digital viewing experience.

The team has donated 1 million backpacks to schoolchildren in need in Southern California.

In September, Harvey and his son participated in the first Baja 400 with Robby Gordon.

LISA HENSON CEO and President, The Jim Henson Company CHERYL BOONE ISAACS Former President, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences CAITLYN JENNER Olympic Decathlete and TV Personality STAN KASTEN President and CEO, Los Angeles Dodgers

KEITH BRACKPOOL CEO, Santa Anita Park JEANIE BUSS CEO and Managing Owner, Los Angeles Lakers MELISSA CARBONE Founder and CEO, Ten Thirty One Productions BRYAN CLAY Olympic Decalthete RICK EISERMAN CEO, Engine North America and Trailer Park ROB FRIEDMAN Former Co-Chairman, Lionsgate; Former Chairman and CEO, TMP Entertainment

CSQ Q3 2019

GENE SIMMONS Musician (KISS) and CoFounder, Rock & Brews RENATA SIMRIL President and CEO, LA84 Foundation A.G. SPANOS President of Business Operations, Los Angeles Chargers JOHN SPANOS President of Football Operations, Los Angeles Chargers

JON KIRCHNER CEO, Markel Corporation

PAUL STANLEY Musician (KISS) and CoFounder, Rock & Brews

STEVE LEHMAN Founder and Chairman, Business Rockstars

DAVID STERNBERG Former CEO, Rugby International Marketing

JOHN MAIER CEO, Blue Microphones

JOHN TERZIAN AND BRIAN TOLL (2016) Co-Founders, The h.wood Group

Sports Media Ent - Alumni LAILA ALI Former Boxer and TV Personality

JAY SAMIT Vice Chair, Deloitte Digital

SELEMA MASEKELA Host and Executive Producer, Vice World of Sports PATRICK MCCLENAHAN CEO and President, Goodwill Southern California WALTER O’BRIEN Founder and CEO, Scorpion Computer Services RICHARD RADDON Co-Founder and Co-CEO, ZEFR RYAN RADDON, AKA KASKADE Musician and Producer

In 2019, h.wood Group opened Mason in Santa Monica and all-day restaurant and marketplace Alice in 1 Hotel West Hollywood.

MIKE TOLLIN Co-Founder and CoChairman, Mandalay Sports Media

Tollin is currently producing The Last Dance, a 10-hour series on Michael Jordan and the Bulls for Netflix and ESPN, debuting in 2020.

PETER GUBER Chairman and CEO, Mandalay Entertainment

ANGELA RUGGIERO Co-Founder and CEO, Sports Innovation Lab

PETER UEBERROTH Former Chairman, U.S. Olympic Committee; Former Commissioner of Baseball; Co-Owner, Pebble Beach Company

DARIN HARVEY Founder and CEO, Fight Tribe Management

KEN RUTKOWSKI Co-Founder, Business Rockstars

JOHN WELSH President, Film Independent

39

OF NOTE

NAME OF THE GAME

Briefings, Updates & Analysis

By James Faris

Sports Media Ent - Of Note

AWARDING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT The Grammy Museum’s Grant Program will be music to the ears of 15 recipients. The funds, totaling $200,000, will support music research, sound preservation, and efforts that examine the impact of music on human development.

Past grant winners were awarded $5,000–$20,000 for researching links between musical training and autobiographical memory; conducting studies on the relationship between singing accuracy and cognitive function; and digitizing, preserving, and archiving rare interviews with African American performers and composers. Upwards of $7.5M has been funded by the Recording Academy and awarded from the Grammy Museum to 400 recipients through its grant program.

grammymuseum.org

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SoFi secured naming rights to the new home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers for 20 years for $400M. The state-of-the-art stadium opens in Inglewood in 2020 and will cost around $5B. It will host the Rams, which returned to Los Angeles in 2016, and the Chargers, which relocated in 2017, as well as the

2022 Super Bowl and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Olympics. (Currently, the New York Giants and the New York Jets are the only two NFL teams that share a stadium.) SoFi CEO Anthony Noto took the helm of the online personal finance startup—valued at $4.3B—in 2018 and served as the NFL’s chief financial officer from 2008 to 2010.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

lased.com

SIZE MATTERS Momentum is building toward construction of a sports and entertainment stadium at the 34-acre site of Westfield Promenade, a shopping mall in the Warner Center business district development in Woodland Hills, California. The Entertainment and Sports Center, which gained approval from a zoning administrator in July 2019, will have 7,500 seats, half the originally expected mark of 15,000, and much fewer than comparable stadiums in Downtown Los Angeles, like the Staples Center (21,000) and the Forum in Inglewood (17,500).

Supporters of the fully enclosed stadium believe it will generate economic growth in the San Fernando Valley, but some locals fear increased crowds will bring pollution, traffic, and parking shortages. The center is a key component of the Promenade 2035 Plan to revitalize the area around the Warner Center by the mid-2030s.

promenade2035.com

WESTWARD HO The NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers wants to move from Downtown L.A.’s Staples Center, where the club currently shares a home with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Owner Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, aims to invest

an estimated $100M in an effort to move to Inglewood. The Clippers told Inglewood city manager Artie Fields that up to $75M would go toward low-interest loans for affordable housing in the city and that their “community benefit plan” would be the largest connected to a stadium in the state.

Ballmer said the 18,500 -seat

stadium will cost around $1B and include spaces for community use. Many associate the Staples Center with the Lakers given their historical success. Since the arena’s opening in 1999, it’s hosted seven NBA Finals—all featuring the Lakers. The Clippers’ lease with the Staples Center ends in 2024. nba.com

opened in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in October and is expected to draw 40M visitors per year.

American Dream features more than 450 attractions, including restaurants, shops, services, and entertainment venues. Adding

around 110,000 daily visitors to the traffic-congested roads of New Jersey has some concerned, though the economic upside is tantalizing. Development was overseen by Triple Five Group, the owners of Mall of America and

West Edmonton Mall, two of the four largest malls in North America. The former draws around 42M visitors annually and generates an estimated $2B for Minnesota.

Sports Media Ent - Of Note

DREAMING BIG For those near New York City, t h e “A m e r i c a n D re a m” n o w means more than hard work for a better life. A 3-million-squarefoot shopping mall by that name

CSQ Q3 2019

americandream.com

41

Partnering with NBA ALLSTAR Paul Pierce in the CBD industry.

By Elliot Mermel

Sports Media Ent - Op Ed

OP-ED

Cause Celeb

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There appear to be two common methods of building a celebrity brand: 1. Pair an inexpensive, generic product with a brandable celebrity to differentiate from competitors, spending resources on marketing rather than on research and product development. 2. Bring a celebrity onboard after the brand has established itself.

The approach my business partner, Paul Pierce, and I took is different from both of these approaches, and, arguably, could prove to be more successful.

We decided to partner and build Airmyth Supply Company from the ground up, focusing on research and development of a solid, premium consumer product, Vesper—the most luxurious vaporizer device available in the CBD market. The results of this approach have seen a deeper celebrity connection to the brand, as well as a quality product coupled with a quality endorser.

Contrary to most other celebrity-endorsed products and businesses, Paul has been deeply involved with the business since its inception, leading meetings, hosting fundraising events, and partaking in overall creative direction. Most celebrity endorsers have little to no control over the creative direction of opportunities that come their way.

When their attention is split between so many opportunities, having an outlet that provides them with the chance to give input allows them to directly see the impact from their involvement. Consequently, Paul has an innate attachment to our brand

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

and truly cares about its success. Th is is an important differentiator. Also important is delivering a product that aligns with the celebrity’s reputation.

By having a product that supports the celebrity’s image, the customer views the endorsement as genuine rather than as a financial transaction. While Paul’s presence converts customers, the quality of our product retains them.

But how did a guy from Rhode Island who first moved to California to start growing edible insects and a future NBA Hall of Famer enter into business together?

A Serendipitous Encounter

One Sunday a few years back, I was at a bar on Sunset Boulevard pondering my newest start-up. After completing my baccalaureate studies at Colby College, I withdrew my enrollment in medical school to study bioentrepreneurship at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Shortly after completing my master’s program, an interest in the future of food security inspired a move to California to establish the state’s first edible insect farm, Coalo Valley Farms. We grew crickets and mealworms in a completely closed-loop system, offering a sustainable source of animal protein for human consumption.

But the cannabis industry soon caught my attention.

I began passionately studying the ins and outs of commercial cannabis cultivation and founded Titan Biologics, pivoting away from food production

and instead focusing on marketing organic soil amendments to the cannabis space. While at Coalo I’d made various connections at insect farms with low production costs and realized the value of a terrestrial-based chitin source that could organically boost a plant’s immune response to detrimental insects, increase root growth and nutrient uptake while avoiding the drawbacks of marine-based chitin sources. At Titan Biologics, I launched OptiVeg, an organic chitin-based soil amendment isolated from various insect exoskeletons and used as biofertilizer to assist vegetative plant growth.

But none of this would seem relevant until this particular Sunday afternoon at a Hollywood bar.

A patron walked up to the bouncer. I looked closer and thought, “Damn, that guy looks a lot like Paul Pierce.” When he took a seat at the table next to me, I realized this was in fact Paul Pierce himself.

He was just finishing his final NBA season as an L.A. Clipper and was sitting next to me. A Lakers fan from Rhode Island, I felt compelled to congratulate him.

“Hey Mr. Pierce, just wanted to congratulate you on an illustrious career,” I said. “I was probably the only Rhode Islander who didn’t root for you, but nonetheless I appreciate all the iconic moments you brought to New England and basketball fans alike.”

That kicked off some light banter, which led to a deeper discussion about what he had planned for retirement. “More family time, rest, relaxation, and pursuing more diverse business ventures,” he said.

The conversation progressed, and as I was preparing to leave, I asked if I could have his email address. In addition to building Titan Biologics, I told him, I was also working on a side project developing CBD topicals.

“Mr. Pierce, I know a lot of retired athletes struggle with pain management and arthritis, so I’m wondering if I could give you some of my CBD lotion. Your input would be invaluable for me as I work to improve and perfect my recipe,” I said.

I could tell this question piqued his interest.

“You’re in the cannabis space?” he quickly replied.

lighting, irrigation, packaging, and fertilizers.

However, early on we decided that a B2B product such as fertilizer was not nearly as marketable as a B2C product. It is a lot easier to sell a Paul Pierce vaporizer, an accessory, than a Paul Pierce lightbulb or bag of fertilizer. Given the momentum that vapes then had, and our mutual belief that the market was evolving beyond combustion-based consumption, a vaporizer brand seemed like a great place to start.

So, we founded Vesper, a luxury vape company, and The Truth, a comprehensive CBD brand.

Vesper

Vesper is the first brand Paul and I started under the Airmyth Supply Company. Paul was the seed financier and serves as president, while I take care of all operational and managerial duties. I’ve assumed the responsibilities of both CEO and COO. That said, we would like to find an outside COO so I can shift away from the monotonous operational aspects of the business and focus more on the creative aspects.

Recently, we fulfi lled a large distribution deal through the Eaze Wellness platform and secured our fi fth patent. Vesper One units retail for $89 and Vesper Pods range from $30–$50. Currently, we are adding the finishing touches to a Vesper Mini and Vesper Disposable, two cost-effective alternatives, while working on our PlayOn CBD line of oral sprays and topicals designed for athletes and active individuals. As we continue developing the international markets of both Vesper and The Truth, Airmyth Supply will be expanding into other promising business opportunities such as eco-friendly packaging solutions, cultivation hardware, and software applications. eND

Sports Media Ent - Op Ed Becoming Business Partners

ELLIOT MERMEL Airmyth Supply Co-Founder and CEO Elliot Mermel grew up in Rhode Island, completed his undergraduate studies at Colby College in Waterville, ME and his postgraduate studies at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

He has pursued entrepreneurial ventures in fields from artificial intelligence to sustainable agriculture. Currently Elliot works full time managing Airmyth Supply Company, an IP holdings company focused on ancillary cannabis products that he co-founded with Paul Pierce.

CSQ Q3 2019

Paul Pierce and I could not have lived more different lives. But that didn’t stop us from finding commonalities. We shared a free-flowing imagination, penchant for creative tangents, and competitive nature fueled by a refusal to quit. Our mutual love for hiphop and chess would foster a friendship that naturally progressed into a business partnership. During our daily chess matches, we would discuss diverse marketplaces, namely, the cannabis space, where we saw shortcomings and where we saw opportunity.

From an entrepreneurial standpoint, I’ve always been a firm believer in not dealing with a commodity directly. Instead, I focus on developing the intellectual property and ancillary products that every cultivator, manufacturer, retailer, and consumer of the commodity will touch. From this mindset came Airmyth Supply Company, an IP holdings company focused on the research and development of novel products ancillary to the cannabis space. Paul and I wanted to start a company that would build and accumulate an IP portfolio surrounding ancillary niches of the cannabis market, such as vaporizers,

BY HAVING A PRODUCT THAT SUPPORTS THE CELEBRITY’S IMAGE, THE CUSTOMER VIEWS THE ENDORSEMENT AS GENUINE RATHER THAN AS A FINANCIAL TRANSACTION. 43

INNOVATIVE OFFICE

Los Angeles

Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano

On the 17th floor of one of the most iconic entertainment office complexes in Los Angeles—the trio of buildings includes the 44-story Century Plaza Towers and 12-story 2000 Avenue of the Stars building—you’ll find the bright and colorful law offices for Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano. The atmosphere is meant to reflect the philosophy of its lawyers and the brand’s objectives: diversity, inclusion, transparency, and fairness.

Industry Entertainment Law Firm Location Century City Scope 11,000 square feet Architect Minoru Yamasaki and Associates Interior Design NxT studio Floors 1 Notable Features • The firm’s existing art collection established the design focus of each space and reflected the diverse backgrounds of its team.

For instance, there’s a subtle Japanese influence at the reception desk, an African influence in the pantry, and a modern European influence in the private offices and conference rooms.

• The offices serve a variety of purposes, including hosting client events, educational presentations to law students, and evening cocktail parties.

• The lobby/conference room can accommodate up to 200 people thanks to a sliding Muraflex wall system that opens up the spaces.

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Sports Media Ent - Office - LA 4

1. The reception area combines marble, dark woods, and a bright painting. To the right, a conference room features retractable walls to open the space.

2. A James Rosenquist painting is the highlight of the reception seating area.

3. Bright colors are a central theme of the office, reflecting the sunny attitudes of the staff.

4. Optional standing desks give the legal team variations while working at their desks.

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5

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5. Even the board room takes on a nontraditional aesthetic, with its asymmetrical table and light leather chairs.

6. The kitchen and pantry area has the casual vibe of a café.

7. When retracted, the walls of the conference room open up to create one large, free-flowing space.

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SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

INNOVATIVE OFFICE

New York

BMG Music

Known for his sophisticated offices for some of the entertainment industry’s heaviest hitters, Tim Gajewski, founder of NxT studio, also created this showstopping office space for BMG Music in New York. The spaces are located on the 18th floor of the 20-story One Park Avenue office building (Robert A. M. Stern Architects, responsible for creating some of the highest-priced residential buildings in New York, has the two floors below), and serve as the Gutersloh, Germany– based music giant’s U.S. headquarters. The firm manages the song portfolios for Bruno Mars, John Legend, Morrissey, and David Bowie.

Industry Music Location Kips Bay Scope 25,000 square feet Interior Design NxT studio Floors 1 Notable Features • The office’s centerpiece is The Venue, a flexible-use area where artists and BMG employees gather to share a coffee or a beer from the bar, listen to music, or watch the latest client music video.

• A custom ceiling sculpture above The Venue, called Sound and Vision, was fabricated from 10,000 hickory drumsticks.

Its shape was created from an algorithm using the music of David Bowie.

• The custom, industrial conference-room table was made by a fabricator in Detroit who provided artisan jobs in a city well known for its rich music history but that has also known many struggles.

1

Sports Media Ent - Office - NY 2

1. BMG executives requested that “craft or craftsmanship” be key when selecting furnishings and finishes.

2. The offices of BMG Music in New York are on the 18th floor of a 1926 office building.

3. BMG manages the song portfolios for Bruno Mars, among others.

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4. Cymbal-shaped discs over the conference table help with acoustics.

5. The clients did not want a stuffy or uptight workspace.

6. Vintage furniture and accessories were found in the East Village and Bowery and incorporated throughout.

CSQ Q3 2019

45

NEXTGEN 10 SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT We’re pleased to introduce this quarter’s diversified class of industry disruptors, entrepreneurs, decision makers, and rising stars in sports, media and entertainment.

From a golfer turned entrepreneur (Danny Wax) and messaging extraordinaire (Travis Montaque) to a music marketing powerhouse (Michelle Edgar), our NextGen 10 share a hunger for innovation, a matchless determination, and an abundance of grit.

HEATHER BROOKS KARATZ

PRESIDENT, LOS ANGELES WILDCATS, XFL Age: 35 About: I am responsible for the team’s fan engagement and business operations, including ticket sales, corporate partnerships, marketing, content, communications, community relations, and the game day experience.

Company: The Los Angeles Wildcats are one of eight teams in the XFL, a new spring professional football league launching in February 2020.

All Los Angeles Wildcats games will be nationally broadcast by XFL’s media partners, Disney, and Fox. The team will play its home game at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.

Residence: Los Angeles Company HQ: Beverly Hills Education: BA, Spanish, Vanderbilt University; JD, UCLA School of Law. Industry: Sports Awards: Honored as a WISE (Women in Sports and Entertainment) Woman of Inspiration for 2019 in Los Angeles.

Notable projects: Served as executive vice president and general counsel of the Los Angeles Football Club,

one of the most successful expansion franchises in history, and Banc of California Stadium, a new premier venue in Los Angeles. Additionally, I represented more than 300 professional athlete clients across the NFL, NBA, and MLB as general counsel and senior vice president of Independent Sports and Entertainment and assisted with labor negotiations for the most recent NHL collective bargaining agreement.

Advice: Time is valuable.

Use it wisely.

Success: Finding the perfect balance between personal and professional success.

Mentors: My parents Local companies you admire: In-N-Out and The Walt Disney Company.

First job: Intern for the Washington Wizards when Michael Jordan was on the team.

Guilty pleasure: Frozen yogurt and tequila.

In the morning: My 3-year-old twins serve as my alarm clock by jumping on me in the early a.m. I have a mug of green tea and go to the gym.

Before bed: Catch up on the news of the day and on social media.

What keeps you up: I am president of a brand-new professional football team whose season is kicking off in a few months. We have a lot to do in a short amount of time.

Year ahead: Staying true to the Los Angeles Wildcats’ mission of authentically connecting with our community and developing a committed fan base.

MICHELLE EDGAR

VP BRAND MARKETING, EPIC RECORDS Age: 37 About: I build strategic alliances between artists and brands through creative marketing and brand partnerships in the music and entertainment space.

Giving back to the community and community building are also key to my work as executive director of Music Unites, a nonprofit funding after-school music education programs, and as founder of The XX Project, an inviteonly membership community bringing leading women in business together across diverse industries to propel collaboration and innovation.

Company: Epic Records is a record label under Sony Entertainment. Artists on the roster include Travis Scott, DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, Camila Cabello, Meghan Trainor, Jennifer Hudson, and Sade.

Residence: Los Angeles Company HQ: Los Angeles Education: BA, journalism and piano performance; minor, business, Northwestern University.

Industry: Entertainment Awards: Recognized for creating strategic marketing partnerships and campaigns for Grammy-winning and up-and-coming artists.

Sports Media Ent - NG10

46

NEXTGEN 10

Notable projects: Clients include Travis Scott, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, and Wu Tang Clan. Secured key sponsors such as American Express and SheaMoisture for 2019 Spirit of Life Gala honoring Epic Records Chairman and CEO Sylvia Rhone. Managed Rick Ross’ performance at the Alexander Wang/Bulgari fashion week event.

Advice: Troy Carter’s words of advice have always stuck with me: “Grace. It’s a powerful five-letter word.”

Success: Living your truth and pushing boundaries each and every day make it EPIC! Leaving behind a legacy with my work in the community.

Mentors: Sylvia Rhone (chairman/CEO, Epic Records), Lavinia Errico (co-founder, Equinox), Jon Cohen (cofounder and co-CEO, The FADER/Cornerstone Agency) and my mom, Barbara Ferraro.

Local companies you admire: Epic Records, BAM Ventures, Hello Sunshine, Netflix, Hillman Grad Network, Quibi.

First job: Vanity Fair Guilty pleasure: Rachmaninoff ’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (second movement is a must!) and chocolate.

In the morning: Work out with a run or hot yoga class.

Before bed: Taking time to reflect.

What keeps you up: Recharge and rest are key to me. I need my beauty sleep!

Year ahead: Making sure I deliver the absolute best services for my company, artists, and brands, while innovating and pushing boundaries.

DAVID HALPERIN

PRINCIPAL, CRITERION GLOBAL Age: 34 About: I co-founded Criterion Global over 10 years ago. The company has become a trusted partner to CMOs of major brands for orchestrating global media investment strategies that are accountable to business outcomes. We’ve brought numerous U.S./Western brands into international markets and created industry-changing best practices in how media is planned and bought for the digital-first brands of today.

Company: We were founded to bridge the gap between media-buying agencies and consulting firms—the latter having shallow practices in marketing and media, and the former heavily consolidated and disrupted by digital.

Recently, we’ve expanded to build an in-house advisory practice for consumer-facing, mid-cap, and DTC brands all over the world. It’s been a nonstop adventure. Offices in Miami, NYC, and Singapore.

Residence: Miami Beach, but more often an airplane or customs line.

Company HQ: Miami with additional offices in NYC and Singapore.

Education: BS, School of Foreign Service

at Georgetown University.

Industry: Media agency Awards: We don’t take awards too seriously, but we’ve won our fair share specific to the verticals of our practice, including the HSMAI Adrian Awards, Travel Marketing Awards, and Effie for advertising effectiveness.

Our work is about making our clients look good, not filling our own shelves and ego.

Notable projects: We’ve been fortunate to represent a wide variety of brands in varied verticals, but I’m most proud of our work launching the world’s largest U.S.-based domain registrar internationally, first in the UK, then in India.

This work struck at the core of what we do best.

Advice: Paraphrasing Warren Buffett, “When the tide goes out, you see who’s been swimming naked.” Hype fades.

Good businesses don’t.

Success: When we’ve taken on big, complex, international, and difficult projects, sometimes outside our core competencies, and created value for clients.

Mentors: I’ve been very lucky to have a multitude of people such as parents, partners, and vendors offering advice and championing our success.

Local companies you admire: Outside of Ralph Lauren, there are so few people that completely embody the brands they create. The companies I admire are those that completely own and evolve their brands. A few: Tyler Brûlé of Monocle magazine, who launched his first U.S. store in Brentwood in 2009, and Patrick Drahi, now of Sotheby’s.

Sotheby’s New York location is next to my NYC apartment, so I’m excited to see where Drahi takes that brand. And lastly, the late great Sir David Tang of Shanghai Tang.

First job: Salesperson at the Ralph Lauren in Georgetown for about 30 seconds.

Guilty pleasure: Panther Coffee in Miami and collecting cufflinks.

In the morning: Check my phone for emails that may have come in from other time zones while I was sleeping.

Before bed: Chat with our office in Singapore about the day’s adventures there.

What keeps you up: The nagging question: What am I not seeing that I should know about?

Year ahead: Continue to evolve from the perfunctory services of a media agency through the expansion of our consulting practice to empower brands to manage their global paid media independently.

BEN HINDMAN

Sports Media Ent - NG10

CSQ Q3 2019

CEO, SPLASH Age: 35 About: I built a squad. Splash’s success has truly been a team effort. I’ve been so inspired by the entire team—our shared passion for connecting people and helping brands create amazing event marketing programs is the foundation for what we do every day. It’s also how we’ve built the culture at Splash to what it is today, centered around collaboration, creativity, and innovation. One recent innovation I’m especially proud of and personally championed was launching the current version of the Splash platform, which gives our customers

47

more robust functionality and deeper analytics, all with an improved user experience.

Company: Splash helps businesses unleash the power of an in-person event across the organization. Leaders know how important it is to build face-to-face relationships with their customers and partners, but it’s difficult to empower people across the organization to host events without running into serious issues with brand integrity, data visibility, and compliance laws, like GDPR. Splash changes that.

We’ve built a platform that makes it easy for a trusted team to design entire event marketing programs that other people in the business can then use to market their own events.

Residence: New York Company HQ: New York Education: Human and organizational development, Vanderbilt University Industry: Entertainment Awards: Splash was ranked 1,127 on the Inc. 5000 this year, which was a huge accomplishment for the whole team. Personally, I’ve been honored to show up on some pretty cool lists alongside people I really respect, including AlleyWatch 2019 NYC Tech Influencers, 2018 BizBash Top 500 People in Events, and NYC Tech’s 35 people to watch in 2016.

Notable projects: My walking tour company, DC by Foot, becoming No. 1 on TripAdvisor. Producing JetMystery, Thrillist’s mystery flyaway to Jamaica. Splash launching at SXSW and powering 500+ events.

Advice: “Don’t hope.

Make damn sure.”

Success: When I am no longer afraid.

Mentors: Eben Pagan, first investor in Splash; Myles Kleeger, president of Braze; Scott Belsky, CPO of Adobe; Ben Lerer, CEO of Thrillist.

Local companies you admire: Salesforce, Marketo, Spotify,

Tableau, Red Antler, Breakfast.

First job: Dishwasher at an Italian restaurant in Cape Cod. Guilty pleasure: Haribo Fruit Salad.

In the morning: I make a smoothie for my 2-year-old, Zoe. Before bed: I honestly just pass out face-first every night.

What keeps you up: Not building the right product fast enough.

Year ahead: Build a community of world-class event creators. Attend 30+ events personally. Manage an elite executive team.

JAMES KARKLINS

players in business, policy, entertainment, technology, art, travel, real estate, and dining.

Residence: New York Company HQ: New York Education: BS, marketing and international finance, Bond University, Australia Industry: Online media Awards: Featured in Connectiv’s Emerging Leaders.

Notable projects: Growing Observer Media’s brand to an even broader national audience, introducing additional markets, including Los Angeles and Washington, DC, and launching a new membership offering for commercial real estate professionals.

Advice: Do the right thing and good things will come!

Success: At Observer Media, I’ve led my team through a number of changes and rallied them around new initiatives. We have since grown double digits and become a profitable business in our space.

Mentors: My former bosses and my peers who continue to inspire, motivate, and push me every day.

Local companies you admire: Via. I take it every day to and from work. Via is a ride-sharing start-up in New York that’s trying to carve out a niche in a market dominated

by Uber and Lyft.

First job: Working on the family farm in Australia, which taught me about hard work and responsibility at a very young age.

Guilty pleasure: Flat white latte from Bluestone Lane.

In the morning: I hit the gym and do a 10-minute meditation on Headspace, which helps me relax and have a clear approach to start my day.

Before bed: I tell Alexa to turn the lights off.

What keeps you up: Emails.

And trying not to answer them.

Year ahead: To continue to build a national, digitalfirst, media and events company. And on a personal

note, continue practicing meditation every morning and reading a new book each month.

KATIE LOEB

DIRECTOR OF BRAND AND STRATEGY, LOEB.NYC

Sports Media Ent - NG10

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NEXTGEN 10

PRESIDENT, OBSERVER MEDIA Age: 33 About: I’m a digital media executive with 10+ years of experience in business information, media, and events across Australia and the United States, where I have scaled digital businesses for growth. I oversee Observer Media’s businesses, including Observer, Commercial Observer, and Realgraph.

Prior to joining Observer Media, I was chief marketing officer for Newsweek.

Company: Observer is a digital media company chronicling the world’s power

Age: 32 About: Under my vision, Loeb.nyc has become one of the most unique and nimble venture firms in the space, identifying nascent start-ups and developing and funding them until fully fledged.

Company: By pairing smart capital with deep operational and marketing infrastructure, Loeb.nyc’s repeatable and dynamic model takes startups to the next level.

Residence: Chelsea, Manhattan Company HQ: New York Education: BS, psychology, Union College.

Industry: Media Awards: Responsible for The Or Not Experience, the company’s proprietary event series geared toward brand marketers. It focuses on the latest trends and tactics in the investment space. The flagship event draws a crowd of over 200 and takes place every spring in Southampton, NY.

Notable projects: Relaunching Dstillery’s newly acquired self-service platform.

Advice: Be stubborn about the vision but flexible around the details.

Success: When I feel so aligned with what I am doing, and so in sync with my team, that we don’t feel the impact of bumps in the road.

Mentors: Justine Watkins, Bonin Bough, and my dad, Michael Loeb.

Local companies you admire: Quality brands that are wellproduced and mission-driven, like Beekeeper’s Naturals, Four Sigmatic, and Simple Vodka.

Guilty pleasure: Anything on Bravo. I had to get rid of cable so I would stop watching the Real Housewives.

In the morning: Twenty minutes of meditation, followed by creative writing.

Before bed: Reading.

I’m currently alternating between Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

What keeps you up: How to create sustainable, generative, and creative cultures in the workplace.

Year ahead: Streamlining processes. When we’re organized about how we approach tasks, we leave more room for creativity and serendipity.

CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, ART OF SPORT Age: 33 About: I am an entrepreneur educated in design, coding, and finance. I’ve built enterprise, cloud-based software companies and consumer e-commerce brands. I am vertically agnostic and love all opportunities to disrupt and create meaningful differentiation and improvement through design thinking.

Company: Art of Sport is a performance-driven bodycare company formulated from the ground up with the world’s leading athletes and scientists. We are the only men’s skincare brand that has a full range of body-care products under $10 and designed without unnecessary chemicals. We launched in October 2018. We are now the fastest-growing men’s skincare brand in the country and available exclusively on Artofsport.com and Amazon.

Residence: Los Angeles Company HQ: Los Angeles Education: UCLA Industry: Sports Awards and Recognition: Art of Sport has been featured on ESPN and in USA Today,

a company selling computers in bulk to schools.

Guilty pleasure: Vanilla crème brûlée Keto cheesecake.

In the morning: Workout, coffee, news.

Before bed: Earplugs, AC set to 65.

What keeps you up: Seizing the enormity of the opportunity before us.

Year ahead: To finish our first year in business strong and continue our trajectory as the fastest-selling new men’s skincare brand online.

TRAVIS MONTAQUE

ronments. Leveraging a team of cognitive AI scientists, engineers, digital animators, and media industry veterans, Holler aspires to reimagine how we communicate online by delivering relevant visual content at the right time within the context of a conversation.

Holler partners with leading messaging platforms and delivers upwards of 170 million content recommendations each day to provide better chat experiences for users globally.

Residence: New York Company HQ: New York Education: BS, finance, University of Miami.

Industry: Media Awards: 2015 Techweek 100; 2016 Forbes 30 Under 30; Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2018 Most Daring Entrepreneurs.

Notable projects: From having a leadership role at 15, managing roughly 100 people at 19, and starting a business in college, to now serving 600 million messages a day around the world, I have had a lot of career highlights. This past summer, we rebranded Emogi to Holler. To expand beyond content and into conversations as a whole, the company needed a name that more clearly aligned with our goal: to be the one-stop shop for improving messaging.

Advice: Never be the smartest person in the room. With Holler, I never want to be the best technology expert or animator because I know that is not best for my company. To get Holler to where we are today, I made sure to surround myself with the brightest people in the areas that are important to my company, be it partnerships, marketing, or engineering.

To have success as a global company and cater to people in all corners of the world, we need to have diversity in thought and encourage varying expertise and perspectives to take a seat at the table.

Success: That stems from my team. When every individual feels empowered to share,

Sports Media Ent - NG10

MATTHIAS METTERNICH

CSQ Q3 2019

GQ, Sports Illustrated, and Men’s Health.

Notable projects: Beginning at age 14, I’ve started and built five companies.

Advice: My parents told me, “Maybe you should get a good, safe job at a large corporation.”

It upset me, so I did exactly the opposite.

Success: Building a business that changes a category, grows to become the global standard, and outlasts me.

Mentors: My brother, Alex, because he only lives in the present, and he values things accordingly.

Local companies you admire: Beautycounter, Honey, ServiceTitan, Bodyarmor Sports Drink.

First job: At 14, I started

FOUNDER AND CEO, HOLLER Age: 27 About: At age 23, I discovered a data-driven marketing method that provides greater emotional expression in today’s digital conversations. A regular speaker at marketing and tech events, I have taken the stage at Cannes Lions, CES, Social Media Week, Advertising Week, SXSW, and Harvard Business School.

Company: Holler is a messaging technology company that enriches conversations by creating and delivering useful, entertaining, expressive visual content that adds texture and emotion to messaging envi-

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create, and bring their full selves to the table, that is when I feel success as a leader.

Mentors: My boss at ChickFil-A taught me about the importance of a strong work ethic and how to be a leader. Today, I’m mentored by investors who’ve taken a personal interest in me and my career as well as advisors who each bring a different perspective to help me be a better CEO. Local companies you admire: I have so many! But my favorite right now is Upgraid.me, which is focused on providing people a natural way to take care of themselves to perform brilliantly. Could not be more appropriate for a bunch of busy New Yorkers!

First job: I got my start at Chick-Fil-A at age 15, starting behind the counter and then rising through five promotions to manage 120 people as a general manager at age 19. I dove into the company and learned a lot as I grew to even work with corporate on their South Florida expansion initiative.

Guilty pleasure: Comic books and all things Marvel.

In the morning: Check daily stats on the platform.

Then brush my teeth.

Before bed: Clear the in-box for a fresh start in the morning.

What keeps you up: Servicing 600 million messages a day.

Year ahead: Our goals are centered on growth: We are pushing the boundaries when it comes to our AI technology, in-house animated content, brand partnerships, and platform integrations. Holler’s offerings will be seamless, engaging, fun, and useful— exactly what people need, when they need it.

JONATHAN SKOGMO

FOUNDER AND CEO, JUKIN MEDIA Age: 36 About: I grew the company to more than 175 employees with offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, and New Delhi. I produced more than 200 hours of linear TV programming for networks such as Fox, MTV, Discovery, TruTV, and Channel 5 (UK).

Company: The world’s first media company powered entirely by user-generated video content, Jukin Media owns and operates various entertainment brands and offers Pluto TV, an Internet TV service. It provides licensing and clearance services to networks and production companies and rights management services for video-clip owners, and sells videos in the categories of wins, cute, newsworthy, fails, animals, humor, and cool stuff online. It also provides custom video content feeds for digital publishers, and offers its products through a distribution network, which includes premiere networks, digital publishers, broadcasters, brands, and platforms that license its videos.

Residence: Los Angeles Company HQ: Los Angeles Education: BA, film, Columbia College Chicago Industry: Media Awards: The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Gen 35 under 35 list, Cynopsis Digital’s It List, Multichannel News 40 under 40 list, named King of Viral Video

by VideoInk, member of the Producers Guild of America (co-chair of the Online Video Committee), Young Presidents’ Organization (Malibu Chapter), the Association of Media Content Users and Providers, 2019 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist.

Notable Projects: Founding Jukin Media and growing it into a 175-person company with offices in three countries; executive producing TV shows for Fox, MTV, the UK’s Channel 5, and others.

Advice: Never give up. Never give up. Never ever give up.

Success: Ultimately, success comes from working with people you love and admire, and I’m fortunate enough to work with 175 incredible people every day. I make sure those people are safe and secure, and can remain passionate about the business and their roles.

Mentors: Peter Guber (also a Jukin Media investor).

Local companies you admire: Beautycon and Pocket.watch.

First job: Newspaper boy at age 11.

Guilty pleasure: Deep-dish Chicago pizza.

In the morning: I don’t respond to emails, and I make myself a cup of coffee.

Before bed: Read books, articles, etc.

What keeps you up: Making sure the workforce is taken care of on a daily basis.

Year ahead: I’m happy to say I recently completed my biggest goal of the year— to marry the love of my life in the company of the people I care about most.

DANNY WAX

CEO, FORELINX Age: 32 About: I am a former professional golfer turned entrepreneur. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and have always dreamed of owning and operating a business that forever changes an industry.

Company: Forelinx is the best way to play fantasy golf and book tee times.

The Forelinx points system was built to provide golfers with a convenient and flexible way to play a variety of courses while saving time and money. Our new fantasy golf platform has created a user-engagement cycle that does not currently exist within the golf industry.

Forelinx members can bet their Forelinx points and cash out their winnings for rounds of golf, trips, products, and more. Our mission is to help people watch and play more golf.

Residence: Los Angeles Company HQ: Los Angeles Education: Business administration, University of Denver.

Industry: Sports Awards: To date, most of my awards have been golf related but I’m working on changing that.

Sports Media Ent - NG10

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NEXTGEN 10

Notable projects: Lucid Appeal, Spreadsheets App, HIPE Media.

Advice: Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

Success: Success is always remembering to balance work with passion.

Mentors: My dad, Marshall Wax (entrepreneur and investor), Art Antin (COO, VCA) and Miles Rogers (chief strategy officer, Wheels Up).

Local companies you admire: Peloton for its ability to create community through technology; Golden Road Brewing for picking a local market and dominating it; Square for empowering small-business owners.

First job: Working at a local skate shop.

Guilty pleasure: Frozen York Peppermint Patties.

In the morning: Check email and Slack.

Before bed: Spend time with my son (Weston) and wife (Toni). I try my best to unplug from technology before bed.

What keeps you up: A snoring English bulldog.

Year ahead: Close a round of funding to accelerate the growth of Forelinx’s new fantasy golf product. We’ve been a self-funded business to date and an injection of capital from a strategic partner would allow Forelinx to grow from a regional business to a nationwide business.

NEXTGEN UPDATES

SENIOR DIRECTOR, EVENTS AND VENUE OPERATIONS, MICROSOFT THEATER

What’s new with previous Sports, Media & Entertainment NextGen10 honorees?

CSQ checks in.

Microsoft Theater extended its partnership with the Television Academy by hosting the Emmys at Microsoft Theater through 2022.

BEN CONWAY AND ASHLEY CROWDER

ERICA LEE MILANA RABKINS

EVP, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION, THUNDER ROAD Served as the producer of box office hit John Wick:

Chapter 3—Parabellum.

KELLERUpdates Sports Media Ent -LUCAS NG10 CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, STEM Stem posted a 444 percent year-over-year revenue increase and launched Stem Direct, a concierge service that pairs labels and musicians with a dedicated Stem rep.

CO-FOUNDERS, VNTANA

RUSSELL GORDON CEO AND FOUNDER, MILK & HONEY MUSIC

Launched the Museum of Missy for the VMAs and Pepsi, allowing fans to be in Missy Elliott’s iconic The Rain music video and helping telecom companies show off 5G with live hologram telepresence across the globe.

Milk & Honey is expanding to London as it hits 16 employees stateside. Client successes include hit songs by Panic! at the Disco, Khalid, Drake and Rick Ross, Bryce Vine and YG, Y2K, Kehlani and Ty Dolla $ign, The Chainsmokers, and 5 Seconds of Summer.

CSQ Q3 2019

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1

VISIONARY LOS ANGELES

Wired for Success

ILYA POZIN CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER PLUTO TV

This serial entrepreneur shares how he developed a content-streaming service worth $340M—and where he’s headed next.

By Subrina Hudson

Sports Media Ent - Pozin

1

Nearly four years ago, Ilya Pozin was trying to entertain his 2-year-old daughter with YouTube videos as he worked at his computer. But the task became a pain as he struggled to find a steady stream of kid-friendly content to capture his daughter’s short attention span.

That experience led him to co-found Pluto TV, an ad-supported streaming platform offering curated channels, in 2014.

The Los Angeles–based startup gained traction, especially among cord-cutters, earlier this year when it was scooped up by media conglomerate Viacom for $340M. The deal gave Pozin a chance to head for the 52

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

exit door, but instead he remains committed to making Pluto TV a household name.

It’s not the first time Pozin has sold a startup. The serial entrepreneur has co-founded and sold startup development studio Coplex, where he currently serves as an advisor, as well as social greeting and gifting company Open Me and digital marketing agency Ciplex, which he launched at the age of 17.

Pozin’s passion and work ethic stem largely from his parents, who emigrated from Russia to Rockville, Maryland with $5,000 to give a then 8-year-old Pozin and his brother better opportunities.

Here, Pozin shares with his path to success.

ILYA POZIN

PLUTO TV

Age 36 Hometown Born and raised in St Petersburg Russia until 8, grew up in Rockville, MD until college Residence Los Angeles Family 2 daughters: Everleigh (6) and Paisley (8) Education B.S. in Information Systems from FSU, College of Information First job CompUSA Mentors Tom Antion

Founded 2013 Employees 200+

Moving from Russia to the U.S. must have been a big adjustment as an 8-year-old.

What was that experience like for you?

You come into school—I think I came into second or third grade—and everyone already has all their friends. I didn’t know a word of English. I had to take ESL and so it was really hard for me to fit in. I’m sure it’s already hard for someone who is American and moves to a new school, but imagine being someone who is foreign. I remember someone donated a computer to my family when I was 12 and at that time I was still learning English, so the computer became my best friend. I became a big computer nerd and played a lot of competitive chess and that was my childhood— chess and computers.

At what point did you realize it was time to start your own company?

I became the go-to computer guy in high school. When I was paged to the principal’s office, everyone knew it wasn’t because I was in trouble, but because something was wrong with their network. In 1999, everyone started going online and people started asking me how to build a website. I didn’t know how to code. I didn’t know how to design, but they asked enough where I saw an opportunity to create my own company and that’s where Ciplex was born. So, I started that when I was 17 and it was almost as a way to respond to the demand. Being a computer guy, I built a company around it and hired a developer who was a friend and we started building websites for different businesses.

How did you juggle being a full-time student with a social life and your own business?

I was always an older soul and kind of very independent and mature for my age and because I wasn’t super social, while everyone was out partying and hanging out with friends, I was more in hustle mode. I think I saw that from my parents. They immigrated here and knew they had to do whatever they could to provide and I found this American dream. It really pushed and motivated me. I always saw different opportunities. I just naturally love to work. I went to Florida State University and I continued to run Ciplex on the side as well as a full-time job at the university, driving a golf cart like Van Wilder, fixing computers and networks around campus.

You moved to Los Angeles in 2005 to focus on Ciplex full time, but when did you realize it was time to sell the company?

I was working by myself in some shared office space and this guy walks in and starts selling me on himself and said, ‘You need to hire me as a sales guy.’ I took a gamble on him and that was probably the best decision I ever made. I was doing everything from sales to project management to managing different teams. I got to stop focusing on sales and we scaled to over $5M a year in revenue, all organically. I found a partner who went to Harvard for computer science, and we went from small websites for a dentist to a lot of work for startups, literally taking an idea and fully developing it. That’s when I caught the startup bug myself. We were a service-based business. You move from one client to another and we would do hundreds of projects a year and it became repetitive. I ended up bringing in Zach Ferres as CEO, who later acquired the company from me.

live, linear approach to streaming was complementary to their iconic, world-renowned brands and content. That, combined with our upward growth trajectory, extensive library of content and partners, all in an ad-supported platform, was very appealing to them.

So, they inquired as to whether we would be open to an acquisition and the rest is history.

We had been building the company for four and a half years at that point, and we had no intention to sell. We weren’t for sale, but we brought the offer to our board and our shareholders and they agreed that we should explore the opportunity. The timing was right, not just from a financial perspective, but we were getting to a point where, in order to grow bigger, we needed to either raise a lot more capital or find someone to partner with.

At a certain level, if you want to keep growing your business and upping the quality of your content, it becomes very expensive. There are companies like Netflix that spend billions on making content and licensing content, and even though we raised $50M, in the content world that’s not a lot of money.

How did you feel after the Viacom deal closed in May?

That was a big moment, but I think mentally it was the first time where I just knew it was a success because as an entrepreneur, it finally felt like I could turn off. You go from having all these employees depending on you and making sure you don’t screw it up because you’ve got all these investors, to now, you’re part of a large corporation. You can sleep at night. There’s a massive opportunity for us to become a household name and I’m extremely motivated to continue what we started. From being an entrepreneur to finally being able to relax, knowing all you’ve worked tirelessly for since you were 16 has finally paid off is an amazing feeling. Now, my parents retired early, and I just moved them here from Maryland, and my brother is here. It’s like the American dream in a way where they brought us here, gave up everything, and now it’s my opportunity to give back.

Sports Media Ent - Pozin You sold Ciplex for $1.5M, then launched Open Me, later selling it for $6M. What was one of the lessons you learned during that time period that sticks with you?

1. Ilya Pozin with Dan Fleysh­ man, and Matt Bilinsky at an event he hosted last summer at his home for Coplex.

If there was an opportunity to grow and scale the business, instead of slowing down and planning it more methodically, we just kind of floored it and grew too fast. If you want to grow and scale a good happy company with a good culture, you have to make sure you’re bringing in the right work that people enjoy and are happy with. If you just focus on more and more and more, and being too opportunistic, I think there are repercussions.

2. In Santorini, on a celebra­ tory trip in summer 2019 after selling Pluto TV to Viacom.

Pluto TV approached Viacom for a content deal, but instead walked away with a $340M acquisition offer. What happened?

2 CSQ Q3 2019

We went to Viacom for a content deal and were surprised to learn that they were actively exploring creating their own direct-to-consumer platform and other ways to capture what they called white space in the entertainment ecosystem. Pluto TV and our lean back,

While you remain in your role as Pluto TV’s chief growth officer, what’s your plan for the future?

People ask what’s next, what are you going to work on? At this point, my desire to start and operate a new company just isn’t there.

My focus is on my family and continuing what I started with Pluto. I now have incredible responsibility to take the success of this outcome and not screw it up. I’ve been an entrepreneur all my life, not an investor, but now I have to be a good at managing my finances. I’m almost starting from zero.

I have 20 years’ of experience at being an entrepreneur and zero experience in managing personal finances so that’s definitely a new learning curve. end 53

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VISIONARY NEW YORK

Keeping Up with Culture

ROHAN OZA CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER CAVU VENTURE PARTNERS

As the architect of the modern celebrity partnership deal, Rohan Oza shifts his focus, but continues to lead the conver­ sation in entrepreneurship.

By Geoff Nudelman

ROHAN OZA Hometown Zambia Residence New York and Los Angeles Education University of Nottingham in the UK; MBA, University of Michigan First job Mars Wrigley

54

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

CAVU Founded 2015 Employees 20

The celebrities and brands Rohan Oza has worked with reads like a generation-spanning list of pop culture’s biggest names. He’s even earned the nickname “Hollywood Brandfather.”

As an early partner in Vitaminwater, he took a risk leaving corporate America for a small beverage start-up brand. He introduced rapper 50 Cent to the brand in 2004, and in what was the industry’s first celebrity equity-partnership deal, he made 50 Cent both a spokesperson for and part owner in the company. After Rohan secured another pioneering equity partnership with Jennifer Aniston for Smartwater, both brands soared to unimaginable heights and were sold to Coca-Cola in 2007 for $4.1B. Oza has gone on to work with everyone from David Ortiz to Justin Timberlake on an array of the hottest consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands. Most recently, he added “Shark” to his title as a Recurring Shark on seasons 9, 10, and 11 of the hit ABC show, Shark Tank.

The Zambian-born entrepreneur got his start working in operations at Mars/M&M’s.

After earning his MBA at the University of Michigan, he transitioned into marketing at Coca-Cola, honing his partnership skills. He was given the keys to Powerade, revitalizing that brand and using his entrepreneurial spirit to put his mark on several important Sprite campaigns before leaving for Vitaminwater.

Today, he is a co-founder and managing partner of CAVU Venture Partners, discovering the brands of tomorrow and disrupting the CPG space with “better for you” food, beverage, beauty, and personal care products.

His group has invested in a range of emerging brands, from Bai, which was sold for $1.7B to DPSG, to Beyond Meat, which is worth more than $7B and had one of the most successful IPOs in 2019.

Sports Media Ent - Oza

1

Confectionery Mentors My dad, a successful businessman in his own right.

Were you into sports, media, or celebrity culture first?

I would probably say I was into sports first, then music culture as a close second. In England, I grew up on rugby, cricket, and [soccer], and Liverpool was my team. I love the passion that these teams create; it makes sports an extremely powerful connector.

I was inducted into hip-hop culture while working on the “Trust Your Instincts” campaign for Sprite. It was 1998-99, and we were working with three emerging talents: Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant—who was fresh out of high school at the time—and Missy Elliott. At the same time Sports Illustrated put out an ad proclaiming, “rappers want to be ballers and ballers want to be rappers,” and that’s when I realized the symbiotic nature of basketball and hip-hop culture—this seamless authenticity between the two.

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When did you realize that you had a special ability to seek out and develop or revive brands?

When I was at Powerade, the brand was not doing well, so we were given a lot of license to turn things around. We reenergized the brand through new packaging, product innovation, and partnering with athletes rather than trying to sponsor entire leagues. People bond with athletes and teams, not leagues.

We worked with Andy Roddick, Michael Vick, and LeBron, among others. All of this new innovation led to 30 percent growth for four straight years. When you market sports the right way, amazing things can happen.

How do you describe your career to others?

My business partner Brett Thomas and I co-founded CAVU Venture Partners in 2015. Our mission is to democratize healthy living for all humans. No matter who you are or where you live, people want to feel better— and that starts with what you put in and on your body. I use every single product I invest in because it’s better than what’s on the market today. I feel better about myself because of it, and at CAVU we work hard to give everyone that opportunity.

Are you surprised by where your career path has led you?

I’m blessed to be living the American dream.

I was happy to get a job after graduating from the University of Michigan in a field that excited me. Big corporations can be good for getting your feet wet, meeting talented colleagues, and finding strong mentors. However, as much as big companies like to hire people with entrepreneurial spirit, they don’t typically like to let them use it. I wasn’t good at reining mine in, and I quickly realized the corporate world was not the right fit for me.

I’ve had my share of ups and downs, and I’ve even been fired a couple of times, but each time has forced me to take stock in what I do—my areas of passion and the areas in which I excel. One of my favorite tips for entrepreneurs is to follow your gut.

Sports Media Ent - Oza When did you feel you were successful for the first time?

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1. Oza on set of season 9 of Shark Tank.

2. With Justin Timberlake and Bai. 3. The entrepreneur has come to be known as the “Hollywood Brandfather.”

CSQ Q3 2019

I’m still waiting! … My first two really big wins that changed the trajectory of my career involved two celebrities on two separate brands: 50 Cent with Vitaminwater and Jennifer Aniston with Smartwater.

50 Cent was a co-creator in a new flavor for the brand, Formula 50. I get a lot of credit for developing the equity-ownership model, but 50 probably deserves more of the credit. He was business savvy enough to make the bet on himself. When penning the deal, instead of asking for the standard financial arrangement, he said, “Give me skin in the game.” Giving him equity and tying his success to the brand’s success changed the game—not just for us, but for all celebrity partnerships.

When we struck the 50 Cent deal, it was the first equity arrangement of its time and the first one where celebrities realized they could make more if they gave more of themselves. Inadvertently, we changed the game.

Similarly, when Jennifer became the face of Smartwater in 2005, the brand skyrocketed to new heights. She loved the product, and her brand DNA was the perfect, authentic match for the product.

What have you learned along the way?

I’ve learned a lot and made my fair share of mistakes. When looking at new companies, I look for three key ingredients:

1. A passionate entrepreneur who I believe in (like a CEO or creator with a mission) who has created an amazing corporate culture.

2. A product that is unique or different from what’s already out there.

3. A purpose for that product to fill a consumer need.

For example, the founder of Bai, Ben Weiss, was passionate and smart and had created a great-tasting product. He created a product with a purpose—great taste and low calories— in an almost too good to be true way. From a partnership with Justin Timberlake to a popular Superbowl commercial and a sale to DPSG, the brand has obviously proven its success.

How do you set up companies to be successful for generations to come?

At CAVU we partner with talented entrepreneurs to build the brands of tomorrow. Millennials and Gen Z are redefining the marketplace. We’re bringing unique, better-for-you products, like the ones the Genzennials are demanding, into the mainstream, completely disrupting and redefining the massive food, beverage, beauty, and personal care industries. end 55

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VISIONARY LOS ANGELES

The Magic Touch

CHRISTINA M. FRANCIS PRESIDENT MAGIC JOHNSON ENTERPRISES

How one woman became indispensable to international powerhouses such as Burger King, Disney, and Magic Johnson Enterprises through her unwavering commitment to continue to learn and meet each opportunity with excellence.

By Jessica Ferguson

Christina Francis thought she would grow up to become a lawyer. Instead, her unexpected, expansive career path propelled her into nearly every industry except law—with each new opportunity allowing her to elevate her understanding, expand her impact, and exceed external expectations.

Through the relentless teachability and work ethic that her father first instilled in her, Francis found favor with influencers across industries who insisted on infusing her talent into their future ventures. Now, a recognized leader and president of Magic Johnson Enterprises, Francis would tell that younger version of herself one thing: Don’t take life so seriously, because it will all work out.

What about Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE) initially attracted your interest?

Sports Media Ent - Francis

Mr. Johnson started Magic Johnson Enterprises over 30 years ago with the mission to act as a catalyst for fostering community and economic empowerment. It was about serving the underserved in the multicultural community and giving more of an equitable position to people of color. He stays true to that mission in everything he does, and we are focused on ensuring the company continues to evolve, grow, and reflect that mission. Doing so requires constant growth across industries and identifying the opportunities that contribute to a greater good and have a greater impact.

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SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

CHRISTINA M. FRANCIS

MAGIC JOHNSON ENTERPRISES

Age 51 Hometown New Orleans, LA Residence Los Angeles Education BA, Spanish and Political Science, Xavier University of Lousiana; MBA, University of New Orleans First job IBM marketing rep Mentors Norman Francis, Jerry Florence, Byron Lewis, Earvin Johnson, Clyde Rucker, Dale Mason-Cochran

Founded 1987 Employees 100+

1. Francis with Magic Johnson at his 60th birthday celebration in St. Tropez in summer 2019.

2. At the Ebony Magazine Women UP Los Angeles brunch in 2017.

3. Behind-the-scenes at the Lakers practice facility.

My role is to manage and direct the corporation’s day-to-day operations, from the enterprises to each individual business we own, and ensure each element stays true to the Magic Johnson brand, mission and goals. Between that and never being bored—always on your toes, always learning, always growing— there’s just never a dull day.

How did you first meet Magic Johnson, and how has your professional relationship with him evolved and impacted your career path?

I met Mr. Johnson about 15 years ago, when I was working for an advertising agency out of New York with Lincoln-Mercury as an account director. We were developing a commercial for the Lincoln Navigator, which had an overall essence of being strong and agile, but still smooth, and we felt that Mr. Johnson’s brand and personality fit that image.

Lincoln not only ended up doing the advertising campaign, but began an overall partnership with Mr. Johnson, sponsoring some of the Magic Johnson Foundation events and getting involved in the community with him.

Once we saw how similar our personalities could be when it comes to working hard, staying focused, and being unrelenting, we built a working relationship that has lasted all these years. I’ve moved around into different roles and industries, but he’s always kept in touch and checked in on me to see what I was doing. He became a kind of mentor to me in that way. He’d offered me opportunities

in the past to come work for him directly— all of which I’d respectfully declined, either because I was still enjoying what I was doing, or wasn’t done learning in the role I was already in. Six years ago, though, he asked if I was finally ready to move back to Los Angeles and work for MJE as the senior vice president of marketing and communications.

I was ready. At the beginning of this year, he sat with me and said he was going to name me president of the organization. It was an exciting time, and probably one of the biggest accomplishments of something I never really knew I wanted.

Tell us about your journey to MJE. How did you identify new companies/industries you were interested in, and how did you prepare for those new roles, teams and audiences?

There are certain people who just know what they want to do and where they want to be.

I was never that person. I was the jack-ofall-trades—a little bit good at everything and probably an expert at none. But I loved to learn, have experiences and take on new challenges. I had a family who taught me that through hard work and constant education, a person could achieve anything. I finished college in three years as valedictorian and entered grad school in my fourth year. I’ve lived in numerous cities and have worked at IBM, Nissan Motor Corporation, Sempra Energy, Disney, UniWorld Group, Burger King, the Orange Bowl Committee, and NFL Players Inc. Most of these roles came from finding great mentors amid great opportunities in which you work hard, and someone pinpoints you for the next great venture. I was very fortunate to be acknowledged so many different times in this way. As for preparing, I was never one who just went through the mechanics.

I always tried to have a clear understanding of the task, the objectives, and the bigger picture at hand. Once you have that understanding, you can figure out how to execute anything— by reading, relying on your instincts, listening, and learning from others. I remained a real student of the art and had some great mentors, both in and outside the office, who taught me how to walk into a new setting and maneuver well within that environment.

blessed to have many different people in different companies who were always extremely supportive in guiding me as I grew, and even today—I still want that mentorship, that support, and family around me.

It’s evident that you and MJE view empowerment as a core value. Looking to the next generation, what impact do you hope to make?

I didn’t do any of this by myself. All of it came from someone giving me a hand or a bit of guidance. I value that so much, and I really try my best to give it back as much as possible. Specifically, to people who look like me—young women of color. Young people, in general. I want to see them succeed, I want to help guide them, and I want them to have a really healthy view of how to be successful and grow. I want to tell them, ‘Don’t get down on yourself, but don’t take the easy route. Stay focused, learn from your mistakes and just keep moving. It’ll be okay. Don’t take life so seriously. Really try to enjoy every obstacle and every success, because there’s always going to be another day.’ When you ask about specific challenges and obstacles I’ve faced, I don’t remember them. Failures happen every day for me. I learn from them, I figure out what I can do differently, but I don’t hold onto those failures to remember them specifically anymore. That’s what I think I would tell my younger self, ‘You’re not going to remember this. A year from now, five months from now.

So learn from it, and keep going.’ I hope my legacy is one that continues to serve the community and instill these truths within the next generation of leaders. It’s all about making sure that at the end of the day, when they are finished, they can say that they grew and developed into their best self while they enjoyed life throughout the process..

Sports Media Ent - Francis

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Speaking of mentors, who would you say has had a profound impact on your life, outlook and career? Were they with you from the start, or did you seek them out with each new undertaking?

3 CSQ Q3 2019

I would definitely say my father, Norman Francis, and my five older siblings. I met one of my first real mentors, Jerry Florence, while I worked at Nissan Motor Corporation.

Though he is no longer with us, he made a tremendous impact from the beginning of my career. Of course, there’s also Earvin “Magic” Johnson, along with Byron Lewis, Clyde Rucker, and Dale Mason Cochran. I was

As someone who doesn’t hold on too tightly to those tipping points, are there any specific tactics you use to overcome an especially difficult day? What brings you joy outside of work?

Yes. I call it ‘the noise,’ and I try to shut ‘the noise’ out. If my desk is messy, it’s noisy to me. If I’m having a rough day, I’ll stop, sit quietly, close the door, and process—perhaps even pray. I ask myself, honestly, how bad this moment actually is, and then push through.

Because tomorrow is another day, and again, I may not remember this stress the following week. So, I just put things in perspective, get the work done, grow, and keep moving.

As for what makes me happy, I cannot help but smile when I watch my Maltipoo puppy bounce around at the end of the day. And I’m from New Orleans, so I love good eating and watching the Saints play at game time. Surrounding myself with loved ones, going out dancing, playing sports, those are the simple things that can free the mind and brighten a dark day. end 57

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VISIONARIES NEW YORK

Modell of Success

MITCHELL MODELL PRESIDENT AND CEO MODELL’S SPORTING GOODS

Building on Modell’s Sporting Goods’ 130-year legacy, its leader balances brand loyalty with the needs of the fast-changing retail market. By Whitney Vendt

Sports Media Ent - Modell

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Mitchell Modell has been working for the family business since he was 8 years old.

Founded in 1889, Modell’s is America’s oldest family-owned sporting goods store, guided by four generations of Modells and surviving countless challenges and changes as the market evolves. Since Mitchell took the helm in 2001, he has weathered an increasingly difficult market for brick-and-mortar retailers and taken a hands-on approach to reimagining what Modell’s will look like in an e-commerce future, all the while staying true to the community-centered values that have defined and sustained the brand since its beginnings.

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SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

Did you always know you wanted to get into the family business? What was your first job?

Even as a young kid growing up in Hewlett, Long Island, I always intended to work in the family business. When I was 8, I’d follow my father and take notes for his meetings; then from ages 12 to 16, I worked in the warehouse and the stores in the summers. While I attended Boston University, I got my first job outside the company working at Filene’s Basement. My father was very clear that he wanted me to work for somebody outside the family and see the issues that associates face and what it is to work in a political structure.

MITCHELL MODELL Age 65 Hometown Hewlett, Long Island Residence Manhattan Family 5 kids (2 sons, 3 daughters) Education Boston University School of Business, Cum Laude First job Filene’s Basement Mentors Harvey Mackay (bestselling author), and Jack Welch (chairman of GE)

MODELL’S SPORTING GOODS Founded 1889 Employees 4,300

So after I graduated from BU in 1976, I worked at Abraham & Straus in its Brooklyn store for three-and-a-half years, first as an assistant buyer, then as a buyer in women’s coats.

What lessons have stayed with you from that early time of working for other companies?

I was able to inject new ideas and concepts.

It was a great education. I put a lot of stuff into Modell’s that we didn’t have before, everything from new systems to the way we look at the business. My father’s rules were: Work a minimum of three years on the outside and get promoted once before you were allowed back in the company. As my father said, “Before you screw up our business, why don’t you go screw up someone else’s?”

Was there a time you “screwed up”? How did you overcome the challenge?

When I was promoted to buyer for women’s outerwear at A&S, Alan Gilman, the president of the company, called all the buyers together in early February and told us, “I want the biggest Columbus Day sale in the history of the company. I’m giving everyone nine months to go out and buy merchandise. We want to drive traffic and really start off the holiday season the right way.” So I went to the owner of a company called Utex, and said, “Listen, you gotta make me look good.” He gave me a great deal on women’s coats that retailed at $200. Normally our price to Utex was $100, but he gave them to me for $50.

We took the merchandise and prepared to put the ad in the paper. I was going back and forth with the advertising department making changes and being aggressive on where I wanted the ads placed. Monday morning on Columbus Day rolls around and I get there at 6 o’clock in the morning to discover a line of 300 women waiting to come in. I’m surprised by the turnout and ask them, “Why is everyone in line so early?” And they tell me, “This is the biggest sale in A&S history!” “You’re kidding,” I say. “What are you in line for, what department?” They tell me they’re here for the wool coats. And I’m thinking, I did it! It’s just unbelievable! So I say to them, “So you like the price, $99.99?” And they go, “What

do you mean? It’s $9.99.” They show me the ad and sure enough, $9.99. I was put on notice and the president called me to his office and asked, “What the hell did you do?” I said, “Mr. Gilman, you wanted traffic? I got you traffic.”

I survived that, but about six months later, I figured I’d got my education and went back to the family business.

Was it difficult to transition to working for the family business?

Oh yeah, you’re in a fishbowl and everyone wants you to fail. You’ve always got that title of “the boss’s son,” which I hated. You have to work harder than the next guy, come in earlier, leave later, set the example, don’t give anyone the opportunity to show them that you’re going to fail. It took probably five years.

After A&S, I worked as a supervisor for our Long Island stores, and I was a little abrasive.

You learn that not everyone is going to feel the same way you do about the stores, and no one is going to care as much as you do. When you’re young and inexperienced, it’s easy to rub people the wrong way. But you learn. You sit down and reflect on it, and those mistakes make you a better person as you grow up. Mistakes are good to make as long as you learn and grow from them and don’t repeat them.

Learning from mistakes was a major theme in the 2012 season premiere of Undercover Boss in which you were the featured executive. How has your experience on that show influenced your management approach?

What do you believe are some of your business’ strengths?

We’re open-minded, we can react on a dime, and we don’t have a lot of politics complicating decision-making. Our long history means people know our brand and our name and we have great relationships with our vendors. We’re very involved in the community and give back to a lot of organizations charity-wise. We do it because it’s the right thing to do. It’s part of our company’s DNA. How do you see future generations interacting with Modell’s and what are some of the changes you see in the marketplace today?

We’re a four-generation business, and we’ve gone through a lot of different business changes along the way. As we speak, we’re looking at how we can stay relevant in today’s technically demanding consumer marketplace. Brick and mortar is always going to be the mainstay, but e-commerce and the internet are definitely a huge platform for the way the younger generation operates. They don’t read newspapers or circulars, so it’s a paradigm shift on how to serve that consumer.

Consumers today want it quicker and cheaper, so your business model must accommodate that. In today’s world, if you’re competing on price alone, you lose. So you have to focus on differentiation, freshness, and newness: What are the things we can carry that no one else does? Do we have private labels? Can we carry items that other businesses can’t carry, so that consumers can’t compare us on price?

We hired a consultant company that’s asking us a lot of tough questions: If our business went away tomorrow, who would miss us?

Would anyone care? If Starbucks went out of business, it would be a huge deal. So you have to make that emotional connection with the customer so that they trust you, and have a business model where the consumer will never allow you to go out of business. That’s the secret sauce every successful business needs to figure out. end

Sports Media Ent - Modell Being on Undercover Boss was a life-changing experience. It really reinforced what we call our 48-hour policy: If someone is frustrated and they go 48 hours without getting answers or don’t like the answers from their superior, they have the right to go above that person’s head until it gets to me. We don’t have that many layers of management, so no problem should linger more than six days. But what was happening was that people were stifled: The problems weren’t coming all the way up the ladder and weren’t getting fixed. So what I discovered happening at store level was a real eye-opener. Giving people the ability to solve their problems is key.

1. Mitchell Modell (far left) runs the 130-year-old familyowned Modell’s Sporting Goods.

2. Modell at the 2016 opening of his Boston store, with actor Verne Troyer and Modell’s sons, Matthew and Maxell.

3. The store opening featured an array of athletes, including Shaq.

CSQ Q3 2019

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Sports Media Ent - Allen

VISIONARY OF THE YEAR LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK

Words by Matt Pressberg Photos by Steve Glass

Funny Business Sports Media Ent - Allen

Media mogul Byron Allen is building an empire.

CSQ Q3 2019

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Plenty of stand-up comedians have gone on to carve out lucrative, multifaceted careers in Hollywood. Then there’s Byron Allen.

The 58-year-old owner and CEO of Entertainment Studios recently agreed to acquire 15 broadcast television stations for approximately $455M, part of a multiyear buying spree that includes investing, in partnership with Sinclair, $10.6B in Fox’s former regional sports networks, and spending more than $300M on The Weather Channel.

Now, as he prepares to go in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on November 13 as part of a $20B discrimination lawsuit against cable giant Comcast Corporation, Allen has firmly established himself as one of the most powerful—and consequential—media owners in Hollywood.

Television has reinvented itself numerous times since Allen made his national TV debut before he even graduated from high school.

The rise of cable and then streaming video reshaped the television landscape, launching new visionaries to prominence and humbling some who had been riding high for years. Even as the future of TV remains to be determined, Allen’s rise has been constant.

The man we’ve seen interviewing celebrities for decades is now more powerful than most of the marquee names he’s interviewed.

Allen seems to have an innate ability to know which way the winds are blowing and position himself accordingly. That vision and confidence has sustained him, from the early days when investors and bankers wanted no part of his fledgling company, and he had to sometimes skip meals, to now, when everyone who matters is banging on his office door looking for a meeting. But he wouldn’t trade those tough times for anything.

“It’s like going to the gym,” he says. “A guy who only has to bench press 50 pounds is not going to be as strong as a guy who’s forced to bench press 500 pounds. That resistance is what made me unstoppable.”

Sports Media Ent - Allen

Allen the Family 1

BYRON ALLEN Age 58 Hometown Detroit, then Los Angeles Residence Los Angeles Family Wife, Jennifer Lucas On my wrist Nothing In my garage Tesla Model X Favorite book

Succeeding Against the Odds: The Autobiography of a Great American Businessman

by John H. Johnson

Education USC film school Go-to spot for business

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drinks Does not drink; stays home Awards and distinctions In 2018, Allen was selected for the Bloomberg 50 for his accomplishments as a global business leader.

He was also selected for the “100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs” at the Goldman Sachs Builders & Innovators Summit 2018. In January 2019, he was a recipient of NATPE’s 16th annual Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award, presented during the annual NATPE Miami Marketplace

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

& Conference. Allen was also honored with the 2019 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award at the 46th annual Los Angeles Urban League Awards.

Philanthropic causes: A Place Called Home, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Motion Picture Television Fund Can’t-miss conferences and events NATPE Mentors Al Masini, creator of Entertain-

ment Tonight, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Solid Gold, and Star Search.

ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS Founded 1993 Employees 800+ Notable projects Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, Entertainers with Byron Allen, Funny You Should Ask, and acquiring The Weather Channel.

Notable upcoming projects The Weather Channel en Español and streaming service Local Now

Byron Allen Folks was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 and moved to Los Angeles at age 7 with his mother, staying put after what was originally supposed to be a two-week vacation.

They slept on friends’ and relatives’ floors.

Not long after, his mother began pursuing master’s degree in cinema and television production from UCLA. While a student there, she convinced NBC to start an internship program, with her as the network’s firstever intern.

That led to a position as a tour guide at NBC’s Burbank studios, where an elementary school–-aged Allen started hanging out and falling in love with the business, watching legendary comics like Redd Foxx and Bob Hope film their sitcoms and specials, and Johnny Carson host The Tonight Show.

“I fell in love with television,” Allen says.

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“The art of making television, and the business of making television and being a comedian.”

While still a preteen, Allen started doing warm-ups and wrote a spec script for Sanford and Son. The sitcom didn’t pick up that script, but Allen was able to pull the jokes from it to create his first comedy monologue.

In the summer of 1976, Allen was on set watching Gladys Knight & the Pips perform, and she had a young comedian on the show who brought the house down. Allen knocked on the comedian’s door to ask how to break into comedy and was told to go to the Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip and to watch his new sitcom. The young comedian advising Allen was Gabe Kaplan, and his new sitcom was Welcome Back, Kotter.

Allen started performing at the Comedy Store, “to a room with four people and 100 chairs,” but since he was underage, he had to stand outside or in the back so the club’s liquor license wouldn’t be jeopardized. He also had to use the currency stand-up comedians were paid with at the time, two drink tickets, to buy water or soda. But that’s where he got his big break.

A comedy writer named Wayne Klein saw Allen perform one day and asked him who wrote his jokes. When Allen said they were his own, Klein asked for his phone number.

Allen got a call a week or so later from Jimmie “J. J.” Walker, then-starring on the hit show Good Times, inviting him to join the writing team. Allen was 14 years old.

“I walked into Jimmie’s apartment, and sitting there was David Letterman, who had just driven out from Indianapolis in a red pickup truck; Jay Leno, who was sleeping in his car; and Marty Nadler, who went on to produce Laverne and Shirley and Happy Days.” Allen says. “A lot of phenomenal folks.”

Soon after, Allen sold his first joke to Walker for $25. He still has that check framed

in his office. More importantly, being around that level of talent forced him to up his game.

“In that room, it was like Comedy University,” Allen says. “The art of creating a thought, a picture that everyone gets at the same time that creates laughter. You’re learning ways to extract funny out of any and everything.”

That training got Allen to the big stage. At 17, a talent scout for The Tonight Show offered him the chance to appear on the late-night staple. Allen turned him down, because he was still a high school student.

“I wasn’t training for an appearance, I was training for a lifetime,” he says.

The second time he got the offer, Allen was ready. When he appeared on Carson’s The Tonight Show in May 1979, one week before graduating from high school, he became the youngest-ever stand-up comedian to perform on the show.

Sports Media Ent - Allen

1. On The Tonight Show

Starring Johnny Carson

in May 1979, when Allen was 18.

2. The comedian at age 7, shortly after he moved to Los Angeles.

3. From left: David Letterman, Jimmie Walker, and Byron Allen, age 15, at a writing session for Walker’s standup.

CSQ Q3 2019

A Star Is Born

Allen seized the moment and crushed it. While his classmates were figuring out college majors, he found himself deciding between lucrative TV offers. Joan Rivers was one of those who came calling, looking to do a sitcom with Allen.

But he was more interested in a show called Real People, a proto-reality program that focused on everyday Americans, not celebrities.

“I’m very numerical and mathematical,” Allen says. “There were only three networks at the time, ABC, NBC, and CBS. There’s 66 hours of prime-time television between them. Out of the 66 hours, this is the only hour that’s different from the other 65 hours of prime-time television. And I believe this show will work because it’s different than the other 65 hours.”

He was right. Allen appeared on Real People from 1979 to 1984, traveling the country and interviewing everyday folks.

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He also attended film school at the University of Southern California but didn’t finish.

There’s only so many hours in a day, even for Byron Allen.

During that time and after, Allen toured widely as an opening act for everyone from Lionel Richie to Dolly Parton and Sammy Davis Jr. He had made it to the biggest stages. Now, it was time to take on the corner office.

Building a Business

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Even as a youngster workshopping jokes, Allen always wanted to be more than a performer.

“I always figured it wasn’t show business, it was business show,” Allen says. “I always focused on the business side.”

So while he was touring the country making crowds laugh, he was already thinking about how to monetize that gift.

In January 1981, while still a teenager, Allen attended his first National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) convention in New York, where TV and ad executives meet up to talk shop. There, a chance meeting with an executive gave the young comedian a front-row seat to the launch of another soon-to-be hit, Entertainment Tonight.

“I learned how to sell television shows directly to TV stations,” Allen says. “I made a lot of friends with a lot of people who owned and operated TV stations.”

After over a decade of hosting TV shows and entertaining crowds across the country, Allen decided it was time to strike out on his own. He started what would become Entertainment Studios from his dining table in 1993.

“I started by calling all 1,300 television stations in the country,” he says. “I asked them to carry this once-a-week, one-hour show where I’m interviewing seven movie stars talking about their latest projects.”

Allen sat at his table for about a year, sunup to sundown, asking these stations to take the show, Entertainers with Byron Allen. He offered the programming for free, and a 50/50 split of the 14 minutes of built-in commercial time.

“On average, they said no about 40 to 50 times each,” he says.

Allen persisted, and after tens of thousands of rejections, he got about 150 stations to say yes, covering every major market.

Allen says he was told by Tribune Media that if he got to about 75 percent of the country, they would sell his ads and give him a $400,000 advance. Allen got 90 percent of the country, but Tribune backed out of the deal.

Allen wasn’t going to pull out now, so he put on the show himself.

That wasn’t the only hurdle: A TV station called Allen and said salespeople from a major studio had told the station Allen was calling from his dining table in his underwear, and his fledgling show wasn’t going to last long.

Allen called him back and confessed to being at his dining table in his underwear.

But he was more resolute than ever that he would succeed. It was personal now.

“Tell the boys I’m never going to cancel the show,” he says. “I’m never going to cancel it because I’m never going to allow them to walk into another TV station in the United States of America and convince the general manager to have doubt in me. One day you’ll have more faith in me than in all the studios combined.”

Entertainers with Byron Allen recently celebrated its 26th year on the air.

A Media Empire

Allen may be flying high today, but it was touch and go for a long time during the early days of Entertainment Studios.

“When Tribune reneged on me and they did not give me the money, I decided to go forward, and it was really tough,” he says. “There were days I didn’t eat. There were days they turned off my phone. My home went in and out of foreclosure 14 times.”

One thing they couldn’t take away from Allen: his relationships with the stars he was interviewing. That’s what saved him.

“I sat with all the heads of the movie studios and I said, ‘You know, I’m interviewing all your movie stars and I’m talking about your movies and I’m showing your movie clips. I really want you to support me because you guys are each spending $200M to $600M a year buying advertising time, and I’m a one-hour commercial promoting your movies. So please support me so I can be there to support you,’” he says.

Then he went out and started signing up other industries. Cars. Soft drinks. Packaged goods. He was off and running, with plenty of food in the fridge and a mortgage payment that cleared every month.

“I went to the ad agencies and I went to the boards of directors and I went to the chairmen and I went to the CEOs and I went to the chief marketing officers,” Allen says. “I just became pretty much a Category 5 stalker. Finally, I just broke in and kept going.”

Pretty soon, Allen had compiled an extensive library of interviews. That gave him another idea.

He put together a one-hour special of interviews with athletes, including Michael Jordan, Steve Young, Oscar De La Hoya, and Grant Hill. He called the major networks, which said he could buy the time for $250,000, but was only guaranteed 75% of the country, due to a significant amount of preemption from affiliate networks.

That wasn’t good enough for Allen. He called the affiliates directly and ended up with carriage in every market. Then, he took advantage of the commercial relationships these athletes had and started offering advertising time to blue-chip companies, who were more than eager to snap it up. This was different.

“My advertising at that time was 1-800Spray-on-Hair,” he jokes.

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Allen produced and edited the show for less than $20,000. The special brought in over $1M in ad revenue.

The Next Level

Allen kept growing, “smiling and dialing for dollars,” as he says. Today, Entertainment Studios has 65 shows on the air, including Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, The American Athlete, and Funny You Should Ask. But he had higher ambitions. high-definition, in fact.

In the late 2000s, Allen came across a New York Times article saying that Verizon was going to invest $20B to launch 150 high-definition channels. He wanted in.

Allen got a meeting with Verizon executives and said he wanted to launch 10 channels. He did it with a sales pitch that took on Hollywood’s wasteful spending and provided an alternative.

“When I send camera crews to Pebble Beach to shoot the car show, Concours d’Elegance, I don’t want to just have them shoot the car show for our car network, Cars.TV,” Allen says.

“I want them to also shoot the resorts up there for our travel network, MyDestination.TV, and shoot the chefs up there for our cooking channel, Recipe.TV, and shoot all the movie stars and celebrities who come up there for the car show for our entertainment channel, ES.TV.” Allen didn’t get his 10 networks, but was given six, making history by launching them all simultaneously in 2009.

As his business has grown, Allen has made a string of acquisitions as he works to build Entertainment Studios into a comprehensive media company. This year, he has agreed to buy a total of 15 network TV affiliate broadcast stations in two separate deals.

And in 2015, the company acquired theatrical distributor Freestyle Releasing, renaming it Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures.

Sports Media Ent - Allen

4. At an event with Warren Buffett in 2016.

5. On the way to NATPE with Normal Lear in 2018.

6. Allen with his mother, Carolyn Folks, in 2012 when he won a Daytime Emmy for “Outstanding Lifestyle Program.”

7. Allen with his wife, Jennifer Lucas, in 2018, at the Entertainment Studios Oscar Gala benefiting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

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The imprint produced and distributed films such as shark thriller 47 Meters Down, the highest-grossing independent film of 2017, and Chappaquiddick, about former senator Ted Kennedy’s infamous car accident.

Major studios have largely abandoned the mid-budget, script-driven movie that was the building block of Hollywood for so long, choosing to focus on blockbuster franchise films (often featuring superheroes) and leaving the rest to streaming services like Netflix.

That’s where Allen sees an opportunity.

“If you manage the numbers correctly, there’s a good business there of movies that do $40M to $60M at the box office,” he says. “$40M is a disaster for studios, but a success for us.”

But Allen’s biggest purchase yet has nothing to do with movie stars. In March 2018 he paid $310M to a private equity consortium for the TV assets of one of America’s most trusted names: The Weather Channel. (IBM separately owns The Weather Channel’s forecasting tech-

nology and the weather.com website.)

Allen describes the channel as an undervalued asset, akin to a great house in a great neighborhood owned by a couple in an acrimonious divorce. And since acquiring it, ratings have hit their highest numbers since 2012, ad sales are up, and the channel is getting ready to launch a Spanish-language version: The Weather Channel en Español.

It also doesn’t hurt that having The Weather Channel in its portfolio can give Entertainment Studios more leverage over distributors as it looks to get carriage for its other channels—an old trick used by the big media companies. (Your pay-TV provider only carries Nat Geo Wild because it wants Fox News.)

A Different Model

Allen can make producing content that’s too small for major studios highly profitable for Entertainment Studios because he knows how to be efficient with resources.

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That’s out of necessity. For many years, he was unable to secure investors or bank financing, having to bootstrap his business by using factor firms to finance his accounts receivable—at interest rates approaching 26% for the first 15 years of the company. This despite the fact that Allen says he’s failed to collect just $30,000 out of more than $500M in receivables over his career. So, he’s been forced to find ways to do things creatively.

For example, Allen was f labbergasted by the high cost of renting trailers for talent.

He decided to buy his own, sight unseen, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars a year by owning and depreciating an asset rather than paying rent.

And as Hollywood is forced to trim some of its largesse, Allen believes his early struggles give him an advantage.

“I had to be efficient in order to survive day one,” he says. “They’re learning to become efficient to survive, and it’s easier to be born 66

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

efficient than it is to try to become efficient.”

Entertainment Studios is different from its competitors in another notable way: Its people stick around. In show business, where high employee turnover is common, that makes Allen an outlier. And he says, a key to his success.

“Strong championship sports teams have very little turnover,” he says. “Because you lock in and you get to know each other.”

Speaking of sports, one of Allen’s biggest recent moves was teaming up with Sinclair to acquire Fox’s former regional sports networks from the Walt Disney Company.

The acquisition comes at a time when Americans are increasingly moving away from pricey cable and satellite packages, causing national and regional sports networks to lose subscribers and putting pressure on them despite relatively high ratings. Allen sees it a little differently—he believes sports are so valuable because TV needs them to survive.

“There are two reasons television is alive:

localism and sports,” he says. “If we lose sports, that will be a big problem for broadcast television.”

The Next Stage

Allen has spent much of the last two decades on a consistent winning streak. But he’s about to face off against the country’s largest cable company in the land’s highest court.

On November 13, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the $20B suit Allen filed against Comcast Corporation. (He filed a separate, $10B suit against Charter Communications, but the Supreme Court decision will resolve both). Allen says the genesis of this came from a discussion with Obama administration officials, who asked him whether Comcast and other cable giants were good corporate citizens.

“I said, ‘Hell no,’” Allen says.

His argument was that cable and satellite industries spend $70B a year licensing cable networks, and not one cent goes to African-American-owned media. That lack of inclusion did not seem to align with good corporate citizenship, at least to Allen. He agreed to lead an effort to change that, but wanted to do things his way.

Allen decided to file his lawsuits, and he also named the NAACP, the Urban League, and Al Sharpton, accusing them of providing cover to these organizations and being complicit in “hurting the black community because of token donations from Comcast,” Allen says.

Both cases ended up in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which agreed with Allen, deciding that race was a factor in the cable company’s decision not to carry Entertainment Studios’ programming. Allen says the Supreme Court went along with most of the Ninth Circuit’s decision—but, of course, that would have been too easy.

“Comcast got the Supreme Court to look

Sports Media Ent - Allen

8. Behind the scenes at the Weather Channel, which Allen purchased for $300M. 9. With his wife and children at the premiere of 47 Meters Down in 2017.

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at the law I used, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Section 1981—which was put on the books to protect the newly freed slaves, to make sure we had a pathway to economic inclusion,” he says. “It’s the very first civil rights statute in the United States.”

The Department of Justice filed an amicus brief on August 15 that looks to more narrowly redefine the Reconstruction-era statute on which Allen is basing his claim. In what will be an historic event, Department of Justice lawyers will actually be standing in the court helping argue the case on behalf of Comcast. If the Supreme Court were to follow the department’s new interpretation, Allen would have to prove that race was the sole reason—not merely a factor—behind Comcast’s decision not to carry his content.

That’s an impossible standard, he says.

“They can actually say, ‘Byron, I’m discriminating against you¬—99 percent of the reason is because you’re black and 1 percent

because you’re wearing tennis shoes,’” Allen says. “And you cannot use this law. The biggest reason why I am working vigorously to protect this civil rights statute in the Supreme Court is because I want to make sure we have economic inclusion for all Americans, especially African-Americans, the furthest left behind.”

But as he approaches his biggest stage yet, Allen remains calm. He’s no stranger to bright lights. Besides, he has the ultimate business superpower: He’s a comedian.

“I think comedians make excellent business people because we look at things differently and we figure out what’s not there and how to put it there. We figure out what can be adjusted and how we can adjust it to get it on the right track,” he says. “I’m standing in front of a crowd of 18,000 people with a microphone and a spotlight and I have to tell people to listen to me for an hour and go along with the thoughts that I’m putting in front of them.

It’s the ultimate sales training.” end 67

Watts Willowbrook Clubhouse of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles is excited to unveil a newly renovated interactive space designed for a new high-quality music program. Funded by the Fender Play Foundation, the music program will help our members on the path to Great Futures!

STEM education is Music is an criticaleducation to the future essential tool to help success of our youth, youth learn and exceed as most of the fastest in their future. Our growing jobs in the U.S music program will give require education in youth access to highSTEM. With the quality musical demand for STEM instruments from professionals, it is Fender, access to imperative to inspire Fender Play their online curiosity and passion learning program and for these subjects instructors preparing among our youth. of them for a journey creative selfexpression.

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70 Health 80 Golf Getaway 82 Travel 88 Breaking Ground

Destinations

Part 3

Destinations - Cover Discover the plush new penthouse suites overlooking a secluded cove in Xpu-Ha at Hotel Esencia.

More on page 83.

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HEALTH

Wellness Formula A recent acquisition by Inter­ continental Hotel Group pushes Six Senses even higher into the health and wellness stratosphere. By Samantha Brooks

Destinations - Wellness

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DESTINATIONS

unheard of in those days, but it’s that kind of attention to detail that we built the brand around,” says Bjurstam.

When the brand was sold to Pegasus Capital in 2012, the new owners wanted Bjurstam to come on board full time. “We had done spas for Capella, Aman, Taj and many more.

They saw that wellness was growing and being incorporated in different ways,” she says. The team ended up bringing in experts on sleep, biometric screenings, interior design, and much more, working with New York–based Clodagh for its resorts in Kaplankaya, Turkey, and Portugal’s Douro Valley.

“In the end, a vacation is about having fun and enjoying life, not about deprivation. Wellness doesn’t have to be a hard quest. We know that small, incremental steps will have a lasting effect on long-term behavior more than a weeklong fast or boot camp,” says Bjurstam, pointing out examples such as how organic bedding can change the way you sleep, or pizza with less gluten can help with digestion.

In February 2019, the brand was acquired

by Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) for more than $300M. IHG, which also recently acquired Regent Hotels & Resorts and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, plans to expand the brand over the next 10 years to operate more than 60 hotels, all while maintaining Six Senses’ core values.

“One thing we’ve been looking at for the

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future is new fields like energy medicine, working with shamans and specialists in India and Africa,” Bjurstam says. “It’s like a meeting of quantum physics and energy medicine, and we’re looking at how we can alleviate traumas in energy fields.”

In terms of new destinations, one of the more exciting openings for the brand isn’t in a far-flung locale, but in the heart of New York City. Six Senses, set for an early 2021 opening, will combine a Six Senses hotel with its first private-club concept called Six Senses Place, complete with a gym, workspace bar, vibrational plates to help with frequency alignment, and virtual reality experiences. “You’ll be able to go on a ‘mini-trip’ for three minutes and totally step out of your environment. You can also get cryotherapy, hang upside down, or have a pick-me-up tonic and then head to the rooftop for a DJ set or maybe a shamanic journey to cleanse your energy field,” Bjurstam says.

However, those looking for their next exotic wellness adventure will want to look to Israel’s Arava Valley, where the Shaharut property will offer an Earth Lab, camel stables, and an open-air amphitheater. Also consider the forthcoming property in India, built on a former fort and located just 30 minutes from Ranthambore National Park, where guests can go on daily safari drives to see leopards, nilgai antelope, wild boars, sambar deer, sloth bears, and tigers. sixsenses.com

1. A new guest room by Clodagh at Douro Valley. 2. The forthcoming property in Israel’s Arava Valley.

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“Wellness” can be an ambiguous catchall for anything from mindful meditation to intense physical fitness. But one brand clearly defines the wellness revolution: Six Senses.

“Wellness is one of our base pillars,” says Stockholm-based Anna Bjurstam, wellness pioneer for Six Senses Spas and Wellness. “We do everything around it. In the past, it was maybe just in one spa facility within a hotel, but what we’ve done is take an integrated approach to wellness throughout our properties—from how we treat our staff in the back of the house to how we build our hotels.”

Indeed, a world-class spa is one thing— and Six Senses has long been known for them—but true wellness requires a holistic approach to everything from architecture and building materials and how a bedroom is furnished, to food selection, stress management, and fitness.

From its inception, Six Senses has focused on being in harmony with the environments its resorts are built in and been proponents of sustainable tourism.

“My first spa was the Raison d’Etre spas in the Maldives in 1998, rebranded to the first Six Senses Spa in 2000. At that time, there was no wellness component to the spas, but we were thinking far beyond just massages.

For instance, we wanted all of the products we used to be completely natural, so we worked with a chemist to create a special line … it was

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Special Section

GUIDE TO BUSINESS ENTERTAINING, MEETINGS, AND RETREATS

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GUIDE TO BUSINESS ENTERTAINING, MEETINGS, AND RETREATS

Belmond El Encanto More than just a celebratory space, Belmond El Encanto is also ideal for productive business events and strategy sessions. Four function rooms complement its gardens, allowing the freedom to plan a variety of workshops, presentations, and meetings. Host a networking event on the terrace with views of the Pacific, or reserve the entire hotel to customize an agenda that leaves every guest informed and inspired.

Steeped in charisma, Belmond El Encanto’s breezy hillside location and enduring iconicity make it one of the most desirable Santa Barbara event venues, appropriate for lavish corporate celebrations or small, intimate occasions. Its lush Pacific-facing gardens, expansive terrace, and expert event planners combine to make the ultimate California celebration.

Belmond El Encanto is Hollywood glamour meets modern classic. Perched high in the Santa Barbara hills, this iconic hideaway offers the best views of the American Riviera. Spread across seven acres of secluded gardens, Belmond El Encanto opened in 1918 and has been part of Santa Barbara’s social scene ever since. The resort is gleaming and glamorous, yet relaxed and low key, the kind of place that invites you to recline poolside, breathe in the ocean air, and sip a glass of crisp local wine.

SPSEC - Belmond El Encanto

Location: Santa Barbara, CA Scope: 6 indoor spaces (Riviera Ballroom, Fireside Room, Channel Islands Room, Santa Ynez Room, wine room, and dining room), and 3 outdoor spaces (Arbor and Lily Pond, Fireside Patio, and Channel Islands Terrace) Contact: 805/770.3540 or ele.sales@belmond.com Notable Features: • Welcoming for C-suite and boards of directors meetings and retreats as well as incentive programs.

• Seven acres of secluded grounds and gardens.

• Sweeping views of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean.

• 92 suites, bungalows and rooms.

• Event space for up to 160 guests.

• All function rooms feature windows/ natural light and most have patios.

• The historic, trellis-lined Arbor and Lily Pond is an ideal setting for outdoor receptions.

• Guests can relax in a zero-edge outdoor pool and boutique spa.

• Available for complete buyout.

• Local group activities: wine tours, city tours, coastal cruises, golf, kayaking, surfing, sailing, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.

• On-site AV services available.

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PROMOTION

Santa Barbara is accessible via 12 nonstop flights to Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), located just 10 miles/16 km from Belmond El Encanto. With major airlift developments, 12 cities offer direct service to SBA, including Las Vegas, Sacramento, and Oakland on Contour Airlines, and Salt Lake City on Delta Airlines. Los Angeles International Airport is located about 90 miles/145 km southeast of Santa Barbara.

The property has hosted top company executives and celebrity VIP teams for quarterly/ annual meetings. Unique, exclusive conference experiences are designed for guests to enjoy luxury service and amenities. Customized itineraries are available.

Belmond El Encanto can comfortably accommodate groups of up to 200.

B E L M O N D E L E N C A N T O , S A N TA B A R B A R A

SPSEC - Belmond El Encanto

GLAMOROUSLY PERCHED HIGH ABOVE THE PACIFIC OCEAN, EAT, SLEEP AND LIVE THE CALIFORNIA DREAM Belmond El Encanto opened in 1918 and has been part of Santa Barbara’s social scene ever since.

The resort is gleaming and glamorous, yet relaxed and low key. The kind of place that invites you to recline poolside, breathe in the ocean air, and sip a glass of crisp local wine.

For more information or reservations, please call 805 845 5800 or visit belmond.com/elencanto.

800 ALVARADO PLACE, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93103 | 805 845 5800

HOTELS | TRAINS | RIVER CRUISES | JOURNEYS | BELMOND.COM

GUIDE TO BUSINESS ENTERTAINING, MEETINGS, AND RETREATS

STAPLES Center Now in its 20th year, STAPLES Center has developed an unrivaled reputation for excellence as the Sports and Entertainment Center of the World. Beginning with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s opening­night concert on October 17, 1999, more than 50 million guests have come to the AEG–owned and operated STAPLES Center to attend concerts, sporting events, awards shows, family programming, and other major attractions unmatched by any other arena.

Location: Los Angeles, Calif.

Scope: Over one million square feet Contact: David Brewster, Director, Premium Sales at dbrewster@staplescenter.com Notable Features: $10 million center-hung video LIVE 4HD Scoreboard specially designed for the arena.

STAPLES Center continues to distinguish itself as the host of major, high-profile events of national and international distinction, including the 2004, 2011, and 2018 NBA All-Star Weekends, 2002 and 2017 NHL All-Star Games, and 2010 NHL Draft.

SPSEC - AEG STAPLES Center served as the host of the 2002 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, 2000 Democratic National Convention, 2009 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, 17 of the last 19 Grammy Awards, 11 X Games competitions, four WTA Championships, 12 Pac 12 Men’s Basketball Championships, 2013 and 2018 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships West Regional, and the Michael Jackson public memorial service on July 7, 2009.

As home of four professional sports franchises— the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks—STAPLES Center gives a home-court advantage to local teams, with the Lakers capturing five NBA Championships and the Kings winning two Stanley Cup titles since 1999. The Sparks captured backto-back WNBA Championships in their first two STAPLES Center campaigns and brought home their third WNBA Championship in June 2016.

STAPLES Center has been designed with the fans of Los Angeles in mind. Guests are treated to the finest entertainment experience imaginable.

The arena has free public Wi-Fi, over 840 Toshiba flat-panel televisions and (as part of a specially designed $1.5 million facility-wide sound system), 675 separate speakers outside of the seating area, so fans never miss any of the sights or sounds of a STAPLES Center event.

$2 million specialty lighting package and other state-of-the-art amenities.

Along STAPLES Center’s five concourses are 23 refreshment stands offering a variety of dining choices, including the Smo ke house BBQ on City View Terrace, a one-of-a-kind outdoor dining experience with a spectacular view of L.A. LIVE and the Downtown Los Angeles skyline.

The TEAM LA store located on the main concourse is a retail store featuring off icial merchandise from the teams and events that call STAPLES Center home, with satellite locations throughout the facility and L.A. LIVE. The arena provides 55 public restrooms, including three family restrooms.

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SPSEC - AEG

GUIDE TO BUSINESS ENTERTAINING, MEETINGS, AND RETREATS

CAESARS FORUM is a 550,000-square-foot conference center opening in March 2020 at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. The $375 M development, the first facility of this size built on a single level, will host meetings and events in the two largest pillarless ballrooms in the world. CAESARS FORUM has already secured $300M in business, with 75 percent of those contracts being new business.

CAESARS FORUM Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Scope: More than 300,000 square feet of flexible meeting space Contact: meet@caesars.com Notable Features: Conference space can accommodate more than 10,000 attendees.

A 100,000-square-foot, dedicated outdoor plaza will be ideal for receptions, wellness breaks, and meals.

The center will offer direct access to Harrah’s Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas, The LINQ Hotel + Experience, and The LINQ Promenade.

More than 20,000 rooms will be easily acces sible at eight Caesars Entertainment properties.

With its main entrance located near the base of the world-famous High Roller, CAESARS FORUM will offer direct access to The LINQ Promenade, an entertainment, restaurant, and retail complex. The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is suitable for general sessions.

SPSEC - Caesars Forum

The two largest pillarless ballrooms in the world: Forum and Summit Ballrooms, each with 110,00 square feet of meeting space.

Two 40,000-square-foot ballrooms and six 1,250square-foot boardrooms.

With direct access to 8,500 rooms at Harrah’s Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas, and The LINQ Hotel + Experience, the center will also be within walking distance to eight Caesars Entertainment properties, including Caesars Palace, providing accessibility to 20,000 rooms.

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PROMOTION

Forum Plaza, the only 100,000-square-foot dedicated outdoor meeting and event space in Las Vegas, can be used for breakfast, lunch, or dinner under the stars, as well as wellness breaks, receptions, and corporate social responsibility activities.

From trade associations to fashion, technology, telecom, sports, entertainment, education, and wellness industries, CAESARS FORUM will accommodate more than 10,000 participants and features over 100 breakout rooms, while still flexible enough for small meetings. More than 2.1 miles of airwalls provide limitless configurations.

Participants can enjoy restaurant-quality food prepared by an award-winning culinary staff.

Complete buyouts are available for Caesars Entertainment’s restaurants, cafes, and lounges, and dine-around arrangements are also available to allow guests to sample different venues— all with one contact, one contract, and one food and beverage minimum.

SPSEC - Caesars Forum

550,000 SQUARE FOOT CONFERENCE CENTER OPENING MARCH 2020 LAS VEGAS

GUIDE TO BUSINESS ENTERTAINING, MEETINGS, AND RETREATS

START UP RECOVERY

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Location: Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Scope: ¼ acre, with a capacity of up to 100 guests Contact: gregg@startuprecovery.com 2

START UP RECOVERY is a transformational brand located in Pacific Palisades that offers clients an exclusive and individualized recovery and wellness solution. Focused on recovery from all aspects of life and situated in luxury sober residences, this one-of-akind empowerment experience is for those who need a break from the daily grind. Allowing a long enough pause to take a deep breath, you can reinvent the most important relationship in your life: the relationship with yourself. After this profound discovery, you can truly press the reset button on life.

START UP RECOVERY views each client as a unique start-up or turnaround and caters to those who are dealing with addiction in any of its many forms: alcoholism, workaholism, gambling, etc. Many clients are simultaneously dealing with loss of a marriage, change in career, lost identity symptoms, as well as mental health issues. The focus is taking the time to concentrate on extreme self-care, getting into balance, and the process of reinvention.

Th is holistic approach treats each individual spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Some of the self-care options available are chef-prepared meals, nutrition planning, acupuncture, breath work, meditation, massage, yoga, hiking, horseback riding, and surfing.

START UP RECOVERY was founded by entrepreneurs and C-suite executives Jeffrey Vann and Gregg Champion, who recognized a need for a leading-edge and uniquely packaged solution not previously available

anywhere in the world. As word has spread, clients from around the globe have benefited from this life-changing experience.

“Everybody at some point in life needs a big boy or big girl timeout and deserves to understand the true wealth and happiness available by being in balance,” says Vann, a self-described former out-of-balance workaholic.

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process, clients learn how to put their own recovery fi rst, while discovering their true passions, the things that bring them real, tangible, and lasting joy. Learning how to incorporate this newfound joy and self-care routines into their life feeds their souls.

Vann and Champion are big believers in the idea of getting into action around the idea of one’s legacy—a touchstone piece of the curriculum. Clientele begin exploring this concept within days of arrival. Every Thursday includes a “marquee night” that involves one of its 100+ inspiring sober mentors. The evening begins with a chef-prepared dinner for all, then the mentor leads a meeting. Each mentor not only has long-term recovery but leads a balanced life and has experienced extraordinary success both personally and professionally. Clients are encouraged to connect with these mentors and foster lifelong relationships with them.

SPSEC - Start Up Recovery

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PROMOTION

Start Up Recovery’s Clientele

Professionals, executives, artists, empty nesters, and millennials from high-net-worth families call upon Vann and Champion to provide custom, individualized solutions to what is usually a long-running problem.

“Our goal is to provide a safe, luxurious, and transformational environment, so our clients can have a truly meaningful outcome and transition back home into a new reality,” says Champion, who has been clean and sober for 25 years.

A Different Way of Making a Difference

START UP RECOVERY is built on four pillars: accountability, education, community, and love. Different from a rehabilitation center where someone goes for immediate detox and similar services, Start Up Recovery is a sober transformational living center. The No. 1 value is safety for all.

Every client gets access to a proprietary coaching curriculum, The Recovery Playbook, which is individualized and focuses on recovery, career, passion, and legacy. During this

Memorable Residences

With breathtaking panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, the trophy properties are located in a coveted private neighborhood in Pacific Palisades, which sits right between Santa Monica and Malibu. The residences are minutes from the freeway, close to Palisades Village (a luxurious shopping center by Caruso), and a stone’s throw away from the beach, meditation center, world-class gym, and hiking and riding trails. The residences are surrounded by culinary neighbors that include Nobu, Mastro’s, Mr. Chow, and Café Vida.

1. Founders of START UP RECOVERY, Jeffrey Vann & Gregg Champion. 2. A luxury amenity available to clients is “Yoga in the Sky”.

3. The 7 bedroom residence resembles a beautiful yacht. 4. Cornerstones of one’s experience are good books & great coffee.

No matter who we are and where we come from, we all get to a point where we just need a break, an opportunity to rechar­ ge, a time and place to address trauma, chaos, pain, and shame, and quite literally, heal.

SPSEC - Start Up Recovery ®

STRUCTURED PROGRAMS FOR PROFESSIONALS

WITHIN A RECOVERY COMMUNITY

EXCLUSIVE LUXURY AMENITIES

WORLD CLASS MENTORS

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA

ORGANIC CUISINE

A ONE OF A KIND TRANSFORMATIONAL LIVING CENTER WE SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES INTERESTED IN GENERATING MEANINGFUL RECOVERY OUTCOMES WHEN LIFE PRESENTS ITS MOST ADVERSE CHALLENGES.

LET US HELP · 310.773.3809 · STARTUPRECOVERY.COM

Bold shots and breathtaking views define the adventurous rounds of golf that Colorado’s latest championship course tees up. By Shaun Tolson

GOLF GETAWAY

Drama Club

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DESTINATIONS

championships. When all phases of development are complete, this sprawling residential community in Berthoud (an hour’s drive north of downtown Denver) will feature nearly 1,200 residential units, a resort-style pool, resident beach club, lake club and marina, and more than 8 miles of regional biking and hiking trails.

“Our biggest distinguishing characteristic compared to other Colorado courses is our tiein to the natural beauty of the terrain,” says the club’s general manager John Buser, referencing the property’s abundant views of the Front Range. “It’s a breathtaking background and the style of golf course design lends itself to 18 memorable golf holes.”

Many of those holes incorporate classic design elements that golfers and course architects have revered for centuries. The 238-yard, par-3 second, for example, features a massive, 11,500-square-foot green positioned at a left-to-right angle from the tee box and defined by a deep swale that dissects the putting surface. It’s a green design once made famous by the Biarritz Golf Club on the southwest coast of France, conceptualized

by Willie Dunn Jr. in 1888.

While some TPC Network properties, like TPC Sawgrass, offer a traditional resort experience for the public, TPC Colorado at Heron Lakes is semi-private. A limited num-

ber of public tee times are available each day, but most of the community’s amenities will be reserved for members. Discerning travelers wishing to tee it up on Colorado’s sparkling new championship layout will be most at home at The Elizabeth Hotel, a boutique Autograph Collection property located about 17 miles north in Fort Collins.

Back on the 16th tee, I watch as my tee shot—a subtle draw—drifts just left of the flagstick. The ball hangs suspended above the green, dramatically highlighted by ominous storms clouds approaching from over the mountains in the distance. The scene is building to its climax, and just as I prepare for a hero’s welcome from my playing partners, I watch as my ball lands only a foot or two short, careening off the back embankment of the cavernous pot bunker and plummeting into the sand.

At least for today, the performance that unfolds at Center Stage is tragic, but happier endings seem destined to follow. “One of the bedrocks of this golf course is to put the golf in the player’s hands,” Schaupeter says. “There’s a lot of options out there, a lot of different ways you can approach these golf holes. If you take an adventurous spirit’s approach to the round, especially the first time, that’s the best tip I can give. The key is just to go out there and have fun.” tpc.com

Photo Credit: The Boradmoor: Dick Durrance, Fossil Trace Golf Club: Robert Castellino

Destinations - Golf Getaway

The 16th hole of TPC Colorado at Heron Lakes is taunting me. It’s asking me to play the hero’s role. The dramatic par 3—aptly named Center Stage—measures only 140 yards downhill to a sprawling, 9,000-square-foot, elevated green perched on a peninsula fronting McNeil Reservoir. In honesty, the layout offers plenty of safety. A conservative shot to the middle of the green (a section that also offers the most generous landing area front to back) is the prudent play and makes par a reasonable outcome.

But possible glory awaits those willing to hit their tee shots at the flagstick, which today is stoically positioned on a tiny right-hand sliver of the bent-grass green. The hole’s location, still in place from the final round of the Korn Ferry tour event that concluded the previous day, is tucked between two vast bunkers that guard the right edge of the putting surface and a deep pot bunker front and center that threatens to swallow tee shots that come up even a tiny bit short.

“There’s a sense of adventure out there,” golf course architect Art Schaupeter says of the 7,991-yard-long, par-72 layout that he designed. “There are a lot of neat and heroic shots that you can take on if you want to.”

The TPC Colorado at Heron Lakes is the newest addition to the TPC Network, a collective of 32 golf properties, each with a design capable of hosting tour-sponsored

GOLF GETAWAY

Play Time

The top 5 golf courses to play in Colorado right now.

By Ryan Byers

TPC COLORADO, BERTHOUD Designer: Arthur Schaupeter Completed: 2018 Distinguishing characteristics: Situated along the Little Thompson River, this 18-hole championship course offers breathtaking lake and snowcapped mountain views. TPC Colorado is one of the nation’s longest golf courses, stretching out to nearly 8,000 yards, with the par-5, 13th hole extending 773 yards and featuring strategically placed bunkers throughout. Despite the length from the farthest set of tees, BROADMOOR EAST, COLORADO SPRINGS Designer: Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones Sr. Completed: 1918 Distinguishing characteristics: The east course is continuously recognized among the best in the world, and for good reason. The traditional treelined course offers wide, rolling fairways with undulated greens, all with mountain views, and many holes that require shot-shaping skills. The course is fair but challenging, even for the best of golfers.

Why now: Broadmoor East has played host to several major golf tournaments, most recently the 2018

TPC Colorado has seven different sets of tees to accommodate every level of golfer.

Why now: It’s the state’s first golf course in 10 years.

In July 2019, TPC Colorado played host to a Korn Ferry Tour (the PGA’s developmental tour) event, the first of a five-year deal. The development has plans for 1,188 residential units, as well as a 60,000-squarefoot clubhouse opening soon. tpc.com Where to stay: The Elizabeth Hotel. Part of the Autograph Collection, this hotel in downtown Fort Collins has a boutique edge and is just 30 minutes from the course. theelizabethcolorado.com

Senior US Open. Broadmoor golf club has recently been renovated with a new lobby area with a Golf Heritage Hallway displaying the club’s legendary history on its walls. Guests can enjoy a series of displays, photos, and exhibits that highlight the rich traditions, tournaments, and champions who helped write the pages of the Broadmoor Golf’s historic legacy.

Where to stay: The Broadmoor. Since opening its doors more than a century ago, the property has been offering fly-fishing, horseback riding, waterfall treks, and more—all under the umbrella of a five-star resort. broadmoor.com

Destinations - Golf Getaway BROADMOOR WEST, COLORADO SPRINGS

Designer: Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones Sr. Completed: 1964

Distinguishing characteristics: Set at an altitude at 6,600 feet, the west course features dramatic elevation changes. Though not as long as the east course, it still offers a challenge, with several dogFOSSIL TRACE GOLF CLUB, GOLDEN Designer: Jim Engh Completed: 2003 Distinguishing characteristics: The course opened approximately 64 million years after the first dinosaurs walked where holes 11–15 now sit. Fossil Trace Golf Club winds through foothills adjacent to the Rocky Mountain Front Range, creating majestic scenery. Triceratops footprints, as well as other prehistoric creatures’ fossils, can be viewed adjacent to the course’s 12th green.

COLORADO NATIONAL, ERIE Designer: Jay Morrish Completed: 2003 Distinguishing characteristics: The traditional links-style layout stretches out to a mammoth 7,676 yards. The par-72 course has many strategically placed bunkers and water hazards, has hosted two NCAA Regional Championships, and is home to the University of Colorado golf team.

CSQ Q3 2019

legs and multitiered, fast greens that are severely sloped. The panoramic views of both the mountains and Colorado Springs will have you reaching for your camera instead of your golf club on many holes.

Why now: With so much attention on the east course due to the recent Senior US Open, now is the perfect time to play the equally good west course for the same impeccable conditions without the crowds.

Where to stay: The Broadmoor. broadmoor.com

Why now: Fossil Trace is recognized across the country as Colorado’s best public golf course. Summertime draws large crowds of individual as well as group play. With summer behind us, you’ll find it easier to get a tee time, and reservations can be made 60 days in advance. fossiltrace.com Where to stay: When it comes to proximity and charm, it’s hard to beat Origin Red Rocks (originhotel.com). Just nine minutes from the course, the property is the official hotel of the Red Rocks Amphitheater and carries a quirky hipster vibe. For a traditional luxury hotel experience, the Four Seasons Denver is about 25 minutes away (fourseasons.com).

Why now: With the greens needle tined in September, the course is in pristine condition and ready for the rest of the year. coloradonationalgolfclub.com Where to stay: The St. Julien Hotel and Spa in nearby Boulder offers 201 rooms, most with stunning mountain views from their balconies, as well as a 12,000-square-foot spa to help you recover after multiple rounds of golf. stjulien.com

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California’s most established wine region feels fresh thanks to a slew of new hotels, shops, restaurants, and of course, wineries.

Here is our guide for where to stay and what to do.

THE GETAWAY

Los Angeles

Take a Napa

By Carey Sweet

TEN THINGS NOT TO MISS

STAY

The Francis House

Las Alcobas

Ashes & Diamonds Winery A zigzag roof and porthole windows hint of the hip style within; the retro Palm Springs midcentury décor, wood-fired food pairings, and music on the “Quad” lawn attract the cool kids. ashesdiamonds.com

new epicurean boutique/wine bar/coffee bar.

Stock up on locally made passion fruit white balsamic vinegar, arugula-spelt pasta, Tahitian lime olive oil, white truffle honey mustard, quince butter, and cute gifts like a logo apron sporting a retro bunny. napastak.net

The CIA at Copia This Culinary Institute of America destination offers cooking classes and demonstrations, as well as outdoor movies, art exhibits, and more.

Check out the new, 3-D interactive dining experience and late-night outdoor dining venue with bocce ball. ciaatcopia.com

Crush Lounge at Meritage Resort & Spa An upscale adult playground, Crush combines craft cocktails, boozy milkshakes, sports entertainment, burgers, pool tables and six lanes of bowling. Frolic until midnight Fridays and Saturdays. meritageresort.com

Ca’Toga Art Gallery Marvel at (and enjoy the rare opportunity to buy some of) world-renowned, Italian-born artist Carlo Marchiori’s fantastical Venetian paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, and ceramics—Renaissance-Seussian animals and elaborate commedia dell’arte masks are favorite themes. catoga.com

Senses by JCB Winery maven and bon vivant Jean-Charles Boisset lives large, and this new fashion, fragrance, and beauty boutique and medi-spa showcases his glamorous style. A onetime train depot, it’s now a treasure chest of luxury fashion from international designers, vintage and high-end modern handbags, Rodial Bee Venom Super Serum skin revitalizer, an osmologue for blending custom perfumes, and a spa for facials and other pampering. sensesbyjcb.com

Destinations - Weekend LA Four Seasons Resort Napa Valley

It took three years for The Francis House (thefrancishouse.com) owners Dina and Richard Dwyer to bring the gracious, 1886 stone mansion in Calistoga to its now spectacular, French chateau–style glory. With just five rooms, it feels like a private castle, complete with manicured gardens, a pool, intimate spa, and living room. Located in town but overlooking expanses of vineyards, St. Helena’s Las Alcobas (marriott.com) offers convenience and privacy—as well as contemporary, chic rooms and a spa specializing in ancient Asian healing treatments. Pioneering Napa Valley luxury hotel Auberge du Soleil (aubergedusoleil.com) which opened in tk, just introduced two newly redesigned maisons. Two-bedroom, 1,800-square-foot, freestanding accommodations, designed by Suzanne Tucker, complement the 33-acre property’s 48 rooms and suites. Book now at the Four Seasons Resort Napa Valley (fourseasons.com) in Calistoga, slated for an early 2020 opening with 85 luxury resort rooms and suites, on-site vineyard, and vine-to-table restaurant.

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DESTINATIONS

Tom Eddy Winery Savor exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon ($175, just 125 cases made) in a gorgeous 4,000-squarefoot cave of exposed, striated andesite bedrock and rhyolite ash rock on this steep mountain property. The owner/winemaker Tom Eddy has a fine-tuned understanding of Napa Valley’s geology and was directly involved in digging the cave. tomeddywinery.com Kenzo Kenzo and Natsuko Tsujimoto also own the elegantly understated, $100M Kenzo Estate winery nearby, and take the same pristine-perfect approach to this 27-seat kaiseki restaurant ($225pp). kenzonapa.com Blue Note A glamorous extension of New York’s famous indie jazz club, the hot spot seats less than 150 guests, for up-close interaction with internationally famous performers. bluenotenapa.com Napastäk Co-owners Lusine and Arthur Hartunian also own Napa Valley Distillery (napadistillery .com) with gorgeous handcrafted spirits, so it makes sense that they have launched this

Cliff Lede Vineyards Established in 2002, Lede named each block of his eponymous vineyards—planted on volcanic rock—after favorite classic rock songs and albums (cliffledevineyards.com). Each year, the team crafts a Rock Block blend from two or more “blocks” and features it in a tasting at the “Backstage” tasting area, which appropriately plays classic rock. The space also features an art gallery and is a stone’s throw from the family’s acclaimed five-bedroom Poetry Inn (poetryinn.com), designed by Howard Backen.

Getting There Napa is about 70 miles north of SFO, which receives flights nearly every hour from LAX. The smaller Sonoma County Airport (STS) is about 30 miles west of Napa and receives a handful of daily flights on Alaska and American, as well as by private charter. Once you’ve arrived, fully enjoy the region by hiring a driver. Pure Luxury (pureluxury.com) has been offering a range of chauffeured vehicles in the area since 1991 and is a Certified Green ground transportation company.

THE GETAWAY

New York

Essential Escape

An addition of luxury accommodations, revamped spa, and new destination restaurant make discovering the under-the-radar Hotel Esencia a must.

By Samantha Brooks

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Perhaps the most important thing to note yoga to strength and cardio. In fact, Wendle about Mexico’s Hotel Esencia is its location. hasn’t stopped improving the property since Situated on a discrete cove 20 miles south of he purchased it. Last spring, two new pentPlaya del Carmen and 25 miles north of Tulum, house suites debuted, each featuring 1,345 the region is neither a tourist hub filled with square feet of space, with private plunge pools souvenir shops and tourist traps, nor a Bohe- overlooking the lush greenery of the property mian commune of yoga-centric hotels and hos- and out to the ocean. In October 2019, the tels sandwiched between caftan shops. Instead, 1,000-square-foot presidential suite debuted Hotel Esencia is a destination unto itself. on a secluded section of beachfront and feaThe sprawling property, which now occu- tures its own beach palapa and a 1,400-squarepies 50 acres, was formerly the summer home foot private terrace. Additionally, an overhaul of an Italian duchess. It became a boutique of the spa, also completed in October, added an hotel in 2005, but it wasn’t until New York– infrared sauna and hydromassage plunge pool. based Hollywood producer and tech investor Even with just 42 suites and 3 villas located Kevin Wendle purchased it in 2014 that it truly on a secluded stretch of perfect, sugar-sand became a world-class resort. Wendle’s influ- beach, the property maintains a variety of ence and eye for detail and design can be seen dining options. The beachfront Mistura resthroughout the property, from his own art col- taurant features traditional Mexican fare, most lection—a Picasso hangs in one of the suites, sourced locally, while a beach bar, coffee bar, and his collection of mid-century lighting is and café offer another array of choices. This scattered throughout the main house—to the year marked the opening of the acclaimed intention of the hotel. In fact, it’s not meant international restaurant Beefbar, which also to feel like a hotel at all, but rather a very well- counts knockout locations in Paris at the staffed—and very chic—guest house. To that Georges V as well as its Michelin-starred outend, there are no signs, no room numbers, and post in Hong Kong. Complete with 70 seats and keys are the delightfully traditional kind, made a menu that combines the brand’s acclaimed from metal, not plastic. beef as well as local fish, the restaurant is a However, the property is far from rustic. destination unto itself and comes to life every Wi-Fi is plentiful. Each room features televi- Thursday to Sunday at the property. sions with apps for video streaming. And the While Hotel Esencia is ideal for those who fully equipped gym is outfitted with Techno- wish to do nothing but lounge, a variety of acgym as well as The Mirror, a full-sized mirror/ tivities is available as well. screen that offers countless workouts led by For first timers: The Riviera Maya is a variety of fitness trainers for everything from known for its Mayan ruins. Avoid the mass

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bus tours and allow Hotel Esencia to arrange a private tour early in the morning to beat the crowds and have you back on the beach in time for lunch.

If you’ve seen the ruins: Try a day excursion on a chartered boat, which can take you out to the coral reef (the second-largest in the world) for a day of snorkeling, diving, and sunset drinks and dinner prepared just for you.

If you think you’ve seen it all: Head to the Sian Ka’an biosphere for a floatation tour. A local community of conservationists allows only a few people in at a time to float down canals that flow through mangroves and are said to be carved out by Mayans trying to communicate through the island and sea. hotelesencia.com Getting there: Flights from Newark on Delta or United leave around 8 a.m. and can get you into Cancun (CUN) around noon (the resort is about an hour from the airport). Return flights leaving at 4 p.m. allow for an extra half day of vacation but get you home in time for dinner.

Destinations - Weekend NY

CSQ Q3 2019

1. The internationally acclaimed Beefbar restaurant opened earlier this year at Hotel Esencia.

2. The property is nestled on 50 acres.

3. The master beach suite.

4. One of the new penthouse suites.

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THE JOURNEY

Los Angeles

Destinations - The Journey LA

Explora It All

Chile’s long and narrow geography on South America’s west coast graces it with a variety of landscapes and experiences. To get a full understanding of just how exotic this mountainous, coastal country can be, start at the bottom and work your way up, using the Explora lodges as a base. These outdoorsy yet posh, Chilean-owned properties work in tandem for guests traveling throughout the country and make the hotel as much a part of the trip as any of your outdoor destinations.

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Head South for the Winter (Well, Summer)

Immerse yourself in nature in some of Chile’s chicest accommodations and discover why this country is South America’s hottest destination.

By Ramsay Qubein 84

DESTINATIONS

Get your camera app open to capture stunning views upon arrival on the shores of Lake Pehoé and the Explora Patagonia resort. Located in the Torres del Paine UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, you’ll be greeted with the distinctive natural juxtaposition of towering, jagged mountain spires slicing through crystal blue sky with their reflections beaming back at you from the stunning lake.

The best antidote to fatigue after a long flight is a boat ride along the lake to capture shots of glaciers from below and spot wildlife both on shore and in the water. The more adventurous opt for horseback riding along the hillside (a resident horse expert provides guidance at the adjacent ranch), although there’s nothing wrong with holding court in the spa or by the fireplace with cocktail in hand.

An oasis in the wilderness, the modern

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interiors of this 49-room, contemporary lodge feature polished hardwood, country-chic furnishings, and lounge areas that wouldn’t be out of place in the Rockies. Take time for sundowners in the lounge with maps unfurled to plan the next day’s activities and bring a book to bask in this rare opportunity for distraction-less relaxation (no TV or Wi-Fi). Hearty cuisine fuels guests for one of 50 guided hikes along the park’s lakes and pathways.

Prepare for Something Different

Once you’ve finished a brief stint living as a gaucho, fly north and then west via Santiago toward Easter Island for one of the world’s most prized indigenous island wonders.

Isolated in the midst of the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island is home to one of the region’s most celebrated luxury lodges, Explora Rapa Nui, in the main town of Hanga Roa, only a short drive from the airport. Amid a hilly green landscape, this ecofriendly resort impresses with its attention to detail, including zero landfill waste, with everything recycled or composted.

Base yourself in one of 30 rooms and suites, each with stone floors, enormous panoramic windows, and designer fabrics. Guides provide support for the best hikes, beach walks, or visits to volcanic craters, which takes some of the sting out of planning for an unfamiliar location.

Iconic and a must-see are the monolithic Moai human figures, created by Polynesian seafaring visitors nearly a millennium ago, with lengthened heads spread across the island.

Each represents an important ancestor and is believed to be positioned near a source of fresh groundwater. Some of the statues are lined up in symmetry while others cover the hillside in seemingly erratic positions. Easter Island is a bucket-list check for the world’s most traveled adventurers, most of whom make the Explora eco-lodge their luxe home when on the island.

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Destinations - The Journey LA

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Chill in the Desert

1. Hiking through the Moon Valley in the Atacama.

2. Easter Island from above.

3. The glaciers in the Patagonia.

4. The pool at the Explora Atacama.

5. Horseback riding through the Atacama.

6. A room at the Explora Patago­ nia lodge.

CSQ Q3 2019

The Atacama Desert—home to grassy pampas and rolling sand dunes—can be cold at night.

That’s why Explora Atacama’s luxurious rooms and crackling fireplaces are so highly favored.

With more than three-dozen organized activities, from horseback riding to treks around area geysers and salt flats, to keep guests busy, adventure is the focus. Outdoor whirlpools and a lengthy spa menu provide great alternatives to the property’s own natural hot springs, a particular favorite for a long, deep breath of relaxation.

Don’t miss the property’s observatory, where nighttime stargazing is a treat given such clear skies in this secluded spot; it also features occasional evening cultural performances.

Each resort is all-inclusive (meals, airport transfers, group excursions, and open bar).

New for 2020 is the option to book private

excursions that center around your own personal interests. Part of the treat of an Explora visit is that package rates are discounted for booking two or more lodges in one itinerary.

Past guests get extra discounts, too, which can come in handy as Explora Uyuni opens in 2020 amid the Bolivian salt flats in Peru’s Sacred Valley. explora.com Getting there:

LATAM flights operate nonstop several times a week between LAX and Santiago, where flights to Explora lodge destinations are available for connections. One-stop flights operate from many West Coast cities via Dallas/Fort Worth; on United via Houston; on Copa via Panama City; or on Aeromexico via Mexico City.

LATAM also flies from Santiago to Easter Island; from Santiago to Punta Arenas (the easiest airport to reach Explora Patagonia); and from Santiago to Calama (close to Explora Atacama).

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THE JOURNEY

New York

Destinations - The Journey NY

Personal Paradise

Escape the world at your own pace on Bawah, a private archipelago with 13 white sand beaches in Indonesia’s Riau Islands. By Paul Rubio 86

DESTINATIONS

The fantasy of luxuriating in an overwater bungalow is the bucket-list island experience travelers typically seek when dreaming of the Maldives, Bora Bora, and Fiji. But this castaway fantasy now has a new address, in another faraway land—and with a twist.

Say hello to Bawah Reserve, a private island paradise—overwater bungalows included—lost among Indonesia’s Riau Islands, some 150 nautical miles off Singapore. Unlike those before it, Bawah isn’t a single dreamy island.

The reserve comprises an entire archipelago: six stunning islands, three blue lagoons, and 13 white sand beaches. It accommodates just 70 guests in 35 suites but offers a myriad of dining options, activities, and amenities, matching far larger ultra-luxury resorts. This is next-level private island splendor, unmatched in any other part of the world.

The adventure begins with a grand seaplane arrival. Circling before touchdown, the tiny plane’s passengers erupt in “oohs and aahs” over Bawah’s sheer beauty: low-lying, palm-studded islets contrast larger, high-rising granitic islands blanketed in dense jungle canopy, all framed by blue-ombré waters and encircled by a continuous coral reef. Exiting onto a floating wooden footbridge, Bawah’s manmade marvels soon come into view: 11 wooden overwater bungalows, 24 safari-inspired tented suites, the open-air Aura spa complex, and four design-forward restaurants, including

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one in the treetops and one in the sand (with swing chairs, no less). To minimize impact on the natural environment, all guest rooms and amenities are constructed along the principal island’s southern perimeter. And to harmonize with nature, all are designed with both sustainably and style in mind, reflected in the artful use of local timber, driftwood, island stones, rope, bamboo, recycled copper, and canvas over transitional indoor-outdoor spaces.

The sublime scene is now set, but exactly how you maximize it is up to you. Bawah’s all-inclusive rate (starting at $1,780/night) means that unlimited dining (minus alcohol) and activities (except diving) are fair game, as are daily spa treatments (yes, you can get a 60-minute massage per day). It’s entirely possible to disappear into your private eco-chic sanctuary, relishing the views (and room service) during languid days, exiting only for a daily deep tissue or a walk along the massive sandbars at low tide.

Alternatively, immerse completely in Bawah’s natural bounties. Try self-guided or group snorkeling trips; the biodiversity in this marine conservation area is off the charts. Hike up to five different trails through the jungle. Take the one-hour Blue Trail for the best bird’s-eye views of the reserve or the hour-long Orange Trail to ogle Bawah’s granite pinnacles. Choose between nine different reefs as dive sites, depending on your skill set and species goals. The Muerba Reef showcases

some of the healthiest coral formations in the region, teeming with black gorgonian fan coral and prolific schools of bumphead parrotfish, angelfish, rabbitfish, and black-tipped reef sharks. Grab a see-through kayak or hitch a five-minute speedboat ride and head to the other surrounding islands, snagging a beach all to yourself. With advance notice, staff stock the island with a gourmet lunch, cocktails, and loungers in anticipation of your arrival.

A major bonus for foodies: While plenty of Western items can be found on the menus (from grilled meats to fresh pastas and housemade pizzas), it’s the authentic Indonesian and pan-Asian dishes that stand out. Discover mie goreng (an Indonesian stir-fried noodle dish), charred and marinated sotong with gado gado (squid skewers with blanched local greens in a spicy peanut sauce), and pepes ikan (steamed fish in banana leaf with coconut and lemongrass-infused rice). Bawah’s four restaurants— Treetops, Jules Verne Bar, Grouper Bar, and Boat House—are covered but open air, lending picture-perfect vistas, beach-conscious menus, casual ambience, and an overall subdued vibe.

Given Bawah’s latitude at just two degrees north of the equator, there’s no bad time to visit—sunny, hot, and mildly humid conditions are the norm. Dry season technically runs June to October and rainy season November to March, but the latter typically spells short, sudden showers. Though Bawah is just 150 miles from Singapore, it receives half the amount of annual precipitation (read: don’t look to Singapore’s weather as a guide).

That said, don’t wait too long to visit Bawah.

Not (only) because of global climate change, but because the reserve, which opened in early 2018, is still a travel secret. Many have done Bora Bora.

Few have experienced this next-generation Shangri-la. And, as if the overwater love nests and beach tents weren’t enough, in 2020 Bawah is set to introduce Elang, a resort-within-a-resort concept on its own eponymous island. Guests of Elang’s five multi-bedroom villas will be privy to

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Destinations - The Journey NY

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exclusive use of the island, its private restaurant bar and beaches included, and have free rein over the rest of greater Bawah’s enticements.

Be still our jet-setting hearts. bawahreserve.com Getting there:

1. Bawah is located 150 nautical miles from Singapore.

2. Accommodations are designed with sustainability and style in mind.

3. A see-through kayak is just one way to explore the area.

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4. The property features 13 private beaches.

Reaching this far-flung paradise takes time, but the process is seamless. Fly direct on Singapore Airline’s new Airbus A350-900ULR (ultralong-range aircraft) from Newark to Singapore’s Changi Airport, leaving one morning and landing the next day’s early evening. Stay overnight in Singapore. Next, rise and shine as the Bawah team takes over logistics: They’ll collect you from your hotel and escort you on a quick one-hour ferry to Singapore’s neighboring island, Batam, Indonesia, from which you’ll hop on a 75-minute seaplane to Bawah, arriving by lunchtime. Note that all of these transfers (minus the hotel) are bundled into the reserve’s all-inclusive policy.

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REAL ESTATE

CABOT ST. LUCIA

Breaking Ground Destinations New resort develop­ ments launching around the world.

About: This new resort community from the developer of the acclaimed Cabot Links in Nova Scotia will include townhomes, single -family homes from re nowned architects, and sites

SILO RIDGE

B arn is expecte d to be com pleted in winter 2020, and will include an art studio, bowling alley, game room, movie theater, diner, and restaurant. Also in 20 20, m e mb e rs will h ave access to an on-site equestrian facility with dressage course, trails, paddock, and indoor arena. Future plans include a main clubhouse with 40,000 square feet comprising a spa, locker rooms, dining room, and more.

Location: On 850 acres about 90 miles north of New York City, in Amenia.

About: This D is c over y L and Company project—the company’s first on the East Coast—includes an 18-hole Tom Fazio– designed private golf course, organic garden and greenhouse, and numerous outdoor activities from the brand’s Outdoor Pursuits concierge program, in c lu ding f ly- f i s hing o n th e Housatonic River, hiking excursions, and car racing at Lime Rock racetrack.

Timeline: W hil e th e of f i c i a l launch was in 2016, the Family

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DESTINATIONS

of activities including a sports facility, a full-service beach club and excursions with the Cabot Saint Lucia Explorers Team.

- Breaking Ground

Location: Encompassing 375 acres on the Caribbean island’s northern tip.

By Samantha Brooks

for customiz able beach and blufftop estates. The 18-hole Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw– designed golf course will be the star of the community, with seven of its holes along the water. Plans also include a 50-suite boutique hotel, three restaurants, retail shops, Cabot Spa, a n d c l u b h o u s e . I n a d d i ti o n, residents and guests will have exclusive access to an array

Timeline: Ground broke in summer 2019, with golf play slated for 2021.

Pricing: From $760,000

cabotstlucia.com

Pricing: From $2.6M

siloridge.com

Courtesy of Discovery Land Company

THE ESTATES AT ACQUALINA

Destinations - Breaking Ground

Location: In Sunny Isles, Fla., just north of Bal Harbour, within the beachfront Acqualina Resort d eve l o p m e n t t h a t i n c l u d e s a 98-room hotel and existing residential tower.

About: This new $1.8B residential development comprised of two 50-story towers will include 245 ultra-luxury residences with common areas created

by Karl Lagerfeld, one of the famed designer’s final projects.

Also part of the project are three single-family homes and three two-story penthouses, all featuring private pools. While all of the residences have top-ofthe-line amenities, one stando ut fe ature all own e r s h ave acces s to is Villa Acqualina, a 50,000-square-foot facility with a spa and fitness center; re st aurant ; ic e skating rink ; Formula One simulator; golfing simulator; bowling; movie theater; Wall Street Trader’s Club; and speakeasy.

Timeline: Completion is expected in early 2021.

Pricing: From $4.2M

estatesatacqualina.com

CSQ Q3 2019

RESERVA AT LA MONTAÑA Location: Situated on a bluff within the Villas del Mar, Palmilla, development in Los Cabos. About 15 miles from the SJD airport.

About: One of the original developments in Los Cabos, the property that is now Villas del Mar was first established in in 1956, when Don Abelardo Rodriguez, son of the Mexican president, built an under-the-radar, 15-room resort with a private airstrip just off the beach. The property quietly hosted Hollywood elite, like Lucille Ball and John Wayne. In the 1970s, Orange County–based developer Don Koll fell in love with Cabo and created a series of subcommunities around the hotel. In 1995,

Houston-based developer Ron Hatfield arrived and took things to a new level, creating the ultra-luxury communities of Villas del Mar and Espiritu. Now, Villas del Mar is offering one of its final communities, Reserva at La Montaña, with just 16 villas overlooking the Sea of Cortez. Not only is this one of the last opportunities to own at Villas del Mar, it’s the first time the community has ever constructed homes in a contemporary Baja style.

Timeline: Sales launched earlier this year. Homes are built and completed upon purchase.

Pricing: From $3.265M

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C-Suite Advisors ACCOUNTING Business Consulting

CSQ’s C-Suite Advisors™ form an invite-only community of the most sought-after, trusted advisors and serve as a resource to qualified thought leadership,

Advisory - TOC

providing insights from the same individuals who council the most successful C-Suite executives and entrepreneurs in the world.

Want more thought leadership?

Visit csq.com/advisors to access

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A CELEBRITY’S GUIDE TO FINANCIAL ENLIGHTENMENT HOWARD GROBSTEIN Founding Partner Grobstein Teeple, LLP

FINANCE Investment Banking

our library of content, including invaluable articles and op-eds

from our community of Advisors, who are experts in accounting, consulting, finance, health and wellness, insurance, law, marketing, and real estate.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN THINKING ABOUT A BUY SIDE M&A TRANSACTION JIM FREEDMAN AND JOSEPH HUSBAND JF: Founding Partner and Chairman JH: Director of Business Development Intrepid Investment Bankers

DON’T SEE YOUR ADVISOR? NOMINATE THEM TODAY AT CSQ.COM/APPLICATION

FINANCE Wealth Management

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HEALTH & WELLNESS Life & Health

Advisory - TOC

DOES YOUR GENERATION KNOW BEST WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY?

LEGAL Mergers & Acquisitions

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LIVE WELL INTO THE FUTURE

UNICORNS STUMBLE AS POT AND CRYPTO GROW UP

RYAN BRISTOL

RAM DANDILLAYA, MD AND DR. DAVID KAROW

SANDER ZAGZEBSKI

Managing Director and Banker JP Morgan Private Bank

RD: Co-Founder, Atelier Health DK: President and Chief Innovation Officer, HLI

Partner Greenspoon Marder LLP

FINANCE Wealth Management

LEGAL Family Law

LEGAL Probate Litigation

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THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO

ANTICIPATING THE SECRET SCION IN ESTATE PLANNING

BRIAN WERDESHEIM

LISA HELFEND MEYER

SCOTT RAHN

Managing Director, Investments Oppenheimer & Co

Founding Partner MOLM

Managing Partner RMO, LLP

CSQ Q3 2019

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INDUSTRY ACCOUNTING

SPECIALTY BUSINESS CONSULTING

A CELEBRITY’S GUIDE TO FINANCIAL ENLIGHTENMENT Personal engagement is the key to success for entertainers and professional athletes.

HOWARD GROBSTEIN Howard Grobstein Founding Partner Grobstein Teeple LLP Los Angeles

Advisory - Grobstein

Howard Grobstein is co-founder and managing partner of Grobstein Teeple LLP (GT). He is a certified public accountant, certified fraud examiner, and certified in financial forensics by the AICPA. He specializes in all matters of business consulting, including business valuation, business management, back office accounting, and fractional CFO services, as well as transactions and due diligence.

He graduated from California State University, Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with an emphasis in accounting.

The only thing Grobstein loves more than GT (affectionately referred to as his third child) is his family. He and his wife, Sheba, have two children, Aaron and Reisa. The family loves to travel and experience places and foods from around the world. As a devout car enthusiast, you can find Grobstein enjoying his classic cars, which include a 1955 Chevy Bel Air, a 1968 Chevy Chevelle, and a 1970 Ford F250 pickup truck.

PHONE 818/532.1020 EMAIL hgrobstein@gtllp.com WEBSITE gtllp.com ADDRESS 6300 Canoga Avenue Suite 1500W Woodland Hills, CA 91367

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C-SUITE ADVISORY

Entertainers and athletes face many financial and accounting challenges and opportunities that are unique to their industries. Creating a business management, accounting, and tax plan—and reevaluating that plan regularly—is essential for maintaining financial health.

Because of their busy schedules, entertainers and athletes often disengage from their finances, relying 100 percent on their business managers and financial advisors to take care of all financial and investment needs. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it is important for these individuals to stay engaged and remain familiar with their assets, expenses, and financial outlook.

High-profile earners can take an active role in their fi nancial success by communicating clearly and frequently with their business management team and regularly reviewing their goals. The list below illustrates some suggestions for how entertainers and athletes can work with their team to keep a closer eye on their financial status.

Reports

Financially savvy entertainers and athletes should have their business manager issue reports on a monthly basis. These reports ideally include updates on the subject’s overall fi nancial status, including adjustments in income, investments, and assets, and track any changes to their business management plan.

QUOTE:

HIGH-PROFILE EARNERS CAN TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THEIR FINANCIAL SUCCESS BY COMMUNICATING CLEARLY AND FREQUENTLY WITH THEIR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TEAM AND REGULARLY REVIEWING THEIR GOALS.

Monthly financial reports are an easy way for a high­level entertainer or athlete to monitor their financial status and goals.

and home insurance, entertainers and athletes often own valuable assets like musical instru­ ments, boats, planes, jewelry, designer clothing, and vacation properties that require their own insurance. In some cases, it may be necessary to insure the person (e.g., hands, arms, legs) depending on the type of entertainment or sport they engage in.

Multistate and International Taxes

Often, high­profile athletes and entertainers generate income across multiple states and even in multiple countries. It’s important for these individuals and their financial advisors to make sure they are filing their taxes correctly.

Entertainers often use a business entity called a loan­out corporation to provide their personal services to third parties. Legally, an entertainer is classified as an employee of their loan­out corporation. The corporation then lends the services of the entertainer out to an employer, like a film studio or record company.

While this is a common practice, it’s im­ portant that individuals with these corpora­ tions make sure they are filing in the specific states and countries they have worked in to take advantage of any tax breaks and comply with all tax­filing requirements. For example, in the U.S., seven states do not levy income tax.

By making sure taxes are filed in the correct state, individuals can stand to benefit.

In addition, entertainers or athletes who work internationally should be aware of cer­ tain residency rules. Non­U.S. residents are subject to U.S. tax on the services they per­ formed while in the U.S., while U.S. residents, conversely, are taxed by the U.S. on their gross international income. Individuals who work internationally and frequently travel should communicate with their business manager to confirm whether they hold U.S. residency and make sure they are filing their taxes properly.

Trusts

While it can seem morbid to discuss, it’s essen­ tial that individuals with a large net worth and diverse assets have a trust in place in the event of an accident. By drawing up a trust with their lawyer and business manager, entertainers and athletes can ensure that their loved ones and their legacies are protected in the event of cat­ astrophic injury or death. The trust should be reviewed and updated frequently, especially when there are large changes in the value of an individual’s income or assets.

Retirement Planning

Entertainment and sports are two industries where a person’s income is often directly tied to their youth and ability. Planning early for retirement is crucial in these two businesses.

High­profile athletes or entertainers should discuss their retirement goals with their business manager and inform them promptly of any changes to their plan. Updates on the re­ tirement plan and growth in 401(k)s, IRAs, or any other retirement funds should be included in the business manager’s monthly reports.

their business managers. They don’t have to be experts, but it’s important to familiarize them­ selves with a potential investment’s business model, the size and trends of the market it is in, and how it ranks against its competition.

Sales of Assets

Entertainers and athletes regularly face a uni­ que set of obstacles with the sale of their large assets. When a person’s net worth includes assets such as multiple homes, yachts, private airplanes, and priceless art, sales can get com­ plicated. The owner should work to keep them­ selves apprised of the value of these assets and incorporate them into their overall financial plans. If they decide to sell any of these assets, having general knowledge of their worth and working closely with an astute business man­ ager can help sales go smoothly.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is key when it comes to celeb­ rity entertainers and famous athletes. By fre­ quently touching base with their business manager, these individuals can ensure that they have a firm handle on their finances and be aware of any potential for leaks. A good business manager should use the utmost dis­ cretion when discussing or making changes to a notable figure’s financial plans.

While business managers make it their job to navigate the pitfalls of high­income financ­ es, their clients should do their part to keep themselves informed and involved in their financial plans. By maintaining awareness of these suggested areas, a celebrity can be bet­ ter informed of their overall financial health and needs. Armed with this knowledge, they can collaborate with their financial advisor and business manager to adjust their finan­ cial plans.

By becoming financially literate and being mindful of their fiscal health, entertainers and athletes can set themselves on the pathway to long­term success. end

Advisory - Grobstein

Contracts

While it can be tempting to leave the drafting of new contracts to a business manager and lawyer, it’s in an entertainer or athlete’s best interest to get involved. By being on the same page before any services are rendered, the in­ dividual and their business manager will be better able to anticipate new tax­filing needs or other issues that may arise. Assisting their business manager with new contracts will also better enable the individual to understand their deals and add any elements they feel may have been missed.

Insurance

It may seem like a no­brainer, but making sure insurance is in place, up­to­date, and properly covers all of an entertainer’s assets is essential.

Note that beyond the basics of health, life, car,

CSQ Q3 2019

Meetings

Beyond monthly reports, frequent meetings with a business manager and financial advisor ensure that individuals are kept up­to­date on their financial health. These meetings are ben­ eficial for both sides and enable a high­profile individual and their financial team to identify any changes that are needed to their estab­ lished business management, accounting, and tax plans.

Investments

Celebrities and their business managers can often both be presented with exciting in­ vestment opportunities. Coordination is key when it comes to these investments—not only should an entertainer seek the advice of their business manager, but they should also discuss how these opportunities would fit into their overall financial plan.

Before investing in a new opportunity, it is also important for entertainers to do their own due diligence and compare notes with

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INDUSTRY FINANCE

SPECIALTY INVESTMENT BANKING

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN THINKING ABOUT A BUY-SIDE M&A TRANSACTION JIM FREEDMAN Founding Partner and Chairman Intrepid Investment Bankers Los Angeles, CA

“You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take” is a great quote from perhaps the greatest hockey player ever to lace up a pair of skates, Wayne Gretzky. It’s such a wonderful quote because it transcends sports and can be applied to most facets of life, especially business.

Gretzky’s statement is particularly appropriate when considering the best approach to grow a business through acquisition; you can’t successfully close acquisitions with opportunities you don’t try to win. Ensuring you have a shot at each potential opportunity allows a business to realize and aggressively execute on its most potentially lucrative and accretive targets.

The question then is: How do you maximize acquisition opportunities and value for your shareholders? We’ve spoken with several business owners over the years who felt they could wait patiently for the right opportunities to be presented to them, akin to being fed an easy tap-in at the goal line. We’ve found that the best approach to drive successful acquisition strategies involves a proactive effort to uncover and approach these potential targets. To do this successfully, we recommend engaging an advisor who can provide a strategic vision, exhaustive research, and disciplined pursuit.

Advisory - Freedman JOSEPH HUSBAND Director of Business Development Intrepid Investment Bankers Los Angeles, CA

Jim Freedman is a founding partner and chairman of Intrepid Investment Bankers, a specialty investment bank that provides M&A, capital raising, and strategic advisory services to middle-market companies across various industry sectors. He has more than 35 years of investment banking and corporate finance experience and is an expert on the financial aspects of corporate strategy.

Joseph Husband is director of business development at Intrepid, supporting the firm’s Digital Media and Software & Services verticals to identify opportunities and develop relationships with business owners on both the buy side and sell side.

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A Well-Defined Game Plan Is Paramount

One of the keys to successfully growing your business through acquisitions is defi ning the vision and criteria before building a comprehensive funnel of potential targets to approach.

Th inking backward strategically from where you are today to your eventual exit, and defi ning the criteria and characteristics of businesses that achieve your vision, maximizes the probability of success.

QUOTE:

WITH THE RIGHT ADVISOR, PLAN, AND STRATEGY, YOU CAN GREATLY INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF GETTING A DEAL ACROSS THE FINISH LINE AND SCORING A HUGE WIN FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND ITS SHAREHOLDERS.

PHONE 310/478.9000

We help our clients accomplish this by leveraging our industry-expert bankers to provide insight on the buy side so that our clients benefit from real-time market intelligence. By sharing the value drivers and themes potential acquirers and investors focus on, we guide our buy-side strategies to be impactful from a value-creation standpoint, spending time on only the most accretive targets. A recent client, Advice Media, capitalized on our insight and ability to originate creative financing solutions to begin aggressively acquiring companies in the very fragmented professional services digital-agency space, a category where we see rampant consolidation.

With a clearly defined vision for the future of a business, we can help articulate the characteristics of ideal target companies. There are several questions to ask before building a funnel of targets. These questions revolve around geography, size, capabilities or products, customers, channels, and outreach strategy. An example of this approach is Crestview-backed Congruex, a consolidator in the infrastructure-services industry. We recently advised HHS Construction, a leading infrastructure-services partner to major telecommunications and cable companies primarily in Southern California, on its sale to Congruex as HHS complemented Congruex’s customer base, service capabilities, and geographic focus.

WEBSITE intrepidib.com EMAIL jfreedman@intrepidib.com jhusband@intrepidib.com ADDRESS 11755 Wilshire Blvd., 22nd Floor Los Angeles, CA 90025

equipment (PPE). Our previous experience in the PPE space advising M. L. Kishigo, a provider of high-visibility safety vests, on its sale to Bunzl gave us real-time market insight into which characteristics strategic acquirers in the industry were paying a premium for. Our process with PIP led us to review nearly 1,000 different PPE companies and brands, identifying numerous potential acquisition candidates.

By taking a shot at and expressing our interest in so many different businesses, we ensured that our client was not going to miss an opportunity with an asset that helped fulfill their vision for PIP’s future. To date, our work with PIP has resulted in the successful completion of two significant transactions for the company, furthering their position as a leader in the PPE space.

Getting the Deal across the Finish Line

Once we have a clearly defined universe of acquisition targets, we begin to assess opportunities by reaching out and determining their openness to M&A discussions as well as qualifying their viability as an acquisition target. Just as a coach guides a team from the sidelines, we seek the counsel of our clients before hitting the ice to execute the game plan relentlessly.

The homework we do in the earlier part of the strategy allows us to be more effective at articulating the value that both parties can derive from a transaction. A clearly defined vision of how both businesses will benefit from a realization of the synergies they possess can often be the deciding factor in being selected as the acquirer of choice. With the right advisor, plan, and strategy, you can greatly increase the likelihood of getting a deal across the finish line and scoring a huge win for your business and its shareholders. end

Advisory - Freedman The Power of an Intermediary on Your Team

Our clients also engage us for searches to provide an intermediary between management teams to alleviate competitive tensions. Having a neutral third party lead the discussions often results in better outcomes than if the client’s management or ownership team were to reach out directly to one of their competitors.

Once we can clearly articulate the characteristics of ideal acquisition candidates and have a vision to share regarding how a target will fit with our client in the long term, we begin to “build the funnel” of acquisition candidates. This preparatory work enables us to define the most accretive targets and focus solely on the potential acquisition candidates that will drive the most value to shareholders.

This is where a buy-side advisor is tasked with playing offense and unearthing every stone to source quality opportunities for clients. During our funnel-building efforts for Protective Industrial Products (PIP), an Audax Private Equity portfolio company, we reviewed every single company and brand offered by the largest domestic distributors of personal protective

CSQ Q3 2019

Investment banking services offered by Intrepid Investment Bankers LLC, a subsidiary of MUFG Union Bank. Member FINRA/SIPC. Not FDIC Insured | No Bank Guarantee | May Lose Value

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INDUSTRY FINANCE

SPECIALTY WEALTH MANAGEMENT

DOES YOUR GENERATION KNOW BEST WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY? RYAN BRISTOL Managing Director and Banker J.P. Morgan Los Angeles, CA

Ryan Bristol is a managing director and banker at J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s Westlake Village office.

He has more than 19 years of experience in the financial industry and is responsible for advising clients on a range of personal wealth matters, including investment management, portfolio construction, asset allocation, tax strategies, credit solutions, estate planning, pre-transaction planning, and charitable giving. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Bristol was a vice president in the private client practice at Bernstein Global Wealth Management. He counseled clients on complex wealth-planning issues such as pre-transaction planning for business owners, multigenerational wealth transfer, philanthropy, and diversification strategies for concentrated wealth. Before Bernstein, he was a regional vice president for Morgan Stanley and a financial analyst for Goldman Sachs.

Bristol is active in the community as a board member of ACG101 and former board member of the American Red Cross in Ventura, the Investment Review Committee for the City of Thousand Oaks, and the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly. He received his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and his BS from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Hint: Maybe not. Across age groups, financial decision-making is surprisingly similar. These three tips can help us make better decisions together.

People spend a lot of time pondering the differences in how other people think and behave. As someone who aspires to help families make better decisions about money, one particular case in point resonates: the generational differences—and similarities—in approaches to money.

Over many decades, and across many regions and societies, young people have typically gotten a bad rap. Whether it’s the anti-materialist “hippies” of Woodstock or the pampered rich kids on Instagram, the younger generation is often perceived as entitled, irresponsible, and focused only on immediate gratification.

Talking about younger people in a negative way undoubtedly stifles, rather than facilitates, cross-generational communication. As humans we share many more similarities than differences, after all. The most productive family conversations about money identify generational similarities and differences in values and perspectives, and respectfully address those differences to ultimately find common ground.

In this way, families can collaborate effectively to move closer to their shared financial goals.

To shed light on this complicated topic, we conducted global research across 11 different countries with 1,500 participants. Here, we highlight the fi ndings of that research as it pertains to how different age groups think

and feel about money decision-making—now and in the past—and how that translates into their present money behaviors. Finally, we offer research-based tips to encourage cross-generational communication and collaboration.

Advisory - Bristol

PHONE 805/857.7628 EMAIL ryan.bristol@jpmorgan.com WEBSITE jpmorgan.com/westlakevillage ADDRESS 3960 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Floor 2 Westlake Village, CA 91362

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The Facts: Past and Present

To understand our global behaviors around money decision-making in families—and how far we’ve come in a short period of time—let’s compare the past to the present. While fathers tended to be the primary family decision-makers in the past, it appears that, across the globe, the dynamics today have shifted dramatically. The majority of our research participants, regardless of generation or gender, identified themselves as the primary money decision-makers in their families When our research participants were asked how they made important money decisions, the most common response was on their own. Th is was closely followed by with a financial advisor. While solo decision-making can be a good thing, such individualism also introduces elements of risk: When I have questions, who are the trusted people to whom I can turn? How do I start conversations about money with others when my money decisions will affect them?

So how can these open questions be addressed? Numerous studies suggest that collaborating on money decisions can help people reach better outcomes. And intuitively, we probably know that younger and older

QUOTE:

THE MOST PRODUCTIVE MONEY CONVERSATIONS ARE COLLABORATIVE, WITH EACH GENERATION BENEFITING FROM THE OTHER’S LIFE EXPERIENCES AND DRAWING ON SHARED PERSPECTIVES.

Research Methodology

generations can learn from one another. What our research has taught us is that cross-generational collaboration may not be as disruptive as people think: Generations are more similar than different, and the generation gap may not be as wide as people think.

To this point, we asked survey participants to pick the term that best describes themselves when it comes to money. Saver? Spender? Investor? Giver? Taker? Purpose-driven?

Intentional? Frugal? Spendthrift? We found less generational difference than you might expect. “Investor” was the most common response choice (40 percent) across generations, followed by “Purpose-driven/Intentional” (29 percent).

Our global research was conducted in collaboration with iResearch.

We surveyed 1,500 people globally, across 11 areas in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States). The population was 45 percent female, spread across a wide range of age groups 21–35 (34 percent), 36–50 (34 percent), and 51+ (32 percent). Excluding their personal residences, the net worth of participants ranged from USD 250,000 to USD 100 million, with 36 percent between USD 250,000 and USD 1 million, 34 percent between USD 1 million and USD 5 million, and 30 percent USD 5 million+.

Source 1: Liersch & Suri: Making Group D e ci si ons the B ehavioral Financ e Way. Investments andwealth.org. 2017. https://investmentsandwealth.org/ getattachment /7b899122-df28-45379410 -feb1b c deb 04 4/IWM17 M ayJun-MakingGroupDecisionsBFWay.pdf.

Source 2: Benartzi, S. (2019, June 16).

If You Don’t Save Enough, Perhaps You Have “Exponential Growth Bias.”

Retrieved from The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/if-youdont-save-enough-perhaps-you-haveexponential-growth-bias-11560737101.

Disclosures: The information expressed is being provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions. For specific guidance on how this information should be applied to your situation, you should consult your qualified representative. The information provided may inform you of certain products and services offered

by J.P. Morgan’s wealth management businesses, part of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (“JPM”). The views and strategies described in the material may not be suitable for all investors and are subject to risks. This material is confidential and intended for your personal use. It should not be circulated to or used by any other person, or duplicated for non-personal use, without our permission.

CSQ Q3 2019

Collaboration in Action

All the information we’ve collected helps us understand the range of values and perspectives that drive money decisions across generations. What steps can we actively take to promote better communication, understanding and ultimately, outcomes? Here are three tips to help you work together to make the most of your money.

Tip 1: Talk more about money. In this realm, older generations can take a cue from the younger ones, who spend far more time discussing important money matters. In our survey, 51 percent of respondents 21–35 years old said they spent more than four hours in the past week talking about money versus only 23 percent of those over 50. And remember, a money conversation is not about clocking in the hours. The key is to be intentional about the time you spend.

How to get there: Consider setting up a weekly or monthly meeting for your immediate family where you talk only about important money matters. You might begin with a “gratitude circle,” where each individual talks about what they have been grateful for during the past week. Then move into your agenda.

Tip 2: Plan together. Ask yourself: Do I know the path my family members want to take with money over time? If you’re not 100 percent sure of the answer, that’s a reason to start planning together across generations.

How to get there: As a practical first step, consider sharing what your intentions are across generations. Are you planning to grow your wealth over time and even beyond your lifetime? Or are you looking to spend or give everything away? For example, if the goal is to grow wealth forever, then it’s critical to understand how younger generations are expected to participate in that effort.

Tip 3: Keep your confidence in check.

About 75 percent of participants rated themselves an 8 or higher on a 10-point confidence scale. Confidence is a good thing, but overconfidence can be counterproductive when it leads to excessive trading or an action bias.

And regardless of age, education can benefit everyone in the family.

How to get there: Many families choose to arrange educational sessions as a family unit (e.g., on the power of compounding). The subject resonates because people often vastly underestimate the opportunity cost of delayed saving and investment.

To those in the older generations: Have you taken the time to talk to the younger members of your family about the importance of investing early and often? And to the younger generations: Are you taking enough risk in your own financial life? Are you aware of the risks the older generations are taking? Too much risk can compromise spending and other goals, so helping older generations be extremely deliberate about immunizing themselves against those risks can be critical.

Advisory - Bristol

Final Thoughts

Popular notions of an entitled younger generation and generation gaps too wide to bridge have persisted over the decades and across the globe. But as our research has shown, the reality is quite different.

The most productive money conversations are collaborative, with each generation benefiting from the other’s life experiences and drawing on shared perspectives. We think our three tips—talk more, plan together, keep confidence in check—can help you work together across generations to reach your family’s financial goals. With apologies to author C. S. Lewis, two (or more) heads are better than one, “not because either is infallible, but because they are unlikely to go wrong in the same direction.” end

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SPECIALTY WEALTH MANAGEMENT

THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION IN THE 21ST CENTURY Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data convergence creates disruption and opportunity.

BRIAN WERDESHEIM Managing Director, Investments The Summa Group of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Los Angeles

Brian K. Werdesheim is a founding member of The Summa Group of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., a private client financial advisory team that provides wealth management services for affluent individuals and families, as well as owners and executives of private and public companies, family estates, charitable entities, and some of the top tax and legal professionals who serve the business, athletic, and entertainment communities.

Werdesheim graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor of science in business administration. He also attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Richmond College in London, England. Werdesheim lives in Studio City with his wife and their daughter and son. In his off time, he enjoys travel, golf, running, and participating in other outdoor activities. Werdesheim has served on the Board of The Fulfillment Fund since 2003. He founded The Banyan Foundation in 2004 (formerly The Summa Children’s Foundation). Werdesheim serves on the Advisory Council for the Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at The University of Southern California and served as a Trustee at the Buckley School from 2016 to 2019.

The proliferation and integration of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and big data is being called the fourth iteration of the Industrial Revolution. As with any disruptive force of this magnitude and long-term impact, there will be many winners and losers; many investment careers will be shaped by how individuals choose to participate in this revolution. As advisors to executives, private equity professionals, company founders, and others whose futures are tied to their ability to adapt and evolve, our team is immersed within the executive ranks and the companies helping shape the future.

engineering of making intelligent machines.”

AI has become an essential part of technology and is increasingly doing the heavy lifting on the most challenging problems in computer science.

Advisory - Werdsheim

PHONE 310/446.7133 EMAIL brian.werdesheim@opco.com WEBSITE opco.com ADDRESS 10880 Wilshire Blvd., 24th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90024

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Artificial Intelligence Is Not a New Concept

The history of AI dates back to ancient times.

Th inking machines and artificial beings have appeared in the myths of most major civilizations for centuries, while philosophers and mathematicians have been developing mechanical or “formal” reasoning for ages. Since the 1960s two booms in AI have occurred, each followed by a period of slower progress.

Currently, progress with machine learning and deep learning is driving an increase in AI diff usion.

The broad field of AI is the science of making machines or software smart. The phrase was coined in the early 1950s by American computer and cognitive scientist John McCarthy, who defined it as “the science and

Our Connected Society Can Access, Decipher, and Act on Big Data Like Never Before

We are living in an exponential age, where ubiquitous connectivity and decreasing costs are leading to the digitization of most activities.

The size of the digital universe is at yottabyte (10²⁴) level and 90 percent of the world’s data has been created in the past two years. The data created is projected to double every two to three years, with over 1 trillion connected devices by 2035. The untapped potential is huge given that less than 1 percent of data generated has been analyzed. AI will play a vital role in deriving new insights from this data and the new digitally connected economy.

Big data and AI are as foundational as the internet and smartphones. IT-driven productivity has the potential to boost global GDP by $15 trillion by 2035, $3 trillion to $5 trillion in economic value annually (according to Bank of America/Merrill Lynch), including a reduction in emissions, increased productivity, and improved healthcare. AI will be the single largest driver of tech spending over the next decade.

The scarcity of available labor resources is likely to significantly accelerate tech

QUOTE:

THERE WILL BE MANY WINNERS AND LOSERS; MANY INVESTMENT CAREERS WILL BE SHAPED BY HOW INDIVIDUALS CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS REVOLUTION.

infrastructure investments to further boost productivity. During past labor shortages, tech spending spiked, and it is estimated to rise to 5.5 percent of GDP from the current 3.5 percent (BOA/Merrill Lynch). Recent breakthroughs in AI and machine learning are accelerating transformation. Computers are learning by themselves; software writes software, and algorithms write algorithms.

The computer error rate in image recognition dropped to 3 percent in 2016, below the human error rate.

A Profound Impact on Our Workforce across Industries

Major challenges remain in harnessing the power of big data. In addition to privacy and cybersecurity risks, transforming into a digital business requires dramatic changes in skills, technology, organizational structure, and sometimes fundamental business models.

Today the No. 1 barrier to adopting big data is the organization’s existing structure (54 percent of respondents), followed by resistance to change (52 percent) (according to Harvard Business Review). Around 70 percent of companies face a gap in integrating IoT (Internet of Things) into their existing business workflows (McKinsey 2017).

Though still scaling up, big data is as foundational today as the Internet was in the 1990s, and mobile phones were in the mid-2000s.

Beyond the hype of the recent past, we believe its breadth of adoption and influence are only starting to be felt. Alongside future mobility, the cloud, and social media, big data is at the heart of the global digital transformation and emerging technologies, such as machine learning, IoT augmented reality (AR), intuitive interfaces, autonomous vehicles, cognitive experts, and virtual assistants, with more to come. New business models such as the sharing economy, on-demand, and everything-asa-service are also predicated on access to large data sets.

The impact of the big-data economy will sweep through all industries, leaving disruption in its wake. According to a 2017 Harvard Business Review global survey of executives, an estimated 7 out of 10 respondents believe that their company has already passed the inflection point of disruption or will pass it by 2020. Around half believe their company’s traditional business model will be obsolete in three years. The average tenure for companies in the S&P 500 has been shrinking, from 33 years in 1965 to 20 years in 1990, and this is forecast to shrink to 14 years by 2026.

Up to 50 percent of S&P companies could be replaced in the next 10 years (Innosight).

Challenges will vary from sector to sector, with digital-native tech companies the most prepared for the data revolution (70 percent with formal digital strategies), versus healthcare (34 percent) and government (27 percent) (Harvard Business Review).

Making Sense of an Opportunity

Inevitably, an enormous amount of capital will flow into companies perceived to be best positioned to leverage this wave of technological innovation. While the fatality rate will be high, we will also have the Amazons, Facebooks, and Apples of this revolution and everything in between. An investor has many options when considering how to proceed. Index funds/ ETFs, one-off private equity investments, private equity funds, and individual stocks are a few of the ways investors will deploy capital. Each has a vastly different risk profile so be mindful of the associated risks, liquidity, and volatility. Today, many well-funded and successful private companies are choosing to stay private and not pursuing IPOs. As a result, there are more mature privately held companies that represent viable opportunities. Thus, we are looking to invest with proven portfolio managers in the public and private sectors.

Considerations for clients will always focus on liquidity, fees, transparency, diversification, and leverage before making a determination about how best to invest in this opportunity.

Our lives and future generations will be impacted in ways we cannot imagine by this perfect storm of big data, machine learning, and AI. We hope the quality and duration of our lives is positively impacted while creating wealth through thoughtful, prudent, and strategic investing. end

Advisory - Werdsheim

CSQ Q3 2019

Brian Werdesheim is licensed in California. Any information contained herein pertaining to a securities business should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any securities or financial products, and is otherwise not intended for anyone who does not reside in California. ©2019 Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Transacts Business on all Principal Exchanges and Member SIPC. 2726196.1

99

INDUSTRY HEALTH AND WELLNESS

SPECIALTY MEDICINE

LIVE WELL INTO THE FUTURE Longevity and you: Take control of your future health today with a precise and personalized assessment.

DR. RAM DANDILLAYA Co-Founder, Atelier Health Beverly Hills

Advisory - Dandillaya DR. DAVID KAROW President and Chief Innovation Officer, HLI San Diego

Ram Dandillaya, MD, FACC, FACP, is co-founder of Atelier Health and has created a network of top board-certified subspecialists dedicated to providing timely and in-depth expertise. The doctors of the Atelier Health network offer decades of combined experience and have held numerous leadership positions at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Dandillaya currently serves as clinical chief in the Department of Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

David S. Karow, MD, PhD, president and chief innovation officer at HLI, is an innovative leader with more than 10 years of experience in advanced MRI and genomic analytics. Karow’s primary interest is to develop machine-learning-based, integrated diagnostics that leverage imaging, genetic, and clinical biomarkers to generate more insightful health assessments and identify disease in early stages when it is most treatable.

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C-SUITE ADVISORY

Extending the Healthy Human Life Span

Measure What Matters

For millennia, humans have dreamed about extending their lives. Today, medical assessments are available that can impact longevity, identify risks for disease, and provide early diagnosis for serious diseases, including insights into critical areas such as coronary artery disease, neurovascular disease, dementia, cancer, and metabolic disease.

Looking at the past 30 years’ medical practice, we can see that the physician is the integrator of data: he takes a family history and performs a physical exam and basic blood work to make an assessment of the patient’s health.

The tools are familiar: blood pressure cuff, thermometer, and otoscope (checking ears and nose).

The next generation of medicine has machine learning and artificial intelligence as the integrators of data alongside the physician.

Inputs involve more detailed information to analyze current health status, including whole-genome sequencing, whole-body and brain MRI (imaging), and advanced bloodwork, all to reveal a precision, personalized, and integrated look at potential risks as well as immediate issues.

If we compare how we measure and monitor our cars, fi nances, social media, and a myriad of other aspects of our lives to how often and detailed we measure our health status, we might see where preventive measures might help extend our lives.

J. Craig Venter co-founded Human Longevity Inc. in 2013 and established the Health Nucleus in 2015, a serene and sophisticated research and discovery center based in La Jolla, Calif. By implementing whole-genome sequencing with whole-body and brain imaging and a full and complete set of blood tests, the health assessment offered is truly data driven.

That is, unlike more recreational DNA kits, we believe that the code should be assessed with all 6B base pairs. It’s not a superficial exam, but rather a deep assessment integrating all results to achieve one of the most precise and personalized assessments available.

An example of our work may be seen in a recent study soon to be published that reviewed 1,190 healthy clients who visited the Health Nucleus. Many received the peace of mind that they are on track with their health: exercising,

QUOTE:

THE NEXT GENERATION OF MEDICINE HAS MACHINE LEARNING AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS THE INTEGRATORS OF DATA ALONGSIDE THE PHYSICIAN.

PHONE 844/838.3322

maintaining a healthy weight, eating nutritious foods, and finding balance in their lives. We also found that a significant portion actually had findings that required medical attention.

WEBSITE healthnucleus.com EMAIL clientservices@healthnucleus.com ADDRESS 4570 Executive Drive San Diego, CA 92121

Highlights include: • 1.7% confirmed cancers otherwise not previously known • 2.5% brain and aortic aneurysms, several of which required follow-up interventions • 7% with moderate to severe cardiovascular risk with significant calcified plaque in the coronary arteries • 16% with aberrant cardiac structure or function findings • 29% with elevated liver fat, which may indicate a risk for developing type 2 diabetes • 86% genetic carriers for recessive diseases • 17% have a rare genetic mutation No longer a dream, assessing one’s health in these critical areas is not only extremely pertinent to most people but is especially important for addressing chronic, age-related diseases, many of which may be positively impacted by behavior changes, including changes in diet and lifestyle.

On staff at Health Nucleus as chief medical officer is Thomas Caskey, MD, FACP, FACMG, FRSC. A world-renowned expert in clinical genetics, he is part of the team that reviews genetic data and offers advice to our clients through our genetic counselors and medical team. Dr. David Karow serves as president and chief innovation officer and has published numerous papers on early prostate cancer detection through noninvasive, advanced MRI. More recently, he has focused on integrating imaging and genomic biomarkers for identifying disease risk long before disease onset. Recommendations from functional medicine physicians, especially when it comes to taking “next steps” in improving health, are also important future attributes for the Health Nucleus assessment.

As a cardiologist, my practice Atelier Health is based in Beverly Hills and I have adopted the Health Nucleus protocol with my patients. Using the same testing, I access MRI technology locally, and the Health Nucleus provides the blood, genetic, and image integration to produce a Health Intelligence Report, which I deliver to my patients approximately six weeks after the initial assessment, during a return-of-results session in my office.

One of the reasons I am looking forward to providing this assessment to my clients is found in reviewing past client experiences at the Health Nucleus facility. Three in particular

show this early assessment provides benefits from peace of mind, from revealing genetic predisposition to early diagnosis of cancer.

One client, Nick B. credits forward-thinking technologists, medical professionals, and scientists who are creating a 21st century approach to healthcare. “Human Longevity, through their Health Nucleus assessment, gave me access to the technologies required to detect and prevent diseases of all forms. What followed on from this visit was a complete transformation in my approach to my own health and wellness—from the way I eat to my exercise routine, the supplements I take, and how I interact with my own GP doctor back at home.”

Bill F. was looking to live a long life, but more importantly a long, healthy life. Instead of just seeking health insurance, he sought health assurance and declared that he “wanted to be active and productive until 100.” After the experience, Bill noted, “Thankfully they found no problems with [my] brain, cholesterol, or balance, although I learned I needed to lose weight and build muscle mass, and I saw I was susceptible to deep vein thrombosis.”

Joe N., a Health Nucleus client, recalled how the Health Nucleus discovered a 2.8cm tumor on his left kidney, only four months after he went through his annual physical. He reports, “Because the cancer was caught early, I was fortunately able to have the tumor quickly removed through an outpatient ablation procedure, thus avoiding inevitable chemo and radiation treatments. I now have new baseline metrics for my whole genome, brain health, internal organs, and cardiovascular system that empower me to be even more proactive in managing my health.”

The goal of Atelier Health is to deliver the highest-quality medical care by focusing on technology designed to optimize the “health span.” With the understanding that the root causes of many diseases are based on both genetic and lifestyle factors, the Atelier Health/ Health Nucleus partnership is a unique one.

The practice also offers traditional “concierge” medical care. The initial evaluation process generally involves an extensive history and physical followed by a thorough battery of tests. This process may take one or two days, depending on the extent of testing.

The integration of genetic analysis, advanced imaging, and biomarkers in a multispecialty platform allows for comprehensive care in both health and disease states. This 360-degree view of the patient creates meaningful discussion centered around cutting-edge therapeutics, nutrition, and fitness. end

Advisory - Dandillaya

CSQ Q3 2019

101

INDUSTRY LEGAL

SPECIALTY FAMILY LAW

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO LISA HELFEND MEYER Founding Partner Meyer, Olson, Lowy & Meyers LLP Los Angeles, CA

Lisa Helfend Meyer is managing partner of family law firm Meyer, Olson, Lowy & Meyers. With offices throughout California, the firm’s attorneys work with clients to confront what can be the most difficult and challenging situations in life— painful emotions, possible loss of marital assets, and child custody.

As a result, many clients emerge as stronger individuals, confident about their futures.

PHONE 424/644.0225 EMAIL lhm@molfamlaw.com WEBSITE molfamlaw.com ADDRESS 10100 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 1425 Los Angeles, CA 90067

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C-SUITE ADVISORY

As Neil Sedaka so poignantly sang, “Don’t take your love away from me, don’t you leave my heart in misery. If you go then I’ll be blue, ‘cause breaking up is hard to do.”

Whether you are sweet 16 and it’s called “puppy love” or you are over 50 and just received your AARP card for the first time, breaking up is hard to do, at any age.

You can feel the searing pain through every pore in your body. And you truly believe that it will never go away, and unfortunately, for some people it never does. It leaves an indelible mark on their psyche from which they never seem to recover. The good news is that for most of us, as time goes on, our wounds heal and we are able to move on with our lives.

When I meet someone at my law office for an initial consultation, I reassure them that there is life after divorce, which is very different from receiving a diagnosis of a terminal illness. I try to impress upon them that, although they may never have anticipated that this would happen when they exchanged vows at the altar, they can go on to lead a very productive and happy life after divorce, and hopefully find love again.

However, with all that being said, for someone over the age of 50, divorce can be even more traumatic. First, although it may be superficial, it is hard to deny that our physical bodies are not what they were when we were younger. Having been with a partner for many years, you grew older together and didn’t

necessarily see all the wrinkles and sagging body parts. Now that you are single and over the age of 50, you will hopefully start dating again, which can be terrifying. How will you look to a stranger that did not know you when you were younger? Will they compare you to the 20-something model on the front page of Sports Illustrated? Online dating is even more intimidating; there is no way to distill a lifetime of experiences and acquired tastes into a meaningful online profi le, and it is demoralizing to see yourself reduced to vital statistics on paper.

Second, there are numerous financial and estate planning issues you’ll want to discuss with an experienced family law practitioner.

You’ll need to become familiar with your marital estate. What are your marital assets and liabilities? What kind of insurance policies are in place and who are the beneficiaries? What restrictions are there to retirement plans and who are the beneficiaries of any IRAs? Are either you or your spouse retired, or planning to retire soon? What will your spouse’s income be upon retirement and how will that impact spousal support? What are your derivative rights to an employed spouse’s social security benefits? Will one of you keep the house? What are the tax ramifications if it is sold?

Third, there are personal issues to consider such as the impact of your divorce on your grown children, both emotionally and financially. Even though your children may be

Advisory - Meyer

QUOTE:

THE PROFESSIONALS YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE RELIED UPON DURING THE MARRIAGE MAY NOW HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. WHEN I MEET WITH CLIENTS WHO HAVE COME TO THE END OF A LONG MARRIAGE, I HELP THEM NAVIGATE THESE MURKY WATERS.

grown, married and have children of their own, the thought of their parents’ divorcing can be a very traumatic event. How will the family holidays be handled? What do you tell your grandchildren? It may be necessary to seek the assistance of a therapist to work through the issues either as a family, or individually.

If you were previously accustomed to providing financial help to your adult children, your generosity may need to be sidelined, at least until you have greater clarity concerning your future financial situation.

It is critical that you educate yourself about these issues, rather than remaining in the dark. It may also be necessary for you to retain your own professionals, such as a CPA or estate planning attorney. The professionals you and your spouse relied upon during the marriage may now have a confl ict of interest. When I meet with clients who have come to the end of a long marriage, I help them navigate these murky waters. I guide them through the process and offer moral support

to boot. After all, there is a silver lining to every dark cloud in life.

Instead of focusing on all the negatives, you have to embrace the new you with a positive and upbeat attitude. You want to convey a sense of confidence that you are a survivor and the best is yet to come. And you know what? It just might be true. You have the emotional resources to make it ring true.

Th ink of it this way—you have just been handed a second chance to follow your dreams.

To rediscover the individual you were before you met your spouse and to meet the person you have become after surviving years of life’s ups and downs. You can explore the interests you were forced to cast off in favor of your marriage and family responsibilities, or the dreams you forgot about because you were too busy pleasing someone else. You can travel to that dream location that your partner always vetoed. You can join a Master’s swim team, take up quilting or become a master at yoga—or better yet, acro yoga.

As for finding new love, there are millions of people over 50 in the same situation, who are looking for someone like you. Consider friends from your distant past, who knew you when you were young and may have a special place for you in their hearts.

Sure, breaking up is hard to do. But these days, when the rock n’ roll greats are 75 years old and still out there fi lling stadiums, and with social media offering ways for us to reach out to old friends, there has never been a better time to be over 50 and single. With the right planning, there is simply no limit to the ways in which you can pursue happiness, at any age. eND

Advisory - Meyer

YOUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DISPUTES

P AT E N T A S S A S S I N S

RESOLVE IP DISPUTES QUICKLY WITH YOUR BUSINESS GOALS IN MIND INFO@SOCALIP.COM | (805) 230-1350 | SOCALIP.COM

CSQ Q3 2019

103

INDUSTRY LEGAL

SPECIALTY MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

UNICORNS STUMBLE AS POT AND CRYPTO GROW UP Making cents in disruptive opportunities.

SANDER C. ZAGZEBSKI Partner Greenspoon Marder LLP Los Angeles, California

Sander Zagzebski is a corporate partner with Greenspoon Marder in Los Angeles, Calif. He has broad experience as a transactional corporate/securities lawyer and represents clients in mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, and other change- ofcontrol transactions; joint ventures and strategic alliances; capital-raising transactions (offerings of debt and equity securities, including private equity investments and venture capital investments); restructurings and recapitalizations; structured finance transactions; private equity and venture capital fund formation and governance; and general corporate, partnership, and LLC matters.

Zagzebski has represented technology and new media, investment advisors, aerospace and defense, bank holdings, manufacturing, real estate, entertainment, and consumer product companies in M&A, capital raising, and other strategic corporate transactions ranging in size from under $10M to in excess of $1B.

By now you’ve certainly read about the spec- was rebranded The We Company. At best, the tacular failure of the much-anticipated IPO of whole deal smacked of hubris, and at worst The We Company, the indirect parent of We- signaled to some the bursting of the unicorn Work. To call the IPO ambitious might be an bubble entirely. understatement. After all, the first substantive Alas, We’s spectacular tailspin not only line in We’s prospectus read: “We are a com- cost Neumann his CEO job, it has also caused munity company committed to maximum enormous headaches for We’s principal backer, global impact. Our mission is to elevate the SoftBank Group, and its related Vision Fund. world’s consciousness.” What to many was While it is too early to tell the extent to which a real estate company bleeding enormous We’s failed IPO will infect others, it is likely amounts of red ink ($1.9B in 2018) was in fact that advisors both to unicorn investors and being described as a pioneer “space-as-a-ser- unicorn entrepreneurs will lower their ambivice” company deserving of disruptive tech- tions, at least for the time being. nology company valuations. Indeed.

As potential investors dug into We’s dis- Pot Companies Engage with Antitrust closure, enthusiasm for the opportunity quick- Regulators ly waned. At a high level, the company was The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) onseeking up to a $50B valuation while the most line “Guide to Antitrust Laws” states that objectively comparable company, the parent of “[f]ree and open markets are the foundation Regus (the more established, albeit less fash- of a vibrant economy. Aggressive competition ionable, short- and flex-term office company), among sellers in an open marketplace gives was worth less than $5B. This discrepancy consumers—both individuals and businesswas particularly hard to justify given Regus’ es—the benefits of lower prices, higher qualconsistent profitability and the fact that Regus ity products and services, more choices, and operates nearly six times the amount of real greater innovation.” Federal antitrust reguestate as WeWork. Commentators also noted lators, both the FTC and the Antitrust Divithat We’s founder, Adam Neumann, like Zuck- sion of the Department of Justice, routinely erberg, Musk, and previous unicorn jockeys, investigate allegations of collusion and other had cemented disproportionate control over anticompetitive behaviors, as well as certain the company by owning a class of super voting corporate mergers and acquisitions, all with shares. Th is wasn’t unprecedented, of course, the goal of promoting fair competition among but it still seemed extreme. Neumann was also industry participants. Antitrust laws are dewidely criticized for charging a license fee of signed in essence to protect consumers. nearly $6M for the name “We” after WeWork In larger M&A transactions, participants

Advisory - Zagzebski

PHONE 310/880.4520 WEBSITE gmlaw.com EMAIL sander.zagzebski@gmlaw.com ADDRESS 1875 Century Park E. #1850 Los Angeles, CA 90067

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C-SUITE ADVISORY

QUOTE:

THE WORLD OF DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION IS ALWAYS IN MOTION, WITH THE RISKS AND POTENTIAL REWARDS THAT ACCOMPANY REAL CHANGE.

are required to make a “premerger notifica- A Trail Is Blazed for Public Crypto Token tion” (or “HSR filing” in industry speak) with Offerings the FTC and the Antitrust Division under the For several years, securities lawyers have wresHart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements tled with applying securities laws to offerings Act of 1976 to give federal antitrust regula- of cryptocurrencies and other crypto tokens. tors an opportunity to review the transaction After putting a stop to the previously popular from an antitrust perspective. If antitrust initial coin offerings (ICOs) in December 2017 regulators take an interest in the transaction, with enforcement action and order against the reviewing agency may issue a “second Munchee Inc. and ensuing enforcement acrequest” for additional information relating tions, the Securities and Exchange Commisto the transaction, which requires the trans- sion (SEC) wasn’t giving the industry much acting parties to share information and delay to celebrate until this summer.

In July 2019, the SEC qualified two token the transaction until the antitrust regulators have received and reviewed the information. offerings under Regulation A+: Blockstack PBC Second requests, which are time consuming and YouNow Inc. While these approved public and costly to comply with, are rarely issued in offerings, the first SEC-blessed public offerconnection with HSR filings, and they indicate ings of crypto tokens, were understandably that the reviewing agency is concerned that applauded by industry participants, we have the applicable transaction may have an impact not seen a flood of additional SEC-approved Reg A+ offerings in the following months. That on competition in the industry.

Until recently, any suggestion that federal more Reg A+ token offerings haven’t been reantitrust regulators would be reviewing pot cently cleared should be unsurprising to anydeals likely would have been met with howls one reviewing the disclosure documents filed of laughter. After all, why on earth would fed- by Blockstack and YouNow. After all, the diseral regulators be concerned about protecting closure is incredibly robust and closely resemconsumers of a federally illegal product from bles an IPO prospectus, and both transactions price gouging? On June 19, 2019, however, were reported to have cost the issuers millions Cresco Labs Inc. put out a press release to up- in fees and expenses.

In April and July 2019, the SEC also released date progress on its over $800M pending acquisition of Origin House, announcing that it two no-action letters related to consumptive had received a second request to its HSR filing. tokens, first to TurnKey Jet Inc. (which was Curiously, in that release Cresco’s CEO stated, offering tokens for use on its air charter net“Consistent with other pending transactions in work) and then to Pocketful of Quarters Inc. the cannabis industry, we have received a [sec- (which was offering tokens for use on a gaming ond] request.” With that press release, Cresco platform). In each case, the SEC permitted the made public what leading cannabis corporate sale of those tokens for consumptive use on the lawyers had already been quietly confronting already developed platforms without requiring for weeks: that virtually all major pending can- registration under federal securities laws.

While there will undoubtedly be furnabis acquisitions had unexpectedly received ther developments, it seems safe to say that second requests to their HSR filings.

Many industry observers were undoubt- the crypto landscape is starting to look a lot edly concerned about the antitrust regulators’ like the more traditional landscape. Public sudden interest in reviewing cannabis HSR offerings will involve robust disclosure and filings. What some may have then interpret- significant costs, while earlier-stage capied as an assault on the industry, however, ac- tal formation will be accomplished through tually appears to have been a legitimate effort private placements and reliance on the usual by earnest regulators to review for antitrust private placement exemptions. Consumptive purposes a rapidly consolidating industry into tokens that are not issued for capital-raising which the regulators had limited visibility and purposes on already developed networks may understanding. While the illegality almost not be deemed a security, but tokens being sold certainly added a layer of awkwardness to their for financing purposes will probably require efforts, reports have been that the antitrust the issuer to pay careful attention to securities regulators are focused on learning about the compliance.

The world of disruptive innovation is alcannabis industry as a whole and the potential competitive impacts of the specific deals ways in motion, with the risks and potential at issue. In other words, even certain federal rewards that accompany real change. Exciting regulatory agencies are starting to treat can- to be sure, and not for the faint of heart. end nabis companies like grown-ups.

Advisory - Zagzebski

CSQ Q3 2019

105

INDUSTRY LEGAL

SPECIALTY PROBATE AND ESTATE LITIGATION

ANTICIPATING THE SECRET SCION IN ESTATE PLANNING SCOTT RAHN Managing Partner RMO LLP Los Angeles, CA

Advisory - Rahn

Scott Rahn is the managing partner of probate and estate litigation law firm RMO LLP. He resolves contests, disputes, and litigation related to trusts, estates, and conservatorships, creating a welcome peace of mind for clients. He represents heirs, beneficiaries, trustees, and executors. He uses his experience to develop and implement strategies that swiftly and cost-effectively address the financial issues, fiduciary duties, and emotional complexities underlying trust contests, estates conflicts, and probate litigation.

PHONE 424/320-9444 EMAIL Rahns@RMOLawyers.com WEBSITE RMOLawyers.com ADDRESS 2029 Century Park E #2910 Los Angeles, CA 90067

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C-SUITE ADVISORY

It’s a tale as old as time, or at least the days of Game of Th rones: A secret scion born out of wedlock dramatically comes forward when a parent dies to claim the throne, or at least a sizeable chunk of the inheritance.

The prevalence of easy, at-home DNA testing and a new probate code enacted this year make the scenario even more likely. Now, a child who might be unknown to a surviving spouse and children—and who may even have been unknown to the deceased parent—can potentially claim a stake in the inheritance by presenting evidence of a DNA match with the relevant parent as long as that DNA was acquired during the parent’s lifetime.

As an estate litigator, I have a few suggestions for addressing and being proactive about this issue in your estate planning.

First, it’s fair to point out that this seemingly radical change to California Probate Code §6453(b)(3) is but the latest step in a legal trend that has evolved over the past several

QUOTE:

A RELATIVELY BULLETPROOF ESTATE PLAN NAMES EVERY CHILD AND GRANDCHILD BORN DURING YOUR LIFETIME WITH WHOM YOU WOULD WANT TO SHARE IN YOUR INHERITANCE. decades, reflecting the overall familiarity and utilization of DNA evidence in various areas of the law.

For many years, California (like many other jurisdictions) treated inheritance rights differently for legitimate and illegitimate children. Prior to the 1970s, social mores guided public policies that encouraged marriage and discouraged having children outside of marriage. Legislatures also assumed that if the parent and child had no relationship during the parent’s life and if the parent never acknowledged the child, the parent therefore would not want the child to receive anything from the estate.

In 1982, the state embraced a more progressive and literal interpretation. For the first time, the legislature recognized that a child is a child, regardless of whether his or her parents were ever married.

Still, an unknown child faced the uphill battle of proving that the deceased parent held them out as his/her own or, if the parent did not acknowledge the child, of proving that it was impossible for the parent to have done so.

Those tests remain the standard, although now with the use of DNA evidence.

DNA didn’t really come onto the scene until 1989 with the landmark case of Sanders, in which the contested inheritor attempted to prove paternity and a right to inherit by asking the court to order DNA tests from the recognized adult children. The court declined because the legislature had not sanctioned the use of DNA evidence in establishing paternity.

It would take another 30 years, along with the O.J. Simpson trial and countless episodes of Law & Order, before the state would officially recognize the legitimacy of DNA evidence in probate.

Now that anyone can do a DNA test at home, the rules of engagement have been dragged into the 21st century. As part of the standard tests highlighted above, the new rule allows courts to consider DNA evidence acquired during the parent’s lifetime. Importantly, to avoid the disruption that might arise if potential heirs were allowed to seek emergency orders to stop funeral services or exhume the deceased parent for DNA collection, the revision limits the ability to use DNA evidence to prove paternity in only the very limited circumstances where the DNA was obtained during the parent’s lifetime, although this is something I see developing further over time.

So, if you’re at the estate-planning stage and haven’t done an at-home DNA test, should you? It can cut both ways. If you’re sure you

Advisory - Rahn

CSQ Q3 2019

have no surprise children, the DNA test will quickly debunk any bogus claims.

Conversely, if you think there may be unknown children and you don’t want to leave them anything, you can just say so in your will.

Remember, whether a child was raised as yours or is someone you’ve never heard of, you decide who inherits your assets. Just be sure to be absolutely clear about your intentions. Most of these problems arise because, during their lifetime, the parent was secretive about their suspicions regarding additional children, and therefore never clarified their intentions in their will or trust.

If you want to add this clarity to your will, point out to your family that you are simply trying to make your will and trust as specific as possible to include and exclude the right people. After all, what if, between the time your will and trust were last updated and your death, your daughter had two children? Do you want the grandchildren excluded from your estate plan? (This is why you should update your will with the birth of each new child or grandchild, and any other significant life event.) What if your son has a child that neither he nor you would want to inherit any assets?

A relatively bulletproof estate plan names every child and grandchild born during your lifetime whom you would want to share in your inheritance, and states, “I disinherit all other heirs, known and unknown.” It’s the best way to protect the kingdom and to ensure your legacy is shared only with those you wish. end

Scott Rahn litigates and resolves heirship disputes, beneficiary disputes, will and trust contests, breach of fiduciary duty, incapacity, undue influence and financial elder abuse issues in probate, will, trust and conservatorship matters while creating a welcome peace of mind for clients. He represents heirs, beneficiaries, trustees and executors. He utilizes his experience to develop and implement strategies that swiftly and cost-effectively address the financial and emotional complexities that drive families involved in probate litigation.

107

C-Suite AdvisorsTM Index ACCOUNTING

FINANCE

Trent Brown Deloitte & Touche LLP trbrown@deloitte.com

Adam Abramowitz Intrepid Investment Bankers aabramowitz@intrepidib.com

Howard Grobstein Partner Grobstein Teeple LLP 818/532.1020 hgrobstein@gtllp.com

Ed Bagdasarian Intrepid Investment Bankers ebagdasarian@intrepidib.com

Kris Kaufmann BDO USA, LLP kkaufmann@bdo.com T’Shaka Lee Deloitte & Touche LLP tshakalee@deloitte.com Scott M. Sachs, CPA CohnReznick, LLP scott.sachs@cohnreznick.com CONSULTING Majid Abai Concepts Rise, LLC majid.abai@conceptsrise.com

Geoffrey R. Berlin J.P. Morgan Private Bank geoffrey.r.berlin@jpmorgan.com Jonathan Bluth Intrepid Investment Bankers jbluth@intrepidib.com Claudia Bodan Commercial Bank of California cbodan@cbcal.com Ryan Bristol Managing Director J.P.Morgan Private Bank 805/857.7628 ryan.bristol@jpmorgan.com

Brian Barry Dale Carnegie brian_barry@dalecarnegie.com

Robert Dalie Executive Director, Investments The Summa Group of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. 310/446.7501 robert.dalie@opco.com

Adam Bohn INC Technologies adam@inctech.net

Doug DeGroote DeGroote Financial Group doug@degrootefinancial.com

Joe Fox CEO Vroozi 866/509.5045 joe.fox@vroozi.com

Josh Fein Advice Period josh.fein@adviceperiod.com

James Harwood CoAdvantage james@totalhrmanagement.com

Jessop Fowler Merrill Corporation jessop.fowler@merrillcorp.com

Aramis Hernandez INC Technologies aramis@inctech.net Kevin S. Parikh Avasant kevin.parikh@avasant.com

Michele L. Havens Northern Trust mlf3@ntrs.com

Andy Popov Avasant andy.popov@avasant.com

Alan Hopkins Manchester Financial alan@mfinvest.com

Deborah Shames Eloqui dshames@eloqui.biz

Joseph Husband Intrepid Investment Bankers jhusband@intrepidib.com

Randall Stone *māz randall.stone@emazexp.com

Shahzad Khan Commercial Bank of California skhan@cbcal.com

Vlad Vaiman, PhD California Lutheran University School of Management vvaiman@callutheran.com

Jeffrey R. Knakal Growth Partners jeff@growthpartners.net

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C-SUITE ADVISORY

Brennan Spiegel, MD Cedars-Sinai Health System brennan.spiegel@cshs.org

Ash Patel Commercial Bank of California apatel@cbcal.com

Amir Vokshoor, MD Providence St. John’s Health Center & Institute of Neuro Innovation vokshoor@gmail.com

Brandon Quartararo Intrepid Investment Bankers bquartararo@intrepidib.com

INSURANCE

Mike Rosenberg Intrepid Investment Bankers mrosenberg@intrepidib.com

Bradley A. Barros Private Risk Capital bbarros@privateriskcapital.com

Larry Schnaid UBS Financial Services larry.schnaid@ubs.com

Robert Di Paolo HUB International rob.dipaolo@hubinternational.com

Rich A. Schuette Avalan LLC rich@avalanwealth.com

Bryce Eddy Tolman & Wiker Insurance Services beddy@tolmanandwiker.com

Michael Schwartz Galerie Michael, Inc. art@galeriemichael.com Nerre Shuriah First Citizens Bank nerre.shuriah@firstcitizens.com Bruce Simon City National Rochdale LLC bruce.simon@cnr.com

Martin Levy, CLU/RHU President and Founder CorpStrat Inc. 818/377.7260 marty@corpstrat.com Lars Rathje Lockton Companies lrathje@lockton.com Danone Simpson Montage Insurance Solutions danone@montageinsurance.com

Advisory - CSA Index

Jim Freedman Chairman & Managing Director Intrepid Investment Bankers 310/478.9000 jfreedman@intrepidib.com

Edward C. Wilson-Smythe Avasant edward.wilson-smythe@avasant.com

Marvin Padilla Intrepid Investment Bankers mpadilla@intrepidib.com

Pardis Nasseri Palm Tree pardis@palmtreeadvisors.com

Tristan Snyder AGC Partners tsnyder@agcpartners.com

Brian Werdesheim Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. brian.werdesheim@opco.com

Gregory Stephens Tolman and Wiker Insurance Services gstephens@tolmanandwiker.com

Dave Wolinksy Palm Tree dwolinksy@palmtreeadvisors.com

Robyn Welch HUB International robyn.welch@hubinternational.com

Jonathan Zucker Intrepid Investment Bankers jzucker@intrepidib.com

Scott Zimmerman CorpStrat Inc. scott@corpstrat.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS

LEGAL

Gregory Albaugh, DO, FACS Coastal Vascular Center cvc@coastalvascularcenter.com

Jennifer Archie Latham & Watkins LLP jennifer.archie@lw.com

Alen N. Cohen, MD, FACS Southern California Sinus Institute dracohen@gmail.com

Lawrence M. Braun Sheppard Mullin lbraun@sheppardmullin.com

Ram Dandillaya, MD Atelier Health, Co-Founder clientservices@healthnucleus.com

Joseph Calabrese Latham & Watkins LLP joseph.calabrese@lw.com

David Karow, MD HLI clientservices@healthnucleus.com

Will Chuchawat Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP wchuchawat@sheppardmullin.com

Carol A. Polevoi, LMFT, CBS, CPC Counseling Resource Center carolpolevoi@gmail.com

Harry Galstian Direct Tax Relief harry@directtaxrelief.com

Danielle Gotcher Gotcher Law dhg@gotcherlaw.com

Lisbeth Savill Latham & Watkins LLP lisbeth.savill@lw.com

Erik Huberman Hawke Media erik@hawkemedia.com

Jilliene Helman RealtyMogul jilliene@realtymogul.com

James Gotcher Gotcher Law jkg@gotcherlaw.com

Steven C. Sereboff Partner SoCal IP Law Group LLP 805/230.1350 ssereboff@socalip.com

Jennifer Hurless Go Be Social Media owner@gobesocialmedia.com

Jason Hughes Hughes Marino jason@hughesmarino.com

Charlie Ittner Darien Group charlie@dariengroup.com

Shay Hughes Hughes Marino shay@hughesmarino.com

Mike Schaffer Echo-Factory michael@echo-factory.com

Tucker Hughes Hughes Marino tucker@hughesmarino.com

Jeffrey Stewart Definity First jeffrey.stewart@definityfirst.com

Brian A. Sidman BAS Holdings brian@basholdings.com

Michael Terpin SocialRadius michael@socialradius.com

Jack Turturici Jr. Equity Advisors jturturici@eahomesales.com

Robert B. Yallen InterMedia Advertising ryallen@intermedia-advertising.com

Michele Turturici Equity Advisors mturturici@eahomesales.com

Marina Lang SoCal IP Law Group LLP mlang@socalip.com William Mark Levinson Partner, Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions, Securities, Capital Markets Finance, Real Estate Thompson Coburn LLP 310/282.2520 mlevinson@thompsoncoburn.com Lisa Helfend Meyer Founding Partner Meyer, Olson, Lowy & Meyers LLP 424/644.0225 lhm@molfamlaw.com Stacy D. Phillips Blank Rome LLP sdpdissoqueen@blankrome.com

Bob Steinberg Latham & Watkins LLP bob.steinberg@lw.com Zachary M. Turke Sheppard Mullin zturke@sheppardmullin.com W. Alex Voxman Latham & Watkins LLP alex.voxman@lw.com Sander C. Zagzebski Partner Greenspoon Marder LLP 323/880.4520 sander.zagzebski@gmlaw.com MARKETING

Matthew Zehner Zehner mzehner@zehnergroup.com

Scott Rahn RMO LLP rahns@rmolawyers.com

Michael Abraham DefinityFirst michael.abraham@definityfirst.com

Peter K. Rosen Latham & Watkins LLP peter.rosen@lw.com

Tony Adam Visible Factors tony@visiblefactors.com

Winton Berci Mazirow Commercial Inc. wberci@tenantadvisory.com

advisory@csq.com

Russell F. Sauer, Jr. Latham & Watkins LLP russell.sauer@lw.com

David Angelo David&Goliath david.angelo@dng.com

Todd Doney CBRE todd.doney@cbre.com

for Elite members who appear in print

David Angelo David&Goliath

Lisa Helfend Meyer Meyer, Olson, Lowy & Meyers LLP

Scott Rahn RMO LLP

David&Goliath is headed to Fast Company’s Innovation Festival in NYC this November to activate the Conscious Creative Movement, created in partnership with the 4A’s as a platform to showcase the ever-expanding group of heart-driven creators using creativity for social good.

Certified family law specialist Lisa Helfend Meyer has been recognized by Los Angeles Business Journal as a nominee for its “Leader in Law” annual award.

Additionally, Meyer has been selected by her peers for inclusion in the 2020 Super Lawyers list for her work in family law.

Probate, estate and trust litigator Scott Rahn has been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the city’s “Top Litigators” in 2019 and as a nominee for its “Leader in Law” annual award. Additionally, Mr. Rahn has once again been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for his work in the area of Trusts and Estates Litigation.

REAL ESTATE

Advisory - CSA Index / Update

Updates

CSQ Q3 2019

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OUR EXPERIENCE BRINGS YOU IN. OUR PEOPLE BRING YOU BACK. Since 1942, our accountants have counseled medium- and small-sized businesses with the best in accounting, tax and financial advisory. Today, we focus on the same goals: meeting our clients’ needs and exceeding their expectations.

Gish Seiden

Audits/Reviews/Compilations • Tax and Accounting Management Advisory • Financial Consulting • Specialty Services

Accounting for the past, planning for the future.

CONTACT US

21800 Oxnard Street, Suite 300, Woodland Hills, California, 91367 818.854.6100 | gishSEIDEN.com

112 Exhibits and Performances 113 Required Reading and Viewing 114 Proprietor’s Profile 116 Social Responsibility

C&T - Cover Taos Ski Valley is the first ski resort in the world to become a B Corp. Learn how that’s changed their business on page 116.

CSQ Q3 2019

Culture & Taste

Part 4

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Now Showing

Some of the most alluring art shows and museum exhibitions on each coast.

New York

Los Angeles

By Sheean Hanlan

RESILIENCE: PHILIP GUSTON IN 1971

AROUND TOWN LA Other Exhibits of Note This Season

THE LAST KNIGHT: THE ART, ARMOR, AND AMBITION OF MAXIMILIAN I

AROUND TOWN NYC Other Exhibits of Note This Season

Donna Huanca: Obsidian Ladder

Embark on a journey into the drama of knighthood at the beginning of the Renaissance in The

Elective Affinities: Edmund de Waal

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Through January 5, 2020 Hauser & Wirth

Scandalously satirical and overtly political, this collection of works by Guston features drawings of a phallic-nosed and hairy-legged President Nixon at the height of the Watergate scandal. French-born Guston was previously acclaimed for his abstract expressionist style, but in 1971 he shifted his style, a turning point that would cement the forward-thinking artist as an icon in American art history. In addition to the Nixon series, this solo exhibition—the first of its kind in Los Angeles in nearly half a century— features large monochromatic paintings from the Roma collection that document Guston’s time in Italy visiting ancient ruins and artifacts. Hauser & Wirth will also show a short film of Guston and the poet Clark Coolidge discussing the Roma works. Boasting a locally sourced restaurant, chicken coop, and open-air garden, Hauser & Wirth affords visitors the opportunity to engage with works of major 20th century American and European artists in a historically preserved flour mill in downtown L.A. For the Christmas holiday, the gallery will be hosting its third annual Holiday Market (December 14–15), featuring local craftsmen, artists, performers, and nonprofits.

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CULTURE & TASTE

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Through January 5, 2020 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

C&T - Exhibitions

Through December 1, 2019 Marciano Art Foundation

By Day & by Night: Paris in the Belle Époque Through March 2, 2020 Norton Simon Museum

Made in Italy

Through November 2019 Petersen Automotive Museum

Edward and Nancy Kienholz: The Merry-Go-World or Begat by Chance and the Wonder Horse Trigger Through January 18, 2020 L.A. Louver

It’s All Black and White

Through December 8, 2019 Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art

Open House: Gala Porras-Kim

Through May 11, 2020 MOCA Grand Avenue

Last Knight: The Art, Armor, and Ambition of Maximilian I. Marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Emperor Maximilian, the exhibition illustrates his life and legacy through the symbol of armor. Under the Austrian ruler, the Habsburgs became one of the most powerful families in Europe, with ties to Spain, Bohemia, and the Netherlands. More than 180 objects were collected from around Europe, the Middle East, and the United States to demonstrate the history and culture of chivalry in medieval times.

Highlights include Maximilian I’s shiny steel jousting armor, gold-embellished sword, field armor, and gauntlets. Weapons, paintings, sculptures, stained glass, tapestries, and sandstone reliefs commissioned by Maximilian come together to tell the story of the Holy Roman Emperor’s heroic struggle for dynastic power in Europe.

metmuseum.org

Through November 17, 2019 The Frick Collection

Mel Bochner: Exasperations Through December 21, 2019 Peter Freeman

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Through January 13, 2020 Neue Galerie New York

The Pencil Is a Key: Drawings

by Incarcerated Artists Through January 5, 2020 The Drawing Center

Yayoi Kusama

Through December 14, 2019 David Zwirner

Sigmar Polke: Objects Real and Imagined

Through November 16, 2019 Michael Werner

Photo Credit: (1) Film still of Philip Guston in his Woodstock studio, summer 1971, from footage by Michael Blackwood Productions, (2) Tiroler Landesmuseum

EXHIBITS AND PERFORMANCES

REQUIRED READING AND VIEWING

Innovative Insights and New Releases

By Sheean Hanlan

Efrem Harkham is CEO and hotelier of Luxe Hotels, a world-renowned luxury boutique hotel with locations in Rome, Beverly Hills, and Los Angeles, and Luxe Collection, representing beautiful independent hotels and luxury properties in vibrant and prime destinations around the world. In his new book, Living the Luxe Life: The Secrets of Building a Successful Hotel Empire, Harkham shares his inspiring journey of success in the hospitality industry and his secrets to living a happy and fulfilling life both in and out of the office. With each anecdote, Harkham offers philosophical wisdom, such as the necessity of nurturing relationships, the importance of building a business with a high-quality product or service, and the role of marketing in attracting the right clientele to a value-based brand. Practical, heartwarming, and inspiring, Living the Luxe Life is essential for every entrepreneur’s bookshelf.

Digital

Reading

I read the Wall Street Journal every day. CSQ, Departures, Hotels, and Destinations magazines are also some of my favorites.

On Instagram, I follow the Getty Museum, Travel + Leisure, The New York Times. As far as podcasts, there’s two that I try to listen to daily. One is Ted Talks. The other is a podcast by a brilliant, award-winning author and historian named Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.

There is one book that I read over and over again: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. He’s not just out there searching for meaning. Every minute is the answer for that search. Another book that I enjoyed reading is Ritz and Escoffier: The Hotelier, the Chef, and the Rise of the Leisure Class by Luke Barr. It’s a great, fun read about hotelier César Ritz, founder of the Ritz brand. I also enjoy The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic. They use the metaphor of music as a way of dealing with life’s situations. A must-read that I recommend to my children and friends is Measure What Matters by John Doerr. It’s about creating objectives to get key results.

Television and Film

C&T - Read Watch Listen

Here, Harkham reveals the media that influences and uplifts him.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s new Netflix show The Spy is based on the true story of Eli Cohen. He was a childhood hero for me. As far as film, I love Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. Culture films are important. I have art documentaries of great artists playing at my house all the time— Manet, Pissarro, Degas, Cézanne.

I love learning about these artists.

NEW RELEASES FROM THE

CSQ NETWORK In Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection, Hollywood producer Brian Grazer (Visionary of the Year, Sports, Media & Entertainment, 2018) shares how connecting with people opened doors for him in Hollywood, led him to the love of his life, and gave him an edge in the business world, and how creating meaningful connections can change all of our lives.

Restaurateur and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta (who penned an op-ed in our 2018 Sports, Media & Entertainment issue) sheds light on how CSQ Q3 2019

to grow a business and be a successful entrepreneur in Shut Up and Listen! Hard Business Truths that Will Help You Succeed. The entertainment tycoon provides no-nonsense strategies, tactics, and ideas on leadership, persistence, and hospitality for the experienced and aspiring businessman alike.

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PROPRIETOR’S PROFILE

Los Angeles

Still the King of California Cuisine Dining around Los Angeles and New York with Wolfgang Puck. By Carole Dixon

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Before he was a household name and celebrity chef with a global restaurant empire and product sa les worth $400M annually, Austrian-born chef Wolfgang Puck was cooking at Los Angeles’ nowdefunct Ma Maison, in the 1980s.

The gregarious chef soon became a phenomenon, opening the original Spago on Sunset in that same decade and changing the way the world looked at California cuisine and gourmet pizza. Puck was catapulted into international stardom with his A-list Oscar parties, which he is still hosting some 25 years later, as a fixture at the post-awards Governor’s Ball, feeding more than 1,500 entertainment industry VIPs. When not overseeing Spago (they still serve the iconic smoked salmon pizza), or his other Los Angeles restaurants, CUT (still the spot for prime Wagyu beef), his eponymous restaurant at the Hotel Bel-Air (always a favorite for a romantic evening in the hills), Chinois (the best Chinese chicken salad in town), and WP24 (ideal for family-style meals), the tireless chef is in New York keeping up with the team at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, where he recently opened an outpost of CUT. In spring 2020, Puck is joining forces with the chic Pendry on Sunset, offering guests a mix of new and classic dishes in several eateries and in-room dining.

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Breakfast at the Bel-Air Hotel

Night on the Town

For breakfast at Hotel Bel-Air, I love tapas—the soft scrambled eggs, one pancake, and one chicken sausage.

Dinner at Spago can go two ways: Sometimes I feel in the mood for a whole schnitzel, especially during truffle season. Our schnitzel is made with a sunny-side egg and fresh white truffle shaved on top. It’s very simple and very delicious. We also have the California Tasting Menu, which is an 8- to 10-course meal with various dishes and comes with a wine pairing.

I happen to love dining family style at CUT, so when I go with my family, we order a whole grilled turbot with spicy tomato vinaigrette for the first course. Our chef-de-cuisine, Chef Hilar y, cooks the perfect steak for me so for the second course we will have a double, bone-in New York strip and the poussin, which is a baby chicken, with white mushrooms.

At the Hotel Bel-Air, our executive chef, Chef Hugo, makes an amazing whole duck that is prepared very similar to a Peking duck but has a lot of spices and a lot more flavor.

Chinese is all about sharing, so whatever our executive chef, Chef John, creates at WP24, he always creates a crowd pleaser. Typically, it’s lobster with sweet ginger and scallions, but his dumplings are absolutely amazing.

Chinois is all about tradition, and it is the first restaurant where we started the family-style sharing meals. I usually get the crispy calamari salad, sweet cured oysters

It’s All about Lunch in LA

When I go to Spago for lunch, I ask my executive chef, Chef Tetsu, to create a special four- to fivecourse lunch menu for me. Chef Tetsu always surprises me with great ingredients like the live Santa Monica prawns, which he barely cooks, or even a quail from Sacramento. All our ingredients are from California. My pastry chef, Chef Della, is ready to surprise me with a great dessert, something light and seasonal.

At the Bel-Air, during lunchtime, I enjoy sitting outside at the restaurant. I generally have a vegetable risotto and whole-grilled branzino.

with salmon pearls, and tempura sashimi. They are my three favorite appetizers that I always order. For the main course, I love getting the Shanghai lobster risotto and the lamb chops with mint cilantro vinaigrette. I always end the night with a big assortment of desserts.

C&T - Proprietor’s Profile

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CULTURE & TASTE

5

Nobu Matsuhisa is one of my dear friends, and Matsuhisa was his first restaurant. It is still one of the best places to eat fresh sushi. Nobu has always supported us, and I will always support him. Look no further than Providence if you want good seafood in Los Angeles. It’s a classic place, and I love taking out-of-town guests there. The dishes and service are executed to perfection. Otium is new, innovative, and always keeps guests on their toes. They know how to provide a unique food experience, and it’s different. I also enjoy Majordomo by David Chang. While Angelini has been around for 30 years, it is a classic L.A. restaurant.

Angelini is the best Italian you can get in L.A. and has a very homey, European feel, which I enjoy.

Up Next

Vespertine is a restaurant that I have never tried, and I would like to go and experience it. Angler is another restaurant that everyone is talking about. I’m eager to try their seafood.

Photo Credit: (1; 7) Antonio Diaz, (2) Vanessa Stump, (6) Christian Horan, (8) Liz Clayman

4

Dining with Out-of-Town Guests

C&T - Proprietor’s Profile 6

New York

Breakfast in the Big Apple

Tried-and-True Favorites

When I’m in New York at CUT for breakfast, I always order a housesmoked salmon, cut thinly with a toasted bagel, cream cheese, and capers. I also always drink their green vegetable juice in the morning.

I love going to Daniel and siting at the bar with some Veuve champagne and appetizers. I go there every time I am in New York. Eleven Madison Park is such a unique experience that I enjoy. The food is good, and it’s great for a special occasion. Masa has the best sushi in the city. The restaurant is so elegant, and the chefs pay so much attention to detail.

Group or Solo Lunch

1. Chef Tetsu with Wolfgang Puck at Spago Beverly Hills.

2. The acclaimed chef.

3. CUT restaurant in Beverly Hills.

4. His famed smoked salmon pizza.

5. Spago in Beverly Hills.

6. CUT in New York.

7. A steak at CUT. 8. The ambiance at CUT in New York.

CSQ Q3 2019

CUT is a steakhouse, so if I’m with a group of people I will order a porterhouse to share, along with some seasonal vegetables. Often, I have lunch by myself, so I love steamed black bass with ginger scallion and chili sauce.

7

Special Dinner

Dinner at CUT is always a treat in New York. Our executive chef, Chef Ben, makes a great tomahawk steak for me. I like it medium rare with truffles. I also enjoy the whole roast turbot for the table. I end my night with my go-to dessert, the Kaiserschmarrn [an Austrian shredded pancake].

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SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Carving the Way Around the world, some 3,000 companies have committed to becoming B Corporations, including Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, Tom’s of Maine, Toms, and Danone—but only one ski resort carries that distinction. In February 2017, Taos Ski Valley became the first and only resort designated as a B Corp.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a B Corp merges standards for social and environmental performance with accountability and purpose, seemingly impossible traits to combine while increasing revenue, but Taos is doing just that.

“What got us going was that the Nature Conservancy of New Mexico identified the need to increase sustainability of the forest to protect water and decrease wildfires,” says Taos Ski Mountain CEO David Norden. “We collaborated with the Rio Grande Water Fund and the Nature Conservancy to thin out the forest to increase its health. Then, through a sister company that owns a sawmill in Colorado, we took the trimmed timbers there, where they were used for buildings, which also created jobs.”

A colleague told Norden that what they were doing sounded like a B Corp. After some research, Norden went to the B Lab headquarters in Philadelphia, met with the founder, loved the story of it, and immediately embarked on the process to become certified.

“It’s an extensive process where they look at hiring, diversity, pay gaps between high and low, Norden says. “They ask for documentation in certain areas, and there’s an internal review.”

Norden says the impact on business was immediate. “The day we announced it, like all organizations, we checked online to see how our ticket sales were,” he says. “Without any special promotions, in the two days that followed the B-Corp announcement, we had done more in online sales than we had on any other day ever. We did additional research and learned that purpose-driven organizations outperform their peers on a consistent basis on an international level.”

In addition to increased revenue, Norden

A pioneer in the resort world, Taos Ski Valley is the first ski resort in the world to become a B Corp. Here, its CEO shares how doing good has helped their company do well. By Samantha Brooks

1

points to staff improvements. When it comes to employee performance, satisfaction, and retention, he says their team is better than ever because they are attracting more people who specifically want to work for this kind of organization. Employees—not just CEOs and C-level executives—are a fundamental part of the B Corp ecosystem. For example, during the B-Corp evaluation process, companies are given additional points if staff is allowed to do volunteer work while on the clock.

“Today, we have 850 employees who work full time, and are also allowed to do volunteer work on the clock,” says Norden. “We encourage our employees to make an impact. For instance, ahead of opening for ski season, we get all of this new equipment, and no one was thinking about the amount of waste that comes with the packaging. One employee brought that up, and I encouraged her to reach out to the suppliers and find out how they deal with the environment, what their hiring practices were, what percentage are women-run business.”

They discovered that about one-third of the companies were excited to hear they were interested in those things; one-third had a plan and was working on addressing those concerns; and one-third had no idea there was an issue.

Moving forward, Norden says they plan to partner with brands who are like-minded, increasing both awareness and business standards.

Indeed, networking and raising awareness is a significant part of becoming a B Corp. Now in its third year, happening each February, the Taos Ski Valley hosts a B-Corp Leadership Summit, strictly for its members’ CEOs and their sustainability executive officers.

“The first year was an open brainstorming session, trying to articulate what the next 10 years would look like, getting multinational brands on board, addressing the confusion in the marketplace about what a B Corp is,” Norden says. “In 2019, it was about digging in and solving an issue, mostly dealing with climate change.

We’re not sure what 2020 will bring, but we’re looking forward to the dialogue.” skitaos.com

C&T - Social Responsibility

1. The Blake at Taos Ski Valley hotel opened in Taos in February 2017 and is a LEED-certified building.

Its geothermal-well field supplies heating and cooling, and you won’t find any plastic bottles on the ski mountain.

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CULTURE & TASTE

2. Taos Ski Valley, now in its third year of being a B Corp, is among the world’s companies setting standards for social and environmental responsibility.

118 CSQ Q2 Visionary Awards 122 March of Dimes Get S.E.T. LA 123 The Northern Trust 124 Athlete Chateaux Kick-Off Event 125 Prostate Cancer Foundation’s Gala in the Hamptons 126 RAND Luxury Annual Ferrari & Maserati Charity Brunch 127 Leaders in Animal Welfare Awards

Don Peebles Jr. (left) accepts his award for Visionary of the Year from David Wurth at the CSQ Q2 Visionary Awards in Los Angeles.

More on page 118.

CSQ Q3 2019

The Network

Part 5

The Network - Cover

117

VISIONARIES SERIES

NOTABLE SPEAKERS

CSQ’S 2019 VISIONARY AWARDS IN REAL ESTATE & FINANCE

2019 Visionary of the Year Don Peebles Chairman, CEO, and Founder Peebles Corporation

July 18, 2019 One California Plaza, Los Angeles Rising Realty Partners, C-Suite Quarterly

Christopher C. Rising Co-Founder and CEO Rising Realty Group Nelson Rising Co-Founder and Chairman Rising Realty Group

CSQ’s 2019 Visionary Awards in Real Estate

& Finance were held on July 18, 2019.

Hosted by Rising Realty Partners on the rooftop of One California Plaza, guests enjoyed a view of Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Broad, and Angels Landing, a project currently being developed by Q2 Visionary of the Year Don Peebles. NextGen 10 Prophet Walker gave an inspiring speech as guests savored a selection of scotches by Macallan, wines by Lede Family Wines, and cocktails infused with Revel Spirits. The program celebrated the achievements of the 2019 Class of Visionaries and NextGens.

ALSO HONORED CSQ’s 2019 NextGen 10 Real Estate & Finance: Amina Belouizdad Shay Bolton Brian De Lowe Will Grewal Mike Leach R. Donahue Peebles III Christie Pitts

The Network - Q2 VA

Don Peebles, founder, chairman and CEO of Peebles Corporation, one of the country’s few national, privately held real estate investment and development companies, and Visionary Christopher C. Rising, cofounder and CEO of Rising Realty Group, discussed their most recent projects and investments in a panel hosted by NextGen 10 Shay Bolton. As the night progressed, two incredible prizes donated by Isaia and Inspirato were auctioned in support of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles. Creed was also present with a display of fragrances.

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THE NETWORK

Ryan Simonetti Prophet Walker

James Kleeman

SIGNATURE SPONSORS The Agency Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles Creed Fragrances Hawke Media Inspirato Isaia KPMG Lede Family Wines The Macallan One California Plaza One Coast Pacific Palisades Revel Spirits Savills TravelStore Vectis Strategies

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The Network - Q2 VA 4

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1 One California Plaza 2 Shay Bolton 3 Christopher C. Rising and Anna Christine Rising 4 Don Peebles Jr., Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Peebles Corporation 5 Larry Ahlquist (right) and guest 6 Mike Leach of West River Hotels and William Grewal of HomeStack 7 A selection from The Macallan 8 Steven Lott of Raw International 9 Matthew Potter of pray.com and Corey Mazza of JP Morgan

CSQ Q3 2019

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PHOTOGRAPHY Dave Suchaneck EVENT CONTACT To learn more about the CSQ Visionary Awards, contact: events@csq.com 119

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The Network - Q2 VA 3

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1 Prophet Walker 2 The rooftop at One California Plaza 3 Christopher C. Rising and David Wurth 4 A guest, James Pugh of Sheppard Mullin, and Fred MacFarlane 5 Creed fragrances gift bags 6 Jasson Crockett, manager of economic policy in the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and R. Donahue Peebles III of the Peebles Corporation 7 Lede Family Wines

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THE NETWORK

VISIONARIES SERIES

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The Network - Q2 VA 3

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1 Joe Fox and Jason Prince of Vroozi 2 Shay Bolton, Christopher C. Rising, and Don Peebles 3 Prophet Walker, R. Donahue Peebles II, Mike Leach, Will Grewal, and Shay Bolton 4 California State Deputy Treasurer Jovan Agee 5 FEL wines 6 Anna Christine and Christopher C. Rising and guest 7 Cody Buchanan of The House of Creed Beverly Hills

CSQ Q3 2019

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MARCH OF DIMES GET S.E.T. LOS ANGELES June 27, 2019 The Novo Founders & Players and The Players’ Impact 1

Signature Sponsors AEG First Legal Fox Sports iHeartMedia LAFC L.A. Chargers L.A. Kings L.A. Lakers L.A. Rams Ontario International Airport Venable LLP WWE

Mission To fight for the health of all moms and babies. By celebrating the unique intersection of the sports, entertainment, and technology industries in L.A., this event raised critical funds for the March of Dimes’ mission.

Event Highlights Event Co-Chairs Jeffrey Pollack and Michael Roth brought the event to life with their vision and leadership. Trailblazer Award winner Allyson Felix, Olympic track and field gold medalist, shared her personal birthing experience after a preeclampsia diagnosis, while honoree Marcellus Wiley, former NFL player, spoke about his daughter spending her first days in the neonatal intensive care unit.

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The Network - March of Dimes

Notable Speakers Jeffrey Pollack, Co-Chair, Get S.E.T. Los Angeles, and President, XFL

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Jim Hill, Sports Anchor, CBS2, Los Angeles Marcellus Wiley, Co-Host, FOX Sports 1, and Former NFL Player Allyson Felix, Six-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Kevin LeGrett, Market President, Los Angeles, iHeartMedia Don Olender, Executive Director, Innovate@UCLA

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Rajan Mehta, Executive Vice President, WWE

PHOTOGRAPHY Getty Images for March of Dimes EVENT CONTACT Event: Amy Dittmore PR: Elizabeth Williams

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THE NETWORK

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1 Rams cheerleaders at March of Dimes Get S.E.T. Los Angeles 2 Event Co-Chair Jeffrey Pollack with honoree Rajan Mehta 3 Tom Phelps, Don Olender, and Kevin McDowell 4 2019 Get S.E.T. Los Angeles honoree Marcellus Wiley and CBS sports anchor Jim Hill 5 Kevin LeGrett, Don Martin, and Jim Hill 6 Kevin LeGrett, Rajan Mehta, Allyson Felix, Marcellus Wiley, and Don Olender 7 Honoree Allyson Felix with the Trailblazer Award

THE NORTHERN TRUST

Signature Sponsors BMW Grey Goose NetJets Northern Trust Tiffany & Co.

August 7–11, 2019 Liberty National Golf Club PGA Tour and Northern Trust Mission To produce a world-class sporting event that leaves a lasting and significant charitable impact on the community. The tournament accomplishes this by featuring the top PGA Tour players, creating an unforgettable fan experience, and actively driving year-round growth for local businesses, nonprofits, and community champions.

Event Highlights Northern Trust has generated more than $50M for New York and New Jersey charities since the event’s launch in 1967. The biggest names in the sport, from Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka to Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods, battled it out for the $1.665M first-place prize. Patrick Reed emerged as the champion after four steady rounds in the 60s, earning his seventh career PGA Tour victory. New this year, Northern Trust unveiled an ultra-VIP experience to deliver the ultimate, unobtrusive white-glove service.

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The Network - The Northern Trust

Notable Attendees Saquon Barkley, Former Player, New York Giants

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David Castro, Actor,

Shadowhunters

David Costabile, Actor, Billions Aaron Hicks, Center Fielder, New York Yankees Kiel James Patrick, Founder, Kiel James Patrick Apparel Éric Ripert, Celebrity Chef

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Justin Tuck, Former NFL Player Geoffrey Zakarian, Celebrity Chef

PHOTOGRAPHY PGA Tour EVENT CONTACT Emily Tillo

emilytillo@pgatourhq.com

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1 Dan Fireman and family alongside Patrick Reed 2 Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, and Ian Poulter speak during a reception honoring Liberty National founder Paul Fireman 3 Bryson DeChambeau, 2018 Northern Trust champion and Grey Goose ambassador 4 A fan tries his hand at Bonobos’ patterned putting green activation 5 Northern Trust surprised Jersey City’s only VFW Post with a brand-new, 15-passenger van 6 The 2019 Northern Trust trophy is presented champion Patrick Reed by Northern Trust CEO Michael O’Grady 7 The New York City skyline

CSQ Q3 2019

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ATHLETE CHATEAUX KICK-OFF EVENT

Notable Speakers Tami Marciano, CEO, Family Chateaux JaVale McGee, Player, Los Angeles Lakers

September 9, 2019 Holmby Hills Family Chateaux, LLC

Mark Wahlberg, Actor

1 Mission The Family Chateaux provides members access to a curated social network of inspirational and influential industry leaders. The goal is to bring family office, high-net-worth investors, and professional athletes together with a mission to build relationships that will open up discussions around investing, co-branding, and joint venture opportunities. Privileges include invitations to private dinners and events that are designed to foster the development of relationships with other successful families.

Family members and their decisionmakers meet in a private, collaborative, non-sales environment to share investment intelligence, experiences, and opportunities, and to increase their sphere of influence. Once a year, the Family Chateaux hosts a private, invitation-only Family Chateaux Summit.

Signature Sponsors F45 Infuse Spirits Louis XIII Perry Group

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The Network - Athletes Chateux 2

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Event Highlights The Family Chateaux presented the kick-off event in its Athlete Chateaux Series in a joint venture with Aloni Ford and JaVale McGee. The event was hosted and sponsored by F45, the fastest-growing fitness franchise in the world, and F45 investor Mark Wahlberg spoke. The event was held at a $70M home in Holmby Hills. The Perry Group provided a Lamborghini for display. Glasses of Louis XIII cognac were poured. Grammy-winning act 1500 or Nothin’ performed.

Among the 250 guests were family office principals, professional athletes, athlete business managers, and industry leaders.

EVENT CONTACT Ted Rouhani, Partner, Family Chateaux

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THE NETWORK

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1 JaVale McGee, Jahlil Okafor, Chris Hines, Chris Johnson, and Eric Moreland 2 Mark Wahlberg 3 JaVale McGee 4 Charles Oakley (right) and friends 5 Former NBA player and Active Dreamers Founder and CEO Jack McClinton III 6 “Sugar” Shane Mosley 7 Former NBA player John Salley

2ND ANNUAL CELEBRATING AMBASSADORS OF PEACE GALA September 26, 2019 Holmby Hills, Los Angeles Creative Community for Peace Mission Founded by entertainment industry executives, Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) is a nonprofit organization consisting of prominent members of the entertainment industry who promote the arts as a means to peace, support artistic freedom, and counter the cultural boycott of Israel.

CCFP is apolitical and does not stand for any government official or party. Instead, CCFP believes in artists and their ability to affect lives and effect positive change.

Event Highlights The event was well-attended and included a number of industry executives such as Warner Records COO Tom Corson, Capitol Music Group COO Michelle Jubelirer, Milk & Honey President Lucas Keller, Atlantic Records President, West Coast Kevin Weaver, and Pulse Music Group co-CEO Josh Abraham. Troy Carter, founder of Q&A and Atom Factory, described his misconceptions of Israel when he traveled to the country for the first time with his former client, Lady Gaga. Walter Kolm, former president of Universal Music Latino, shared his thoughts on the importance of music to unite people. JoJo, PJ Morton, and Donna Missal performed.

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Signature Sponsors AEG Presents Atlantic Records Blavatnik Family Foundation BMI Cardenas Marketing Network Electronic Arts Music Craig Emanuel Epic Records Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light LLP David and Esther Renzer Rock Mafia Rothenberg, Mohr & Binder LLP Saban Music Group Sony Music United Talent Agency Warner Music Group

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The Network - Creative Community 3

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Honorees Aaron Bay-Schuck, CEO and Co-Chairman, Warner Records Troy Carter, Founder and CEO, Q&A; Founder and CEO, Atom Factory Walter Kolm, Former President, Universal Music Latino Ziggy Marley, GrammyWinning Artist Jacqueline Saturn, President, Caroline Music/CMG

PHOTOGRAPHY JC Olivera for VIP Event Photography

CSQ Q3 2019

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1 JoJo performs during the event 2 David Renzer, Troy Carter, and Justin Tranter 3 Neil Jacobson and Tom Corson 4 Steve Schnur and Ziggy Marley 5 Aaron Bay-Schuck, JoJo, and PJ Morton 6 Troy Carter and Q&A team 7 David Renzer, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Josh Abraham, and Ari Ingel

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RAND LUXURY ANNUAL PRIVATE CHARITY BRUNCH AND CONCOURS July 20, 2019 Bridgehampton, NY Rand Luxury

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Mission The Rand Luxury Private Charity Brunch and Concours, in collaboration with Ferrari-Maserati of Long Island and The Experience Auto Group, showcases diverse sponsorship activations from industry-leading brands at a multimillion-dollar estate.

Net proceeds benefit the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation and Southampton Hospital.

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Signature Sponsors Lessing’s Hospitality Group Lucien The Macallan One Roq Vodka OT/TRA Private Jet Services ProShine Hamptons Robert Stock Round Hill Hotel and Villas Tourneau Valmont

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Event Highlights Auction winners claimed their prizes while also donating to a great cause.

Attendees got the chance to test drive some new Ferrari and Maserati models.

Featured cars included the Ferrari GTC4Lusso, Ferrari Portofino, Maserati GranTurismo, Maserati Levante, and Mclaren Senna Supercar.

Notable Speakers Bradford Rand, President and CEO of Rand Luxury Signature Sponsors Assouline Banfi Vintners Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts Barnum Financial Group Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski Dominica Cohiba Cozzia Darktrace De’Longhi Epoxy 20X Experience Auto Group Ferrari-Maserati of Long Island Golf Pro Delivered Jamaica Tourist Board

The Network - Rand 4

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PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Lee Raab EVENT CONTACT Alex Reiff, Vice President of Rand Luxury

1 Private scotch tasting, sponsored by The Macallan 2 A car at showcased by Ferrari-Maserati of Long Island 3 A Lamborghini Aventador Coupè 4 Jason Binn and Bradford Rand 5 Ferraris and Maseratis were showcased by Ferrari-Maserati of Long Island 6 Ken, Maria, and Bradley Fishel 7 A Ferrari showcased by Ferrari-Maserati of Long Island 8 Participating sponsor Cohiba 9 Participating sponsor Lucien

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THE NETWORK

LEADERS IN ANIMAL WELFARE AWARDS

Presenters Aimee Gilbreath, Executive Director, Michelson Found Animals

October 5, 2019 SLS Hotel Beverly Hills Michelson Found Animals Foundation

Mario Lopez, TV Personality

Stephanie Klasky­Gamer, President and CEO, LA Family Housing Alya Michelson, Co­Founder, Michelson Found Animals 1

Mission Each year, Dr. Gary Michelson and Alya Michelson of Michelson Found Animals Foundation host the Leaders in Animal Welfare Awards to honor nonprofits, elected officials, and corporations that have had a positive impact on animal welfare.

Event Highlights During the cocktail reception, Michelson Found Animals Foundation volunteers walked through the crowd with adoptable dogs for guests to pet, snuggle, and take photos with, putting a smile on everyone’s faces.

During the cocktail reception, a photo booth with a giant cat scratching post and tennis ball captured guests posing with adoptable dogs for fun photo keepsakes. The award given to Valari Staab, president of NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, was especially meaningful, as it was given in honor of her work on the annual Clear the Shelters Program and the new Fund the Shelter Program in partnership with Michelson Found Animals. The programs have made a tremendous difference in getting shelter pets adopted into forever homes. A touching video on how Michelson Found Animals helps people and pets experiencing homelessness brought many guests to tears and highlighted the strength of the human–animal bond in good times and in bad. The room was filled with passionate people who share a common love of animals and a commitment to improving and enriching their lives. The recep­ tion culminated in a standing ovation for founder Dr. Gary Michelson.

Dr. Gary Michelson, Co­Founder, Michelson Found Animals Honorees Simone Friedman, Head of Philanthropy and Impact Investment, EJF Philanthropies Bob Hertzberg, California State Senate Majority Leader Anthony Rendon, Speaker, California State Assembly

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Valari Staab, President, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations

The Network - Found Animal

PHOTOGRAPHY Albert Ortega John Sciulli EVENT CONTACT Public Relations: Jessical Vitale

jessica@craftedpr.com

General: Aimee Gilbreath

a.gilbreath@foundanimals.org CSQ Q3 2019

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1 Courtney Lopez, Mario Lopez, and Valari Staab with an adoptable dog 2 Bob Hertzberg received a Leader in Animal Welfare Award 3 Dr. Gary Michelson and California Congress­ member Tony Cardenás 4 Anthony Rendon received a Leader in Animal Welfare Award 5 8th Annual Michelson Found Animals Foundation Gala 6 Aimee Gilbreath presenting an adoptable special needs dog 7 Alya Michelson and Simone Friedman

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Advertiser Index Baltaire baltaire.com

Clay Lacy claylacy.com

Quad quad.com

Studio Beverly Hills yourstudio.com

Belmond El Encanto belmond.com

Ernst and Young — LA ey.com

Robb & Nikki Friedman robbnikki.com

Troy Anthony troyanthonyclothing.com

Boys & Girls Clubs — Metro LA bgcmla.com

Gish Seiden gishseiden.com

SoCal IP Law Group LLP socalip.com

TravelStore Inc. travelstore.com

Burgess burgessyachts.com

Hawke Media hawkemedia.com

STAPLES Center aegworldwide.com

Vroozi vroozi.com

CAESARS FORUM caesarsforum.com

Isaia isaia.it

START UP RECOVERY startuprecovery.com

Editorial Index PEOPLE Allen, Byron Antin, Art Avant, Nicole Ball, Lucille Belsky, Scott Bjurstam, Anna Braun, Scooter Brooks Karatz, Heather Brulee, Tyler Buffet, Warren Cabello, Camila Cohen, Eli Cohen, Sacha Cohen, Yael Conway, Ben Coore, Bill Crenshaw, Ben Crews, Terry Crowder, Ashley Dandillaya, Ram Doerr, John Drahi, Patrick Edgar, Michelle Engh, Jim Fertitta, Tilman Flohr, Thomas Foster, John Frankll, Viktor Freedman, Jim Friedman, Simone Gilbreath, Aimee Gordon, Russell Grazier, Brian Grobstein, Howard Gruber, Peter Halperin, David Harkham, Efrem Helfend Meyer, Lisa Hertzberg, Bob Hindman, Ben Hudson Jennifer Johnson, Dwayne Karklins, James Keller, Lucas Kleeger, Myles Klein, Wayne Lee, Erica Lerer, Ben Loeb, Katie Lopez, Mario Marks, Jeffrey Mata, Robert McGovern, Gerry

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60 51 32 88 46 113 32 46 47 47 46 113 113 32 51 88 88 30 51 100 113 47 46 81 113 24 21 113 94 127 127 51 113 92 50 47 113 102 127 47 46 34 46 51 46 60 51 46 46 127 32 34 24

Metternich, Matthias Michelson, Gary Montaque, Travis Morrish, Jay Pagan, Eben Peebles, Don Perez-Carrillo, Ernesto Rabkins, Milana Rahn, Scott Rand, Bradford Reiff, Alex Rendon, Anthony Rising, Christopher Ross, Rick Sarandos, Ted Schaupeter, Arthur Schrager, Ian Skogmo, Jonathan Staab, Valari Stone, Rosamund Trantalis, Dean Vuja, Ksenija Walker, Prophet Warner, Ty Wax, Danny Werdesheim, Brian Williams, Paul Wurth, David Zander, Benjamin

49 127 49 81 46 118 19 51 106 126 126 127 118 46 32 81 32 50 127 113 27 20 118 32 50 98 32 12 113

Breitling Burberry Burgess Cabot St. Lucia Cardenas Marketing Network Cartier Caruso CBS Chanel Comcast Corporation Craig Emanuel Creed Fragrances Criterion Global Davidoff Delta Private Jets Dstillery Electronic Arts Music Entertainment Studios Epic Records ESPN Feedship Ferrari Ferretti Group Gameroom Goodies Garmin Gold Medal Gucci Gulf Craft Hawke Media HD Multi-Sport Heesen Holler Houston Rockets Hublot Informa Infuse Spirits Intercontinental Hotel Group IWC Jacquemus JetSmarter John Elliott Krieger L.A. Rams La Gloria Cubana Land Rover Lede Family Wines Lexus loeb.nyc Los Angeles Wild Cats Louis XIII Luxe Hotels Magnanni Malibu Farm Manor Bar Marquis-Larson

34 23 27 89 125 35 32 65 35 61 125 118 47 19 27 49 125 60 125 49 27 27 27 19 19 19 23 27 118 18 27 49 113 34 27 124 70 35 22 24 22 35 30 19 26 118 27 48 46 124 113 34 32 32 27

MGP of Indiana Micallef Miramar Club NBC Netflix New York Times Observer Media Old Scout Oliva One California Plaza Palm Angels Panerai Peebles Corporation Pegasus Capital Perry Group Persol Philadelphia Eagles Regent Hotels Revel Spirits Richard Mille Rick Owens Rolex Sacai Saint Laurent Samsung San Diego Chargers Savills Sennheiser AMBEO Shinola Silo Ridge Sinclair Six Senses Smooth Ambler Splash St. Julien Hotel TAG Heuer Tatuaje Tesla The Agency The Estates at Acqualina The Macallan The Weather Channel The XX Project Uber Ulysse Nardin Vectis Strategies Vetements Vista Global VistaJet Wales Bonner Wally’s Wine & Spirits Washington Redkins Western Michigan University Winch Design XOJET

Advertiser / Edit Index

COMPANIES Alyx ABC Abeking & Rasmussen AEG Presents Airbus Aleksander’s Estate Amazon Arnold & Son Art of Sport Assouline Atlantic Records Audemars Piguet Balenciaga Benetti Bernhardt Design Blavatnik Family Foundation BMI Bottega Veneta Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles

22 64 27 125 27 20 25 34 49 46 125 34 22 27 30 125 125 23 118

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C-SUITE QUOTED 24

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It is clear to see the impact that disrupters across industries have made in recent years, just take the likes of Spotify, Uber, Amazon and Netflix.

We are taking the same ambitious approach to private aviation and are driving the industry forward.

I was always an older soul and very independent and mature for my age and because I wasn’t super social, while everyone was out partying and hanging out with friends, I was more in hustle mode.

There are certain people who just know what they want to do and where they want to be. I was never that person. I was the jack-of-alltrades—a little bit good at everything and probably an expert at none.

But I loved to learn, have experiences and take on new challenges.

Thomas Flohr Founder and Chairman VisatJet

Ilya Pozin Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer Pluto TV

Christina M. Francis President Magic Johnson Enterprises

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When you’re young and inexperienced, it’s easy to rub people the wrong way. But you learn. You sit down and reflect on it, and those mistakes make you a better person as you grow up. Mistakes are good to make as long as you learn and grow from them and don’t repeat them.

It’s like going to the gym. A guy who only has to bench press 50 pounds is not going to be as strong as a guy who’s forced to bench press 500 pounds. That resistance is what made me unstoppable.

With the right advisor, plan, and strategy, you can greatly increase the likelihood of getting a deal across the finish line and scoring a huge win for your business and its shareholders.

Mitchell Modell President and CEO Modell’s Sporting Goods

Byron Allen Owner and CEO Entertainment Studios

Jim Freedman Founding Partner and Chairman Intrepid Investment Bankers

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The most productive money conversations are collaborative, with each generation benefiting from the other’s life experiences and drawing on shared perspectives.

There will be many winners and losers; many investment careers will be shaped by how individuals choose to participate in this revolution.

The professionals you and your spouse relied upon during the marriage may now have a conflict of interest. When I meet with clients who have come to the end of a long marriage, I help them navigate these murky waters.

Ryan Bristol Managing Director and Banker J.P. Morgan

Brian Werdesheim Managing Director, Investments The Summa Group of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

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C-Suite Quoted

Lisa Helfend Meyer Founding Partner Meyer, Olson, Lowy & Meyers LLP

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