GP @a16z | Founder @a16zCLF | @lyonswine 🍷 | Board: @yugalabs @beardfoundation | Advisor: @blkeconalliance @newstorycharity @zegna @kauffmanfellows | ΚΑΨ 👌🏾
GA 🛫 SF 🛬 MIA
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- Following 1,527
- Followers 29,680
- Likes 17,067
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I had an incredible conversation with the legendary @MagicJohnson on the @a16z podcast discussing his best deals, investing where no one else is looking, and building a sports empire. Grateful for the 10+ years of building together and learning from the 🐐 on and off the court.
Give it a listen 🎙️
Earvin "Magic" Johnson and a16z's Chris Lyons sat down for a conversation on Magic's 30 year journey from athlete to billionaire businessman, including what Magic learned from Michael Ovitz, Magic's investments in Silicon Valley and sports, why athletes should take equity over endorsements, and more.
00:00 Introduction
05:09 How Michael Ovitz became Magic's first business mentor
07:42 The art of deal making and building a Rolodex
17:30 Magic's first Silicon Valley investment: Skydio
27:00 Building a team: Get people smarter than you
29:48 The one that got away: Nike stock in 1979
37:36 Why AI is changing everything
44:36 Sports ownership: Dodgers, Commanders, Sparks, and LAFC
@MagicJohnson @ChrisLyons
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I’m super fired up to officially announce becoming a General Partner at @a16z. This firm is way more than a venture capital fund, it’s my extended family and has been the ecosystem where I’ve shaped my personal and professional career. 💼
We're excited to announce @ChrisLyons as our newest general partner at a16z 👏
Read more from Scott Kupor 👇a16z.com/2021/05/14/chris-ly…
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gm! I'm very excited to announce that @a16z crypto is leading a $50M round in @veefriends. We look forward to helping the team fuel expansion plans for its creative, technical and experiential operations that support the growing Web3 community! a16zcrypto.com/investing-in-…
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"The secret to happiness is freedom. And the secret to freedom is courage." -... tmblr.co/ZH95lx1SGk6Hj
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I'm excited to share the official launch of The Cultural Leadership Fund! a16z.com/2018/08/22/introduc…
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Enjoyed talking all things Punks and BAYC with the 🐐@CryptoGarga
Episode_11 of “Punks As Told By CryptoPunks” is out now.
Join @ChrisLyons & @CryptoGarga as they dive into the intersection of culture and innovation in web3.
Created in partnership with @cryptopunks.
WATCH: nftnow.com/punks
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Martin Luther King Jr Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (audio) open.spotify.com/user/122005…
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.@justinbieber-backed Shots goes beyond selfies with links and comedy tcrn.ch/1LBcGby snpy.tv/1OUd9Af
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8 yrs ago today we were thinking about strategic ways for Ye to release the first Yeezy shoe. Such a special day talking about the future of culture and innovation.
The sketches are from @virgilabloh 🙏🏾✨
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Protect our black owned businesses by any means. Black entrepreneurs work day in and out to pull us out of past conditions, and embody what Black excellence looks like in America. If you destroy their vision for making a better Black America, you destroy our hope for a future 🙏🏾
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Excited to welcome Erick Calderon, aka Snowfro (@ArtOnBlockchain) to @a16zcrypto Voices Onchain — our series spotlighting visionary creators at the intersection of art and technology.
As the founder of @artblocks_io, Erick pioneered the generative art movement, empowering artists to create, connect, and thrive onchain.
Now, with his latest venture @generativegoods, he’s pushing the boundaries again — merging digital art with physical form and introducing new, wearable use cases for NFTs.
Welcome to VO Erick!
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"5-4-3-2 we need fuel. Lift off" 👨🏾🚀🚀🚀 @BoredApeYC #BoredApeYC #spacesuitgang open.spotify.com/track/08T26…
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I'm excited to announce I'm officially joining Verizon Media's Global Advisory Board, led by Chairwoman, athlete, and entrepreneur @serenawilliams. @verizonmedia is the media and ad tech arm of @verizon, and includes iconic brands such as @yahoo, @techcrunch, @aol, and more.
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We’re thrilled to welcome @emilyxxie to Voices Onchain, @a16zcrypto program amplifying creators who are boldly blending art and technology to unlock new creative possibilities.
Emily uses code and computation to create lifelike textures inspired by textiles, collage, and tradition. Her generative work explores the balance between chance and control, the organic and the systematic, bridging history with technology.
With her art showcased globally, Emily credits the blockchain space for empowering her creative independence and launching her career.
Welcome to Voices Onchain Emily! Who else should be part of VO? Drop names below and nominate the voices shaping the future of creativity and innovation.
Thank you @creeefs for nominating Emily!
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I’m excited to announce our official close of CLF II! With the support of our LPs, portfolio companies, and our extended network, we will continue to develop a growing ecosystem that bridges culture and innovation through @a16zclf and @a16z 🧑🏾💻👨🏾💻. a16z.com/2021/06/17/clf-2-0/
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Your legacy is left to these two questions:
· What impact did I make on the lives of others?
· Who did I serve and make better?
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Today I’m proud to share the group of nonprofits that the Cultural Leadership Fund will be supporting. Please meet the incredible organizations that we’ll be working with, who are helping bring more African Americans into the world of technology.
a16z.com/2019/10/11/cultural…
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Introducing Voices Onchain (VO)—a new initiative by @a16zcrypto spotlighting creators boldly blending art and tech. We’re kicking off with an exceptional lineup: @sashastiles @micah_johnson3 @julianGilliam @boysclubworld @lisakolb_xkey✨
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Here are 12 incredible non-profit orgs backed by the Cultural Leadership Fund @clfcapital that are helping advance more young African Americans into tech. You can donate your $ and/or time to continue supporting their mission in developing our next generation of technologists👩🏾💻👨🏾💻
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“A Beautiful Mess” Awaits | W Magazine | Women's Fashion wmagazine.com/story/clubhous… via @wmag
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"You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good." —Jerry West
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We just dropped our “Big Ideas for 2025” post! I believe that “Hiding the wires” is the key to crypto’s next big leap in 2025. By focusing on seamless, user-friendly blockstream experiences, we’ll unlock mass adoption and bring crypto to the mainstream 💫
@a16zcrypto @a16z
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"No matter how bad or slow things go, you're still way ahead of everyone who isn't even trying." —@TonyRobbins
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Please welcome Naomi Metzger (@afrochicksnft) to
@a16zcrypto Voices Onchain!
An 11x British triple jump champion, Commonwealth bronze medalist, and European Team silver medalist, Naomi is a pro athlete bringing elite sport into the world of crypto.
From launching NFT art and running crypto-powered fitness challenges to documenting her LA 2028 Olympic journey onchain, Naomi is redefining what it means to be an athlete in crypto.
Catch her this week at the 10th @ChristiesInc Art + Tech Summit, where she’ll be creating content with the VO team and speaking on the panel “Performance, Patronage, and Impact.”
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Actions > words 💯
Reed Hastings, Netflix's co-founder, and his wife, Patty Quillin, donated $120 million to the United Negro College Fund, Spelman College and Morehouse College. It was the largest-ever individual gift for scholarships at historically black U.S. colleges. nyti.ms/2YGFf0N
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The @BoredApeYC was a turning point for the NFT space, flipping historic power dynamics by providing a full commercial license without a royalty to all holders. This generated a creative explosion of community-directed IP, catapulting the BAYC deep in the cultural zeitgeist.
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My friends are dope ✊🏾 @DaveSalvant @rubenharris @delane @DiishanImira @ImanAbuzeid
peopleofcolorintech.com/fron…
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"Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision." —Peter Drucker
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Community engagement is off the charts, and they’re building a stellar team of designers, engineers, and operators to help bring their grand vision to life—Disney 3.0
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@eshugerman @michael_jmoritz you should be thankful Felicia doesn’t have the time today. But don’t get it twisted, WE DO. Shut the story down and go back to your sad little lives.
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Music is one of the most collaborative art forms, but properly crediting artists for their contributions has been a longtime challenge. That’s why we’re excited to lead the seed round in @arpeggi_labs to advance music creation and publishing with web3. 🎧
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Welcome to the future of concerts 🚀
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This innovation led to the creation of communities like @jenkinsthevalet and entertainment brands like @KygoMusic and @Timbaland–brand new creative using Yuga Labs original art. Yuga is using web3 to turn “The Industry” upside down and put creatives on top.
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The four visionary founders @CryptoGarga @GordonGoner @TomatoBAYC @SassBAYC plus @VStrangeYUGA captured lightning in a bottle with BAYC ⚡️. We’re thrilled to invest in this brilliant team and their vision and help forge the next frontier of community-owned entertainment.
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Yuga gave BAYC + MAYC (and now Punks / Meebit ) holders an unlimited, worldwide license to use, copy + monetize each NFT. IP rights paired with incentivized word-of-mouth distribution has made the BAYC community unstoppable.
Some big news to share today: Yuga has acquired the CryptoPunks and Meebits collections from @LarvaLabs, and the first thing we’re doing is giving full commercial rights to the NFT holders. Just like we did for BAYC and MAYC owners.
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Prince's vision for lifting up black youths: Get them to code: money.cnn.com/2016/04/21/tec…
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.@garyvee's commitment to supporting his community members’ personal growth has been evident throughout his career. He’s been at the cutting edge of community and entrepreneurship since the early days of social media and has now unlocked the next chapter through @veefriends.
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See you on the Otherside! @BoredApeYC #madebyapes
Join us for the next MBA Sessions featuring @ChrisLyons from @a16z in a fireside chat with Cameron Kates, Chief Legal Officer of Yuga Labs about the significance of innovation, the latest tech advancements, and the transformative power of MBAs.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Chris’s insights on driving business growth in web3 and the potential of ApeChain.
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Our first newsletter is live! 🎉We’ll amplify the voices of Black Builders, Shapers, and Collaborators from our @clfcapital Network and highlight tech & culture news, job listings, + more.
Read + subscribe now: bit.ly/2SEKpaJ
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BAYC has quickly become a web3 culture, gaming, and entertainment empire. And with the addition of @larvalabs Punks and Meebits, a new economy and creative universe is forming within the Yuga Labs ecosystem.
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We're building the bridge between SF + LA with @andrewchen 👇🏾
Something big is happening at the intersection of tech and entertainment - of SF and LA
From LA, you see celebs angel investing, and promoting tech
And SF startups are actively courting creators, both mainstream and digital native, as the anchors in their new social products
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"People overestimate what they can do in a single day. And underestimate what they can do in their whole lives." —Unknown
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Just know when the culture wins, we all win and I’m just here to keep the door open for the next generation of builders. Let’s keep rocking and thank you for the love & support.
"I DID IT WITHOUT AN ALBUM!" 💎💎💎
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In order to build anything great, you have to be an optimist. You are trying to do something that most people would consider impossible.
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Betelhem Dessie is a tech genius taking “Sheba Valley”—Ethiopia’s Silicon Valley—by storm. At only 19-years-old, she is leading programs at iCog Labs, Ethiopia’s first artificial intelligence lab, and has several software programs patents to her name. afrotech.com/this-19-year-ol…
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See you in Paris 🥂 🇫🇷
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Nina Chanel Abney's selection as the inaugural artist in residence for @cryptopunks @yugalabs stands as a pivotal milestone in the ongoing intersection of culture and innovation within the ever-evolving crypto landscape. @ninachanel visionary embrace of blockchain technology as a canvas for her artistic expressions not only embodies the creative spirit of the crypto community but also acts as a powerful catalyst for bridging the chasm between traditional art collectors and the dynamic web3 ecosystem.
CryptoPunks is thrilled to announce the launch of Punk in Residence, with inaugural artist @NinaChanelAbney. 🧵
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We are extremely excited to unite cultural and technology leaders to facilitate a better future for everyone. Special thank you to all of our limited partners involved, @bhorowitz @a16z and everyone inspired to enter the field of technology through this initiative ✊🏾
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Not only is @veefriends an exciting #NFT project, it also provides offline and in-person utility through curated experiences like @VeeCon, which brought over 7,000 NFT ticket holders together for a week of informative conversations on web3, live music, and networking.
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The basic goals of the CLF are twofold:
1) Connect the greatest cultural leaders in the world to the best new technology companies.
2) Enable more young African Americans to enter the technology industry.
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Next, 100% of the management fees and carry associated with the fund will be donated to a select number of non-profit organizations advancing African Americans into the technology industry.
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Rasa raises $26M led by A16Z for its open source conversational AI platform – “We decided to bring on the CLF in this round in early May as we always felt strongly that diversity is a key part of our mission to empower all makers to build AI for everyone” techcrunch.com/2020/06/23/ra…
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Welcoming Jay-Z and Will Smith to the Hipcamp Community hipcamp.com/journal/featured…
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VeeFriends represents the ethos of entrepreneurship, and we’re humbled by the opportunity to support @garyvee and the @veefriends community on this journey. LFG!
None of the above should be taken as investment advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more information.
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To accomplish this, we created a new fund with Limited Partners who are exclusively cultural leaders including: @Diddy , @shondarhimes , @willsmith , @quicydjones, @KDTrey5, @chancetherapper, @Nas, @cpinfor, Edith Cooper, Robin Washington, Shellye Archambeau, and more.
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Up next: a generation that grew up with technology as a cultural product, that doesn’t draw rigid lines between art + engineering.
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Major shoutout to @dapperlabs @roham for Flow’s $1M commitment to building an on-ramp for the culture to join the future of Web 3 ✊🏾 onflow.org/post/flow-blockch…
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I didn’t come from your traditional tech background (shoutout @sosodef), but @bhorowitz believed in me 8 years ago and I wouldn’t be here without his ability to see my true potential. Hiz, thank you for being THE inspiration for my VC career and showing me the game of life. 🖤🤞🏾
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My community stands on the shoulders of giants and I’m extremely grateful to continue representing for Black founders, executives, investors, and hustlers who believes technology is the key to unlocking generational freedom for their future family. Hussle and Motivate #TMC 🏁
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At the foundation of @veefriends IP are meaningful attributes for humanity - such as tolerance, patience, and authenticity—displayed through simple, hand drawn cartoon characters, which have inspired a community of creatives, entrepreneurs, storytellers, and technologists.
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When you wake tomorrow morning you have two choices: go back to sleep, or wake up and chase those dreams.
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ApeFest Lisbon tickets can now be claimed by BAYC holders at apefest.tokenproof.xyz with a $169 refundable deposit.
Mutants can begin claiming in 15 minutes.
For additional details regarding tickets and ApeFest, head to the FAQ: apefest.com/faq
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The evolution of historical characters like Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty, The Getalong Gang, Snorks, and Wuzzles has inspired @garyvee to bring the next generation of digital IP onto the blockchain, encouraging audiences of all ages trying to make their online aspirations a reality
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Diversity on the cap table with @bankmercury link.medium.com/4icSfGRGydb
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We need more diverse leadership from the board room, congrats @Kaepernick7 ✊🏾
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None of the above should be taken as investment advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more information.
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Fired up to work alongside a great group of punks on the first @cryptopunks
coffee table book with @zakgroup. Stay tuned!
The first book dedicated to archiving CryptoPunks is coming Fall 2023 published in partnership with @zakgroup. The book unveils untold stories of the collection by tapping the passionate community to contribute to the written record of Punks.
book.cryptopunks.app/
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Great breakdown on @doodles x @dapperlabs, congrats again and excited for Doodles 2 📈
So why did we choose Flow for Doodles 2?
We’re able to create a frictionless on-chain app that lets mainstream fans customize their Doodle without limits.
a thread 🧵
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And special shoutout to everyone who supported me along this crazy, unconventional journey including @naitjones, @feliciahorowitz, @michaelovitz, @skupor, Ken Coleman, @pmarca, @abenton, my 2 brothers for life🦁🦁 and every single one of my CLF LPs.
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"An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less" - Melody Hobson + @bhorowitz
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Excited to share my conversation with @Entrepreneur about blending culture, history, and the future of tech at @a16z. Grateful for the chance to reflect on how the past fuels innovation—check out the piece! 👇🏾
Who’s safe in the age of AI? Chris Lyons of Andreessen Horowitz believes history holds the answers. From connecting Kevin Durant to Silicon Valley to spotting the next icons, Lyons is shaping tech’s future.
entrepreneur.com/growing-a-b…
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23 years later and @pmarca is still leading the way. It’s wild how far ahead in the future he still is.
It was in this day in 1994 23 year old Marc Andreessen @pmarca founded a new company called Netscape.
In this rare video He predicted a simpler way to access information using a browser would bring just about everyone to the internet.
He was right...
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Culture and innovation are moving together to create life changing opportunities for the next generation of creatives, and I’m excited to continue supporting the founders who have the courage to chase that dream through the @a16zclf 🧑🏾💻👨🏾💻
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Shoutout to @MorganStanley and @carlaharris for your support of my journey into tech and venture capital through @a16zclf. Check out our latest podcast discussing "Where Tech Meets Culture" open.spotify.com/show/5C7zdt…
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Apple is soft launching direct person-to-person payments in an iMessage with the Apple Pay Cash beta.P techcrunch.com/2017/11/07/ap…
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