Adrian Grenier

Convergence: Philanthropy, Technology, Celebrity and Marketing

Ryan Cummins, Matthew Polson, Michelle Kidley, Stacey Boyd, Adrian Grenier, Karina Kogan

Co-founders Ryan Cummins and Matthew Polson leveraged Omaze's democratized auction model to transform celebrity experiences into multi-million dollar fundraising tools, while Skoola successfully pivoted to a for-profit clothing resale platform to raise funds for schools at scale. The event also highlighted Adrian Grenier's focus on conscious consumerism and Participant Media's development of the Participant Index, a metrics tool designed to measure the behavioral impact of social storytelling on viewers. Panelists concluded that the future of the $240 billion charity sector depends on adopting business-aligned strategies, reducing entry friction, and utilizing data to authenticate the social value delivered by celebrities and organizations.