MFG Presents
Media Capital Summit VI Edition
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 |
San Francisco
Speakers
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About the MFG Summit
We welcome you to our invite-only summit for media leaders, founders, and investors shaping how brands are built and financed in the AI era.
This 6th edition, taking place in San Francisco on September 29, we're continuing a tradition that began in London in 2023.
We're bringing together leaders from total video, out-of-home, digital publishing, and retail media, alongside the VCs, CVCs, and family offices funding consumer brands, for conversations on opportunities beyond traditional ad sales, where AI is sending advertising dollars next, and the state of the consumer market.
Attended by Investors and Senior Executives
Agenda
9:00 AM
Doors Opening & Refreshments
Morning Block
Capital & Markets | 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
09:30 AM
Welcome Remarks
Diana Florescu (CEO & Founding Partner, MFG)
9:45 AM
What Consumer Investors Are Underwriting Now
A fireside chat with Will, GP at Sugar Capital, unpacking the metrics, operating capabilities, and brand signals they use to distinguish promising companies from truly investable ones.
Will Hawthorne, Sugar Capital
10:30 AM
State of the Secondary Market
What is transacting in the secondary market, at what pricing, and what does that mean for management teams and investors in the room?
Jeffrey Hartlin (Partner, Paul Hastings LLP), John Demeter (General Counsel, Khosla Ventures), Matt Lawson (CMO, Hiive)
11:15 AM
Morning Break - 20 mins
11:30 AM
Beyond The Check
This session explores how strategic investors are combining funding with retail access, supply-chain infrastructure, media and influence to help consumer brands scale.
Kelly Spillane (Investment & Lending Principal, Whole Foods Market)
12:10 PM
The Brand Signals That Build Premium Valuations
In this fireside chat we explore how investors assess brand strength, which indicators reveal that a company is building durable enterprise value, and how better brand measurement can inform both investment decisions and portfolio-company growth.
Michael Rochon (US Head of Growth, Tracksuit), Jeremy Levy (VP at VMG Technology)
12:30 PM
How AI, Automation and Consumer Behaviour Are Reshaping the Future
What happens when an AI assistant helps choose your groceries, compare products, or recommend a brand? And how do brands build trust and stay discoverable when the customer may increasingly be an AI agent as well as a human?
Leo Nagdas (Head of DunnHumby Ventures)
1:00 PM
Lunch & Networking - 50 minutes
Afternoon Block
Deals, Creatives & Commerce | 2:00 PM - 5:15 PM
2:00 PM
Live Case Study: The Deal Behind the Deal
KA-EX’s founder shares the story behind the brand’s US expansion, from the growth opportunity they identified to the partnerships that helped make it possible.
Pedro Schmidt (CEO & Co-Founder, KA-EX), Andrew Schnell (VP Corporate Strategy & Development, Sinclair Broadcast Group), Erica Meyer (SVP Media Investments & Operations, Evergreen Trading)
2:40 PM
An inside look at how TelevisaUnivision built its media capital program from the ground up
We’ll explore what makes a company a strong fit for media-for-equity, how these investments are underwritten and the opportunity presented by U.S. Hispanic consumers.
Rodrigo Lascurain (Principal US Growth and Venture Capital, TelevisaUnivision)
3:10 PM
How AI is Rewriting the Creative Playbook
Featuring the work behind AI actress Tilly Norwood, this session explores how AI is expanding what brands and media companies can create.
Sarina Da Costa Gomez (Executive Creative Director, Particle6)
3:30 PM
Afternoon Break
3:45 PM
Will Media and Retail Investors Define The Next Generation Of Venture Capital?
This panel explores the rise of Public VC, the different models emerging, and what it will take for the category to scale, from access and portfolio construction to liquidity, trust and distribution.
Keith Teare (CEO, Signal Rank), Art Zwickel (Partner, Paul Hastings), Benjamin Black (Akkadian),
Ankur Nagpal (AngelList) Luca Zaccagnino (Managing Partner, MFG)
4:30 PM
Building the Next Generation of Entertainment with Data + AI
In this fireside chat, Inkitt explores its evolution from books to microdramas, how audience data can help identify stories with breakout potential, and what AI could mean for the future of storytelling, production and entertainment franchises.
Ali Albazaz (Founder & CEO at Inkitt)
5:00 PM
Closing Remarks
5:30 PM
Registration
MFG Partner
Pass
Pricing
Complimentary
For exisiting MFG media partners
Founder
Pass
Pricing
Complimentary
For founders or executives of fast growth startups (no VC firms)
Corporate
Pass
Pricing
$995
For corporate executives
Investor
Pass
Pricing
Complimentary
For VCs, CVCs and other capital allocators
For service providers interested in learning more about the summit, please contact partnerships@mediaforgrowth.co
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