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Kevin Wall
Kevin Wall at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa on 2 June 2010
Born (1952-03-15) March 15, 1952 (age 72)
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Producer, media entrepreneur, investor, activist
Years active1984 - present
Employer(s)PTK Capital (CEO and founder)
Dreamscape Immersive (Co-chairman and co-founder
Control Room (CEO and founder)
SpouseSusan Smalley Wall
ChildrenPatrick
Timothy
Kelly
AwardsEMA Outstanding Achievement Award
Emmy Award, Interactive Content
Ellis Island Medal of Honor
Websitecontrolroom.com

Kevin Wall (born March 15, 1952) is an American media entrepreneur, global event producer, investor and activist. He is the CEO and founder of the investment fund, PTK Capital, the co-founder and co-chairman of Dreamscape Immersive, a location-based virtual reality start up, and the founder and CEO of Control Room, a Los Angeles-based production company. The first person to receive an Emmy award for interactive content, Wall is noted for his role in the development and/or adoption of media technologies including online and platform-agnostic distribution and media practices such as international rights acquisition and licensing.[1][2]

Wall's ventures often integrate environmental and social activism. With Radio Vision International, his first media company, he distributed and produced live benefit concerts including Human Rights Now!, USA for Africa, Live Aid, and the anti-apartheid Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute. As the founder and CEO of Control Room, he executive produced Live 8 an which drew a worldwide audience of a billion people, and created and executive produced Live Earth, viewed globally by an estimated two billion people. Wall co-founded Sustainable Holdings, a company which weights its holdings based on a company’s sustainability score, and is a general partner at Craton Equity Partners, a $242 million green-tech private equity fund. PTK Capital focuses on early investments in companies that offer social, environmental and educational benefits and address issues of gender equality.[3]

Early life

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Wall grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his family of fourteen worked and lived in a roller-skating rink called the Roller Dome. He programmed music as the Roller Dome disc jockey, and later said that the experience gave him insight into the power of music to move people.[4][5]

Career

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Stage One, Radio Vision International, BoxTop/iXL

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Wall left home at 18, and moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he promoted concerts at the University of Michigan and other Midwest colleges. After he was asked to provide a portable stage for a George Harrison show, Wall founded a portable staging company, Stage One, Inc. Within several years, the company had become the largest of its kind, providing lighting, staging, and outdoor production for stadium and arena tours for The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Who, among other artists.[4][6]

In 1984, Wall founded Radio Vision International, a company which "pioneered the business of international music video licensing."[7] Convinced of the opportunity that increasing broadcast options would provide, he developed the idea for Radio Vision while attending an annual television conference in Cannes. His assessment was accurate, and Radio Vision was quickly profitable, distributing 60 music television programs internationally and building a library of more than 125 music and specialty programs. The company's financial success allowed Wall to work with non-profits, providing Radio Vision's services on a break-even basis for benefit concerts such as Live Aid, USA for Africa, the Human Rights Now! Tour, the 70th birthday tribute to South African activist Nelson Mandela and the annual Prince's Trust Rock Gala, sponsored by Britain's Prince Charles, to raise money for underprivileged children.[7]

In 1994 Wall established BoxTop, a web design company, which was merged with iXL, an Atlanta-based media and internet consulting company in 1997. As the vice chairman of iXL, Wall led the strategic acquisition and organization of 42 Internet design and consulting companies to build a venture with 3,000 employees, 38 offices and annual revenues of over $400 million.[8] iXL went public in 1999 and in 2000 reached a market capitalization of $2 billion.[9]

Live 8, Live Earth, Control Room, Dreamscape Immersive

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In 2005, Wall created Network LIVE, a joint venture with AEG, AOL, and XM Satellite Radio. Wall executive produced its inaugural production, Live 8, and designed its global media architecture. A series of benefit concerts to bring attention to poverty in Africa, Live 8 involved more than 250 musicians, including Madonna, U2, Destiny's Child, Jay-Z, and Pink Floyd, who performed within 24 hours of one another at concerts on 7 continents.[10] Utilizing both legacy and new media, the concert drew an audience of two billion people, with a live worldwide multi-feed webcast setting online viewership records. As the executive producer of Live 8, Wall won the first Emmy for content delivered via the internet; [11] it was later described as a "tipping point" and the "defining moment" in online content distribution.[12] In 2006, Wall acquired full control of Network LIVE and renamed it Control Room.[13]

Inspired by US Vice President Al Gore and his Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, Wall created Live Earth, a global concert event designed to raise environmental awareness and combat climate change. On July 7, 2007, 150 musical acts, including The Police, Alicia Keys, Metallica, and Kanye West performed at eleven locations around the world in concerts that were broadcast globally through television, satellite and terrestrial radio, handheld devices, and the internet.[14]Live Earth reached an audience of nearly two billion people and set live streaming records, with 15 million streams initiated during the live event, and 100 million the following week.[15] Initially envisioned as a one-off event, Live Earth became an advocacy organization which works with th corporate, non-governmental, entertainment and political influencers and organizations around the world.[16][17][18] [19]

In 2016, Wall invested in and co-founded Dreamscape Immersive with Walter Parkes. An entertainment and technology company. it creates story-based full-roam VR experiences which allow as many as six people at once to explore a virtual 3D environment, seeing fully rendered avatars of one another. Wall serves as co-chairman of the company, which received nearly $40 million in investments from film studios, AMC, IMAX, Steven Spielberg, and others.

As of 2018, Control Room had created, developed, distributed and/or produced more than 150 events, including the Green Inaugural Ball,[20] the FIFA World Cup Kick off Celebration in 2010, and Gucci's Chime for Change concert.[21] The company has won 11 Telly Awards for excellence in categories including Education, Information, News, Social Issues, and Videography.[22]

Venture capital, equity, and early stage investments

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Wall is a general partner of Craton Equity Partners, a $242 million green-tech private equity fund,[23] and a founder of Sustainable Holdings, a company which weights its holdings based on a company’s sustainability score.[24] He co-founded Shelter Capitol Partners, a $175 million venture capital fund focused on companies in the semi-conductor, software, and convergence sectors.[25] In 1999, he founded PTK Capital, a family investment fund that supports "people and ideas with the potential to significantly benefit the human condition." He has made direct early stage investments in companies including Facebook, KeVita, and Akamai.[26]

Personal life

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Wall is married to Susan Smalley, a scientist, author, activist, and professor emeritus at UCLA in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. She serves as co-chair of the board of Equality Now, a human rights organization dedicated to women and girls.[27] They have three children.[28]

Recognition and awards (partial list)

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  • Advertising Age Marketer of the Year[29]
  • Billboard Touring Conference Humanitarian Award[30]
  • Ellis Island Medal of Honor[31]
  • EMA Outstanding Achievement Award [32]
  • GQ Environmental Pillar Award[33]
  • EMA Outstanding Achievement Award [34]

Boards and affiliations (partial list)

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Organization Role
Bretelon, Inc. Board of directors
Dreamscape Immersive Co-chairman of the board
GCE High Level Panel Panel member
Hammer Museum Board of directors
Live Earth Founder
XPrize Innovation Board Board of directors

Selected credits

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Year Title Credit
2013 Chime for Change (concert) Executive producer
24 Hours of Reality: The Cost of Carbon Executive producer
The Sound of Change Live Executive producer
2011 Decade of Difference: A Concert Celebrating 10 Years
of the William J. Clinton Foundation		 Executive producer
2010 FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert Executive producer
Live Earth Run for Water Executive producer
2008 Madonna: Live from Roseland Ballroom Executive producer
2007 Jay-Z: Live from Hammerstein Ballroom Executive producer
Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate Crisis Executive producer
Michael Bublé: Live from Webster Hall Executive producer
2006 Nokia New Year's Eve Executive producer
2005 Live 8 Executive producer
1994 Apollo Theater Hall of Fame Executive producer
1993 Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame Executive producer
Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration Executive producer
1992 Michael Jackson: Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour Executive producer
Elton John: Live in Barcelona Executive producer

References

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  1. ^ Barnes, Brooks (2017-09-26). "Coming Soon to AMC Theaters: Virtual Reality Experiences". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-02-03.
  2. ^ writer, By Devin Leonard, Fortune senior. "Rock stars fight global warming - July 9, 2007". archive.fortune.com. Retrieved 2018-02-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ O'Carroll, Lisa (2013-09-18). "Kiosked raises nearly $7m in funding". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Fortune History was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Potts, Maryanne (July 6, 2007). "What's Music Got to Do with Climate Change?". nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Iinvest was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Brooks, Nancy Rivera (December 9, 1998). "Rights 'n' Roll : Two brothers pioneered the business of international music video licensing". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  8. ^ Snyder, Beth (March 9, 1998). "INTERACTIVE: WEST COAST SPOTLIGHT: BOXTOP RIDES INTERACTIVE WAVE IN LA: NEW MEDIA SHOP EYES FUTURE IN TECHNOLOGY AND ACQUISITIONS". AdAge. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  9. ^ Weiss, Michael (March 20, 2000). "Investments get bigger as valuations rise". Atlanta Business Journal. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  10. ^ Kaufman, Gil (July 2, 2005). "Jay-Z, U2, Madonna, Pink Floyd Deliver Live 8 Highlights". mtv.com. MTV. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  11. ^ ""LIVE 8 ON AOL" WINS FIRST BROADBAND EMMY HONORING PROGRAMS FOR INTERNET, CELLPHONES, PDAs | The Emmy Awards - The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences". emmyonline.com. Retrieved 2018-02-03.
  12. ^ Farzad, Roben (2005-07-04). "Concert Video Is a Hit, Validating a Bet by AOL". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-02-03.
  13. ^ News staff (September 26, 2006). "Kevin Wall acquires company, renaming it Control Room". billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  14. ^ Coyle, Jake (July 2, 2007). "Live Earth Aims to Cause Lasting Change". Washington Post. AP. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  15. ^ Smith, David (June 30, 2007). "Gore show is set to be biggest on earth". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  16. ^ CBS News (September 18, 2008). "Live Earth Concert Heads To India". cbsnews.com. CBS News. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  17. ^ CBS News (September 18, 2008). "Live Earth Concert Heads To India". cbsnews.com. CBS News. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  18. ^ Bruno, By Bill Werde and Antony. "Live 8 demonstrates power of digital media". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  19. ^ Shay Sayre, Cynthia King (2010). Entertainment and Society: Influences, Impacts, and Innovations. Routledge. p. 398. ISBN 9781135839956.
  20. ^ "City native is producer of Green Inaugural Ball". News Sentinel. January 19, 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  21. ^ Alexander, Ella (March 26, 2013). "Beyoncé And Gucci To Host Global Concert In London". vogue.uk.com. Vogue UK. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  22. ^ "35th Annual Telly Award Winners". tellyawards.com. Telly Awards. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  23. ^ Leondis, Alexis (September 30, 2013). "TCW Buys Craton Equity to Expand Alternatives Unit". bloomberg.com. Bloomberg. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  24. ^ Kanani, Rahim (September 9, 2011). "Recyclebank: A Case Study in Motivating Positive Behavioral Change". Forbes. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  25. ^ Graser, Marc (April 5, 2000). "Tech exec takes Shelter". Variety. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  26. ^ O'Carroll, Lisa (2013-09-18). "Kiosked raises nearly $7m in funding". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  27. ^ "Collaborative Centers for Integrative Medicine: Susan Smalley". ucla.edu. UCLA. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  28. ^ "Susan Smalley Profile". huffingtonpost.com. Huffington Post. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  29. ^ Klaassen, Abbey. "Entertainment Marketers 2008: Kevin Wall". adage.com. Advertising Age. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  30. ^ Cite error: The named reference Billboard Live Earth was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  31. ^ "A TRIBUTE TO THE 2009 ELLIS ISLAND MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS". gpo.gov. Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 86. June 10, 2009. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  32. ^ "EMA AWARDS RECIPIENTS & HONOREES". ema-online.org. Environmental Media Association. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  33. ^ "GQ Magazine Hosts The Gentlemen's Ball - Inside". zimbio.com. Zimbio. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  34. ^ "EMA AWARDS RECIPIENTS & HONOREES". ema-online.org. Environmental Media Association. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
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