Hollywood powerhouse, comedian and entrepreneur Kevin Hart makes the world laugh both on stage and on camera. But behind the scenes he is a serious entrepreneur who has built a multi-platform media empire. He is also the founder and managing partner of HartBeat Ventures, an early stage VC firm focused on lifestyle, media and technology.
What’s more, Hart Investments seems to be achieving this with its focus on inclusion – especially financial inclusion. These are just a few of the reasons why we enjoy Kevin Hart. President and co-founder of his venture company, Robert Roman; and JP Morgan’s Head of Digital Investment Banking and Digital Private Markets, Michael Elangian, will join TechCrunch Disruption on October 18-20 in San Francisco.
The inequity of venture funding is a big issue. Forbes reports that 77% of companies with white founders receive VC dollars, while less than 10% go to female founders and less than 1% to black founders. Ensuring financial inclusion is complex. It requires a multi-pronged approach to combat homogenous networks, deceptively warm introductions, and the basic need for fluency among diverse demographics. Hart and Roman discuss these complexities, and we look at how elangian institutions are breaking down barriers.
Plus, we’re excited to learn more about the Hart brand and how it’s expanded over the years. Along with his various businesses, we want to hear where he plans to move the company forward.
One of Kevin Hart’s impressive Hollywood CVs includes eleven No. 1 box office movies with a worldwide gross of over $4.23 billion. A prolific entrepreneur and chairman of Heartbeat, a global, multi-platform media company that creates entertainment at the intersection of humor and culture, Hart is on a mission to make the world laugh together.
As the founder of HartBeat Ventures, Hart has partnered with or invested in a variety of companies, including Gran Coramino Tequila. plant-based quick-service restaurant Hart House; Fairy men; JPMorgan Chase; water Nutrabolt; Sam’s Club; old spice, brush; Tommy John; and Therabody.
Hart continues to develop, star in, and produce films, television shows, and podcasts through Heartbeat for various partners such as Netflix, Peacock, SiriusXM, and Audible. He is currently touring nationally with an eight hour production titled “The Reality Check Tour”.
Over the years, Robert Roman, president and co-founder of Heartbeat Ventures, has invested in notable companies such as Airbnb, Hydro, and Beyond Meat. A leading financial advisor in the entertainment and sports industries, Roman focuses its total service model on creating and maintaining efficiency in its clients’ finances.
Roman has over 20 years of experience in wealth management, providing financial services to families through multi-generational, forward-thinking solutions. In the year In 2011, he founded Legacy Private Client Group, building a platform that facilitates comprehensive solutions. Legacy PCG quickly became one of the fastest growing wealth management companies in California and the US
Michael Elangian builds new digital businesses and capabilities for JPMorgan clients. He is also the founder of Capital Connection, which provides fundraising, networking and information for founders and investors. In the year GlobalShares, which was acquired by JPMorgan in 2022, is part of the Elginian Group, which provides capital charting and planning services.
Elanjian previously served as head of digital innovation at a corporate and investment bank where he drove digital strategy, fintech investments and acquisitions, and co-founded JPMorgan’s product incubation effort, AreaX.
Prior to joining JPMorgan, Elangian spent nine years at Goldman Sachs, where he led the team’s strategy development and implementation for market structuring and financial technology investments.
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