Hardware Podcasts

ARRAY: Filmmaker Ava DuVernay

How I Built This · 21 Jun 2021 · 1h 28m

What this episode covers

Filmmaker and entrepreneur Ava DuVernay explains how she transitioned from a successful Hollywood publicist to a director and founder of ARRAY, a production and distribution company. She details the self-financing of her early films like 'I Will Follow' and 'Middle of Nowhere', the pivotal role of actor David Oyelowo in securing investment and casting, and the strategic rewriting of 'Selma' to fit a $20 million budget. DuVernay also discusses building ARRAY into a nonprofit and physical campus to support diversity in the film industry and her philosophy on maintaining creative control.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
ARRAY, Netflix, Prada
Products
Selma, 13th, When They See Us, A Wrinkle in Time, Middle of Nowhere, I Will Follow
Also
David Oyelowo, Lee Daniels, Steven Spielberg, Palm Springs Short Film Festival, U2

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Core77 Podcast · 55m

    Afterschool Podcast, Episode 6 - Gary Hustwit (9/24)

    Documentary filmmaker Gary Hustwit discusses his 'Design Trilogy'—the films Helvetica, Objectified, and Urbanized—and his new Kickstarter project, The Complete Interviews, which publishes the unedited transcripts of those films. Hustwit explains how he transitioned from independent music production to documentary filmmaking, relying on his eye for design rather than professional training. He details his organic interviewing process, the logistical challenges of securing high-profile subjects like Jony Ive and Rem Koolhaas, and the narrative structure that evolved from typography to product design to urban planning.

    Crowdfunding & preordersIndustrial & consumer product design
    7 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 45m

    Founder Fundraising Journey: Victor Guardiola, Bawi

    Victor Guardiola, Founder and CEO of Bawi, a sparkling agua fresca brand, details his journey from a UT Austin entrepreneurship practicum to scaling a beverage company in Texas and California. He explains how he overcame the lack of a 'rich uncle' by selling on tap at farmer's markets, cold-emailing hundreds of investors, and leveraging a 'golden follow-up' from a notable investor to unlock his first equity round from backers like Patrick Terry and Mike Rypka. Guardiola also discusses Bawi's strategic pivot to food service distribution to drive retail velocity, the challenges of early production contamination with breweries, and his mission to increase representation for Latino founders in CPG.

    Fundraising & investorsDirect-to-consumer & e-commerce
    8 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 1h 00m

    From turning down Shark Tank offers to raising $2.7 million for Nopalera with Sandra Velasquez (2023)

    Sandra Velasquez, CEO & Founder of Nopalera, discusses her journey from a musician to launching a high-end Latina bath and body brand, her appearance on Shark Tank where she turned down two offers, and her subsequent $2.7 million seed round. She details the rigorous preparation for the TV pitch, including valuation assessments and inventory scaling, and explains how the show drove significant sales across Shopify and Amazon. Velasquez also shares insights on building a fundraising network from scratch, the importance of brand positioning in the beauty category, and Nopalera's expansion into aluminum-bottled liquid products.

    Fundraising & investorsCrowdfunding & preorders
    7 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 38m

    How to Ask Someone to Invest in Your CPG Brand, with Fave's Ryan Raish

    Ryan Raish, founder of Fave, details his journey from a 20-year CPG career at brands like Popchips and Honest Tea to launching a certified organic powdered drink mix. He explains how he self-funded two years of R&D and retailer feedback from Target before securing a pre-seed round led by Keith Belling and the Angel Group. Raish discusses using early sales on Thrive Market, Amazon, and QVC to validate the product and close a $1 million seed round, while highlighting the distinct challenges of pitching retail buyers versus investors.

    Fundraising & investorsValidation & product-market fit
    8 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 35m

    Founder Feature: Emmanuel Waters and Courtney Tucker of Old Hillside Bourbon

    Emmanuel Waters and Courtney Tucker, co-founders of Old Hillside Bourbon Company, discuss bootstrapping their premium spirit brand for six years to tell Black history through products like Last Ride Rye, Trifecta, and Harlem Hellfighters. They explain how leveraging stories of Black jockeys and the Harlem Hellfighters helped them break records as the fastest-selling bourbon in North Carolina despite facing significant barriers in a $40 billion industry where Black ownership is less than 1%. The founders emphasize their commitment to quality and community, aiming to be the best bourbon period rather than just the best Black-owned brand, while navigating a crowded market with limited capital.

    Starting a product companyDirect-to-consumer & e-commerce
    7 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by How I Built This. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.