René Pinnell is the founder of Artizen, a match-funding platform for human creativity, helping creators match fund new projects at the frontier of art, science, technology and culture. With over two decades of experience, René has helped creators raise more than $50 million for groundbreaking projects, including securing the first seven-figure VR film deal at the Sundance Film Festival.

As an executive producer, René has worked on acclaimed projects like BATTLESCAR, starring Rosario Dawson, and SPHERES, featuring Jessica Chastain, Millie Bobby Brown, and Patti Smith. Additionally, René has directed the feature documentary The King of Texas, sold a TV pilot to MTV, and founded two companies, reflecting his deep commitment to supporting and elevating creative talent. 

In this episode, I sat down with René to explore his transformative journey from filmmaker to startup founder. Delving into the evolution of creative funding, René discusses Artizen's innovative model, which blends traditional match funding with crypto and community-driven support. 

We cover pivotal moments from his VR project days with Kaleidoscope to forming high-profile partnerships, such as with Viola Davis during the BLM movement. Discover how Artizen's dual strategy of enterprise sales and grassroots initiatives is set to reshape the creative industry.

Plus, learn about the role of AI and no-code tools in revolutionizing product development, the benefits of community match funds, and the potential of crypto within the creator economy. Don't miss this insightful conversation on the past, present, and future of creative project financing.

René is also an alum of the Techstars Web3 accelerator class of 2024, investing in entrepreneurs building in web3 and enabling the next wave of growth in the decentralized internet and in tokenized economies.  Applications are now open for the Spring 2025 class, so check out techstars.com/accelerators/web3 to apply. 

TIMESTAMPS:

00:36 Meet René Pinnell: A Creative Force

01:17 René's Creative Journey and Family Heritage

03:54 The Birth of Artizen

05:52 Challenges in Funding Creative Projects

08:11 From Kaleidoscope to Artizen

10:22 Scaling Artizen with Community Curation

19:05 Artizen's Triple-Sided Marketplace

26:35 Support for Black Artists in Immersive Media

27:25 Fundraising and Future Plans for Artizen

28:22 High-Profile Partnerships and Match Funds

29:34 Challenges and Insights from Creators

32:32 René's Journey: From Filmmaker to Founder

37:31 Rebuilding Artizen with No-Code Tools

41:10 The Future of Product Development and Network Effects

44:10 The Importance of Fundraising Skills

45:41 Optimism and Personal Reflections

51:53 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

LINKS:

Follow René Pinnell

-X/(Twitter): https://x.com/RJPinnell

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjpinnell/

Learn more about:

-Artizen: https://artizen.fund/

-René'ss ‘Wayback Machine’:  http://renepinnell.com/homepage.html

-Techstars Web3 Accelerator:  https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/web3

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