Fast Company Announces 2nd Annual L.A. Creativity Counter-Conference Featuring Geena Davis, John Cena, Russell Simmons, Jeffrey Katzenberg May 24-25, 2016

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Apr 29, 2016, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, April 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fast Company announced today that it will host its second annual Creativity Counter-Conference in Los Angeles, May 24-25, 2016. Over the course of two days, FC/LA will gather some of the most creative minds in business, technology, design, and entertainment for a series of inspiring keynote conversations, hands-on sessions, visits to the workspaces and studios of L.A.'s leading organizations, and opportunities to practice purposeful networking.

The event will also celebrate the newest additions to Fast Company's annual "Most Creative People In Business" list, which will be announced online May 16th and in the June issue, on newsstands May 24^th.

In addition to sessions hosted on the campus of 72andSunny, Fast Tracks are day-long excursions in seven neighborhoods—Burbank, Culver City, Downtown L.A., Hollywood, Playa Vista, Santa Monica or Venice—curated by Fast Company to bring participants inside some of the most intriguing and creative enterprises in Los Angeles.

CONFIRMED FC/LA PARTICIPANTS

Day 1, May 24, Fast Track highlights include:

A visit to AwesomenessTV's headquarters with CEO Brian Robbins, President Brett Bouttier and Dreamworks Animation skg CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg as they talk about how AwesomenessTV is making powerful connections with Gen Z by bringing top talent and engaging content together, everywhere. (Santa Monica)
Lunch and discussion about Thrive Market's mission to bring organic food to the masses with Co-CEOs Gunnar Lovelace and Nick Green, and boxing champion Laila Ali. (Venice)
Anya Fernald, a sustainable food expert and a Fast Company Most Creative Person, will discuss the tradition of slow food on this visit to her restaurant Belcampo Meat Co. (Santa Monica)
Join founder and CEO Gregg Renfrew to hear about Beautycounter's mission to make beauty safer and learn how collaborations with J.Crew and Goop, along with international expansion, have catapulted the movement. (Santa Monica)
Enjoy lunch and take in a skate session with the Vans pro team, and then listen in as Steve van Doren and his team open up about how the brand has kept its creative spirit alive and kick-flipping for 50 years. (Downtown LA)
At Jaunt VR's studios, experience the latest in virtual reality filmmaking technology and learn why leading entertainment companies like Disney and CAA have made a $100M bet on Jaunt's future, with Jens Christensen, CEO, Arthur von Hoff, CTO, and Cliff Plumer, Head of Studio. (Santa Monica)
Step inside All Def Digital's brand-new offices for a conversation with business mogul Russell Simmons and president and CEO Sanjay Sharma. (Downtown LA)
Visit Sweetgreen—the innovative salad chain with a cult-like following (and $75M in funding)—which just relocated its headquarters to Los Angeles and is set to continue expanding across the country this year. (Hollywood)

The Creativity Counter-Conference will continue on the campus of 72andSunny's Playa Vista headquarters with a full-day schedule that will include keynotes, conversations and hands-on workshops, followed by end-of-day cocktails.

Day 2, May 25, highlights include:

Tinder, the dating app, reported nearly 10M daily active users earlier this year, but CEO Sean Rad's vision for their future goes far beyond romance. Rad will paint the picture of a Tinder that is not only for the lovelorn but functions as a robust advertising vehicle, subscription service, and platform for social discovery.
Academy Award-winner Geena Davis will discuss her mission to improve diversity in media through the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and more recently, The Bentonville Film Festival—the only film festival that guarantees distribution for its winners' projects—with an advisory board including the likes of Shonda Rhimes and Natalie Portman.
WWE superstar, actor and producer John Cena will share his secrets to authentic storytelling through the lens of his wrestling and growing on-screen career.
Listen in as Henk Rogers, the entrepreneur responsible for bringing the iconic video game Tetris® game to the world market, and his daughter Maya Rogers, now president of Tetris's parent company, reveal the core principals of every "next big thing." Attendees will be challenged to consider various product ideas in a quest to discover the one with Tetris-like staying power.

TICKETS
To purchase tickets and to see the complete schedule of events, times and locations, go to fastcompany.com/fcla

SPONSORS
Aloft Hotels: Aloft Hotels will provide attendees with a custom "FC/LA Playlist" inspired by Live At Aloft Hotels, the brand's ongoing, on-property music series that celebrates emerging artists around the world, and help Re:fuel conference attendees during Tuesday's Fast Tracks by providing them with custom snack boxes. On Day 2, Aloft will outfit 72andSunny with a Lounge and Re:fuel Station letting guests re-charge, relax and mingle in between content sessions. The tech-forward brand for today's hyper connected global traveler will also present a Digital DJ experience that lets attendees embrace their creativity at mixing stations.

ABOUT FAST COMPANY
Fast Company is one of the world's leading business media brands, with an editorial focus on creativity and innovation in technology, ethical economics, leadership, and design. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc. and can be found online at fastcompany.com.

ABOUT 72AND SUNNY
72andSunny creates cultural impact on behalf of brands. The company is recognized as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies 2015 and is a two-time "Agency of the Year" winner for Advertising Age and Adweek. With offices in Los Angeles, Amsterdam and New York, 72andSunny's clients include Activision, adidas, Axe, Carl's Jr./Hardee's, Carlsberg, ESPN, Google, Samsung, Smirnoff, Sonos, Starbucks, Target, Tillamook and truth. For more information, visit www.72andsunny.com.

ABOUT ALOFT HOTELS
With more than 100 hotels now open in 16 countries around the world, Starwood's Aloft brand delivers a fresh approach to the traditional staid hotel landscape. For the 'always on' next generation of traveler, the Aloft brand offers a tech-forward, vibrant experience and a modern style that is different by design. For more information, please visit www.alofthotels.com.

fastcompany.com/fcla | #FCLA16 | @fastcompany

SOURCE Fast Company