The HotStart VC Podcast

Scott van den Berg
  • 1.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Breaking down how celebrities and creators build billion-dollar brands — hosted by Scott Van den Berg.

  1. 11h ago

    How This Creator Built an AI Hiring Platform Used by the World's Biggest YouTubers | Sherry Wong

    Sherry Wong is a creator entrepreneur with hundreds of thousands of followers across social media and the founder of Roster, an AI hiring platform for the creator economy trusted by some of the world's biggest creators like the Stokes Twins, Jesser, and Preston. She's been creating content since 2011, back when being a YouTuber wasn't even considered cool. But while scaling her platform, Sherry kept running into the same problem. Hiring. Finding the right video editor, thumbnail designer, or producer was a real headache. So she decided to solve the problem herself. Unlike traditional hiring platforms like Upwork or Fiverr, Roster uses AI to analyze the type of content you make, your niche, your style, and instantly recommends the best candidates to hire. But the real innovation is the hiring challenge feature. Creators dump raw footage onto the platform, set a timeline, and let thousands of applicants compete by submitting test edits. The winner gets the job offer and a cash prize. When Jesser ran a challenge, he offered a $100,000 job and $2,000 cash to the winner. Over 3,000 people applied. Sherry breaks down how she added YouTuber to her resume before it was common and how it landed her a job in Singapore, why she's expanding beyond creators to work with B2B companies like Stripe, and how hiring challenges are lowering barriers for hidden talent across 150 countries to get discovered by the world's biggest creators. She explains: Why she started creating content in 2011 and how it became the reason she got hired at a $50 million creator economy fund How Roster's AI analyzes portfolios, niches, and software to match creators with the perfect hires in seconds Why hiring challenges generate over 3,000 applicants and how they turn hiring into content How Stripe and other B2B companies are now using Roster because every company is becoming a production house Why AI is changing job descriptions but not eliminating creative roles entirely Her number one advice for creators launching companies: just start and don't overthink it Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: From Creator to Building Roster 00:00:45 The Early Creator Journey: Starting Before YouTube Was Cool 00:02:25 The Resume That Changed Everything: Adding YouTuber to Her CV 00:07:22 The Hiring Pain Point: Why Creators Struggle to Find Talent 00:09:07 What is Roster: AI-Powered Hiring for the Creator Economy 00:10:17 How the AI Matching Works: Portfolio, Niche, and Style Analysis 00:12:15 The Hiring Challenge Feature: Democratizing Opportunity 00:14:20 Results and Impact: 3,000 Applicants and Life-Changing Opportunities 00:18:58 Working with the Biggest Creators: From Stokes Twins to Dude Perfect 00:19:25 AI's Impact on Creative Jobs: Evolving Roles, Not Eliminating Them 00:26:02 Balancing Creator and Founder: The Reality of Wearing Two Hats 00:22:06 Expanding Beyond Creators: Bringing Roster to Brands and Agencies 00:24:38 The Creator Advantage: Distribution vs Decision Making 00:34:32 What's Next for Roster: Bigger Campaigns and Productions 00:35:10 Final Advice: Just Start and Capitalize on Naive Ambition HotStart VC Subscribe to the HotStart VC newsletter: https://hotstart.beehiiv.com/ Become a HotStart Angel and co-invest with us in celebrity-founded brands starting from $5,000: https://www.hotstart.vc/hotstart-angels/ Check out our fund: https://www.hotstart.vc/ Scott van den Berg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-van-den-berg-22b534150/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottvandenberg_/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scottvandenbergvc Sherry Wong Roster: https://www.joinroster.co/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherrybyw/?hl=en HotStart VC is a fund that exclusively invests in brands founded by celebrities and creators. We're the go-to platform for celebrities and creators launching brands, providing capital, strategic support, and the infrastructure to scale.

    36 min

  2. May 27

    How This Creator Turned 400K Followers Into an AI Startup | Ghita El Haitmy building Eli

    Ghita El Haitmy, known online as TechBible, is a creator entrepreneur with over 400,000 followers teaching technology on social media and the founder of Eli, an AI-powered platform that auto-detects your entire tech stack, eliminates software waste, and recommends the right tools for your business. It started during COVID. Ghita was building a computer vision startup and needed users fast, so she started creating content under the brand TechBible to bring them in. But the content took on a life of its own. TechBible grew way beyond the original startup, and founders kept asking her the same question: what tools should I use for my business? The problem was that Ghita couldn't answer. Every company runs on a different tech stack, and without knowing what was already in it, no recommendation made sense. So she built Eli, a platform that solves exactly that. Companies connect their email and accounting tools, Eli reads their invoices and payment data automatically, and within 60 seconds they have full visibility into every dollar spent on software. One customer cut 25% of their software spend in a single week by identifying tools they had forgotten they were paying for. Ghita breaks down how she uses AI agents to track 3,000 tools daily so Eli stays current on every change in the software market, how public tech stack profiles on TechBible generate a million monthly impressions, and why she walked away from affiliate marketing despite it being profitable because she saw where the internet was heading. She explains: How TechBible started as a user acquisition tool for her computer vision startup and evolved into a platform of its own Why email is still the best source of truth for understanding a company's tech stack How one company cut 25% of their software spend in a week by identifying unused tools The AI agents she built to scrape 3,000 URLs daily and track every change in the software market How public tech stack profiles generate a million monthly impressions and why other creators share their stacks Her number one advice for creator entrepreneurs: detach your identity from the business so you can pivot freely Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: From Computer Vision Startup to Building Ellie 00:00:48 The Early Tech Journey: Why Ghita Fell in Love with Technology 00:02:56 The Content Creation Origin: Building TechBible During COVID 00:06:57 The Problem Discovery: Why Founders Kept Asking the Same Question 00:09:19 What is Eli: Auto-Detecting Your Entire Tech Stack 00:10:42 The Cost Savings: 25% Reduction in Software Spend 00:12:16 Staying Updated: How Eli Tracks 3,000 Tools Daily with AI Agents 00:15:44 The Creator Advantage: Leveraging Personal Brand for Distribution 00:19:39 The Public Tech Stack Strategy: Million Monthly Impressions 00:24:37 Balancing Creator and Founder: Time Blocking and Efficiency 00:26:23 What's Next: Financial Infrastructure and AI Agent Spending 00:28:36 Advice for Creator Entrepreneurs: Detach Identity from Business HotStart VC Subscribe to the HotStart VC newsletter: https://hotstart.beehiiv.com/ Become a HotStart Angel and co-invest with us in celebrity-founded brands starting from $5,000: https://www.hotstart.vc/hotstart-angels/ Check out our fund: https://www.hotstart.vc/ Scott van den Berg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-van-den-berg-22b534150/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottvandenberg_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scottvandenberg_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scottvandenbergvc Ghita El Haitmy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techbible.ai/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tech.bible Eli: https://www.eli.work/ HotStart VC is a fund that exclusively invests in brands founded by celebrities and creators. We're the go-to platform for celebrities and creators launching brands, providing capital, strategic support, and the infrastructure to scale.

    32 min

  3. May 20

    How Haven Lough Turned 5 Million Followers Into a Skincare Brand That Sold Out in 24 Hours

    Haven Lough is a 19-year-old creator entrepreneur with over 5 million followers across social media and the founder of Haven, a skincare brand built for sensitive, acne-prone skin with ingredients you can actually trust. It started with his sister. She was spending all her money on skincare, but she only cared how popular and cool the brand looked, not how healthy the ingredients were. At the same time, Haven was studying to become a dermatologist after leaving high school two years early to start college. He realized he had the knowledge, the audience, and the solution to a problem no one else was solving: skincare that's actually healthy and looks cool at the same time. Unlike most creator brands that rush to market with white-labeled products, Haven spent two years working directly with lab chemists and manufacturers to create formulations that won't make you break out. The brand launched exactly one year ago, sold out 1,000 units in 24 hours, and he was on a yacht with friends when it happened. Haven has since expanded to three lip balms with a gentle daily facial cleanser coming next, and just announced a partnership with Dr. Dendy Engelman, one of the top dermatologists in New York City, who now recommends and approves every product. Haven breaks down why celebrity brands are secretly failing and why people can now spot cash grabs immediately, why he named the brand after himself even though everyone told him not to, and how he turned a puppy yoga studio into his most profitable side venture. He explains: - Why he left high school two years early and how watching pimple popping videos as a kid sparked his obsession with skin - How his sister's spending habits became the catalyst for Haven - Why he spent two years in product development instead of rushing to market like most creator brands - How Haven sold out 1,000 units in 24 hours and what those first moments felt like - Why partnering with AI influencer Granny Spills taught him that relatability is everything and AI can't replace real human connection - His number one advice for creator entrepreneurs launching companies Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: From 5M Followers to Building Haven Skincare 00:00:47 The Content Creation Journey: From COVID Thirst Traps to Documenting Life 00:03:24 Building with Your Audience: The Power of Validation and Story 00:04:30 The Puppy Yoga Business: A Profitable Passion Project 00:06:58 What is Haven: Creating a Safe Sanctuary for Sensitive Skin 00:08:49 The Passion Behind the Product: From Pimple Popping Videos to Dermatology Dreams 00:11:10 Why Haven Named the Brand After Himself: The Strategic Decision 00:12:25 What Makes Haven Different: Targeting Sensitive Skin with No Compromises 00:14:13 The Launch: Selling Out 1,000 Units in 24 Hours on a Yacht 00:15:56 Leveraging Creator Advantage: Viral Content Over Ads 00:18:09 The AI Influencer Experiment: Partnering with Granny Spills 00:25:47 Bootstrapping Strategy: Why Haven Hasn't Raised Capital Yet 00:30:27 Advice for Creator Entrepreneurs: Build Your Foundation Before You Scale HotStart VC Subscribe to the HotStart VC newsletter: https://hotstart.beehiiv.com/ Become a HotStart Angel and co-invest with us in celebrity-founded brands starting from $5,000: https://www.hotstart.vc/hotstart-angels/ Check out our fund: https://www.hotstart.vc/ Scott van den Berg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-van-den-berg-22b534150/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottvandenberg_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scottvandenberg_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scottvandenbergvc Haven Lough Haven Skincare: https://shophavenskin.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haven.lough/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@havenlough HotStart VC is a fund that exclusively invests in brands founded by celebrities and creators. We're the go-to platform for celebrities and creators launching brands, providing capital, strategic support, and the infrastructure to scale.

    32 min

  4. May 13

    How The European Kid Is Building a New Currency | Aris Yeager Storytime

    Aris is a creator entrepreneur with over 3 million followers and 3 billion views, best known for his viral skits as a French rich kid on his account The European Kid. That platform became the foundation for Storytime, a hyper-local marketplace matching businesses with creators in their neighborhood, where creators pay with content and businesses pay with experiences, effectively creating a new currency for the creator economy. It started with a simple frustration. As a creator, Aris was spending hours in DMs with shops and bars trying to set up brand deals that should have taken minutes. He realized the entire partnership industry was broken. So he built the solution himself. Storytime now operates in over 1,000 locations across New York City, just expanded to Miami, and has onboarded some of the hottest food and beverage chains in America including Cava, Joe & The Juice, and Oakberry. Unlike traditional influencer marketing platforms that focus on macro creators and six-figure campaigns, Storytime redefines who qualifies as a creator. A college student with 4,000 followers in NYU's neighborhood is more valuable than someone with 100,000 followers in Brazil. Aris breaks down why being a creator gave him unfair advantages most tech founders don't have, how he closed deals with Oakberry and Sweetgreen by DMing their founders directly, and why nano and micro creators are the future of influencer marketing. He explains: Why his viral Parmesan cheese video was filmed in two minutes and how low production often outperforms polished content How one video outside a New York nightclub went so viral it made French news and people thought he was related to the founder of LVMH Why Storytime focuses on nano and micro creators with 3,000 to 10,000 followers instead of celebrities How being The European Kid opened doors to founders of Oakberry and Sweetgreen that traditional founders could never access His number one advice for creators: it's a quantity game, and posting relentlessly beats perfection Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: From The European Kid to Building Storytime 00:00:42 The Origin Story: From TikTok Curiosity to Viral French Character 00:01:37 The Parmesan Video: When Low Production Meets Maximum Virality 00:04:32 Realizing the Value: How Content Creation Became a Real Business 00:05:32 What is Storytime: Building a Marketplace for Creator-Business Connections 00:07:24 How Storytime Works: The Mechanics of Paying with Content 00:07:59 Creating a New Currency: Content as Payment 00:08:45 The Competitive Edge: Quality Over Quantity in Marketplace Partners 00:10:34 The Target Creator: Redefining Influence from Nano to Micro 00:11:47 Authenticity in Influencer Marketing: Friends Over Celebrities 00:12:28 The Creator-Product Fit: Why Aris Is the Perfect Founder 00:17:51 The Hidden Superpowers: Beyond Social Media Followers 00:19:25 The Acquisition Strategy: Organic Growth Through Network Effects 00:21:56 Global Expansion Plans: From Miami to Istanbul 00:24:50 Why Creators Choose CPG Over Tech Companies 00:27:07 Balancing Creation and Building: The 90-10 Split HotStart VC Subscribe to the HotStart VC newsletter: https://hotstart.beehiiv.com/ Become a HotStart Angel and co-invest with us in celebrity-founded brands starting from $5,000: https://www.hotstart.vc/hotstart-angels/ Check out our fund: https://www.hotstart.vc/ Scott van den Berg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-van-den-berg-22b534150/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottvandenberg_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scottvandenberg_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scottvandenbergvc Aris Yeager Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeuropeankid/ Storytime: https://storytime.io/ HotStart VC is a fund that exclusively invests in brands founded by celebrities and creators. We're the go-to platform for celebrities and creators launching brands, providing capital, strategic support, and the infrastructure to scale.

    28 min

  5. May 6

    How Jay Fujiwara Leveraged 13M Followers to Build Bigbean, an AI Language Learning App

    Jay is a creator entrepreneur with over 13 million followers teaching English on social media, and the founder of BigBean, a language learning app that teaches English through AI generated images and videos instead of traditional translation methods. Before building his own, he spent years using that reach to help other language learning apps grow, working with companies that reached valuations over $300 million. He got paid well. But he never saw a cent of the upside. So he asked himself the obvious question: why am I building everyone else's company when I could be building my own? That question became BigBean. The core thesis: people struggle to speak English because they're forced to think in their native language first, then translate every word while changing grammatical structure in their head. BigBean eliminates that cognitive bottleneck by creating a direct association between image and word, no native language required. When Jay posted his first video about BigBean, the app shot straight to number five in the education category on the Japanese App Store. That wasn't luck. It was the result of years spent understanding virality across multiple niches, building audiences from zero, and learning exactly what converts followers into users by growing other people's apps first. He breaks down why he believes apps will become the new dropshipping as AI coding tools democratize tech entrepreneurship, how he balances being a creator and a founder without sacrificing either, and why the best move he made was finding a technical co-founder so he could stay focused on what he does best. He explains: Why he started creating content at 12 and how a paper box tutorial became his first million view video at 14 The virality strategy he still uses today: find small creators with one viral video and replicate the format Why he stopped posting ads on his personal account and started building social media teams for language apps instead How BigBean's visual learning approach solves the cognitive bottleneck preventing people from speaking English fluently How one video pushed BigBean to number five in the Japanese App Store education category His number one advice for creator entrepreneurs launching companies Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: From 30M Followers to Building BigBean 00:00:53 The Early Creator Journey: From Clumsy Dodo to Theme Pages 00:04:22 Finding the Niche: Why Jay Started Teaching English on TikTok 00:05:43 The Virality Strategy: What Jay Understands About Going Viral 00:09:36 Working with Language Apps: Building Others' $300M Companies 00:11:47 The Pivot Decision: Why Jay Decided to Build His Own App 00:13:34 What is BigBean: Visual Learning Through AI-Generated Content 00:20:08 The Launch Moment: One Video to Number Five in Education 00:21:25 The Creator Economy Shift: Apps as the New Drop Shipping 00:24:02 Balancing Creation and Building: The Co-Founder Solution 00:28:23 What's Next: Visual Dictionary and International Expansion 00:30:29 Advice for Creator Entrepreneurs: Master Your Craft First HotStart VC Subscribe to the HotStart VC newsletter: https://hotstart.beehiiv.com/ Become a HotStart Angel and co-invest with us in celebrity-founded brands starting from $5,000: https://www.hotstart.vc/hotstart-angels/ Check out our fund: https://www.hotstart.vc/ Scott van den Berg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-van-den-berg-22b534150/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottvandenberg_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scottvandenberg_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scottvandenbergvc Jay Fuijwara McCaughrean Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayfujiwara/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayfujiwara BigBean: https://www.bigbean.ai/ HotStart VC is a fund that exclusively invests in brands founded by celebrities and creators. We're the go-to platform for celebrities and creators launching brands, providing capital, strategic support, and the infrastructure to scale.

    32 min

  6. Apr 29

    How Peaky Blinders Actor Matthew Postlethwaite Is Disrupting the Beverage Industry With Proda

    Matthew Postlethwaite is best known for his role in Peaky Blinders, but these days, he's spending less time on set and more time disrupting the beverage industry with Proda, a protein soda with 10 grams of protein, zero sugar, and the taste of an actual soda. It started with his grandmother. She was losing her hair from protein deficiency, so Matthew sent her protein shakes. She barely touched them. Too thick, too chalky, made for gym bros, not for her. That frustration became the catalyst for Proda. One problem: Matthew had never built a beverage before. So he opened ChatGPT, asked it who the best beverage entrepreneur in America was, picked up the phone, and called him. That call led to a partnership with Jeff Church, the co-founder of Suja Juice, and over 1,000 hours of formulation before a single can hit shelves. Proda launched 19 months ago and is now in 500 Sprouts locations nationwide across seven SKUs, with expansion into the cold section and major endcaps across every store. Matthew breaks down how he balances acting with working 16-hour days on Proda, how he generated 170 million impressions without paying a single influencer, and why he plans to produce one film per year with Proda woven into the storyline as a long-term marketing strategy. He explains: Why protein doesn't have to taste like chalk and how Proda is redefining functional beverages How ChatGPT led him to his co-founder and why that partnership changed everything The 512 iterations on one flavor that still isn't ready for market Why Sprouts jumped at Proda before other retailers How he generated 170 million impressions by sending product to his network without paying anyone His #1 advice for actors and creators launching companies Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: From Peaky Blinders to Building Broda Protein Soda 00:00:52 The Peaky Blinders Experience: Working with Cillian Murphy 00:07:34 The Founding Story: When Grandma Couldn't Consume Protein 00:09:35 Finding Jeff Church: Using ChatGPT to Find a Co-Founder 00:07:34 What is Broda: The World's First Protein Soda 00:11:32 Product Development: 19 Months and 512 Iterations 00:13:11 Target Customer: From Gym Bros to Cool Grandmas 00:17:05 The Sprouts Launch: 500 Stores and Three Distribution Points 00:19:39 The Celebrity Advantage: 170 Million Impressions Without Paid Influencers 00:23:50 Fundraising as an Actor: Getting the Meeting vs Closing the Deal 00:25:35 The Content Strategy: Producing Films with Broda Front and Center 00:27:52 Advice for Celebrity Founders: Passion, Self-Awareness, and Smart People HotStart VC Subscribe to the HotStart VC newsletter: https://hotstart.beehiiv.com/ Become a HotStart Angel and co-invest with us in celebrity-founded brands starting from $5,000: https://www.hotstart.vc/hotstart-angels/ Check out our fund: https://www.hotstart.vc/ Scott van den Berg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-van-den-berg-22b534150/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottvandenberg_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scottvandenberg_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scottvandenbergvc Matthew Postlehwaite Proda: https://drinkproda.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewpostlethwaite/ HotStart VC is a fund that exclusively invests in brands founded by celebrities and creators. We're the go-to platform for celebrities and creators launching brands, providing capital, strategic support, and the infrastructure to scale.

    39 min

  7. Apr 21

    What an Investor Actually Looks For in Celebrity Brands | Genevieve Gilbreath

    Genevieve Gilbreath is a General Partner at Springdale Ventures, an early-stage consumer fund that has backed some of the most successful celebrity and creator-founded brands in the market, including Feastables by MrBeast, Goodles with Gal Gadot, and The Absorption Company with Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder. Her thesis: celebrity and creator founders aren't the business model itself. They're the accelerator. The best investments still require great operators, authentic product-market fit, and a brand that can stand on its own without relying solely on fame. Springdale is not a dedicated celebrity fund. She backs celebrity brands because the fundamentals are there, not because of the fame. She has board-level relationships with brands in her portfolio like Goodles by Gal Gadot, has done diligence on multiple celebrity deals simultaneously, and has passed on plenty along the way. That tension is what makes this conversation different. She breaks down how she performs due diligence on celebrity brands differently than traditional consumer investments, why cap table structure can kill a deal before it starts, and what most investors get completely wrong when evaluating celebrity founders. She explains: Why authentic fit is the first filter and what it actually looks like in practice Why she passes on deals with no strong operating team regardless of follower count How cap table structure can kill a deal before it even starts The most common reasons she says no to celebrity brands What being in the boardroom with celebrity co-founders actually looks like once the cameras are off Her number one advice for investors evaluating a celebrity brand for the first time Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Jennifer Gilbreath and Springdale Ventures 00:03:16 Fund Overview: Investment Thesis and Product-Market Fit Focus 00:04:21 The Celebrity Brand Strategy: Accelerators Not Core Thesis 00:05:56 Due Diligence on Celebrity Brands: What's Different and What's the Same 00:06:41 The Authenticity Question: Passion Over Endorsement Deals 00:07:15 Deal Structure and Cap Table Balance: Finding the Sweet Spot 00:09:33 The Operating Team Requirement: Why Great Operators Are Non-Negotiable 00:10:16 Celebrity Types: Traditional Stars vs Digital Creators 00:15:03 The Bridge Role: Managing Celebrity Founder Relationships 00:16:48 Brand Positioning: When to Put Celebrity Front and Center 00:18:10 Multi-Creator Founding Teams: The Future of Celebrity Brands 00:24:06 Retail Strategy: Why Nationwide Distribution Matters for Food Brands 00:20:23 Valuation and Fundraising: Staying Disciplined in a Hype Market 00:21:35 Financial Modeling: Predicting Success with Limited Data 00:28:38 The White Label Problem: Why Most Celebrity Brands Fail 00:29:49 Focus and Legacy: Advice for Celebrity Brand Investors HotStart VC Subscribe to the HotStart VC newsletter: https://hotstart.beehiiv.com/ Become a HotStart Angel and co-invest with us in celebrity-founded brands starting from $5,000: https://www.hotstart.vc/hotstart-angels/ Check out our fund: https://www.hotstart.vc/ Scott van den Berg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-van-den-berg-22b534150/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottvandenberg_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scottvandenberg_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scottvandenbergvc Genevieve Gilbreath Springdale Ventures: https://www.springdaleventures.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genevieve-g-gilbreath-92995347/ HotStart VC is a fund that exclusively invests in brands founded by celebrities and creators. We're the go-to platform for celebrities and creators launching brands, providing capital, strategic support, and the infrastructure to scale.

    31 min

  8. Apr 15

    The VC Backing Snoop Dogg, Kris Jenner and the Future of Celebrity Brands | Jackie Fast, Sandbox Stu

    Jackie Fast is a General Partner at Sandbox Studios, a fund that exclusively invests in celebrity-founded brands, with a portfolio that includes Dr. Bombay by Snoop Dogg and Safely by Kris Jenner. Before launching Sandbox in 2022, she founded Slingshot Sponsorship, helping brands like the Rolling Stones, Prince, and Elton John leverage celebrity influence to reach new audiences. Her thesis: celebrities offer an unfair distribution advantage in a world where consumers are bombarded with messages everywhere. The point isn't to build a brand off the celebrity. The point is to use celebrity to get your first customer to try, because peer-to-peer recommendations still drive purchases but you need that first-time customer to generate them in the first place. Sandbox invests globally across the full cultural distribution stack: the infrastructure powering celebrity brands, the platforms driving the creator economy, and the brands themselves. They've reviewed over 620 celebrity-led deals in the last year alone. This isn't a trend. It's the future of consumer. Jackie breaks down why she believes every brand will have a recognizable face attached to it within five years, how she structures deals to avoid the mistakes most celebrity investors make, and why she would never invest in a celebrity holding company despite what other funds are doing. She explains: Why celebrities are an arbitrage on distribution, not product quality, and how that changes everything How Safely by Kris Jenner generated 1.2 billion views and moved 120,000 units in Target The ideal celebrity deal structure: 10 to 15% equity, no cash, no royalty Why she avoids active sports athletes despite their massive followings Why putting Snoop Dogg on Dr. Bombay packaging was the right move after three years behind the scenes Her unfiltered take on holding company investments and why she'd rather pick winners than bet on averages Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Jackie Fast and Sandbox Studios 00:02:59 The Celebrity Distribution Advantage: Why These Brands Win 00:02:17 What Sandbox Studios Invests In: Fund Thesis and Criteria 00:04:38 The Hidden Superpowers: Beyond Social Media Followers 00:08:29 Due Diligence on Celebrity Brands: What's Different 00:10:43 The Authenticity Question: Can It Be Manufactured? 00:14:20 Deal Structure: Equity Stakes, Cash Components, and Red Flags 00:17:01 Celebrity Types and Time Commitment: Who Makes the Best Founders 00:20:27 Brand Positioning Strategy: When to Put the Celebrity Front and Center 00:23:39 Why Celebrities Launch So Many Brands: The Portfolio Strategy 00:27:47 Celebrity Tech Companies: The Untapped 5% Opportunity 00:30:15 Why Sandbox Doesn't Structure Partnerships: Focus and Strategy 00:32:18 Fundraising Dynamics and Valuation Discipline 00:35:44 What's Next for Sandbox Studios: Fund Two and New Investments HotStart VC Subscribe to the HotStart VC newsletter: https://hotstart.beehiiv.com/ Become a HotStart Angel and co-invest with us in celebrity-founded brands starting from $5,000: https://www.hotstart.vc/hotstart-angels/ Check out our fund: https://www.hotstart.vc/ Scott van den Berg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-van-den-berg-22b534150/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottvandenberg_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scottvandenberg_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scottvandenbergvc Jackie Fast Sandbox Studios: https://sandboxstudios.ventures/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiefast/ HotStart VC is a fund that exclusively invests in brands founded by celebrities and creators. We're the go-to platform for celebrities and creators launching brands, providing capital, strategic support, and the infrastructure to scale.

    37 min
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About

Breaking down how celebrities and creators build billion-dollar brands — hosted by Scott Van den Berg.

Information

  • Creator
    Scott van den Berg
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © HotStart VC
  • Show Website
    The HotStart VC Podcast

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