While I can’t quite wrap my head around the idea that 2018 is upon us, we at CSQ have plenty to look forward in the year to come. As we prepare to celebrate our 10th year of publishing am delighted in knowing this edition of the magazine – themed Innovation & Technology – honors and recognizes someone who has been a friend of the magazine for many of those years, Jeff Stibel, alongside his partner, Kobe Bryant. Jeff has been a confidant of mine and supporter of all we do and the same could be said for Kobe who has been a confidant and supporter of us and this city.
As many of you know – and for those of you who don’t – Jeff and Kobe have been business partners for a number of years now, only publicly announcing their business, Bryant Stibel, in August of 2016. In Kobe, Jeff found someone highly intelligent, remarkably strategic, and plenty hungry – there are no challenges to big for the Black Mamba. In Jeff, Kobe found someone who is empathic and understanding, wise, knowledgeable, and super plugged in. Within their Visionary of the Year profile, Kobe jokes he has never met someone as connected and connective as Jeff.
Beyond Bryant Stibel, this edition is a turning point for us in many ways as we continue to lean heavily on the community we have built for insight and advice. Former CSQ NextGen Clark Landry and CSQ Visionaries Summit participant Eytan Elbaz along with friend of the magazine Mark Stagen played invaluable roles this quarter, not just suggesting the folks we should recognize and honor as Visionaries, but introducing us to them personally and directly. That, at the end of the day, is what CSQ is about and here for. We are the platform and conduit for the region’s affluent and influential men and women, leading industry and shaping the future of the city and beyond.
Of those individuals we were introduced to that you will read are Michael Blend and Chuck Ursini, System1; Jesse Draper, Halogen Ventures; Chris Hollod, Hollod Holdings; Kelly Perdew, Moonshots Capital; David Waxman TenOneTen Ventures; and Jonathan Zweig, AppOnBoard. Beyond these dynamic Visionary profiles we recognize and honor another NextGen 10 class – this one is comprised of 15 guys and girls, across industry, raising the bar and pushing the envelope.
Speaking of raising the bar and pushing the envelope, CSQ has plans to do just that. This Spring, we will launch CSQ New York City, expanding into our second market, bridging the gap between the nation’s two largest markets by way of Metro Area GDP.
As we celebrate our past successes and accomplishments we also look to the future, more ambitious and more excited than ever. With that said, I hope you enjoy the men and women within this issue and as their stories of success inspire you as they have us, feel free to reach out to myself and my team to discuss ways to support CSQ and get involved as we move forward.
David L. Wurth
Founder & Publisher
