Description

Joel Connolly is Blackbird Ventures creative force, working primarily on building the venture capital group into a world-class business. Joel builds the brand & culture, and works on their social mission - to inspire young people through education and entrepreneurship.

He is also the head of the Blackbird Foundation, which provides community grants and strategic funding to supercharge the creative capabilities of young people. But during the chat we dive into Joel's about-face of a career, progressing from the arts and theatre focussed education, through to managing bands, running craft beer festivals and serendipitously finding himself in a completely new career trajectory.

A few points in the chit-chat:

1. The seasons defining life in Orange, NSW
2. Creative Direction and Community Building (within a financial services organisation)
3. From the arts to…venture capital?
4. As opposed to failing, instead investing with conviction to see what happens
5. Seeing the magic in people and giving them a shot
6. Mega-fandom and the first notions of organising within the arts
7. Exposure to creating liminal spaces, rituals and culture
8. Large scale event production as a career
9. Early forays into artist management
10. Trying to find a measuring stick for what one is actually good at
11. Storytelling to express your own true value
12. Branding and creative direction, after you build a little trust
13. Heres the part where we discuss audience vs community
14. New opportunities in philanthropy and encouraging creativity in young people

Notes and Links:

• Joel Connolly- Blackbird
• Blackbird Ventures
• Blackbird Foundation
• Alan Jones
• Atlassian
• Bachelor of Comms - Theatre Media
• Bold Architects
• Cloud Control
• Corner Hotel
• Danny Meyer 'Setting the Table'
• Dylan Baskind
• Econodogs
• FBI Radio
• Fishing
• Infectious Label
• Ivy League Label
• Le Kingste
• Multipotentialite
• Niki Skevak
• Not My Kind of Scene- Powderfinger
• NPS
• Orange, NSW
• Oxford Art Factory
• Pledge 1%
• Powderfinger
• Qwilr
• Rick Baker
• Small World Festival
• Startmate
• Steve Jobs Commencement Speech
• Sunrise
• SXSW
• Sydney Craft Beer Week
• Sydney Festival
• The Rubens
• Tool
• Triple R
• We Buy Your Kids
• Winterbourne

Follow Joel on Instagram: @popmedium

Follow Joel on Twitter: @joelconnolly

Follow Blackbird Foundation on Instagram: @blackbird.foundation

Follow Blackbird Foundation on Twitter: @foundationbybb

Follow Blackbird VC on Instagram & Twitter: @blackbirdvc

Music by Gareth Leach Music by way of Bateman

Twitter: @ALTSProjects

Instagram: @altsprojects_

Hosted by Gaz Williams @gwilliamsALTS