ON_Discourse's Bold Plan to Transform Tech Discourse with New Membership-Focused Media Company

Industry leaders founded ON_Discourse with assertion that while the world doesn't need more content, it does need better discourse; launch event in NYC (May 15) will demonstrate the perspective

NEW YORK, May 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of business leaders, with decades of experience building and operating businesses globally, are launching a media company – at a moment when the media industry is in decline. 

ON_Discourse is conceived to be antithetical to traditional business media. Its perspectives will be driven by business experts and a team of experienced writers and editors who will shape the content with a focus on quality over quantity. The overall ON_Discourse mission is to generate thought-provoking analysis and commentary that will provide a voice not heard in the business of technology media space.

ON_Discourse launches following a year of closed-door meetings by a consortium of about 40 business leaders. Founders include Dan Gardner, co-founder and executive chairman of global agency Code and Theory, part of the Stagwell network, and Toby Daniels, former CEO of Crowdcentric Media and founder of Social Media Week, which was acquired by Adweek in 2020. 

The core team includes two veteran journalists and strategists – Anthony DeRosa, head of content and product, and Kelly Bourdet, executive editor. DeRosa has held key roles at Reuters, Circa, The Wall Street Journal and Crain Communications and spent five years in television at The Daily Show. Bourdet worked in and contributed to creative, fast-paced newsrooms at CNN Business, Gizmodo, Vocativ and Refinery29. DeRosa and Bourdet are both ON_Discourse Founding Members.

Other Founding Members include Breana Tuebner, former GAP executive and co-founder of TYB; Deshone Kizer, former NFL quarterback and CEO of One of None; Nick Ducoff, venture partner, G20 Ventures; Reena Patel, former president, International & Digital Services, PLBY Group, Inc; Jae Goodman, founder, Observatory; Greg Bresnitz, chief growth officer at NCC, and Raashi Rosenberger, head of brand at Meta Quest.

"We're surrounded by the noise of fake experts, who lack the depth of experience, and by ideas that are trapped within the containers of conventional thinking. With the speed of emerging tech, ON_Discourse will be a space where ideas can be challenged giving a needed perspective in today's confusing business landscape," said Dan Gardner.

Said Toby Daniels, "I have spent the past two decades at the intersections of business, media and technology, and it's clear that we live in an echo-chamber business environment where the people we meet all look and sound the same as us. This has been true for a long time, and an unintended consequence is numerous, costly mistakes in business. By bringing our members together through a discourse-driven media company, we will address profoundly important issues and fundamentally change how we think about the business of technology."

ON_Discourse Membership 
Membership in ON_Discourse is by application only, and members are accepted according to a number of criteria, including the diversity of perspective they bring to the community.

All ON_Discourse members will receive member-only content, including articles, newsletters and podcasts – all designed for those who crave substance. Premier members, who pay $5,000, are invited to exclusive events and partner dinners throughout the year. The promise is that members will be challenged by those they meet.

Launch in New York and Event Program 
ON_Discourse is launching at an invitation-only event, "Symphony of Disruption," at Fotografiska in New York City on May 15, featuring discussions with Academy and Grammy Award winning artist Questlove and legendary Graffiti artist Mare139, followed by a panel of leading executives in the music industry, including Oana Ruxandra, Chief Digital Officer, Warner Music; Amaechi Uzoigwe, Manager, Run the Jewels, and Michael Treff, CEO of Code and Theory.

In June, ON_Discourse will collaborate with Stagwell to bring its unique approach to driving discourse at live events to their Sport Beach activation at Cannes Lion. Stagwell's Sport Beach is built for brands, platforms and athletes to tap into the cultural zeitgeist of sport and explore the power of fandom. It will feature conversations at the intersection of sports, business and culture, with Maria Sharopova, Spencer Dinwiddie and Carmelo Anthony and over 30 global athletes. In addition to partnering on Cannes Lions, Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the challenger network, is also an investor in ON_Discourse.

Also during Cannes, ON_Discourse will launch its first original podcast, "Playing Business," hosted by former NFL quarterback and technology entrepreneur Deshone Kizer.

In August, a member-only event in the Hamptons will host icons of entertainment and media who will speak candidly about how tech is disrupting their business.

As part of its official launch, ON_Discourse also announced a partnership with global air mobility platform BLADE to provide members who join in 2023 with access to BLADE Airport Passes and discounted flights on the service. 

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SOURCE ON_Discourse Inc