
Chris Lyons: Where Tech Meets Culture
02/05/21 • 34 min
Carla speaks with investor Chris Lyons, head of the Cultural Leadership Fund at Andreesen Horowitz, a fund that connects Black cultural leaders as Limited Partners to new technology companies, and benefiting organizations working for a greater African Americans presence in tech.
Chris Lyons is the head of the Cultural Leadership Fund at Andreessen Horowitz, a D.C.-based fund created to connect Black cultural leaders with tech companies while elevating African American creators in the tech industry. Chris began his career as an audio engineer, but found himself catching the startup bug when he started PictureMenu in 2010. He eventually moved to Silicon Valley through the NewMe accelerator. Since then, he has been all-in on the startup world, eventually taking on the role of investor. In this episode, Chris takes us through his journey in the technology industry and how he continues to advocate for increased African-American and diverse representation in tech. Come on and join us for the ride.
https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity
Disclaimer text
The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.
This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.
© 2021 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.
Carla speaks with investor Chris Lyons, head of the Cultural Leadership Fund at Andreesen Horowitz, a fund that connects Black cultural leaders as Limited Partners to new technology companies, and benefiting organizations working for a greater African Americans presence in tech.
Chris Lyons is the head of the Cultural Leadership Fund at Andreessen Horowitz, a D.C.-based fund created to connect Black cultural leaders with tech companies while elevating African American creators in the tech industry. Chris began his career as an audio engineer, but found himself catching the startup bug when he started PictureMenu in 2010. He eventually moved to Silicon Valley through the NewMe accelerator. Since then, he has been all-in on the startup world, eventually taking on the role of investor. In this episode, Chris takes us through his journey in the technology industry and how he continues to advocate for increased African-American and diverse representation in tech. Come on and join us for the ride.
https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity
Disclaimer text
The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.
This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.
© 2021 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.
Previous Episode

Shawn Springs: From Idea to Impact
Carla speaks with entrepreneur and former NFL cornerback Shawn Springs, founder and CEO of Windpact, a company focusing on impact protection across industries, including sports, automotive, and the military applications.
Shawn Springs is the founder and CEO of technology company Windpact, a startup focused on something near and dear to him: impact protection. Their technology has applications in industries ranging from sports, to automotive, to the military. In this episode, Shawn tells us how events in his own life inspired him to create technology that can change the lives of others, how he leveraged the relationships and lessons from his 13-year NFL career and how his vision for Windpact has changed as the company has grown. Come on and join us for the ride.
https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity
Disclaimer text
The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.
This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.
Morgan Stanley is acting as financial advisor to General Motors Company (“GM”) in connection with the formation of a strategic relationship between Cruise LLC (“Cruise”) and Microsoft Corporation (“Microsoft”), and Microsoft’s investment into Cruise, as announced on January 19, 2021. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. General Motors has agreed pay fees to Morgan Stanley for its financial services. Please refer to the notes at the end of this report.
© 2021 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.
Next Episode

Andre Iguodala: Pivoting Your Playbook
Carla speaks with investor and three-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala about becoming a venture partner at the Catalyst Fund, which focuses on investing in companies founded by African American, Hispanic and women entrepreneurs.
Andre Iguodala, best known as a three-time NBA champion, is now a venture partner at the Catalyst Fund. Iguodala has leveraged his success in the league to build a prominent career investing in the technology sector, and his work with the Catalyst Fund focuses on supporting startups with founders from diverse, underfunded backgrounds. In this episode, Iguodala takes us back to how he got started in investing, the importance of surrounding yourself with smart, experienced people and how his work with the Catalyst Fund is helping African American, Hispanic and women entrepreneurs secure funding they need for growth and more innovation.
https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity
Disclaimer text
The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.
This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.
© 2021 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.
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