Latest news with #MilkenGlobalConference
Bloomberg
11-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
The Deal: Magic Johnson
In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk with Magic Johnson, the iconic point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. In their conversation, taped in front of a live audience at the Milken Global Conference, Johnson reveals what he's learned from his 'greatest deal,' becoming part of the Washington Commanders ownership group. He also explains why pitching himself as a partner to the Starbucks board was the hardest thing he's ever done, and how much it meant to win an Olympic gold medal alongside Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Issue Is: Inside the Milken Global Conference
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - The Milken Global Conference unites the biggest names in tech, politics, sports, entertainment and more. 'The Issue Is:' hosts a panel on Los Angeles' wildfire response, featuring LA Mayor Karen Bass, Snapchat Founder and CEO Evan Spiegel, Cinny Kennard, head of the Annenberg Foundation, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. U.S. Education Secretary discusses President Donald Trump's plans to dismantle the Department of Education. Dr. Mehmet Oz talks about his new position as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom Political experts Frank Luntz, Sarah Longwell and Nicholas Kristof talk about the mood of the country under the Trump administration and the state of the Democratic opposition. "The Issue Is: with Elex Michaelson" is California's statewide political show.
Los Angeles Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Small Language Models and Proprietary Data Represent the Future of Enterprise AI
At the recent Milken Global Conference, K1's Neil Malik shared why K1's focus has always been on acquiring software businesses that are the ultimate system of record for their enterprise customers. As leaders across finance, technology, and policy gathered last week in Los Angeles for the Milken Institute Global Conference, artificial intelligence remained a defining topic – with the dialogue shifting from future potential to real deployment across global industries. We spoke with Neil Malik, Founder and CEO of K1, about how the firm is navigating this shift by investing in companies that sit at the intersection of proprietary data and AI-driven automation. The enterprise software industry is undergoing a seismic transformation – and artificial intelligence is at the center of it. While many companies are experimenting with AI, the real winners will be those who integrate AI into mission-critical systems of record: platforms that hold proprietary, often regulated, data accessible only through their applications. These systems create a durable competitive advantage. For Neil, this is more than just a thesis – it has been the foundation of K1's investment strategy since the firm's inception. 'Our companies are the systems of record for highly sensitive and, oftentimes, regulated data – and that's what makes their AI capabilities so powerful,' Neil says. 'When you pair proprietary, structured data with mission-critical applications, you can build AI and automation layers on top that aren't just impressive – they're trusted, targeted, and deeply embedded in the customer's daily operations.' By investing in AI-powered enterprise software, K1 is not just adapting to industry change – it's helping shape the next generation of category leaders. 'Our portfolio companies are really benefiting from the recognition of the value of artificial intelligence, and large enterprise customers are now rushing to buy more modern platforms like the ones we offer. As a result, many of our companies are disrupting legacy incumbents.' AI adoption in the enterprise is accelerating, but as Neil noted, K1's portfolio companies are enabling Fortune 500 and Global 2000 businesses to keep pace. Built within the last 10–15 years, these companies are cloud-native by design, allowing them to adopt and deploy AI faster than many of their legacy competitors. The data in these platforms is typically highly sensitive, difficult to move, and not suitable for public AI models. As a result, the embedded applications and automation built within these platforms are increasingly sought after to help unlock insights and value from that data. Some of K1's portfolio companies are seeing near 100% year-over-year growth in bookings tied to AI-powered products – a clear sign that AI is driving topline results, not just operational efficiency. Vertical AI isn't built on prompts – it's built on proprietary data. That's exactly where K1's portfolio companies are focused – embedding AI on top of the critical data. Across the K1 portfolio, companies are advancing AI capabilities, particularly around agentic AI use cases that drive workflow automation and measurable productivity gains for customers. Because many of these companies serve verticals such as financial services, legal, healthcare, and education, they are uniquely positioned to build domain-specific models. These models are trained on clean, compliant, and non-public data – deeply integrated with business-critical processes. For private equity firms focused on enterprise software, the landscape is changing. 'We've had an opportunity to see multiple cycles in the economy over the last 30 years. Our job is to seek predictable and repeatable ways of generating alpha for our clients in and out of these cycles – and we believe advancements in artificial intelligence allow us to accelerate our ability to do just that.' That disciplined approach has helped K1 invest in over 250 software companies, making it one of the largest – and fastest growing – investors in small-cap enterprise software globally. According to sources close to the firm, K1 has had a record 18 months of liquidity, with 13 liquidity events in that time, including two in the last month. Notable recent exits include GoCanvas (acquired by Nemetschek, FRA:NEM), Irwin (acquired by FactSet, NYSE:FDS), Axcient (acquired by ConnectWise, a Thoma Bravo company), and AppLearn (acquired by Nexthink). Importantly, K1's strategy has performed well even in a challenged exit environment. The firm has historically not relied on IPOs to generate returns – instead driving liquidity through strategic sales, even when public markets are quiet. As many in the industry grapple with distribution shortfalls, K1 expects to deliver additional realizations in 2025. And while tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty have slowed decision-making in some sectors, these factors have not negatively impacted K1's portfolio or deal velocity to date – a testament to the mission-critical nature of the software companies the firm backs. K1 is now preparing to begin deploying additional capital, with over $1 billion of opportunities currently in exclusivity.
Time Magazine
10-05-2025
- Business
- Time Magazine
How Business and Finance Are Really Talking About Climate Change
Greetings from Los Angeles where the Milken Global Conference concluded earlier this week. For the uninitiated, Milken is a key stop on the conference circuit for many business and finance leaders—a great way to escape Manhattan to brush shoulders with industry titans and top policymakers in Beverly Hills. It is by no means a climate conference. This year, public sessions with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang drew packed ballrooms. But, to many, the real draw of the conference is the behind-the-scenes discussions—an opportunity for information gathering and dealmaking. For me, Milken is a great place to take the pulse on how key figures in the world of business and finance are feeling about energy, climate, and related issues. There is no doubt that climate has slipped from center stage as CEOs contend with tariffs and what might diplomatically be called a fast-changing policy environment. At the same time, it may come as a surprise to those who just follow the headlines, but the issue remains well-placed on the corporate agenda—not just in the ballroom discussion panels of the Beverly Hilton at Milken but in the behind-the-scenes executive conversations taking place in private meeting rooms, nearby restaurants, and even just the crowded hallways. The picture that emerges to me is a dynamic one. Companies are trying to navigate an increase in climate regulation in many jurisdictions around the world while at the same time contending with a U.S. government that doesn't want to hear about it. They are trying to protect their operations from the risks posed by climate change while conserving their financial resources in uncertain economic times. 'I've had hundreds of conversations since the election. I've never spoken with a company that said, 'You know what? We're going to let go of our net-zero target,'' said Nili Gilbert, vice chair at Carbon Direct, a company that invests in carbon management, on a Milken panel. 'However, there is a lot of conversation going on about the interim strategy.' My conversations at Milken will inform my reporting in the weeks to come, but for now I want to highlight a few things that stood out to me: Physical risk Much of the public discussion at the intersection of business and climate has focused on how companies can decrease their emissions. But companies have also been forced to look at how the physical risks of climate change may affect their operations. That rethinking is the result of both climate disclosure rules in Europe that require companies to assess how climate change threatens their operations, and recent climate-linked disasters that have brought those realities home. Many companies want to avoid talking about climate risk directly. It's not exactly a great PR move. But a careful look at many companies' more recent sustainability initiatives makes the link apparent. Think of an agriculture company that helps farmers in the supply chain use less water or a fashion company diversifying where it buys materials. 'Being able to map those impacts and hazards is super important,' said Melissa Fifield, who runs the BMO Climate Institute, on a panel I moderated focused on water and climate. 'It's a material impact to a lot of companies.' Investment speed Climate isn't an island. The trillions in investment that the world needs to mitigate and adapt to climate change will come in forms that might otherwise be classified broadly as infrastructure, venture capital, or private equity. And the uncertainty of the moment—political and economic—has made companies and investors reluctant to make big bets and instead focus on conserving cash. 'These asset owners… want to focus on climate and infrastructure,' said Mark Berryman, partner at Capricorn Investment Group, an impact investing fund, on a Milken panel. But 'they may just kind of tighten their belt in general, even if it was not a climate focused investment,' AI, meanwhile, is a bright spot for how companies might focus their investment. As I've written before, the race to build data centers has created a race to build clean energy. Financial innovation Innovation typically draws to mind new technologies, but financial innovation can be just as important to bring clean energy to market. Across the conference, it was reassuring to hear leaders at the intersection of climate and finance talk about different ways companies may soon be able to raise the money necessary to bring climate projects to life. That includes long-standing conversations like carbon markets and blended finance, where public or philanthropic dollars are combined with return-oriented investment. But it also includes new vehicles like private credit, an emerging asset class where investors outside of typical banks lend directly to companies. Ultimately, financial innovation is a key ingredient to any energy transition, and these questions will need to be settled.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hollywood Studios Meet With MPA to Set Film Tariffs Plan, Strategize for Potential Trump Talks
Executives from several of Hollywood's major studios met Friday by phone with the Motion Picture Association to discuss the draconian foreign film tariff Donald Trump has called for. Details about the meeting, organized by MPA CEO Charles Riven, have not been made public. However, an individual with knowledge of the proceedings told TheWrap that it began with discussion of what studio bosses want Trump to know about the current state of play for production, before eventually turning to the California film and TV tax credit. That mirrors comments made by Sony Pictures CEO Ravi Ahuja Wednesday at the Milken Global Conference, that the problem is, essentially, a California problem. 'So, while it's true a lot of production has left the United States, it's even worse for California, and there are a lot of people — including our companies — that are working on this with the state government and trying to come up with different bills that will help,' he said. Another individual with knowledge of Friday's call downplayed its significance, telling TheWrap it was very similar to the routine meetings that the MPA has with member studios and that nothing concrete came out of it. Participants in Friday's call have not been made public, but according to THR, which first reported the meeting was happening, Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman, Amazon MGM Studios' chief Mike Hopkins, Universal Pictures chair and NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios chief Donna Langley, Paramount Global co-CEO Brian Robbins, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chair Tom Rothman, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav were expected to call in. Although the industry would clearly welcome help from government to spur more domestic production, the solution Trump proposed on Sunday — a 100% tariff on all movies made outside of the United States — isn't one that anybody wanted. And even if it was, it would be extremely difficult to implement in any rational way. The proposal came after a meeting with actor Jon Voight, one of his 'Hollywood ambassadors,' and Trump subsequently acknowledged that he hadn't spoken to industry leaders before going public with the idea. As an indication of how different Trump's thinking on this matter may be from Hollywood's the president also described tax incentives and other tactics used by foreign countries to attract movie productions as 'a national security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda.' Trump's call for the tariffs, yet another dramatic policy demand communicated on his Twitter clone Truth Social, left Hollywood reeling and has since produced a very disunified response from the entertainment industry. The MPA has not responded to a request for comment from TheWrap. The post Hollywood Studios Meet With MPA to Set Film Tariffs Plan, Strategize for Potential Trump Talks appeared first on TheWrap.
