Principal, AI Ventures & Events

Macmillan • San Francisco, CA

5d • $157,000 - $200,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Holtzbrinck is a leading global media company with a diverse portfolio including science, education, literature, and journalism. The AI Hub, based in San Francisco, operates at the intersection of this media group and the AI ecosystem. It shapes the group's AI strategy, builds partnerships with AI labs, runs programs to enhance AI capabilities across its companies, and invests in future AI developments. The AI Hub works directly with the Executive Board, leaders, and builders across the Holtzbrinck portfolio. Holtzbrinck is launching a venture studio to build the next generation of companies in science, media, and education. This role is part of the strategy team responsible for bringing this venture studio to life. The position reports to the Managing Director of the AI Hub and collaborates closely with the Executive Board and other Strategy and Ventures colleagues to maintain Holtzbrinck's leading position. Additionally, this role oversees key events such as the Liquid Content Summit, Demo Days, and hackathons, which bring together leading minds in AI, science, media, and education to foster innovation and collaboration. The ventures and programs will align with Holtzbrinck's strategic AI priorities, including agentic research workflows, the future of science education, agent-ready publishing, and multimodal storytelling formats across various genres.

Requirements

• A strong network among builders in AI, science, education or media
• Profound experience in strategy consulting, venture building, or large-scale event production
• A hands-on operating style, seamlessly switching between strategy and operations
• Technical fluency; you've built with AI tools, can read a demo critically, and can assess whether a startup's tech is real or wrapper-deep
• Founder empathy: you can support early-stage teams through ambiguity without taking the wheel
• Proven event craft, from curating speakers to designing experiences people remember
• Sharp analytical skills: you turn complex, fast-moving developments into briefings executives act on

Responsibilities

• Help build and launch new ventures end to end: from early validation through founder support and funding decisions
• Build the founder pipeline from internal talent across the portfolio, and external candidates who complement them, sourced from research groups, accelerators, university networks, and startups. Prepare and run selection, matching, and team formation for each cohort
• Prepare funding recommendations for the Executive Board, including milestones, funding stages, and clear stop criteria, and track each venture against them after launch
• Organize the Liquid Content Summit, the AI Hub's flagship industry event that gathers leading minds in AI, science, education and media.
• Run demo nights and hackathons that convene builders across startups, AI Labs, creators and Holtzbrinck's builders

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: No Education Listed