Alex Klokus
{{Short description|American entrepreneur}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alex Klokus
| image = Alexander Klokus.jpg
| alt = Picture of Alex Klokus in a blue suit.
| caption = Alex Klokus in 2023
| birth_name =
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| other_names =
| occupation = Entrepreneur, investor, media executive, executive producer
| years_active =
| known_for = Founding Futurism, Gravity Blanket, SALT fund
| notable_works = Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain, I Am Human
| alma_mater = New York University
}}
Alex Klokus is an American entrepreneur, co-founder of the technology news website Futurism, a co-founder of Gravity Blanket, and an executive producer. In 2017, Klokus was inducted into the Forbes 30 Under 30 in its media category alongside his Futurism co-founder Jordan Lejuwaan. Klokus is currently a founder and managing partner of the SALT fund. Klokus is a moderator at the SALT iConnections conference and World Government Summit.
Education
Alex Klokus received his undergraduate degree from New York University's Stern School of Business,{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Remya |date=2017-01-09 |title=NYU Entrepreneurs Steal the Show on Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2017 |url=https://entrepreneur.nyu.edu/blog/2017/01/09/nyu-entrepreneurial-stars-forbes-30-30-cohort-2017/ |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=NYU Entrepreneurship |language=en}} where he was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma in its 2012-2013 induction year.{{Cite web |date=2013 |title=Members Inducted 2012-2013 |url=https://www.stern.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/assets/documents/con_041978.pdf |access-date=May 17, 2024 |website=New York University Stern School of Business}}
Corporate ventures
= Futurism =
Alex Klokus and Jordan Lejuwaan founded the technology news website Futurism through a Knight Foundation grant{{Cite web |title=Knight Prototype Fund invests in 20 new projects focused on data-driven storytelling and community problem-solving |url=https://knightfoundation.org/press/releases/knight-prototype-fund-invests-20-new-projects-focu/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Knight Foundation |language=en-US}} in 2017,{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://futurism.com/about |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Futurism}} with Forbes subsequently reporting later that year that the site received more than three million visitors a month with its media content generating over 140 million monthly views.{{Cite web |last=Vivarelli |first=Nick |date=2018-03-27 |title=Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Brooklyn's Futurism Forge Content Partnership |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/global/image-nation-abu-dhabi-and-brooklyns-futurism-studios-forge-content-production-partnership-1202737136/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=2018-03-27 |title=Image Nation Forms Content Tie Up With New York Science & Tech Site Futurism |url=https://deadline.com/2018/03/image-nation-futurism-film-and-tv-deal-scien-1202353919/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}} Futurism entered into partnerships with the Prime Minister's office in Dubai to offer an Arabic language version of Futurism, and with the White House for "South by South Lawn" and other events. The company established a "native advertising arm" with partnerships with Nokia and other companies. Prior to the company's formal launch, it was a technology meet-up discussion group in New York City.{{Cite book |last=MacFarlane |first=James Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2jLnDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22alex+klokus%22&pg=PA66 |title=Transhumanism as a New Social Movement: The Techno-Centred Imagination |date=2020-05-19 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-3-030-40090-3 |pages=65–66 |language=en}}
Klokus and Futurism co-founder Jordan Lejuwaan were inducted into the media category of Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2017.{{Cite web |date=2017 |title=Futurism |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/futurism/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2017-01-09 |title=NYU Entrepreneurs Steal the Show on Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2017 |url=https://entrepreneur.nyu.edu/blog/2017/01/09/nyu-entrepreneurial-stars-forbes-30-30-cohort-2017/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=NYU Entrepreneurship |language=en}}
Futurism was acquired by Singularity University in 2019{{Cite web |last=Willens |first=Max |date=2019-03-15 |title=Gravity blanket seller Futurism acquired by Singularity University |url=https://digiday.com/media/gravity-blanket-seller-futurism-acquired-singularity-university/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Digiday |language=en-US}} before subsequently selling it to Recurrent Ventures in July{{Cite web |last=Kamer |first=Foster |date=2021-10-25 |title=Long Live Futurism.com: This Website Is Free Again, Thanks to You |url=https://futurism.com/long-live-futurism-com-this-website-is-free-again-thanks-to-you |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Futurism}} 2021.{{Cite news |last1=Cartwright |first1=Lachlan |last2=Tani |first2=Maxwell |date=2021-07-26 |title=Futurism Bought by VC-Backed Firm Seeking to Become Next Big Media Power Player |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/futurism-bought-by-vc-backed-firm-recurrent-ventures-which-seeks-to-become-media-power-player |access-date=2024-05-17 |work=The Daily Beast |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Perlberg |first=Steven |title=Recurrent Ventures has just raised $75 million. Here's how the little-known but highly acquisitive company is planning to become the next digital-media empire. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/recurrent-ventures-raised-75-million-to-fuel-media-acquisitions-2021-10 |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}
== Gravity Blanket ==
{{Main|Gravity Blanket}}
The Gravity Blanket is a crowdfunded weighted blanket product originally developed by Futurism which received generally favorable reviews from customers and the media, being considered one of the best inventions of 2018 by Time magazine.{{Cite magazine |last=Ducharme |first=Jamie |date=2018 |title=Blankets That Ease Anxiety: The 50 Best Inventions of 2018 |url=https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2018/5454469/gravity-blanket/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |magazine=Time |language=en-us}} When Futurism was sold to Singularity University, Futurism's product the Gravity Blanket was spun off into its own company,{{Cite web |last=Coffee |first=Patrick |date=April 27, 2021 |title=Gravity Blanket's CEO shares how he used his advertising experience to launch a business that doubled its revenue in three years |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/gravity-blanket-ceo-on-launching-selling-successful-startup-2021-4 |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}} Gravity Brand Holdings LLC,{{Cite news |last=Patel |first=Sahil |title='Gravity' Blanket Maker Sold to Holding Company for Direct-Commerce Brands |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/gravity-blanket-maker-sold-to-holding-company-for-direct-commerce-brands-11612954800 |url-access=limited |access-date=2024-05-18 |work=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US}} which was then led by Klokus and Mike Grillo{{Cite web |last= |date=2019-03-14 |title=Gravity Products CEO Mike Grillo: DTC is not a business model |url=https://digiday.com/marketing/gravity-products-mike-grillo-blankets/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Digiday |language=en-US}} before its 2021 acquisition by Win Brands Group.
== Futurism Studios ==
Klokus launched Futurism's film and TV arm. In 2018, Futurism Studios signed a deal with WME and subsequently produced documentary films such as Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain and the Facebook Watch narrative drama{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Geoff |date=2018-09-13 |title=Glimpse: The first original, narrative drama from Futurism Studios is here |url=https://futurism.com/glimpse-narrative-drama-futurism-studios |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=Futurism}} series Glimpse.{{Cite news |last=Hipes |first=Patrick |date=October 4, 2018 |title=Futurism Studios Ramps Up Production And Distribution Plan, Signs With WME |url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/futurism-studios-hollywood-agency-wme-trust-machine-glimpse-1202475735/ |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=Deadline}} In 2020 it helped to produce the Australian science fiction film 2067.{{Cite news |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=May 9, 2019 |title=Futurism Studios Joins First Narrative Feature In Shape Of Oz Sci-Fi ‘2067’ Starring Ryan Kwanten & Kodi Smit-McPhee — Cannes |url=https://deadline.com/2019/05/futurism-studios-joins-first-narrative-feature-2067-ryan-kwanten-kodi-smit-mcphee-1202610663/ |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=Deadline}}
= SALT =
Alex Klokus is a founder and managing partner of the SALT fund.{{Cite web |title=Alex Klokus |url=https://www.salt.org/speakers/alex-klokus |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=SALT |language=en}}
= Other ventures =
Alongside AJ Scaramucci, Klokus co-founded "The Pineapple Palace" co-working space and a startup called Pandos.{{Cite news |last=Mascarenhas |first=Natasha |date=2020-10-15 |title=Startup founders set up hacker homes to recreate Silicon Valley synergy |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/15/founders-hacker-hype-homes-remote-work/ |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} Klokus co-founded the cryptocurrency investment fund Kyber Capital.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-18 |title=SALT — Alex Klokus |url=https://archive2.salt.org/speakers/alex-klokus |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=SALT |language=en-US}}
Film production and conference moderation
Alex Klokus has served as executive producer on multiple films, one of which won a Best Feature award and debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. He has hosted multiple SkyBridge Alternatives Conference panels and also served as a moderator for the 2019 World Government Summit.{{Cite web |date=March 1, 2020 |title=Dubai World Government Summit 2019 schedule for Monday February 11 |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/government/dubai-world-government-summit-2019-schedule-for-monday-february-11-1.823089 |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=The National |language=en}}
= Film production =
In 2018, Klokus executive produced the 2018 documentary film Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain alongside Zach LeBeau, Arie Levy-Cohen, and Joseph Lubin. The film, which was written and directed by British American actor Alex Winter, covers the evolution of blockchain technology and its divisive nature while considering whether it is an economic bubble.{{Cite web |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=2018-08-02 |title='Trust Machine: The Story Of Blockchain' — First Teaser For Alex Winter Doc Narrated By Rosario Dawson |url=https://deadline.com/2018/08/trust-machine-first-trailer-blockchain-documentary-singulardtv-alex-winter-rosario-dawson-1202438705/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Kenigsberg |first=Ben |date=2018-10-25 |title=Review: In Boosting Blockchain, 'Trust Machine' Chains Itself In |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/movies/trust-machine-review.html |url-access=limited |access-date=2024-05-17 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
The following year he served as executive producer for the documentary I Am Human, which debuted at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival to wide acclaim,{{Cite web |last=Niesel |first=Jeff |title=Documentary Film 'I Am Human' to Have Its Cleveland Premiere on Jan. 30 at the Hanna Theatre |url=https://www.clevescene.com/movies-tv/documentary-film-i-am-human-to-have-its-cleveland-premiere-on-jan-30-at-the-hanna-theatre-32225580 |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Cleveland Scene |language=en}} alongside American director Geoff Clark.{{Cite web |title=I AM HUMAN {{!}} 2019 Tribeca Festival |url=https://tribecafilm.com/films/i-am-human-2019 |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Tribeca}} I Am Human follows the medical cases of three patients undergoing complex experimental brain treatments with the goal of regaining lost abilities, including body movement and vision.{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=Dillon |date=January 27, 2020 |title=I Am Human Documentary Features FES Center, CWRU |url=https://clevelandmagazine.com/entertainment/film-tv/articles/i-am-human-documentary-features-cleveland-fes-center-case-western-reserve-university |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Cleveland Magazine |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2019-06-03 |title='I AM HUMAN': Are Brain Implants the Next Evolutionary Leap? |url=https://www.dell.com/en-us/perspectives/i-am-human-are-brain-implants-the-next-evolutionary-leap/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Dell |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Hayes |first=Dade |date=2019-03-11 |title=Tribeca Film Festival Unveils Shorts Lineup; Feature Slate Includes John DeLorean, Muhammad Ali, Chelsea Manning – Update |url=https://deadline.com/2019/03/tribeca-film-festival-unveils-feature-lineup-with-films-spotlighting-john-delorean-muhammad-ali-chelsea-manning-1202569646/ |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}} Praised as "an optimistic, wholesome antidote to fearmongering", the film contemplates the existential question "What makes us human?"{{Cite magazine |last=Pardes |first=Arielle |title=Brain-Machine Interfaces Could Give Us All Superpowers |url=https://www.wired.com/story/i-am-human-brain-implants/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}} The film won Best Director at the Oslo Film Festival{{Cite web |title=I Am Human |url=https://oslofilmfest.com/films/i-am-human/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Oslo Film Festival |language=en-US}} and Best Feature at the Other Worlds Film Festival in Austin, Texas.{{Cite web |title=Past Festival - Award Winners |url=https://otherworldsfilmfest.com/past-festivals-award-winners |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Other Worlds Film Festival |language=en-US}}
= Conference moderation =
In 2021, Klokus moderated a SkyBridge Alternatives Conference discussion with American theoretical physicist Michio Kaku about the future of humanity.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-30 |title=SALT — The Future in 2050 with Dr. Michio Kaku & Alex Klokus {{!}} #SALTNY |url=https://archive2.salt.org/talks/library/saltny-10 |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=SALT |language=en-US}} The following year, Klokus moderated two discussions: a discussion with Rick Doblin of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies about the promise psychedelic substances might have for mental health treatments,{{Cite web |date=September 29, 2022 |title=SALT NY: Psychedelic Renaissance: Breakthrough Mental Health Treatments |url=https://maps.org/news/media/salt-ny-psychedelic-renaissance-breakthrough-mental-health-treatments/ |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies}} and an interview with Harvard theoretical physicist Avi Loeb discussing the Galileo Project and whether humanity is alone in the universe.{{Cite web |title=Professor Abraham (Avi) Loeb |url=https://lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/~loeb/ |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=Harvard Center for Astrophysics}} In 2023, he hosted Stanford Professor Dr. Garry Nolan{{Cite news |last=Chung |first=Frank |date=May 20, 2023 |title=Stanford professor says aliens are '100 per cent' on earth, US is 'reverse-engineering downed UFOs' |url=https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space/stanford-professor-says-aliens-are-100-per-cent-on-earth-us-is-reverseengineering-downed-ufos/news-story/041694ef5df4791fbdfa303a08f34a9c |access-date=June 1, 2024 |work=News.com.au}}{{Cite web |title=Stanford Professor Says Aliens Are '100%' Living Among Us {{!}} 98.1 The Breeze |url=https://981thebreeze.iheart.com/featured/the-morning-breeze/content/2023-05-24-stanford-professor-says-aliens-are-100-living-among-us/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=The Morning Breeze w/ Carolyn McArdle & Cort Johnson |language=en}} and, the following year, retired Lieutenant colonel Karl Nell, a former member of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, about their experiences and beliefs relating to unidentified flying objects.{{Cite web |last1=Whiteside |first1=Steph |last2=Coulthart |first2=Ross |date=2024-05-30 |title=Aliens are interacting with humans: Ret. Army Col. |url=https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/aliens-interacting-humans/ |access-date=2024-06-02 |website=NewsNation |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=May 31, 2024 |title=Excoronel de EE UU: "La inteligencia extraterrestre existe e interactúa con la humanidad" |url=https://www.elnacional.com/mundo/excoronel-de-ee-uu-la-inteligencia-extraterrestre-existe-e-interactua-con-la-humanidad/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240531122959/https://www.elnacional.com/mundo/excoronel-de-ee-uu-la-inteligencia-extraterrestre-existe-e-interactua-con-la-humanidad/ |archive-date=May 31, 2024 |access-date=June 1, 2024 |work=El Nacional |language=ES}}