DAVID NUSSBAUM
Founder and CEO, Proto
David is an award-winning writer and producer who founded Proto after 20 years in the entertainment industry, having spent time in sports radio, television, podcasting and live events. He is a pioneer in the hologram business – being the first to produce stadium-sized, major pop cultural events after the famous Tupac Shakur at Coachella event. His company licensed the technology and created hologram experiences involving Whitney Houston, Ronald Reagan, a live fashion show for Dior in Shanghai, and many more global events. David’s vision for Proto has been to make what was a rarified experience available to every company, organization, office, school, festival and even to every home. He perfected the hologram experience in his own living room before securing his first public displays and, very quickly after that, funding and key partnerships. The company has accelerated to a $100M+ valuation, offices around the world, major awards from CES, SXSW and Fast Company, and is working with dozens of Fortune 500 companies, the biggest entertainment companies in the world, all the major pro sports leagues, and more every day.
With the slogan, “If you can’t BE there, BEAM there!” David walks the walk. He beams from company headquarters in Los Angeles to meetings in San Francisco, New York, London and Paris every week to save on business travel time and expense – and even carbon damage and pandemic risk. Notable people Proto has beamed include Usain Bolt, Ellen Degeneres, Sean “Diddy”
Combs, Lewis Hamilton, Billie Eilish's mother Maggie Baird, Logan Paul, Albert Pujols, Howie Mandel, Kenan Thompson, and even Degas and Giacometti sculptures across oceans (breaking these artists’ auction records in the process). Venues using Proto include Barclays Center, Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, Merceds Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Banc of California Stadium in L.A., the Museum of Contemporary Art in L.A., Lincoln Center, the 02 Arena, and many more.