Rishi MalhotraFounder

United States - New York, New York

Media entrepreneur, board member, and investor who has built start ups into enterprises with $1Billion+ in enterprise value, including the largest music streaming company in India, JioSaavn.

I build teams and grow companies with lasting cultural value including HBO, JioSaavn, and most recently, Luminary. I've been fortunate to shape enterprises with an international footprint in the US and India.

In my 20+ year career, I have executive produced creative solutions for artists like U2 ("Ahimsa" in 2019), Nas, Beyoncé and Dave Chappelle. I've developed experiences to reach audiences from Streaming to Stage to Saturday Night Live.

I co-founded and led Saavn to become one of the largest music DSPs in the world, from an NYC start-up to a global media enterprise. In March 2018, we led the sale of Saavn to Jio Platforms for an enterprise value of $1.3 Billion to create JioSaavn (LionTree as TMT banker). I partnered with Parkwood Entertainment to bring Beyoncé to India for a first of its kind private performance in India in December 2018.

From 2021 - 2023, I focused on re-shaping Luminary, audio home to Dave Chappelle, Lena Dunham, Talib Kweli and yasiin bey amongst others.

During my tenure at HBO, we built HBO's first SVOD platform HBO On Demand and set the industry tone for OTT digital products, platform specific original programming, and comprehensive data systems. It was an honor of a lifetime to develop original programming for "The Wire" that premiered on HBO On Demand.

I've managed cross-functional teams to shape digital products, original content, data systems, and iconic consumer brands.

I believe the best leadership is defined by talent and temperament.

Above all, I'm dedicated to developing team and company culture that lasts beyond our time. Great teams, a unique purpose, and an impossible mindset have enabled me to build category making companies.

No matter what we have accomplished in our lives, our best work must always be ahead of us.

Always grateful.
rishi

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Rishi's work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and Forbes. He has been a speaker at Goldman Sachs Internet Conference, CES, Digital Hollywood, MIDEM, and Web Summit.

Rishi was named to Billboard's Digital Power Players list in 2019. He was recognized in Rolling Stone's Future 25 for Music in 2021.

Rishi graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and is currently based in New York City.
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