An entertainment industry veteran with close to 50 years professional experience in cable television, live events and new media, Larry Namer is a founding partner of Metan Global Entertainment Group (MGEG), a venture created to develop and distribute entertainment content and media specifically for Chinese speaking audiences in China and abroad. In 2018, the company launched the MGEG Film Fund I and serves as managing partner. He is also the executive producer on the recently announced feature film “EMPRESS,” a new travel series for the China audience titled “Explore The World,” and an executive producer of the new crime series “Nova Vita.” He is a co-founder of the recently launched lifestyle platform BeautyKween. Most recently, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of FanVestor.
Mr. Namer is the co-founder of E! Entertainment Television, a company now valued at over four billion USD, and the creator of several successful companies in the United States and overseas. Among those companies are Comspan Communications that pioneered Western forms of entertainment in the former Soviet Union and Steeplechase Media that served as the primary consultant to Microsoft’s MiTV for developing interactive TV applications.
Early on, he was named the youngest general manager of a major cable system at Valley Cable TV (VCTV) in Los Angeles. His vision and direction garnered VCTV several Emmy and Cable ACE award nominations, as well as recognition by Forbes magazine as the national model for local cable television programming. In 1989, he was awarded the prestigious President’s Award from the National Cable Television Association. He was honored with the “Outstanding Contribution to Asian Television Award” at the 19th Asian Television Awards in Singapore, and received the International Media Legacy Award at the 2017 Elite Awards Foundation Gala.
He was the recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 2018 Hollywood Tribute Awards and the 2019 Hollywood China Night, presented by the American-Chinese CEO Society, both in celebration of the Academy Awards®. In July 2019, he was awarded The Tribeca Disruptor Award at the Novus Summit, held at the United Nations, and in September 2020, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the French Riviera Film Festival.
Please tell us a little bit about your companies – what are they all about?
These days I’m mainly focused on several companies – Metan Global Entertainment Group, a media business in China, BeautyKween, an online club for folks interested in make-up and beauty, and the other is FanVestor, a platform where fans can connect with the business ventures of their heroes.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I was in the cable business since graduating college but took a job as an underground splicer so I could think about what I really wanted as a career. The cable industry grew, and I grew with it. I spent 10 years in the Time Inc. family (they were still mainly in publishing) and then got recruited to go to LA and build the first 61 channel 2-way system. It was here that I got very interested in programming and eventually came up with the idea for E! with my friend Alan Mruvka.
What are some of the projects you are working on right now?
FanVestor is a fintech platform focused on sports, esports, film, tv, art, fashion music and celebrities in general. It is a one stop shop for securities, charity, sweepstakes, experiences, perks, auctions, and production introductions.
What would you say are the top 3 business mistakes you made in general?
- Sticking with bad ideas too long more out of ego than logic.
- Not paying enough attention to the business environment and noticing the changes that had long-term effect.
- Hiring the wrong people.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
Take time off to clear my head. My path is through cooking. For me, it’s better than meditating or yoga
What are three books or online courses you recommend for new entrepreneurs?
- As the Future Catches You – Juan Enriquez
- Alone Together – Sherry Turkle
- The Art of War – Sun Tzu
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business today, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
On a good laptop.
Any last advice for new entrepreneurs?
Evaluate your ideas every day and don’t be afraid to admit mistakes and move on.
How can we get in touch with you?
- LJN@LJNMEDIA.COM
- Larry Namer – LinkedIn
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