Director, AI Ventures & Global Events

Macmillan; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 157,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Macmillan Publishers in San Francisco hosts the AI Hub, a venture studio and strategy arm of Holtzbrinck. You will own events like the Liquid Content Summit, run hackathons, and coordinate venture-building programs across AI, science, media and education.

You report to the Managing Director, collaborate with executives, and help shape AI priorities from inception to launch, building a vibrant founder pipeline and delivering evidence-based funding decisions.

Qualifications

• Strong network among builders in AI, science, education or media.
• Experience in strategy consulting, venture building, or large-scale event production.
• Hands-on operating style, switching between strategy and operations.
• Technical fluency; read AI demos and assess startup tech.
• Founder empathy; support early-stage teams through ambiguity.
• Proven event craft, from curating speakers to designing memorable experiences.
• Sharp analytical skills to brief executives on fast-moving developments.

Responsibilities

• Help build and launch new ventures end to end: from validation to 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 funding recommendations for the Executive Board, including milestones, funding stages, and stop criteria, and track each venture after launch.
• Organize the Liquid Content Summit, the AI Hub's flagship industry event.
• Run demo nights and hackathons that convene builders across startups, AI Labs, creators and Holtzbrinck's builders.

Skills

Strong network

Strategy consulting

Venture building

Event production

Operating mindset

Technical fluency

Founder empathy

Event craft

Analytical skills

Job description

Macmillan Publishers in San Francisco hosts the AI Hub, a venture studio and strategy arm of Holtzbrinck. You will own events like the Liquid Content Summit, run hackathons, and coordinate venture-building programs across AI, science, media and education.

You report to the Managing Director, collaborate with executives, and help shape AI priorities from inception to launch, building a vibrant founder pipeline and delivering evidence-based funding decisions.