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- My name is Akash Nigam, I'm
the CEO and founder of Genies.

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Genies is a digital avatar
company where we produce

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3D picture, animated
characters that look like you

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but they think like you as well.

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(uplifting pop music)

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I think young people want
an avatar of themselves

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because they're in a
period of self expression.

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Especially in high school or in college.

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They want to be expressive in a way

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that their physical self cannot.

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Some people that are born
with blond hair and blue eyes

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maybe want to have purple spiky
hair, grills on their teeth.

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Being able to live in a different body

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that your physical self is incapable

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of being able to take form
of, is really intriguing.

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In today's world, where we're
inevitably transitioning

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into a digital ecosystem,
it's also inevitable

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that you will have a digital
representation of yourself.

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But it's also an extension
of their identity.

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So, it's not only an
extension of their looks

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or their aesthetics, but
also their personality.

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So they can play with different features.

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Play with different emotions
maybe you're too shy

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to be able to convey it in the real world.

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Where as, in the digital world,

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you feel a lot more comfortable.

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We're currently, right now,
Instagram's favorite avatar

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and then also a celebrity's
favorite avatar.

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It just comes down to
focusing on you own product

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and allowing the user base and the masses

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to be able to follow and gravitate

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towards whatever is the best out there.

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In the very beginning, I remember

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when Rihanna first used
it, we were very excited.

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We knew that this was
something that, not only

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was validated on a
mainstream consumer level,

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but we saw people of high notoriety

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actually see value in the product.

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And now we have people like Shawn Mendes,

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to the Chainsmokers, to Kyrie Irving,

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to Russell Westbrook, to an
infinite amount of people

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using it consistently every single day.

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It allows us to play in a field

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that we never would have imagined.

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And again, celebrities
endorsing the product,

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it's never been quite
so much an endorsement,

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as it has been just
organically them wanting

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to be able to have a digital
representation of themselves.

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The way that they reached
out is just, purely applying

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on the website or direct
messaging us on Instagram

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and that shows true,
genuine, authenticity.

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We have around 1.4 billion eyeballs.

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Which is more than most agencies in LA

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that have been around for dozens of years.

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Traditionally, what we
do is, we consistently

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have youth coming by the office.

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So, whether they're 15,
16, 17, 18 years old.

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We moved to Los Angeles,
away from San Francisco

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specifically for that factor.

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So for us, it's just about
surrounding ourselves

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with Gen Z millennials,
looking for authentic feedback

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and additionally, taking
as many shots as possible.