Zachary Smith

Background

• Austin-based connector/networker who lives in the same building as Gary.
• Works with Dave Rubin, a Republican commentator, and is carving out a niche connecting Democratic congressmen to Republican podcasts.
• Connected with the "All In" podcast ecosystem.
• Connected with Stand Together (Koch Brothers organization) regarding a CPG incubator for "vices" (e.g., responsible nicotine/alcohol use).
• Connected to Olivia Dell and has discussed starting a fund with her.
• Values introducing people to each other despite potential risks.
• Has multiple Tesla vehicles.

Current Role & Interests

• Event organizer/curator of social gatherings.
• Deck Creation & Fundraising: Skilled at creating fundraising decks for major companies and funds.
• Looking for a new, exciting project to focus on.
• Exploring ways to frame his media work in a more stable way.
• Interested in event curation and networking methodology, with a high standard for execution.

Fundraising & Deck Work

• Created decks for Jason Calacanis' last fund that raised $250M
• Created decks for Justin Kan's company Stash ($40M raise)
• Created decks for EarthOptics ($6M raise) - David Friedberg's company that uses autonomous vehicles to sample soil from farms and create models for farming efficiency and land valuation
• Key Strength: Zachary is particularly skilled at creating effective fundraising decks

Key Ideas & Ventures (from June 9, 2025 convo)

Fyre Festival on Epstein's Island

• The Core Idea: A highly provocative and satirical festival concept combining two infamous brands for maximum cultural impact.
• The Assets:
  1. Fyre Festival IP: Pitched by Billy McFarland, available for purchase (asking $10M) without any of the original debt.
  2. Epstein's Island: Purchased by Black Diamond Capital for $60M, who allegedly have $1B in undeployed capital to build a resort.
• The Vision: Host Fyre Festival on Epstein's Island.
  • "The media budget is zero dollars." The sheer insanity of the concept would generate massive, free press.
  • Headliners: Joe Rogan ($500k), Britney Spears, surprise appearance by Alex Jones ($50k).
  • Theme: A festival about "celebrating, letting the evil of the past go and having this new birth," allowing it to be compelling and not just a "kink fetish thing."
  • Experiential Elements: Burning a Zozobra-style puppet of Billy McFarland, an effigy of Ghislaine Maxwell, and a pop-up of Mischief's "Eat the Rich" popsicles.
• Financial Model:
  • Raise $50-60M from investors to secure artists and logistics upfront.
  • Sell 10,000 tickets at $5,000 each to generate $50M in revenue.
  • Add $10M in sponsorships from "risk asset" brands (e.g., Liquid Death, Zinnia).
  • First year aims to break even, second year becomes highly profitable.
• Status: An idea Zachary is exploring. He has unique angles to both parties and is seeking a reliable contact for the Fyre IP sale.

Cross-Partisan Media Consulting

• The Niche: Democratic congressmen are increasingly reaching out to him to get on Republican podcasts.
• The Value Prop: He understands the conservative media landscape, which is a black box to Democrats. He can vet opportunities, prep the guests, and facilitate access that is otherwise nearly impossible to get due to political siloing.

"A bunch of Democratic congressmen have gotten my phone number. I'm starting to blow up my phone if they want to be on a Republican podcast."

Key Insights & Working Style

• High-Standard Connector: Critiques poor execution, such as his experience with the Four Seasons Residence boat tour where high-net-worth individuals were brought out for a short ride with no food or water provided. He understands the details required for high-end experiences.
• Seeks Stability: While juggling many projects (All In, Dave Rubin, etc.), he is looking for a way to "frame myself that can add a little bit of stability."
• Pragmatic with "Whales": When discussing a potential fund with Olivia Dell, he shows a clear understanding of the need to align incentives and workload with a wealthy partner's level of interest and commitment.
• Master of Distractions: Acknowledges that Austin and his line of work generate an "extraordinarily amount of distraction," with the Fyre/Epstein idea being a prime example of a "great distraction."
• Loyal & Protective: Demonstrated loyalty to Jason Calacanis by defending him when someone negged him at his own event, which became a turning point in their relationship.
• Understands High-Barrier Personalities: Recognizes that people like Jason Calacanis have high barriers to entry due to past disappointments, and knows how to navigate those dynamics.

Working Relationship with Jason Calacanis

• Breaking Through the Barrier: Jason is "brutal to work for" in the first couple years, but becomes much better once you prove yourself and "make it over this hump."
• Loyalty Test: Jason has a high barrier before letting people in because he's been disappointed/taken advantage of many times. He wants to see people go out on a limb for him.
• Turning Point: Zachary's relationship with Jason improved significantly when he defended Jason at Liquidity Summit, leading to Jason publicly acknowledging him.
• Networking Approach: Jason has "180 rules of how to network" that he expects employees to follow, heavily influenced by "How to Win Friends and Influence People" (a book all four All In besties are obsessed with).
• Personal Style: Jason uses Zachary's name at the beginning of every sentence when talking to him (influenced by the Dale Carnegie book), creating an almost inside joke dynamic.

Current Projects & Initiatives (Updated July 2025)

• All-In Podcast: Active project that started July 14, 2025 - maintains high accessibility and responsiveness to their needs
• Trump Government Project: Ongoing active coordination with late-night communications (still embargoed as of July 17, 2025)
• Dave Rubin Relationship: Effectively ended due to management and feedback challenges, though has one remaining deliverable
• Saudi/Dubai Fund Coordination: Active coordination with Zapher (fund representative) for Austin events, including Arena Hall and Zach Levi ranch activities
• Arena Hall Event: Confirmed partnership with Matt Holm who will provide firearms and ammunition for shooting activities
• Zach Levi Ranch Event: Scheduled for August 14th, 2025, incorporating shooting activities for international guests
• High-Net-Worth Event Access: Maintains access to exclusive gatherings (Larry Covert/Oxcart Ventures parties with notable attendees including Elon Musk's family)
• Recently held a paintball event that went well
• Previously collaborated with Arena Hall for an event with Dave Rubin
• Appears to be developing his own event format, distinct from work with established venues
• Jim Himes Cross-Partisan Media Strategy: Active coordination of Democratic Congressman appearances on conservative podcasts, with successful Dave Rubin placement and Anthony Pompliano potential
• Political Neutrality Positioning: Leveraging unique position as bridge between Democratic politicians and Republican media ecosystem

Collaboration Strategy

• Values well-curated guest lists and thoughtful introductions
• Receptive to feedback about event organization
• Recognizes the potential toxicity of networking events and seeks to create experiences with authentic value
• Has capacity to leverage venue relationships for events

Recent Interactions

• May 19, 2025: Conversation with Gary, Dawson, Sina at Soho House Austin.

• June 9, 2025: Conversation with Gary, Isaiah McCall, and Russ Ballard at Gary's apartment. He detailed his Fyre/Epstein idea, his media work, and his critique of Austin's high-end social scene.

• January 3, 2025: Conversation with Gary about his fundraising deck work and insights about Jason Calacanis' working style and personality.

• July 12, 2025: WYLDWOOD RANCH VISIT - Extended visit to Zachary Levi's ranch in Bastrop with Gary Sheng. Facilitated introduction between Gary and Zachary Levi for potential strategic partnership around Wyldwood Studios project. During road trip conversation, shared deeply personal background about escaping religious extremist family involved in human trafficking and child abuse. Provided extensive insights about All-In podcast operations ($35M budget, featuring Roelof Bofa, Cathie Wood, Sergey Brin), his creative direction role, and high-net-worth relationship dynamics with figures like Olivia Dell. Discussed upcoming Saudi/Dubai investment fund representative visit to Austin (August 15th), potential Arena Hall events, and various network connection opportunities including George R.R. Martin (via Meow Wolf's Vince Cadillac) and Randy Pitchford (Gearbox Studios). Demonstrated remarkable resilience and networking capabilities despite traumatic background, continuing to facilitate strategic connections while building his own creative projects. Offered Gary speaking opportunity at All-In Summit (September 8-10, $7,500 fee) and access to various high-level networking events.

• July 14, 2025: KOREAN BBQ DINNER - Extensive dinner conversation with Gary and Dawson Carroll covering business strategy, personal philosophy, and current projects. Revealed recent work on a Trump-related government project (details embargoed for 1.5 weeks). Confirmed active project with All-In podcast that started that day, maintaining high accessibility: "I'm very accessible, Josh." Effectively ended working relationship with Dave Rubin due to management difficulties and feedback challenges. Discussed Dave's executive producer Phoenix (22 years old, $240k salary) potentially attending Zach Levi event. Scheduled FBI liaison call for Thursday to coordinate Saudi/Dubai fund representative visit to Austin. Shared insights on managing high-ego personalities like Jason Calacanis, emphasizing strategy of letting them have their ego while focusing on deliverables. Demonstrated continued role as strategic advisor and connector for both Gary and Dawson.

• July 17, 2025: APARTMENT STRATEGY SESSION WITH GARY - Comprehensive event planning coordination covering August 14th Zach Levi ranch event and Arena Hall partnership. Confirmed Zapher's (Saudi/Dubai fund representative) enthusiasm for both venues, with Matt Holm providing firearms and ammunition for shooting activities. Revealed access to high-net-worth social events including Larry Covert's (Oxcart Ventures) gathering featuring Elon Musk's sisters and Dimensional Fund Advisors personnel. Discussed investment facilitation opportunities with Zapher seeking $10M "small checks" and $100M fund investments, positioning this as "easiest layup of all time" for valuable connections. Shared details about Zapher's analyst Lean, described as attractive Jordanian woman with political connections and excitement about gun shooting activities. Trump project coordination continues with active late-night communications. Demonstrated continued strategic value as connector between international investment capital and Austin's high-net-worth ecosystem.

• August 1, 2025: STRATEGIC POLITICAL MEDIA SESSION - Extended strategy discussion with Gary Sheng and Samuel Armes covering cross-partisan media opportunities and political influence mechanisms:

  • Jim Himes Cross-Partisan Strategy: Detailed work with Democratic Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) seeking conservative podcast appearances, describing him as "just a normal fucking dude" navigating political pressure from both sides
  • Dave Rubin Success: Facilitated successful Himes appearance with positive reception and invitation for return engagement
  • Media Ecosystem Navigation: Explained strategy of building relationships progressively from lower-tier to elite podcasts, emphasizing "you can't just go from never being on a conservative TV show to going on an all-in podcast"
  • Political Neutrality Advantage: Claimed to be "one of the highest power politically neutral people in the U.S." with strategic 60-40 or 70-30 network splits rather than pure partisanship
  • Arena Hall Intelligence: Discussed Austin's premier conservative networking space and strategies for gaining access to elite circles
  • Samuel Armes Partnership: Connected with Samuel for potential collaboration combining Zachary's media access with Samuel's legislative expertise for "powerful change agency"
  • Presidential Strategy Discussion: Explored Jim Himes' potential presidential candidacy using cross-partisan podcast strategy to build broad appeal

• December 19, 2025: SOHO HOUSE - SCHOOLHAUS PITCH & CAREER UPDATES - Extended lunch at Soho House with Gary, Matt Holm, and Scott (retiring Microsoft engineer). Gary shared life update (Oklahoma fell through, spiritual sabbatical, baptism) and pitched Schoolhaus education agency concept. Zachary immediately validated business model: "$2,000 a student, they're making $100,000 a year, more than they're making now, but they own their classroom." Strongly advised getting Zach Levi as advisor: "Having Zach Levi on your deck will change your career." Shared board protection strategy: "You need to fill up an advisory board that's your friends that does not give a fuck what happens so you already have the board." Career updates: wrapped Race Capital, DoD opportunity active (W2 plus additional compensation), Lonsdale/Gabe D'Amicello/Larry Covert all want to fund him but waiting for him to identify project (likely electric grid). Former client drama: they hired production company at 10x price, it's failing, production company called Zachary to consult at 4x rate - he declined. Now living in The Modern (Matt's old unit), driving Tesla (Matt's influence). Brad Gerstner (Altimeter, $200B AUM) potentially moving to Austin; Zachary co-hosting his event at Arena Hall with Evan Baehr and Clark Nowlin. Joe Liemandt on invite list. Validated Dawson's pastor as "disproportionately more entrepreneurial" than other Austin pastors.

• October 3, 2025: ARENA HALL SOUTH CONGRESS GRAND OPENING - Attended Evan Baehr's new Arena Hall South Congress location grand opening lunch with Gary Sheng and numerous Austin entrepreneurs and investors:

  • Current Focus: Working on standardizing VC fundraising deck formats and continuing work with tech podcasts, specifically All-In podcast production
  • Public Introduction: Introduced himself to crowd as working on "formalizing what a standard VC fundraising deck could look like" and as producer of All-In Summit
  • Nicotine Brand Work: Discussed with another attendee about creating brand books for different nicotine puff products, dealing with client pivots and design iterations
  • Client Management Insight: Learning that "forcing a client into an exact workflow is actually a value-add, because it gives them a deadline and structure of expectations for themselves"
  • RedBug Brands Connection: Discussed taking check from RedBug Brands with Evan Baehr (Brian Goldberg connection), who built Skinny Pop and other consumer brands
  • Arena Hall Involvement: Present at this significant Austin networking hub launch, maintaining connections with key players in Austin's entrepreneurial ecosystem

Additional Network Insights

• David Friedberg (EarthOptics): Described as "the nicest of the besties" and "really nice guy." Rarely talks about his agriculture work publicly despite being heavily involved in it.
• Jason Calacanis' Wife: Ultra-social, throws elaborate parties with a whole team, heavily into art collecting (not flipping), has expensive taste including a hallway dedicated to RETNA paintings in their San Francisco house. She has a large social battery compared to Jason's small one.

Strategic Partnerships & Collaborations

Samuel Armes Political Alliance (August 2025)

• Combined Expertise: Zachary's media ecosystem access paired with Samuel's legislative expertise for "powerful change agency"
• Cross-Partisan Strategy: Samuel's conservative connections combined with Zachary's ability to place Democratic politicians on conservative media
• Arena Hall Access: Both have connections to Austin's premier conservative networking infrastructure
• Complementary Skills: Zachary's podcast progression strategy aligns with Samuel's political scaling methodology

Transcripts

transcript-id	date	one-line-summary
2025-12-19-matt-holm-zachary-smith-soho-house-schoolhaus-pitch	2025-12-19	Soho House Catch-Up with Matt Holm and Zachary Smith - Schoolhaus Pitch and Education Strategy
2025-10-03-gary-sheng-arena-hall-south-congress-grand-opening	2025-10-03	External Transcript Summary: Gary Sheng at Arena Hall South Congress Grand Opening
2025-07-12-gary-sheng-zachary-smith-zachary-levi-wyldwood-ranch-visit-transcript-summary	2025-07-12	Visit to Zachary Levi's Wyldwood Ranch discussing film studio vision, entertainment industry insights, and potential collaborations
2025-07-14-korean-bbq-dinner-zachary-smith-dawson-carroll	2025-07-14	Korean BBQ dinner conversation discussing business strategy, personal philosophy, and current projects including Trump government work
2025-07-17-gary-sheng-zachary-smith-apartment-strategy-session	2025-07-17	Strategic planning session covering event coordination, investment facilitation, and network development

Notes

Zachary is a creative and strategic thinker operating at the intersection of media, politics, and high-net-worth social events. He is not just a networker but an ideator, capable of conceiving of highly complex and culturally resonant (if wildly distracting) ventures like Fyre Festival on Epstein's Island. His unique position as a bridge between Democratic politicians and Republican media is a valuable and rare asset. Additionally, he has proven expertise in creating effective fundraising decks for major funds and companies, having worked on hundreds of millions in successful raises. He is currently looking for his next major project to sink his teeth into.

Cross-Partisan Media Specialization (August 2025): Zachary has carved out a unique niche as one of the few politically neutral operators capable of facilitating Democratic politicians' appearances on conservative podcasts. His work with Congressman Jim Himes demonstrates sophisticated understanding of media ecosystem navigation and political positioning. His claim to be "one of the highest power politically neutral people in the U.S." reflects his rare ability to maintain strategic relationships across party lines while facilitating high-stakes media appearances for political figures seeking broader reach.

Transcripts

Transcript ID	Date	Summary
2025-12-19-matt-holm-zachary-smith-soho-house-schoolhaus-pitch	2025-12-19	Soho House catch-up where Gary pitched Schoolhaus concept and Zachary provided strategic advice on advisors and business model validation
2025-10-03-gary-sheng-arena-hall-south-congress-grand-opening	2025-10-03	Arena Hall South Congress grand opening launch event with entrepreneurs and community leaders
2025-08-01-gary-samuel-zachary-political-media-strategy-networking-session	2025-08-01	Political media strategy session discussing cross-partisan podcast ecosystem navigation
2025-05-12-dinner-1618-asian-fusion	2025-05-12	Dinner conversation at 1618 Asian Fusion covering personal backgrounds, real estate markets, and Trump World city concept