Chad Hurley

In an era when “game-changer,” “status quo disrupter,” and “new standard,” are tossed around regularly, there are only a small handful of brands and technologies that serve as the indisputable, iconic personifications of those monikers. YouTube is one such entity. Serving as a website, a brand, and a verb, YouTube is the world’s largest and most popular video sharing site and the third most visited site globally. At the genesis and development of this phenomenon is its co-founder and former CEO, Chad Hurley. Equal parts businessman and Silicon Valley maven, Chad’s transition from working at PayPal to founding and growing YouTube has truly become the stuff of legend in business, technology, social and educational circles around the world. In October of 2007, Chad and his partner sold YouTube to Google, Inc. for $1.6 Billion and still serves as the company’s adviser.

Currently, it is estimated that YouTube attracts over 800 million unique users watching over 4 billion hours of video each month with 70 percent of its traffic coming from outside the US. Additionally, 72 hours of new video is uploaded every minute — a rate that shows more content being uploaded in less than a month than the combined three US networks created in its first 60 years.

Soon after selling YouTube, Chad co-founded AVOS Systems, which is committed to creating platforms and building products that enable individuals to utilize their time more efficiently in their everyday life. Recently AVOS has secured financing from New Enterprise Associates and Google Ventures, with participation from Madrone Capital and China-based incubator, Innovation Works.

From the lectern, Chad discusses the rise of YouTube and managing its meteoric growth. He shares the lessons learned from the unique experiences of creating a “game-changer,” “status quo disrupter,” and “new standard” in technology and how content is consumed and shared in the modern era. He also explains what’s next in the ever-evolving landscape of emerging technology, the shifting paradigm of media production and distribution and how YouTube continues to evolve in order to stay on top.

Chad is married to his wife, Kathy, and the couple have two children.