Business & Technology Strategy Speaker; CEO of The 8genC; Advisor; Investor; Former Executive leader at Google, Netflix, Salesforce, Microsoft

Seattle, WA, USA
Live Event: $10,000 - $20,000 Virtual Event: $5,000 - $10,000 More Fee Info

Arif Gursel Biography

Arif Gursel is a creative and technical executive who effortlessly transitions between left- and right-brain duties, showcasing his adaptability and versatility. He is currently the founder and managing director of 8genC (pronounced 'agency') Inc., a dynamic agency that empowers influential content creators, brands, technology companies, and high-net-worth entertainers. Through fractional leadership and strategic executions, the agency captures new opportunities in the rapidly expanding creator economy.

Mr. Gursel's influence transcends borders, as evidenced by his multiple global roles at Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, Salesforce, Netflix, and Google. He was the global head of YouTube Music & Premium product partnerships and a global partnership leader at Netflix, where he fostered international relationships with other large enterprise companies. His extensive product and business development career, which began as a software engineer at Microsoft, working on Xbox and culminating in leading global media & entertainment partnership strategy at Microsoft, is a testament to his international reach and impact. 

After a long and successful career at Microsoft, where he shipped numerous impactful products in various roles, including engineering, product management, and business development, he graduated from the Executive MBA program at The University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, where he was the youngest member of an international cohort. Upon completing his MBA, he ventured into the startup ecosystem as a multiple-time founder, early-stage advisor, and investor.

Mr. Gursel's investments are not passive but driven by his active involvement. He is a general partner at Unified Capital, a VC firm investing in Seed to Series-A startups established in 2024. His specialization in technology strategy, creative direction, and business development for enterprise and venture-backed companies is a testament to his commitment. He also leads music, film, and fashion ventures through his holding company, VIBEHEAVY Inc., and its subsidiaries, which he founded in 2012.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 05/30/2025.

Arif Gursel Speaking Topics

  • The 8 Must-Haves for Building Valuable Products and Services

    Many entrepreneurs (regardless of type of business) don’t anticipate and plan for their success or know how to tap into resources to help them scale. They get past the “idea at the kitchen table” stage and feel a huge sense of momentum. Yet, often they freeze or worse yet all their hard work goes down the drain from a lack of preparation for the next phase (building a team, raising capital, transitioning their role, thinking strategically vs. tactically, etc).

  • Build, Buy & Partner: Different Ways to Scale Your Product or Service Offering

    This talk explores the difference between product management and product partnerships. The goal is to empower entrepreneurs and product development professionals to think strategically about when to develop a solution or partner with other companies to unlock unique value. While product managers work through the trade-offs of prioritizing feature development, product partnership professionals live at the intersection of business development and product management. They are often tasked with product growth through partnerships, leading to feature development rooted in partnership integrations to drive product growth. In this talk, we explore various models, including white-labeling, grey-labeling, affiliate, and referrals, the various revenue models enabled by each, and their pros and cons.

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Arif Gursel Videos

How can product managers thrive when working remotely? | Craft.io Webinar

How can product managers thrive when working remotely? | Craft.io Webinar

With COVID-19 challenging how companies work, product managers can feel like fish out of water without access to the physical spaces shared with...

  • How do I book Arif Gursel to speak at my event?

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  • What are the speaker fees for Arif Gursel

    Speaking fees for Arif Gursel, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Arif Gursel are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and under $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Arif Gursel, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Arif Gursel speak about?

    Arif Gursel is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Art & Design, Business, Corporate Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Executive Leadership, Strategic Leadership, Technology
  • Where does Arif Gursel travel from?

    Arif Gursel generally travels from Seattle, WA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
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Arif Gursel is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as The 8 Must-Haves for Building Valuable Products and Services, Build, Buy & Partner: Different Ways to Scale Your Product or Service Offering, Plugging Leadership Gaps to Get Your Next Round of Funding, MVPitch: New Venture Prototyping: Design Is Cheaper Than Development and More Topics:. The estimated speaking fee range to book Arif Gursel for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Arif Gursel generally travels from Seattle, WA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jasmine Crowe-Houston, Kristie Kennedy, Terry Jones, Dr. Kimberly Harden and Nader Sabry. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Arif Gursel for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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