Entertainment

An inside look at Underdog Music with The Ingenious King Wizard

Published

5 years ago

December 4, 2020

King Wizard is a prominent musician, producer/artist and melody maker. Often referred to as a genius by both press and collaborators, he has cheekily adopted this often repeated description by including it in his catchy beat tag ‘The Ingenious King Wizard!’

Alongside his partners Big Papa Harvey and Alderman he launched Underdog Music, a growing production company poised to not only take the industry by storm but also aid independent artists in their journey. Underdog music have been signing new producers and A&Rs as well as working alongside tons of Multi-Platinum producers and artists.

King Wizard draws on many of his talents in his work at Underdog Music. From being a talented producer, working on tracks with major labels, to working with upcoming artists and producers and helping them to develop. King Wizard is doing his part to help shape the future of the music industry. Underdog music recently signed two upcoming producers, Parallax and Southpaw who both came through their producer development programme. Discovering new talent is a major part of the music business, we look forward to seeing what Underdog’s new signings can do.

King Wizard explains the Underdog philosophy well. ‘We really don’t care if a producer has platinum plaques and hundreds of millions of streams, or if they’re working on headphones in their bedroom. All we care about is the music. All the fans care about is the music. It’s the music industry – music first, industry second’.

We love Wizards art-above-business attitude. Has this egalitarian attitude dented Underdog’s bottom line? ‘Not at all’ Wizard deflects, ‘we are more successful than ever. Financially successful, artistically successful, even spiritually successful. There are many ways to measure success, but they all stem from the same thing. If you create something that is of value and improves people’s experience of their lives, then you’re onto a winner. That could be something practical, something fun, or something that gives people’s lives fulfilment and meaning. Music is all three of those things. It’s a practical mood shifting medicine, a feel good fun activity whether listening or creating, and an activity that tends to give more fulfilment than any other pursuit I know.’

We love this analysis and wholeheartedly agree! In the music world, the music should always come first. It’s refreshing to see Wizard succeeding in such spectacular fashion whilst keeping these ‘music first’ values front and centre.
@iamkingwizard

http://www.kingwizard.guru

Entertainment

Going Public: The Groundbreaking Series Transforming How Americans Invest

Published

2 months ago

May 16, 2025

Jonathan Grilli

In a media landscape saturated with reality TV and startup showcases, Going Public stands apart, not just as a show but as a movement. Now in its third season, the interactive series invites viewers to do more than just watch entrepreneurs chase success. It gives them the tools and the opportunity to invest in startups in real time, democratizing access to early-stage funding and reshaping how ordinary Americans engage with entrepreneurship and wealth-building.

Launched by Todd M. Goldberg, a former MedTech executive who hit a frustrating wall while preparing his company for a Nasdaq IPO, Going Public was born from a moment of personal disillusionment.

“When I brought a list of interested friends and colleagues to the Chairman of the Board,” Goldberg recalls, “he explained that all the IPO shares were reserved for institutional investors. That was my epiphany. I just knew that was wrong. Regular people should have a chance to invest in IPOs, but it needed to go even further.”

That insight became the foundation for Going Public, a hybrid of entrepreneurial storytelling and financial access that offers retail investors a seat at the table usually reserved for venture capitalists and insiders. The show brings audiences inside the capital-raising journey of startups, often before they go public, and leverages a powerful innovation: its “Click-to-Invest” feature.

“The bottom line with Click-to-Invest is that it’s seamless,” says Goldberg. “Viewers can go from watching the show to literally clicking a button. It feels more like a Shopify or Amazon checkout than a traditional investment process.”

This accessibility is central to the show’s mission: to educate, inspire, and empower everyday people to participate in early-stage investing. Unlike financial news channels that target seasoned traders, Going Public merges entertainment with financial literacy, using real startup stories to highlight the risks, rewards, and realities of entrepreneurship. It’s financial content with emotional stakes, real people, and tangible outcomes.

Season 3 reflects how far the show has come and where it’s going. With more celebrity involvement, including gaming icon Ninja backing the cashew milk startup Nutcase, and a strategic partnership with the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Going Public has widened its reach while deepening its cultural relevance.

“How do you make this mainstream?” Goldberg says. “The concept was The Apprentice meets Shark Tank meets IPO, but with a twist. Viewers aren’t just spectators, they’re stakeholders.”

The show’s selection of featured companies is another defining element. Startups are chosen not just for their growth potential but also for their mission, relatability, and cultural resonance. In Season 3, that includes everything from disruptive wellness brands to tech-enabled platforms, each paired with guidance from top-tier venture capitalists and Silicon Valley mentors.

This season also introduces a livestream finale, a format innovation designed to create a real-time, high-stakes environment where viewers can watch, decide, and invest together. It adds urgency and community to the investing experience, aligning with the show’s values of transparency and participation.

One of the most surprising and meaningful outcomes has been the personal stories from viewers who never imagined themselves as investors. “We’ve heard from teachers, nurses, and even students who said this was their first time investing and they felt confident doing it because the show made it accessible,” Goldberg shares. “It’s not just about money, it’s about empowerment.”

Looking ahead, Goldberg and his team have ambitious plans. They aim to expand the format to new platforms, explore international adaptations, and build out educational tools so viewers not only invest but understand what they’re investing in. The goal isn’t just more participation. It’s smarter participation.

In a world where capital often feels distant, technical, and exclusionary, Going Public brings the financial journey down to earth and into the hands of the people. It’s not just a show. It’s a redefinition of how business stories are told and how wealth can be created and shared.