NPR Hosts First Virtual How I Built This Summit With Guy Raz

NPR is pleased to announce the first How I Built This (at Home) Summit with Guy Raz, set over the course of four days, May 24th -27th, 2021. The Summit will feature interviews by podcast creator and host Guy Raz with founders and business leaders representing a wide range of industries. Marquee speakers and panelists include Gary Vaynerchuk, Brené Brown, Rashad Robinson and Adam Grant, Cynt Marshall, Sal Khan, Sadie Lincoln, Cathy Hughes, and more. Additional guests will be announced in the months leading up to the Summit.

This year’s Summit has expanded to four days of afternoon programming from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. EDT, starting on May 24th and running through May 27th. The Summit will be hosted on Hopin, a virtual event platform that gives attendees the opportunity to connect with each other in real time. Summit programming will include main stage sessions, where Guy interviews marquee speakers and facilitates panel discussions on today’s rapidly changing business environment. There will also be networking sessions throughout the Summit where attendees will be able to connect with one another for small-group discussions.

“The How I Built This Summit has emerged as a premiere conference for entrepreneurs over the past three years,” says podcast creator and host Guy Raz. “And this year, despite the challenges of going virtual, we’re not missing a beat. This summit will inspire the same innovative energy, community and passion as our previous gatherings—except now even more accessible to more people around the world”

Launched in 2018 the How I Built This Summit continues to be a unique opportunity for current and aspiring entrepreneurs to build connections, exchange ideas and draw inspiration from a variety of powerful stories from leading business owners in the world’s ever-evolving economy.

As part of this year’s Summit, NPR will select a cohort of ten Fellows from across the country. Each Fellow will have the opportunity to compete in NPR’s first pitch competition, the ’How I Built This Fellows Pitch Day,’ to win a grand prize of $50,000. The panel of judges for the ’How I Built This Fellows Pitch Day’ includes Guy Raz, Eric Ryan Founder and CEO of method, Olly, and Welly; Jeni Britton Bauer, Founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams; Melissa Butler Founder and CEO of The Lip Bar; Payal Kadakia, Founder & Executive Chairman of ClassPass; and Tristan Walker, Founder and CEO of Walker & Company.

How I Built This has been recognized by the New York Times, Inc, Fortune and was named one of the ten podcasts that shaped the last decade by Harper’s Bazaar. Raz has also been a featured guest on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon most recently in January 2020 and October of 2020. Guy Raz published his first book last year, How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs and recently published, Wow in the World: The How and Wow of the Human Body: From Your Tongue to Your Toes and All the Guts in Between.

GoDaddy is the presenting sponsor of this year’s How I Built This Summit and Fellows Program.

“We are proud to be a sponsor of the How I Built This Summit and Fellows program to continue GoDaddy’s mission of empowering the everyday entrepreneur,” said Melissa Schneider, VP Global Marketing Operations at GoDaddy. “Our Venture Forward research shows the positive effect ventures have on the overall economy and programs like these provide a unique opportunity to help entrepreneurs access the resources needed to bring their idea to life.”

Dell Technologies is the supporting sponsor of this year’s How I Built This Summit.

Listen to How I Built This on NPR One and wherever podcasts are available.

About NPR

NPR’s rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans every day — on the air, online, and in person. NPR strives to create a more informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and 17 international bureaus, NPR and its Member Stations are never far from where a story is unfolding. Listeners can find NPR by tuning in to their local Member stations (npr.org/stations), and now it’s easy to listen to our stories on smart speaker devices. Ask your smart speaker to play NPR and you’ll be tuned into your local Member station’s live stream. Your speaker can also access NPR podcasts, the NPR One skill, NPR News Now, and the Visual Newscast is available for screened speakers. Get more information at npr.org/about and by following NPR Extra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.