LAS VEGAS – From Jessica Alba promoting Microsoft’s Windows Phone to Samuel L. Jackson starring in Apple iPhone commercials, Hollywood’s imprint on the consumer electronics scene may be bigger than ever.
A long list of celebrities are pitching gear at CES 2013, including former Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, who will appear at the SOUL Electronics suite at the Venetian Tower, (#31-234) at 9 a.m. on Thursday. The Heisman Trophy winner will be launching a Tebow headset line.
Some celebrities are taking their involvement to the next level and launching companies that might create the next big thing in tech. Grammy Award winner will.i.am is the chairman i.am.plus, a budding tech firm.
A founding shareholder of Beats Electronics, creators of the high-end Beats by Dre headphones, the Black Eyed Peas rapper said he wanted to become an entrepreneur, in part, to show kids that it’s possible.
“I noticed these gaping holes in culture as it relates to young kids not caring about science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” will.i.am said during a panel discussion Tuesday at CES. “I wanted to show them that being an entrepreneur isn’t hard.”
Jeff Jordan, a partner at investment firm Andreessen Horowitz, moderated the panel titled “The Next Generation of Innovators” that included David Lieb, chief executive at Bump Technologies; Cyrus Massoumi, CEO ZocDoc; and Eric Vishria, CEO RockMelt.
It’s no accident that more celebrities are at CES. It’s a trend that will continue to surge, as actors, musicians and others figure out they can make more money by creating the gadget rather than just endorsing it, said will.i.am.
Will.i.am said he it took him less than a year to develop an iPhone case that turns the device into a high-end, 14 megapixel camera. The case was released in late 2012.
Asked whether it’s a good time to be building companies, he said: “Hell yea it’s a good time to be an entrepreneur. I don’t want to be a rapper no more.”
