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Todd Wagner

Entrepreneur / CEO & Co-Founder of 2929 Entertainment, Founder of FoodFight USA

Los Angeles | New York | Dallas

Todd Wagner

David von Rosen

Todd Wagner’s Biography

Todd Wagner is a serial entrepreneur whose work spans the media, technology, entertainment and charitable spaces.

In 1995, Todd left his role as partner in a law firm to follow his entrepreneurial instincts. With business partner Mark Cuban, he launched Broadcast.com, one of the first platforms to stream live sports, corporate events, and radio/TV stations over the internet. As CEO, he took the company public in 1998 when it set an opening-day record with shares rising 249% from offering to closing. In 1999, Broadcast.com was sold to Yahoo! for $5.7 billion. As a result of Broadcast.com’s success, he gained widespread media recognition, including the cover of The Wall Street Journal, Forbes 400 and Fortune’s 40 Under 40.

In 2000, he started The Todd Wagner Foundation, providing education, technology, and enrichment programs for at-risk children. The foundation launched the MIRACLES technology program and brought KIPP charter schools and After-School All-Stars to North Texas.

Todd co-founded 2929 Entertainment in 2003, vertically integrating a portfolio of companies in content... Todd Wagner is a serial entrepreneur whose work spans the media, technology, entertainment and charitable spaces.

In 1995, Todd left his role as partner in a law firm to follow his entrepreneurial instincts. With business partner Mark Cuban, he launched Broadcast.com, one of the first platforms to stream live sports, corporate events, and radio/TV stations over the internet. As CEO, he took the company public in 1998 when it set an opening-day record with shares rising 249% from offering to closing. In 1999, Broadcast.com was sold to Yahoo! for $5.7 billion. As a result of Broadcast.com’s success, he gained widespread media recognition, including the cover of The Wall Street Journal, Forbes 400 and Fortune’s 40 Under 40.

In 2000, he started The Todd Wagner Foundation, providing education, technology, and enrichment programs for at-risk children. The foundation launched the MIRACLES technology program and brought KIPP charter schools and After-School All-Stars to North Texas.

Todd co-founded 2929 Entertainment in 2003, vertically integrating a portfolio of companies in content production, distribution, and exhibition: 2929 Productions, Magnolia Pictures, AXS TV and Landmark Theatres. Todd has produced or executive-produced over 50 films, including Oscar-nominated 'Good Night, and Good Luck'; 'The Road'; and 'Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room'.

In 2014, he launched the Charity Network, helping thousands of charities raise hundreds of millions for causes around the world through digital fundraising platforms Charitybuzz and Prizeo.

Todd’s latest passion project is FoodFight USA, a multi-faceted, nationwide campaign to clean up America’s tainted food supply. In an early win, Todd was an integral part of the passing of the California Food Safety Act in October 2023.

He continues to invest in innovative concepts, including Content Partners, Pluto TV, Cause Reports, RION, and a Major League Pickleball team. READ MORE VIEW LESS

Todd Wagner’s Newsfeed

'Food, Inc. 2' Review

This movie, directed by Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo, continues where the first one left off, exposing the very unwholesome practices of America’s corporate food concerns, manipulating US citizens to consume that which is not good for them. Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, chronicles how the prosperity and competition among food providers in the 1950s went awry, due to monopolization.

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Associated Press

Makers of ‘Food, Inc’ sequel launch impact campaign around pressing issues

The filmmakers of 'Food, Inc 2' are launching a campaign to create awareness around farm workers' rights, corporate consolidation and overprocessed food following the release of the documentary. Entrepreneur Todd Wagner has said that many people are starting to realize how tainted the U.S. food supply is with many chemicals used in food production in the United States banned in other countries some time ago.

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Todd Wagner’s Background

2929 Entertainment, LLC

CEO and Co-Founder

2003 - Present

Los Angeles, CA, USA

2929 Entertainment is a vertically integrated portfolio of companies encompassing all aspects of the entertainment pipeline: development, production, distribution and exhibition. Current holdings are 2929 Productions, Magnolia Pictures, AXS TV, Spotlight Cinema Networks and CineLife. Numerous 2929 projects have been recognized with industry accolades, including Oscar nominations.

FoodFight USA

Founder

2023 - Present

Los Angeles, CA, USA

FoodFight USA is a national, nonpartisan movement with a mission to clean up America's tainted food supply, working on many levels to get state and federal legislation passed to stop self-regulation by food companies; empower consumers to make informed food choices; and work with American farmers to grow healthier foods that work for them economically and benefit consumers' health.

Magnolia Pictures

Chairman and Owner

2005 - Present

New York, NY, USA

Boasting a library of over 500 titles, Magnolia Pictures is a theatrical and digital distribution company focusing on documentary, independent and select genre films.

2929 Productions

CEO and Owner

2003 - Present

Los Angeles, CA, USA

2929 Productions funds, produces and develops thought-provoking and innovative television projects and feature films for both mainstream and specialized and audiences. Over 25 films have been conceived, produced or financed to date.

Charity Network

Chairman and Founder

2014 - Present

New York, NY, USA

Charity Network, where “Cause Meets Entertainment,” is the parent company of Charitybuzz and Prizeo, both leaders and pioneers in digital fundraising. Charity Network has helped charities raise hundreds of millions of dollars for causes around the world. Charity Network also has an office in Los Angeles.

Cause Reports

Founder

2020 - Present

Dallas, TX, USA

Cause Reports features the first and only investment-style analyst reports providing comprehensive research and rigorous analysis of America’s largest charities by sector. The organization’s goal is to provide tools to help donors make informed giving decisions and charity CEOs pursue their goals more effectively, resulting in greater overall impact for causes around the world.

Roma Fund Investments, LP

Founder

2002 - Present

Dallas, TX, USA

Todd has invested in more than 40 private companies, spanning media, entertainment, technology, healthcare and sports. Roma Fund investments include the Dallas Mavericks, AXS TV, RYOT, Pluto TV, Sharecare, Content Partners, Artists Den Entertainment, Entertainment Data Oracle and William Murray Golf.

Landmark Theatres

Owner

2003 - 2018

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Landmark Theatres is the only national theatre circuit focused on the exhibition of independent and specialized film. Landmark Theatres was purchased in 2003 and sold to Cohen Media Group in 2018.

Broadcast.com

CEO and Co-Founder

1995 - 2000

Dallas, TX, USA

Broadcast.com was a pioneering live-streaming network featuring live sporting events, corporate events and radio shows. After an historic IPO, it was acquired by Yahoo! in 2000. Broadcast.com changed the landscape of entertainment and paved the way for live-streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube.

Hopkins & Sutter

Partner

Dallas, TX, USA

Hopkins & Sutter was a Chicago-based legal practice founded by Harry Sutter and Albert Hopkins. The firm operated from 1921 to 2000 until it merged with Foley & Lardner.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Associate

Dallas, TX, USA

International law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is the largest lobbying firm in the US based on revenue.

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Todd Wagner’s Gallery

Actor Bradley Cooper, co-founder of Broadcast.com Todd Wagner, Kari Wagner and Jennifer Lawrence attends a screening of "Serena" hosted by Magnolia Pictures and the Cinema Society with Dior Beauty on March 21, 2015 in New York City.

bill murray and todd wagner at the caddyshack charity golf tournament

Todd Wagner at the 'Food, Inc. 2' launch

Todd Wagner being interviewed at a film festival conference

Todd Wagner photographed at the 'Food, Inc. 2' screening

Current Board Positions

American Film Institute

Board of Trustees and Board of Directors

Los Angeles, CA, USA

The American Film Institute believes in showcasing film and visual storytelling as an art form that can shape perspectives, promote empathy between people and use entertainment as a uniting culture.

First Tee

Trustee | Campaign for 10 Million Young People

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA

First Tee seeks to raise funds for youth programs in an effort to combat the number of students dropping out of schools in underprivileged communities. Todd Wagner is a national trustee, and his Foundation continues to provide significant support to The First Tee's 'Campaign for 10 Million Young People.'

Previous Board Positions

Tribeca Film Institute

Board of Directors

New York, NY, USA

Tribeca Film Institute recognizes a diverse group of extraordinary filmmakers and media artists and provides them with resources and funding to fully realize their artistic pursuits and connect with audiences.

After-School All-Stars

Board of Directors

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Todd served on the Board of After-School All-Stars for more than a decade after launching the North Texas chapter of the nationwide organization in 2001. Founded in 1992 by Arnold Schwarzenegger, After-School All-Stars encourages the enrichment of children in under-resourced communities.

Philanthropy

Todd Wagner Foundation

Founder

2000 - Present

Dallas, TX, USA

The Todd Wagner Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk children through education, technology and enrichment opportunities. The Foundation is responsible for launching After-School All-Stars and KIPP charter schools in North Texas, as well as the MIRACLES technology program, which was later adopted nationwide by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

First Tee

Supporter and National Trustee

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA

The Todd Wagner Foundation supports The First Tee’s initiative to provide programs and enrichment for young people, particularly from disadvantaged communities, through golf. Todd is a national trustee, and his Foundation continues to provide significant support to The First Tee's 'Campaign for 10 Million Young People.'

KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program)

Founder of KIPP Truth Academy

Dallas, TX, USA

The Foundation has been a major supporter of KIPP since shortly after the Foundation was created. In 2003, the Foundation founded the KIPP TRUTH Academy in the Oak Cliff area of South Dallas. Later, KIPP TRUTH merged with KIPP Dallas to form KIPP Texas, which now consists of 59 schools serving over 31,000 pre-K-12th grade students.

After-School All-Stars

Supporter

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Through his foundation, Todd Wagner launched the Dallas chapter of After-School All-Stars in 2001 and served on the national Board for more than a decade. Founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger, After-School All-Stars encourages the enrichment of children in under-resourced communities.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Past Supporter

Dallas, TX, USA

The Foundation first partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs in 2007 to unite the Foundation’s MIRACLES program with BGCA’s ClubTech technology program. MIRACLES is a comprehensive multi-year program designed to serve young people in center city communities by building technology skills to increase employability, enhancing academic skills to strengthen reading, math and life skills.

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Media

‘Food, Inc. 2’ filmmakers provide plenty to chew on

Roll Call - Political Theater Podcast

Apr 2024

Interview with Robert Kenner & Melissa Robledo, the makers of 2008’s 'Food, Inc.' - they take a look at the food industry, its farmers, workers, scientists, journalists and more in the sequel.

Podcast: Food, Inc. 2: Michael Pollan and Melissa Robledo are Back for Seconds

Eat. Drink. Think Podcast

Apr 2024

Sixteen years after the first film was released, Food, Inc. 2 comes “back for seconds” to reveal how corporate consolidation has gone unchecked, leaving a highly efficient yet shockingly vulnerable food system dedicated to profit over people.

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Features

Charity Network founder Todd Wagner innovates in pursuit of giving back

Interview

Sep 2017

New York, NY, USA

During a conversation with Forbes about Charity Network, Todd said: "Charity Network brings together technology, media and philanthropy to provide nonprofits a more efficient way to generate awareness and engage with a broad base of donors from millennials to baby boomers, through three digital fundraising platforms – Charitybuzz, Prizeo and Chideo."

Dallas billionaire Todd Wagner to nonprofit digital dinosaurs: Click with potential donors or else

Feature Article

May 2017

Dallas, TX, USA

Todd warns nonprofit organizations to utilize the digital space to raise funding, or risk facing a decrease in support. He says: “Technology is a freight train coming down a mountain,” Wagner says. “It is not going to stop. It’s only going to go faster. And either nonprofits embrace it or they get run over by it.”

Click, Tap, Swipe, Give

Feature Article

Apr 2017

Lifestyle Magazine, in an article titled "Click, Tap, Swipe, Give," interviews Todd Wagner, who discusses the inefficiency of traditional fundraising for charities and how Charity Network has been able to tap into the entertainment sector for charitable fundraising.

'Bubble' Vision: With His New Movie, Steven Soderbergh and Co. Hope to Launch a Sweeping Change in the Way Audiences Get to See Films

Featured

Jan 2006

Washington, DC, USA

This article discusses how Steven Soderbergh, along with producing partners Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner, released 'Bubble' simultaneously in theaters, on cable and satellite television and on DVD. The Post called this 'the most visible example of an emerging model that could seismically shift the way Hollywood does business.'

Audionet Scores by Tapping a Mundane Medium

Feature

1998

New York, NY, USA

This featured article raised the profile of Audionet, an innovative internet radio company founded by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban, within the investment community just months prior to the company's name change to Broadcast.com and its history-making IPO.

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Awards & Recognition

The T&C 50: The Top Philanthropists of 2017

Featured

May 2017

New York, NY, USA

Town and Country named Todd as one of the Top 50 Philanthropists of 2017.

Texas Business Hall of Fame

Honoree

2012

Houston, TX, USA

The Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation honors the contributions and achievements of outstanding business leaders in Texas. The Foundation celebrates honorees by perpetuating their personal integrity, entrepreneurial spirit, and community leadership in all generations of Texans. Todd was inducted as a Texas Business Hall of Fame Legend in 2012.

IFP Gotham Awards

Tribute Award

2006

New York, NY, USA

Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban were honored at the annual Gotham Awards in New York with a Tribute Award alongside Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu; Edward Norton; Tim Robbins; and Kate Winslet.

Good Night, and Good Luck

Honoree | Executive Producer

2005

Todd green-lit and executive produced writer-director George Clooney's 'Good Night, and Good Luck' starring David Strathairn. The film grossed more than $30 million at the domestic box office and won many awards, including an Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography, the National Board of Review's Best Film of the Year, and six Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

Honoree | Executive Producer

2005

Todd was executive producer of this film which won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary and was nominated for multiple awards including an Academy Award for Best Documentary, Feature.

Kappa Sigma National Man of the Year

Honoree

2003

Charlottesville, VA, USA

Todd was awarded the Kappa Sigma Man of the Year award in 2003 for his exceptional accomplishments in his field.

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Honoree

1998

Each year, Ernst & Young recognizes the accomplishments of entrepreneurs and honors those who have delivered on their ambitious and innovative goals. In 1998, Todd was recognized for his accomplishments.

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Speaking Engagements

Leverage: How Philanthropies Use New Tools to Create Change

Panel member

May 2017

Beverly Hills, CA, USA

At the Milken Institute Global Conference, Todd Wagner joins an esteemed panel to share creative approaches toward social innovation, showcasing social entrepreneurs who are experimenting with new tools and techniques to affect lasting systemic changes.

How to Build Businesses That Change the World

Featured Speaker

Nov 2016

New York, NY, USA

Todd Wagner spoke at IVY Entrepreneur Night, sharing insights from his career and the changing world of philanthropy in the digital age. He also talked about Broadcast.com, the company he founded with Mark Cuban and eventually sold to Yahoo!, and founding The Charity Network, the parent company to three leading digital fundraising platforms.

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Press Releases

Magnolia Pictures Acquires U.S. Rights To Participants And River Road’s ‘FOOD, INC. 2’

Nov 2023

“The passing of the California Food Safety Act illustrates the timeliness of Robert and Melissa’s documentary,” said Todd Wagner, co-owner of Magnolia Pictures. “People are beginning to pay attention to our tainted, toxic food supply in the US vs. many other countries around the world. We couldn’t be more excited to re-team with our friends at Participant to shine a light on these urgent issues.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda Raises 2 Million Dollars For Charity Through Charity Network Fundraising Platforms

Jul 2016

"The Hamilton campaign is an excellent example of the work the Charity Network can do to help influential and talented celebrities like Lin-Manuel Miranda leverage awareness and raise funds for causes close to their hearts," Todd Wagner, founder and chairman of the Charity Network said.

Investments

Dallas Mavericks

Investor

Dallas, TX, USA

The Dallas Mavericks are an NBA basketball team playing in the Western Conference. Todd owned a stake in the team until its sale in December 2023.

RION

Investor

Founded out of the Mayo Clinic by physicians who are pioneers in Regenerative Medicine, RION is a clinical-stage biotech company with established R&D, manufacturing and clinical application of exosomes across a broad array of applications.

Dallas Flash Pickleball

Investor

Dallas, TX, USA

Dallas Flash Pickleball competes in the Premier Level of Major League Pickleball. MLP features 100 of the top-ranked professional players and some of the most influential team owners in professional sports, with 22 hometown teams competing across two levels - Premier and Challenger.

Pluto TV

Investor

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Pluto TV is a free, advertiser-supported video on demand (AVOD) service. It is owned and operated by ViacomCBS Streaming, a division of ViacomCBS.

Artists Den Entertainment

Investor

New York, NY, USA

Artists Den Entertainment is a music and television series that presents performances from well-known artists in untraditional locations. Notable and prominent artists include Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, Zac Brown Band, John Legend and Shawn Mendes.

Entertainment Data Oracle

Investor

Culver City, CA, USA

Entertainment Data Oracle (EDO) is a data, measurement, and analytics company that helps its clients generate the maximum value from its creative endeavors and investments through its research findings.

William Murray Golf

Investor

Austin, TX, USA

William Murray Golf, founded on the ideals of the Bill Murray and the Murray brothers, is a retail company that produces high-quality, comfortable and fashionable golfing apparel designed with the customer's needs in mind.

Content Partners LLC

Founding Investor and Fmr. Co-Chairman

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Content Partners, LLC, is an asset management company with a focus on media companies in the television, music, film and other entertainment industries.

Global Teaching Project

Founding Investor

Washington, DC, USA

The Global Teaching Project believes that all students should be granted equal access to talented teachers and high-quality classroom instruction. The organization strives to reach this vision by working with under-served schools and communities in order to bring advanced courses and instructors to students.

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Todd Wagner’s Education

University of Virginia

JD

Indiana University

BS