Join us Oct. 15-17 in Phoenix to connect with top media buyers

This story was first reported on, and published by, Digiday sibling WorkLife
Gen Zers are already positioning themselves to be ahead of the next wave of generative AI. And some young professionals, and students, are even quitting their jobs and studies to create AI tech which will help shape the future of work.
Malik Drabla, 24, and Riley Walz, 20, are among them. Drabla recently quit his job at Google to join an AI accelerator program founded and funded by tech entrepreneur Dave Fontenot, and run out of a Victorian mansion, in Alamo Square, San Fransisco. Walz also took a leave of absence during his senior year at Baruch College, to join the program, which has been dubbed the “monastery of hackers.”
Those who apply to this 12-week residency program, called or Hacker Fellowship Zero – or HF0 – get an injection of $250,000 investment in exchange for 2.5% in ownership of their company. The program takes care of everything they need, including food, amenities, and laundry. To get in, interested entrepreneurs can pitch their products in an online application process.
“My friends like to call it the ‘programmer Hype House,’” said Drabla.
To read the full story click here
More in Media

Media Briefing: From blocking to licensing, publishers inch toward leverage with AI
There are new levers for publishers to test in the AI era. While they’re still far from holding the upper hand, compared to a year ago, the outlook no longer looks quite so bleak.

Mitigating ‘Google risk’: The Independent maps four-pillar growth plan for the AI era
The Independent has built its growth strategy around the “blue links risk” and has stopped measuring its success by audience reach.

Advertising Week Briefing: Creators emerge as the industry’s new power brokers
Advertising Week has had creator-focused content tracks in past years, but the rising presence of content creators at this year’s event represents an evolution in how creators are engaging with advertisers, both at industry conferences like Advertising Week and in general.