Charlie Silver is an entrepreneur with a diverse background spanning tech, media, and finance. He’s the founder and CEO of Permission, a company focused on transforming data ownership. Before this, Charlie launched several successful startups, including the permission marketing company RealAge, which grew to 60 million users and was eventually acquired by Hearst. He also co-founded Onramp Invest, Blockforce Capital, and Reality Shares, helping bring seven ETFs to the public market, including the first Blockchain equity ETF. His career path has taken him through politics, health and wellness, and now AI, always driven by a blend of personal values and innovation.
In this episode, Charlie talks about why high-quality, permissioned data is crucial for the next wave of AI development. He explains how AI is only as good as the data it learns from, likening it to cooking: great AI needs premium, consciously provided information. His company, Permission, aims to give people control and compensation for their own data, creating a more trustworthy and ethical system for businesses and users alike. He also touches on the challenges AI faces with scraped or bot-generated data, the importance of regulation around data privacy, and his optimistic view of a future where humans and AI work together with respect for individual rights. Along the way, Charlie shares insights about following your values in your career and building meaningful work rather than just chasing money.
