Kevin Reilly appointed CEO of AI company Kartel
Veteran programming executive Kevin Reilly, an alumnus of NBC, FX, Fox and Turner, has been named CEO of technology company Kartel, which focuses on AI systems designed to serve studios, marketers, brands and other creative industries.
The Los Angeles-based company’s founders include Ben Kusin, an entrepreneur and consultant. He emphasized that Reilly’s extensive experience in broadcast and cable television makes him well-equipped to lead a company focused on building AI tools that can streamline and bring time-saving innovation to key aspects of the content creation process.
“Kevin has always been at the forefront of cultural and technological shifts, from greenlighting genre-defining shows to launching billion-dollar platforms,” Kusin said. “As AI reshapes the way creative work is done, there is no one better to lead Kartel’s mission to scale high-quality content without sacrificing voice or craft.”
Kevin Reilly
Reilly’s three-plus years in senior executive roles, including his 2014-2020 stint as head of Turner’s TBS and TNT and later HBO Max, also means he has the industry connections Kartel needs to market his wares. In 2021, Reilly joined the board of AI dubbing startup Deepdub.
Reilly will be based in Kartel’s Beverly Hills office.
“Kartel is where imagination meets technology – a platform built to help brands move at the speed of culture,” said Reilly. “I have spent my career at the intersection of culture and commerce, nurturing unique voices and scaling valuable brands and IP. Kartel is built to be a trusted partner for brands looking to amplify their unique DNA with AI systems and solutions at scale.”
Reilly’s appointment coincides with Kartel securing additional financing from a group of investors led by Maven Growth Partners with participation from TopRidge Investments and Elevate Partners. Kartel said the capital influx will be used to “accelerate the company’s development of enterprise-scale creative infrastructure and expand its partnerships with global brands and studios.” Cartel (cartel.ai) raised $2 million in seed funding this summer from Fourward Ventures and Connetic Ventures.
Reilly is an early example of what will likely be a trend in the coming years of well-connected TV and film veterans migrating to opportunities in AI, especially as the technology relates to content creation. With sky-high valuations for the biggest AI players like OpenAI and Anthropic, AI is attracting a lot of attention from investors at a time when the ranks of white-collar roles in traditional media are rapidly disappearing.
(Pictured at top: Kevin Reilly in 2019)
