"The AI revolution isn’t just another shift—it’s the defining transformation of this era, rewriting the rules of business, creativity, and human potential like never before."
Shawn Hardin, REASON
Product innovator, serial entrepreneur, and investor with 25+ years of identifying and commercializing transformative technologies as emerging markets go mainstream.
Areas of Focus
AI & Machine Learning Innovation – Advancing breakthrough AI applications, from automation to intelligent systems.
AI-Powered Media & Creativity – Transforming storytelling, design, and content creation.
Human-AI Collaboration & Future of Work – Enhancing human capabilities, productivity, and decision-making.
AI Ethics, Governance & Responsible Innovation – Ensuring transparent, ethical, and accountable development.
Venture Building & Next-Gen AI Platforms – Scaling AI-first companies and investing in transformative consumer and enterprise applications.
Emerging Intelligent Systems & Smart Technologies – AI’s role in cloud computing, smart hardware, and next-gen platforms.
Professional Background
Shawn has built his career on successfully identifying and commercializing transformative technologies into user-centered products, most recently focusing on artificial intelligence's potential to fundamentally enhance human capability and achievement. His pattern of recognizing and developing products at technological inflection points—from the Internet's emergence through today's AI revolution—has consistently created substantial value for users, partners, and investors.
Currently, Shawn drives AI product innovation across multiple ventures. At Reason Venture Partners, he leads strategic investment in breakthrough machine learning companies, advising portfolio companies on product strategy while backing ventures that are revolutionizing industries through AI-powered automation, infrastructure, and intelligent systems.
As Founder and Product Lead for OnlySky, Shawn built and operates an AI-enhanced media platform that demonstrates the synthesis of human creativity and machine intelligence. With over 2,600,000 readers and listeners who have enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, the platform's content, OnlySky leverages sophisticated ML systems for content development and analytics, NLP-driven customer support, and AI-powered audio creation and podcasts while maintaining editorial excellence across a network of 40+ human authors.
Through Pale Blue Dot Films, Shawn explores AI's creative potential in documentary filmmaking, developing AI-powered workflows that leverage ML-based content analysis and narrative synthesis while preserving authentic human storytelling. In this work, Shawn explores new paradigms that balance AI capabilities with creative human direction.
Throughout his career, Shawn has led product development for multiple venture-backed companies to successful exits. He founded Mind Pirate (IoT/AR platform), which was acquired by Hewlett-Packard's Wearable Group, and served as Product Leader and CEO for Flock (social web browser), which grew to 23M users across 192 countries before its acquisition by Zynga pre-IPO. At Flock, he pioneered real-time digital collaboration, social-driven content discovery, and deep social API integrations—early precursors to modern AI-enhanced user interaction models. His product leadership roles at public companies included leading Yahoo's Games and Youth divisions ($60M P&L, 30M monthly users), co-founding AOL's Broadband product group (grew to 5M subscribers, $1.2B revenue), and serving as Chief Product Officer at NBC Internet during its growth to the 7th most visited web property globally.
As a Distinguished Careers Institute Fellow at Stanford University, Shawn deepened his expertise in emerging technologies and innovation ethics. This academic work, combined with his practical experience implementing AI across multiple product ventures, gives him unique insight into AI's transformative potential and responsible deployment. At OnlySky, he demonstrated this approach by implementing AI product strategies that enhance human creativity while preserving editorial integrity, while also publishing analysis exploring the cultural, social, political, and ethical implications of AI.
Shawn brings a distinctive combination of technical understanding, product vision, creativity, and ethical consideration to his work as a product innovator, operator and investor. His proven ability to bridge technical execution, product development, and business strategy makes him particularly effective at guiding organizations through technological transformation. Based in Silicon Valley, he continues to advance AI product innovation through complementary roles: pioneering AI-enhanced documentary filmmaking, scaling OnlySky's media platform, and deploying strategic capital through Reason Venture Partners. Throughout these endeavors, he remains focused on driving transformative product impact during what he considers the most significant technological inflection point of our era—one that will fundamentally enhance human capability and achievement in the decades ahead.
Board & Advisory Experience
Technology & Innovation
Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute (Global Advisory Board Member) – Provided strategic guidance on national program expansion and emerging technology.
IdeaBOOST (Advisory Board Member) – Supported early-stage startups in media and technology through the Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab.
Mind Pirate (Founder & Chairman) – Led pioneering IoT and wearable tech platform, acquired by HP.
Flock (Chairman) – Developed and scaled the first social web browser, acquired by Zynga.
Media, Digital Transformation & Storytelling
OnlySky (Founder & Chairman) – Leading AI-enhanced media innovation and digital storytelling.
Pale Blue Dot Films/Heathens LLC (Board Member) – Spearheading AI integration for feature-length documentary production, including text/image-to-video/animation
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Board of Directors) – Co-founded the Interactive Media Group and helped establish the Emmy Award for Interactive Programming.
Producers Guild of America (Founding Board Member, New Media Council) – Shaped early digital media initiatives in Hollywood.
American Film Institute (Enhanced TV Program Board Member/Workshop Mentor) – Mentored innovation at the intersection of film and interactive media.
National Public Radio (NPR Online Advisory Board) – Guided NPR’s early digital transformation strategy.
Consumer & Venture Growth
KitchenTown (Board Member) – Supported entrepreneurs in developing and launching impact-driven food tech ventures.
Sahale Snacks (Advisory Board Member & Investor) – Helped scale the brand into the #1 natural trail mix in the U.S. (Acquired by J.M. Smucker).