Kirill Goryunov is a technology entrepreneur, investor, and classical musician. He is best known as the founder and CEO of HumanIPO, as well as a pioneer and early promoter of the concept of investing directly in people.[2][3]
Kirill Goryunov | |
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| Born | Kirill Goryunov 4 April 1989 (age 35)[1] |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur · Musician |
| Known for | Founder of HumanIPO |
| Website | https://kgoryunov.com |
In the early days of his career, he spent time between music and technology, earning degrees in both fields, and eventually transitioning from a classical musician (operatic baritone) to a technology entrepreneur.
In early 2019, Goryunov proposed the concept of investing in people directly, which eventually became the basis for creating HumanIPO.
Career in music
editGoryunov made his operatic stage debut in 2014 in the title role in Tchaikovsky's opera Eugene Onegin at The Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. In the same year, he performed as Robert in Iolanta, and participated in the premiere of Benjamin Britten's opera Death in Venice with Ian Bostridge and under conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky.[4][5][6] His first international appearance was in 2014 at the Mirjam Helin Singing Competition, where he was the only male singer representing his home country.[7][8] The following year, he performed at the Royal Opera House and Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre.
After graduating from the Moscow Conservatory under the guidance of former Bolshoi Theatre soloist Prof. Vladislav Piavko and Prof. Anatoly Loshak, Goryunov has been trained by and worked with leading artists and conductors such as Plácido Domingo, Vladimir Chernov, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Ian Bostridge, Vladimir Baykov, Franz Grundheber, Galina Pisarenko, Irina Gavrilovici and others.[citation needed]
Goryunov holds multiple international awards and honours, and is a fellow of the Sergey Lemeshev Foundation.[1]
Career in technology
editGoryunov began his tech career in 2011 as a software engineer. After working at several startups, he spent a few years at Google leading experimental projects, including the people graph and new hiring programs.
Investing in people directly
editHe launched HumanIPO in 2020 as the first marketplace for buying, selling, and redeeming shares in creators. Each share is redeemable and represents time with a specific creator. Buyers can hold, sell, or redeem shares to collaborate with the creator. HumanIPO is now used by creators, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, YouTube creators, writers, musicians, and professional athletes.[3]
Reaction in media
editAfter the release of an article by Wired magazine about HumanIPO, active debates emerged in the tech community about whether it represents a revolutionary way to invest in individuals or a new form of indentured servitude.[2] The website received mixed reviews on its Product Hunt page. Some of the reactions were about assigning values to people and potential disparities related to the algorithm suggesting a starting share price.
In August 2021, soccer icon Pelé announced his launch on HumanIPO, which led to another wave of debates about the concept and this model.[3][9][10]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Kirill Goryunov, baritone". MCA Management. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ^ a b Pardes, Arielle. "A Startup Takes 'Investing in People' Literally. Not Everyone Approves". Wired. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
- ^ a b c "A Market for Buying Shares of Creators Finds Its Way". The Information. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
- ^ Holt, Askonas (2013-11-29). "Moscow welcomes Britten". Askonas Holt. Retrieved 2023-08-30.[failed verification]
- ^ Moss, Stephen (2013-12-12). "Glad to be gay: Russia embraces Benjamin Britten's centenary". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-08-30.[failed verification]
- ^ "Britten 100 – Death in Venice performances, including Russian premiere". Faber Music. Retrieved 2023-08-30.[failed verification]
- ^ "Mirjam Helin – laulukilpailu 2014: Kirill Goriunov, baritoni (RUS). Alkukilpailu – Preliminary round". Yle Areena (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-08-30.
- ^ mirjamhelin. "Kirill Goriunov". The Mirjam Helin Blog. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
- ^ Byers, Justin (2021-08-23). "HumanIPO Lets You Buy Shares of Pelé". Front Office Sports. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
- ^ Setti, Rennan (2021-07-27). "O IPO do Pelé em Nova York — ou quase isso". Capital. O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-08-30.