James Del has worked in independent digital publishing since 2008, most recently as the publisher of the creator economy newsletter Passionfru.it. Through his production and management studio, Local Weather, he helps creators, musicians, and journalists turn their content and influence into sustainable businesses.
Before Passionfruit, James served as publisher of Futurism.com, head of media at Singularity University, and Executive Director of Studio@Gawker, Gawker Media’s branded content studio.
His own projects include We’ve Got a Band, a podcast about Phish; Down The Pipes, a Substack about nothing in particular; and the Gravity Blanket, the weighted blanket phenomenon that sparked a global trend.
Behind every breakout artist, songwriter, and producer is a blueprint. In this session, music executives break down what it really takes to go from zero to a million streams. From storytelling and distribution to publishing, touring, and fan discovery, they share the playbook for scaling talent and building sustainable careers in today’s attention economy.
Creativity has become capital. As audiences fragment and distribution democratizes, the next wave of intellectual property is personal. This session explores how today’s content ecosystem is shaped by data-driven insights, cross-border trends, and emerging investment models. Drawing on global perspectives and grounded local cases, the speakers examine how IP is built, valued, and scaled—and what these shifts reveal about the future of ownership, growth, and strategy in the media industry.
Media Advisor, National Media Office
Former Deputy Prime Minister, UK Parliament
Journalist & Moderator, DW
Management Team, Lunar X and Theorist Media
Minister of State, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“One BRIDGE to unite them all. BRIDGE Summit looks to become the largest cross-sector media event in the world.”
“A gateway for knowledge exchange.”
“A summit to BRIDGE the gaps in the global media ecosystem.”
“We are proud to take part in the inaugural edition of BRIDGE Summit.”
“Un pont pour tous les réunir.”
