Genius Brands International Introduces Secret Millionaires Club to Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders at Annual Omaha Meeting
Company to Reach Some 40,000 Shareholders Through Its Exhibition
BEVERLY HILLS, CA--(Marketwired - Apr 28, 2014) - Genius Brands International, Inc. ("GBI") (
Genius Brands International's CEO Andy Heyward has a long history of involvement in the annual meeting and for 15 years has produced the opening animated short that kicks off the meeting each year. The productions feature Berkshire Hathaway companies, managers, and directors, as well as icons starring in satirical shorts based on pop culture. Past productions have featured Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Gates, as well as numerous iconic personalities such as the Geico Gecko!
"This marks the first time a non-Berkshire company has been invited to exhibit to its shareholders and we're honored to be part of such a unique event," said Genius Brands International's CEO Andy Heyward. "It's an incredible opportunity to showcase Genius Brands International and the Secret Millionaires Club brand to potential investors, as well as to the large media contingent that attends the event, and we're looking forward to an amazing weekend."
Known to Omaha locals as "Berkshire Weekend," the annual shareholders meeting of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is one of the larger and more unique events in Omaha. Dubbed the "Woodstock of Capitalism," the event typically attracts 40,000 shareholders from around the world as well as a wide variety of media outlets. In addition to the highly anticipated "Warren and Charlie Show" -- Buffett and partner Charlie Munger's marathon Q&A session -- the weekend gathering also includes financial meetings, shareholder dinners, cocktail parties, exhibits from the numerous companies Berkshire owns, local shopping discounts, a company picnic, physical challenges, including a 5K run, and appearances by Buffett himself.
The Genius Brands International exhibition for Secret Millionaires Club will showcase episodes of the Secret Millionaires Club television series, as well as products available from the brand, including:
- Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club -- Business in a Box. This interactive play kit empowers children with everything they need to create their own business venture, be it a car wash or lemonade stand. The kit includes toys, activities and DVDs, as well as a booklet with business tips from Mr. Buffett himself.
- The book Secret Millionaires Club: Warren Buffett's 26 Secrets to Success in the Business of Life by Amy Heyward and Andy Heyward, co-authors and co-executive producers on the animated series. Published by Wiley, the book features all of the same lessons featured in the animated series. Chapters include "Don't Be Afraid to Make Mistakes," "Love What You Do," "Protect Your Reputation," "If You Fail, Try Again," Confidence Comes With Understanding," and many other lessons from Mr. Buffett, which he credits for his own success in life.
- Secret Millionaires Club - DVD Volumes 1 and 2 are comprised of episodes and lessons from the online webisodes and television series.
Secret Millionaires Club, starring an animated Warren Buffett, features a group of kids who have adventures in business. Secret Millionaires Club empowers kids by helping them understand the world they live in, teaching them about the impact their decisions have on their own lives… and encouraging them to have the confidence to be the best they can be. The series airs on the Hub Network.
Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club has also spurred the Grow Your Own Business Challenge, a national competition open to kids 7-14. The competition invites young people to use what they've learned from Secret Millionaires Club to create a new business idea. The contest is sponsored by the Fairholme Foundation to further its mission of improving [financial] education and reaches over 100,000 classrooms and youth organizations with free tools and lessons for teaching good financial habits to youth.
In May 2014, five individuals and three team finalists in the competition will be flown to Omaha, NE to present their winning ideas to Mr. Buffett and a panel of VIP judges. One Grand Prize individual and members of one Grand Prize team will each be awarded $5,000. The finalists will be invited to nominate a teacher who was most inspirational in the process to join them in Omaha and win up to $1,000. For more information, please visit www.SMCkids.com. A new addition to the final event this year is the University of Miami's Launch Pad Entrepreneur Team. The team will host a workshop at the event to offer advice and guidance to the finalists.
About Genius Brands International:
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Genius Brands International (
Led by industry veterans, Andy Heyward and Amy Moynihan Heyward, Genius Brands International includes award-winning Baby Genius, Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club, Gisele Bundchen's Gisele & the Green Team, Martha Stewart's Martha & Friends, Thomas Edison's Secret Lab and Stan Lee Comics, featuring its first movie, Stan Lee's Mighty 7. The Company provides "content with a purpose" for kids of all ages, meaning interactive content that is as entertaining as it is enriching.
Forward Looking Statements:
Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), not limited to Risk Factors relating to its business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
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Released April 28, 2014