EVMA Fall Fireside Chat

Mikey Taylor

President and Founder

Commune Capital

Mr. Taylor is the current President and Managing Principle of Commune Capital, a private equity real estate investment firm.

A serial entrepreneur at heart, he first found success with nearly two decades of professional skateboarding. Throughout his career Mr. Taylor held lucrative sponsorship contracts with DC Shoe Co., GoPro Cameras and Alien Workshop. Additionally, he had over 100 signature skateboard decks, 7 pro model shoes and was one of the most recognizable pro skateboarders on the planet.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Mr. Taylor was already thinking about life after skateboarding. What came next was co-founding Saint Archer Brewing Company. This San Diego-based craft beer company and its first-of-its-kind business model led to quick success and multi-million dollar acquisition by MillerCoors Company in 2015.

Since then, Mr. Taylor has been busy, co-founding Sovrn Skateboards, Avni Intelligence (an entrepreneur education platform and podcast) and, most importantly, Commune Capital. Armed with only a high school education, but more than a lifetime of real world experience, Mr. Taylor is committed to assisting the next generation as they define the new American dream.

Born and raised in Southern California, Mr. Taylor resides in Newbury Park with his wife Jen and their two young daughters.

Philippe Kassouf

Mr. Kassouf is an experienced founder with demonstrated track record in the aviation and aerospace industry.  Mr. Kassouf is the founder and chief executive of QED Engineering, a startup aimed at disrupting commercial aerospace.  His prior positions include head of R&D and founding member at Space Exploration Technologies, CTO at Aitech, a global Aerospace and Defense firm and founder of K3C.  Mr. Kassouf earned his BSc and MSc from USC Viterbi school of Engineering and is a frequent guest at global events promoting the intelligent disruption of the status quo. 

Crystal Coser

Bites & Bashes

Crystal Coser began her career in the food industry at the ripe of eight, baking soufflés and crème brûlées for her family’s biweekly dinner parties. Crystal has studied food science with chefs José Andrés and Ferran Adrià in NYC before returning to Los Angeles. She accepted a position at the experiential marketing firm NVE in Hollywood, producing celebrity and corporate events before becoming the Director of Brand Strategy and Creative Director at age 25. During this time, she also accepted a position as the Associate Editor of Eater LA, where she wrote about Los Angeles restaurants for four and a half years.



Crystal left NVE in 2015 to form a new catering business, Bites & Bashes. Bites & Bashes’ clients include Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Nike, Beats by Dre, The Clinton Foundation, Uber, National Geographic, and countless A-list celebrities. Crystal and her mom, Bites & Bashes’ executive chef Julie Coser, opened their first restaurant, Bites & Bashes Café, in Los Angeles in June 2018. Their café was featured by Food & Wine magazine in July 2018.

Rob Stone

Rob Stone, is the founder of a tutoring company, Study Hut Tutoring, in LA that has expanded to 5 locations since opening in 2006 in the South Bay.



Study Hut Tutoring was born from the vision of owners Sean Patrick Burke and Rob Stone, both alumni of Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach. Rob and Sean Patrick imagined building the type of resource that they wished had been accessible to them when they were working through school, and this is precisely what they have achieved. With the help of friends and local braniacs, Study Hut tutoring opened doors in Manhattan Beach in 2006, and has steadily grown since then, now operating four locations in the South Bay, and one location in Newport Beach.



Study Hut cultivates a studious and objective-driven environment, while incorporating a unique take on our local beach culture. Study Hut has had the privilege of helping thousands of local students improve their academic performance and achieve their goals, be them excelling in a specific class, improving their understanding of advanced mathematics, nailing a top score on the SAT/ACT, or achieving acceptance to the university of their choice. As we continue to engage with the young minds of the South Bay, Study Hut feels proud and fortunate to serve our wonderful community.