EO Welcomes Mark Cuban as an Honorary Member

Welcome to EO, Mark Cuban.

More than 400 EO members from 19 chapters gathered in Beverly Hills on 22 July as EO Los Angeles welcomed renowned entrepreneur, investor, and television personality Mark Cuban for a conversation on entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, and the future of artificial intelligence in business.

Held at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts as part of EO Rise 2026, the sold-out event featured Mark in conversation with fellow entrepreneur and business partner Falon Fatemi, as well as live Q&A with many EO members present. Hosted by EO Los Angeles Chapter President Andy Cheng, the event brought together members from across the network for a morning of learning and connection.

Mark was joined onstage by fellow entrepreneur and business partner Falon Fatemi.  

Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey from Broadcast.com and ownership of the Dallas Mavericks to his latest venture, Cost Plus Drugs, Mark shared the principles that have long guided his career. He stressed the value of building trust through transparency, and encouraged EO members to challenge assumptions, noting that many of the greatest business opportunities come from solving obvious problems that others overlook.

AI was a central theme throughout the hour-plus discussion. While recognizing its transformative potential, Mark cautioned that implementation is proving more difficult than many expected. Rather than treating AI as a shortcut, he encouraged EO entrepreneurs to use it as a tool for continuous learning, experimentation, and creating greater benefits for customers and employees. “You can always look for ways to innovate, you can always look for ways to improve, and you should,” he told the crowd. “Entrepreneurship is really about continuous iteration, with or without AI."

The morning event ended with a surprise announcement from EO Global Board Director Jennifer Rello, a 13-year member of EO Orange County. On behalf of EO's global leadership, Jennifer presented Mark with honorary, lifetime, global EO membership in recognition of both his generosity in donating his time for the event and his longstanding contributions to the spirit of entrepreneurship. The distinction has been awarded only twice before in EO's 39-year history.

EO member leaders welcomed Mark into our global community. 

Similarly, EO Los Angeles and EO Dallas also welcomed Mark as an honorary member of their local chapters, recognizing the impact he has had on entrepreneurs within and beyond their communities.

We thank Mark, Falon, EO Los Angeles, and all the members who joined from across our global network for a memorable day of learning, connection, and inspiration. Local events like EO Rise continue to create meaningful opportunities for members to learn directly from the founders and innovators who have built, scaled, and reinvented businesses across industries.