Ryan Graves constructed Uber into a world platform. Now he’s bringing that very same ambition to Italy’s Adriatic coast.
Ryan Graves, the billionaire entrepreneur who helped launch Uber from a startup into a world transportation platform, has joined the Board of Administrators of the Adriatic Sound Pageant.
The competition takes place at Fano Airport on Italy’s Adriatic shoreline and launched in 2025, quickly establishing itself as one in every of Europe’s most fun new digital music gatherings. The debut version welcomed over 20,000 attendees throughout two phases, mixing Roman heritage with a forward-thinking digital music program headlined by RÜFÜS DU SOL, Richie Hawtin, and Sven Väth, amongst others.
Graves earned his fortune as the primary worker and authentic CEO of Uber, taking part in a central function within the firm’s early operations, launch technique, and worldwide growth, finally serving as Senior Vice President of World Operations. He based Saltwater in 2018, an funding agency centered on capital effectivity and long-term worth.
The appointment alerts a deliberate push by the competition to place itself on the intersection of know-how and tradition. “Saltwater was constructed on a easy perception: as know-how saturates all the things, probably the most helpful experiences would be the ones that ship that means: place, presence, and human connection,” Graves mentioned in a press launch shared with EDM.com. “The Adriatic Sound Pageant is an ideal expression of that. Luca and Robert have created a world-class expertise rooted in Italian historical past and the tradition of digital music, and I’m excited to assist them carry what they’ve constructed to a world stage.”
Adriatic Sound Pageant founder Luca Lewis referred to as Graves “not solely an investor, however a real associate within the imaginative and prescient we’re constructing,” including that the appointment has given the group “large confidence” of their ambition to scale the model worldwide.
Graves joins Brant Cryder, President and CEO of Saint Laurent Americas, on the competition’s board. The second version of the Adriatic Sound Pageant runs June 12-14th, 2026, at Fano Airport in Fano, Italy. This 12 months’s lineup contains Boris Brejcha, ARTBAT, Sven Väth, and extra.
