Charles Porch is bringing a relationship-driven approach to OpenAI, where he joined as vice president of global creative partnerships in March 2026. In an interview with New York Magazine, he described his role as introducing people to new technology, rather than focusing on business development or branding.
“There’s a strategy around making friends,” Porch said. He has spent years arranging dinners and events that bring together people from technology and entertainment, a method he says is about building connections rather than striking deals.
That approach drew attention this year after Porch was identified as the organizer behind a planned dinner at Gwyneth Paltrow’s Hamptons home in honor of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The August gathering was postponed following a public backlash over reports of the event and took place in September at the home of another, unnamed AI enthusiast, according to New York Magazine.
Porch said the online reaction had made the gathering seem bigger than it was, explaining that Paltrow regularly hosts dinners for investors and that Altman was visiting the area. He has previously organized events featuring figures from both the entertainment and technology industries.
His challenge at OpenAI is to help make AI more familiar to people in the creative world. Altman, by contrast, is notably private, with few details publicly known about his personal life. Porch said conversations about AI are changing as people encounter its practical uses, while also suggesting that some who publicly criticize the technology use it privately.
Sources: Page Six.