Creative Innovators with Gigi Johnson

We have the pleasure of sharing the adventures of Saraswathi “Vani” Balgam -- from pioneering visual effects in India to founding her studio, Dancing Atoms, and mentoring future talents. From her early beginnings in the visual effects industry in India, Vani's drive and curiosity propelled her into careers at Rhythm & Hues and DreamWorks. Vani founded Dancing Atoms, a boutique studio that focuses on representing India and Southeast Asia, with a vision for bringing culturally unique content to a global audience.Join us as she shares her adventures in trust and transitions from visual effects to documentary filmmaking and children’s programming -- and building women’s creative leadership opportunities like the Woman Creators Program in collaboration with Epic Games. Guest: Saraswathi “Vani” Balgam, CEO/Creative Director, Dancing Atoms; Creative producer, Creator and Consultant; Head of the Women in Animation (WIA) India Collective, President of ASIFA India and founder of Epic’s Women Creators ProgramGuest: Saraswathi “Vani” Balgam, CEO/Creative Director, Dancing Atoms; Creative producer, Creator, and Consultant; Head of the Women in Animation (WIA) India Collective, President Emeritus of ASIFA India, and founder of Epic’s Women Creators Program Saraswathi ‘Vani’ Balgam is an Indian-born writer, director, self-taught photographer, and filmmaker. Her Indian and Southeast Asian cultural heritage and her experiences and memories from being an avid global traveler help her portray common humanity and unique journeys within her characters and stories. Her exposure to the film industry started at a young age when her father started a 2D animation studio within their family home, intending to create films that involved rich Indian culture and heritage for a global audience. This foundation of creativity is from her father, as well as her mother who is also vividly creative. While Vani started her career as a business development executive for CMM Studios Limited in Mumbai, India, she slowly rose through the ranks within the Southeast Asian film scene and was appointed as Executive Director and Founder of the Rhythm and Hues Asian Studios. While executive director, she managed employees across four studios in Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Taiwan which produced VFX for many major Hollywood films, such as ‘Life of Pi’, and ‘The Golden Compass’, which each won Rhythm and Hues Studios the Academy Awards for Best VFX in 2013 and 2008 respectively. Vani also served as the Head of Creative Management and Training for Dreamworks Studios in Shanghai, China. Vani founded Dancing Atoms Studio in 2015 to create amazing stories with unforgettable and different characters. She actively encourages community development all around the world. She is currently the president of Women in Animation - India Collective. She was also the president of Asifa India, a non-profit organization that has been dedicated to the art of animation for over two decades. Vani has been a mentor for several Epic Games Unreal Engine Fellowships programs and has produced over 120+ short films. Vani coined the Unreal Epic Games Women Creators Program for India & SE Asia intending to inspire and train women creators and form a community of creators. She was also the Creative Program Director of the UEFN Women Creators Program.Links:Dancing Atoms: https://www.dancingatoms.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancingatoms1/ Vani on LinkedIn: 

I'm joined by the multitalented Mark Brymer, a creative entrepreneur with hands-on expertise in turning musical concepts into spectacular shows.  Mark brings a wealth of experience — from arranging a vast collection (400,000) of choral pieces with Hal Leonard to producing dazzling shows in theme parks. We’ll get a deeper look at his journey from high school passion to creating WOW! Entertainment and its creative team. Alongside his success, Mark's story is one of adaptation, learning, and consistent building.  Guest: Mark Brymer, President, Wow! EntertainmentWorking in New York City, Los Angeles, and Dallas, turnkey producer Mark Brymer has carved out a singular profile as the man who can arrange almost anything in entertainment. In his successful, decades-long career, the music producer, theatrical producer, author, arranger, orchestrator, and composer has stayed relevant and kept busy in the ever-shifting entertainment industry by seeing change as an opportunity for growth.Most recently, when Six Flags Entertainment Corporation became interested in the explosion of immersive/in-person experiences, they called Mark. Now, he’s premiering bringing the captivating Halloween experience, Dr. H.H. Holmes' FREAKSHOW at the Six Flags Over Texas theme park. Mark’s groundbreaking Dr. H.H. Holmes' FREAKSHOW promises to raise the bar for theme park theatrical productions by employing Broadway talent in the production.Over the years, Mark has parlayed his gifts as a musical arranger and composer into a vastly varied career in the entertainment industry. He is a global trailblazer in both the children’s music education and entertainment industries with such clients as McGraw-Hill, Disney, Warner Bros., Hal Leonard, Music Theater International, and Rhino Records. Mark co-wrote and produced the title song, “Digga Digga Dog,” for Disney Film Studios’ 102 Dalmatians, starring Glen Close. He’s written and produced over 150 live production musical shows for Six Flags theme parks. In addition, he’s written, produced, and mixed scores for the dinner/arena attractions Pirate’s Voyage and Dolly Parton’s Stampede. Since 1995, Mark has headed up the full-service music and live theatrical show production company, WOW! Entertainment, Inc.The through line in Mark’s diversely-accomplished career is his passion for family-oriented entertainment. It’s a path he stumbled upon after discovering as a college piano major that he loved arranging, and he embraced the full spectrum of arranging and performing opportunities that came his way. Eventually, Mark landed a gig playing piano at theme parks, and this led to a myriad of opportunities in the theme park theatrical space. To steady his income while working in the mercurial world of theme park productions, Mark made inroads in the choral market. He became an exclusive staff choral arranger for Hal Leonard in 1983.Links: info@wowentertainment.nethttps://www.markbrymer.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-brymer-b22411170/Hal Leonard: https://www.halleonard.com/biography/102/mark-brymer

Today's guest is a true pioneer in the burgeoning field of virtual reality theater: Deirdre V. Lyons.  She'll share her groundbreaking work in VR at the Ferryman Collective, such as her innovative productions like "Welcome to Respite" and "Gumball Dreams," and discuss the intricacies of producing entertainment ranging from films to webisodes.  Deirdre shares the challenges of onboarding audiences to VR experiences and the quest for viable business models in the VR space. Deirdre also delves into her collaborative efforts with universities to demonstrate the potential of VR in theater and discusses her participation in festival circuits.Guest: Deidre V. Lyons, Co-Founder, Producer, Director, Writer, Performer, Ferryman CollectiveDeirdre Lyons has been in over 75 Film and Theatrical productions throughout the West Coast. In L.A., she formed T.H. Espian Productions with her partner Stephen Butchko. Their first production was the Los Angeles premiere of Escher's Hands, a dramatic work by Dawson Nichols that played for a six-week run at the Lillian Theater. The two went on to produce and perform in the award-winning short film Katrina; a web series called The Fantasy State; a documentary; and the critically acclaimed short film Good Behavior, which won Best Short Film at the Temecula Film Festival.In 2016 she began working with immersive theater productions, she was part of the original cast of JFI Productions’ The Willows, which enjoyed three remounts due to its popularity. Other immersive projects include the JFI Productions’ Creep LA shows Entry, Lore, Awake, Haus of Creep, and Creep (2021). She was the “Lost Princess” in the final chapter of Speakeasy Societies Kansas Collection, and with a Spy Brunch weekend event entitled Cold War Lounge: the asset. Deirdre has participated in multiple activations, including one-night launch events for the movies Ma, Birds of Prey, and The Conjuring 3. She appeared at Comic-Con promoting Sacred Lies and AHS 1984. And was cast in Tyra Banks’ immersive world Model Land.  Her Virtual Reality work began when The Willows was filmed and released as a 180 VR film on the Amaze app available through Steam, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, Samsung Gear VR, Windows Mixed Reality (WMR), Viveport, and Google Daydream. She also appeared in Freakin’ Weekend, another 180 VR film from Amaze Productions. In 2019 she joined the ensemble cast of The Under Presents, a time and mind-bending immersive theater experience in VR that was selected as a finalist for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Media, and won the VR Awards Experience of the Year. She was Prospera in a Shakespearean production from the same studio, Tender Claws, called The Under Presents: Tempest, a theatrical and technological first: a live, part scripted/part improvised, immersive theatrical experience that audiences attend from home, using a virtual reality headset that is experienced as a one-person show to small intimate audiences.She then started producing live VR immersive theater experiences with a group of creatives that formed Ferryman Collective, including her husband Stephen Butchko, starting PARA and Krampusnacht, the latter a finalist for the PGA Innovation Award, and The Severance Theory: Welcome to Respite which premiered at Tribeca, went on to be an Official Selection of the 78th Venice International Film Festival, the Kaohsiung Film Festival, Anny Fest, Church of VR and is the winner of ‘Best Narrative Experience’ at London’s Raindance Film Festival, winner of XR Must ‘Best Live Experience,’ winner of 'Best ixi Experience' from Giioii as well as an ‘Immie’ for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Live Virtual Reality Production’ and a finalist for the 2022 PGA Innovation Award. It

In this conversation, we are joined by a long-time innovator and entrepreneur in talent management — Harry Abrams. At the venerable age of 88, Harry reflects on a career where passion eclipsed paychecks, taking a step into adventure from lawnmower manufacturing in Indiana and instead taking a gutsy $40/week step into the glitz and competitiveness of Hollywood talent agencies.After saying no to the storied William Morris Agency and yes to the illustrious MCA, Harry's journey has been anything but ordinary. Abrams not only grew his company to over 150 employees but also prided himself on nurturing the next generation of industry leaders. Our conversation traverses his pursuit of new territories in technology and social media, as well as insights into business risks and creating your own competition. We'll explore how Abrams has not only been a talent agent and business leader, but also an author, an arts community supporter, and a link to creative arts in LA and New York.Guest: Harry Abrams, Founder and Past President/Chief Executive Officer, Abrams Artists AgencyAfter graduating with a B.S. in Business Administration from UCLA, in 1957, he worked in Indiana for a company that sold lawnmowers. In 1958, he joined MCA Artists, which was then a talent agency. Mr. Abrams started at an entry-level position in the mailroom of MCA for forty dollars a week and rose quickly to become an administrative assistant in its television department. He was promoted to become an agent in the television department and remained at MCA until 1962, when the company was forced to divest itself of its talent agency division due to an anti-trust action against MCA's parent company. It was at this time that Mr. Abrams and Noel Rubaloff decided to start their own specialized talent agency named Abrams-Rubaloff & Associates in Los Angeles.  Intrigued by the rich theatrical environment of New York City, Abrams opened a branch of the agency on the East Coast in 1966. The success of Abrams-Rubaloff & Associates propelled him to establish Abrams Artists Agency, a full-service agency catering to motion pictures, television, literary works, theater productions, and commercials. Through the years, Abrams discovered and nurtured countless talents, showcasing his keen eye for spotting promising actors and performers. Notable names who have benefitted from Abrams' expertise include Jennifer Lopez, Kerry Washington, Liam Neeson, Sterling K. Brown, and Katie Holmes, among many others.After selling Abrams Artists Agency in 2018, Abrams co-wrote with Rod Thorn his memoir and business book, "Let’s Do Launch: A Hollywood Agent Dishes on How to Make Your Business and Career Take Off'.Recognized as one of "The 500 Most Influential People in Los Angeles" in 2016 and 2017 by The Los Angeles Business Journal, Harry Abrams continues to actively contribute to the arts community, serving on the Board of Directors of prestigious organizations such as The Center Theatre Group and The Los Angeles Fraternity of Friends.Links of Note:Let’s Do Launch: A Hollywood Agent Dishes on How to Make Your Business and Career Take Off": https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Do-Launch-Hollywood-Business/dp/1899694129Abrams Artists Agency (now A3 Artists Agency): www.linkedin.com/company/a3-artists-agency and https://www.a3artistsagency.com

Mike Butera has gone on some intriguing journeys, connecting music performance passions, philosophy and sound studies, and tech in creating new musical instruments for regular people to get into music. He shares his path to launching Artiphon after years in academic circles, ways he learned how to market new devices and thrive with Kickstarter, and how the adventure is going so far as they get ready to release the Chorda in late 2023. Guest: Dr. Mike Butera, Founder & CEO, ArtiphonDr. Mike Butera is the founder & CEO of Artiphon, a music tech company designing smart instruments that anyone can play. Mike received his Ph.D. in Sound Studies from Virginia Tech and was a professor of Sociology and Philosophy for 6 years. Prior to founding Artiphon, Mike was a consumer electronics product designer, a touring musician, and a public speaker in music & technology. What are you most passionate about with your current work? : Inspiring people to be musical for just a minute every day!Links:https://artiphon.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebutera/https://www.facebook.com/Artiphon

Jason Kramer shares his journey to being an EMT during the AIDS Epidemic, LA Riots, and Northridge Earthquake to Fox Sports to KLOS and KCRW. He talks about the magic of Sunday nights, how he created and drove his own luck through persistent work, asking for opportunities, and taking on new challenges. He shares a bit of his experience being present during the inception of Billie Eilish, including being in the opening scene of her documentary and playing himself in three movies. Jason discusses his various creative pursuits, including photography, directing videos, and teaching.Guest: Jason Kramer, KCRW DJ, Music Supervisor, Photographer, and EducatorFor the last 20 years, Jason Kramer has been in the field of music and radio. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Kramer worked as an EMT during the late 80s and early 90s; and through the 1992 Los Angeles riots. After changing his career as a medic in the hard streets of LA for ten years, he decided to work in radio starting in 1992 on KLOS, screening calls for the widely popular "Seventh Day." From that point on, Jason realized that music and radio were his calling.During his transition, he started off with a stint working with SoCal favorites Sublime and their label Skunk Records. In 1996, he moved on to Fox Sports TV as their full-time music supervisor for 6 years, leading him to become a show producer on Fox Sports Radio. He has also worked in various other aspects of music including management, radio DJ, publishing, creative consulting, music photography, education, and as a music supervisor. Jason started off as a KCRW volunteer in the mid-90s and has been on air since 1997 during a show called The Lab. You can hear Jason on his weekly show on Sunday nights on KCRW and KCRW.com, and can be found playing himself on several films and TV shows in the past few years. Links:KCRW: https://www.kcrw.com/music/shows/jason-kramerX: https://twitter.com/kcrwkramerIMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2625239/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_KramerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jason.kramer.37LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/liquidcourage/

Dominique Wu is a real leader in bringing together education and VR for regular people. She's created the XReality Pro program. She'll talk about what it's like to be an immigrant in the United States as a creative, a different story than we've had a lot of guests share. And she'll also talk about how an early out-of-body experience in some ways set the table for her to come into the virtual reality space and why she's so passionate about it. Sign up for XReality Prof if you'd like to connect with other people who are doing amazing things in VR.Guest: Dominique Wu, Founder, XReality ProWith over a decade of UX design experience for 3D spaces, I am the founder of Hummingbirdsday Design Studio and XReality Pro (xrealitypro.com), where I create immersive and engaging XR solutions for various industries and domains. As an XR specialist, I have expertise in developing VR Unity prototypes, designing XR user interfaces and interactions, and conducting XR user research and testing. As an XR education innovator and leader, I also run the XReality group on Meetup.com, host events for XR industry leaders and enthusiasts, and speak at notable conferences and universities. Through XReality Academy, I educate and mentor aspiring and experienced XR designers on XR experience design and prototype curriculums. My passion is to explore the possibilities and potentials of XR and to empower others to do the same.What are you most passionate about with your current work? : Empowering 1 Billion XR Creators into Spatial ComputingLinks:https://xrealitypro.com/http://hummingbirdsday.com/https://www.meetup.com/pro/xreality-academy/https://discord.gg/KxtQrnd8cXhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/xrealitypro/https://www.instagram.com/xrealitypro/https://twitter.com/xreality_pro

Peter Kiesewalter creates at the divergent edge -- at the intersection of art and science. In this case, he's working at the edge of ecology and biology along with music and location-based entertainment with The Moth Project. It's a live experience in beautiful places with the stories of moths and their lives to music. Over his varied career in music, he has worked to keep evolving . . . from clarinet to klezmer to ABC News music to all sorts of arranging and composing. He shares his journey and invites us to think more expansively about what it means to create music, take risks, and grow over time in a creative career.Guest: Peter Kiesewalter, Artist and Instrumentalist, The Moth ProjectPeter Kiesewalter studied clarinet and saxophone performance at Ottawa University. He moved to New York City in 1997 and has worked as a touring/recording musician, composer, arranger, Music Director, and producer ever since, most notably with his East Village Opera Company project which signed to Decca/Universal in 2005, garnered much acclaim (“highbrow and brilliant” – New York Magazine Approval Matrix) and a GRAMMY nomination for their modernist take on classic Opera repertoire. He splits his time between Brooklyn with his three children and an upstate NY 18th-century farmhouse that he bought and renovated with his partner Whitney La Grange.What are you most passionate about with your current work? : The message that the simple act of "paying attention" to the natural world can have a profound impact on our planet.Links:The Moth Project - https://www.mothprojectlive.comLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-kiesewalter-062a7a8East Village Opera Company - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063550578140Find The Show at our Website and on Your Favorite PlayersApple Podcasts SpotifyGoogle PodcastsYouTubeAmazon MusicOvercastWant to be a guest? Enjoy more information at this link. 

Isaac Saldana leans on two core values: asking the right questions and humility. Along with a good friend, he launched several companies. And several failed -- until he launched SendGrid in 2009. After learning to hire up with strong CEOs, the company went public in 2018. Since then, he has gotten an Executive MBA, launched Joy Labs, and now is a few years into Memo, which launches with its first 200 users soon. He shares his stories of discovery of his passion through a nudge from his high school guidance counselor and all that he has learned along the way.Guest: Isaac Saldana, CEO, MemoIsaac Saldana is an impressive entrepreneur who co-founded SendGrid—a venture acquired for $3 billion in 2018. He is passionate about discussing some unique challenges he had to overcome in order to find success as an entrepreneur, and his advice for others who are dealing with the same issues. Born in the U.S. but raised in Mexico from a young age, Isaac possessed all the traits that could have made him a natural leader - intelligent, decisive, creative - but he struggled with shyness, introversion, and the complexities of self-promotion, which made building a personal brand an uphill battle. Isaac's immigrant background also meant that he had to confront these challenges without a safety net. This led him to experience firsthand the common struggles faced by countless entrepreneurs and creatives: not knowing how to effectively showcase their talents, lacking the time and resources to navigate the intricacies of personal branding, and feeling that their natural personalities may not fit the mold of traditional influencers. Despite these challenges, Isaac excelled academically and was able to find success, but his story sheds light on an intriguing aspect of entrepreneurship—the current methods of personal branding don't work for everyone, resulting in exceptional individuals like him remaining relatively unknown, even to this day. Now he’s determined to address this issue with his next venture and find a way to level the playing field for those facing similar struggles. By tackling the barriers of knowledge, time, resources, and natural charisma that often hinder self-promotion, his goal is to help entrepreneurs and creatives who truly deserve recognition navigate the obstacles of personal branding and empower them to leverage their unique talents and expertise.Mentioned Links:Memo.comRich Dad, Poor Dad Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach TheirKids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! Contact: Jon Bleicher, jon@prospectpr.comPhoto Credit: Juan Carlos ArianoAbout Creative Innovators PodcastIn the Creative Innovators podcast, innovators and creators share stories of how they create and reimagine.In each episode, host and change agent Gigi Johnson interviews a different changemaker from a wide range of industries, including creative industries, software, education, sciences, and social innovation. The guests share their stories of how they became passionate about innovation and how they have transformed their businesses and communities.Https://creativeinnovatorspodcast.com

Some guests have a LOT of gumption and energy to create new. Miki is releasing her first album now. But over time, she has launched new companies and created new spaces. Some of the road has been bumpy and some has developed whole new categories that help people's lives. Guest: Miki Agrawal, Co-founder and former CEO of THINX and founder of TUSHY and WILD Miki Agrawal is a serial entrepreneur, social innovator, and author. Renowned for her disruptive ventures in taboo categories, Agrawal challenges the status quo and drives cultural change. She is the founder of acclaimed social enterprises TUSHY, THINX, and WILD. Agrawal is also the author of the best-selling books 'Do Cool Sh*t' and 'Disrupt-Her.' Her innovative approach and impact on business and culture have earned her recognition as one of Fast Company's "Most Creative People" and a "Young Global Leader" by the World Economic Forum. Agrawal's ventures have been featured in prominent media outlets, and she is a sought-after speaker on entrepreneurship and creative marketing. What are you most passionate about with your current work? Music has become a potent outlet for me during my transition out of my marriage. It allowed me to express my deepest yearnings, desires, frustrations, and realizations about love. Collaborating with Happie Hoffman and Gene Evaro Jr. was an incredible journey of trust and vulnerability. We explored the fusion of dance music and heartfelt lyrics to create an album that shifts energy and promotes healing. Links: Her new album: "It All Exists" by Soul Gaze - https://open.spotify.com/album/5QEuZWv6WTXrtWAJDp6xtS TUSHY Bidets - https://hellotushy.com/ Thinx Period Underwear - https://www.thinx.com/ WILD 100% gluten-free Italian restaurant - http://eatdrinkwildbk.com/ Book, "Do Cool Sh*t: Quit Your Day Job, Start Your Own Business & Live Happily Ever After" (2013)- https://www.amazon.com/Do-Cool-Sh-Business-Happily/dp/0062366858 Book, "Disrupt-Her: A Manifesto for the Modern Woman" (2019) - https://www.amazon.com/Disrupt-Her-Manifesto-Modern-Miki-Agrawal-ebook/dp/B079P32W22 Medium: https://medium.com/@mikiagrawal Contact: Jon Bleicher, jon@prospectpr.com About Creative Innovators Podcast In the Creative Innovators podcast, innovators and creators share stories of how they create and reimagine. In each episode, host and change agent Gigi Johnson interviews a different changemaker from a wide range of industries, including creative industries, software, education, sciences, and social innovation. The guests share their stories of how they became passionate about innovation and how they have transformed their businesses and communities. Https://creativeinnovatorspodcast.com

"I had no idea what I was doing."  Mark Harper shares his story of going from ROTC to Combat Camera (leading teams of combat photographers) to Technicolor to high-end headphones to joining a startup military channel. He talked about each time where he sought out creative opportunities, the advice given to him by Sargeant Logan from his hometown (whom he will be seeing next time he returns to Upstate New York). Guest: Mark Harper, CEO, We Are the Mighty; General Manager, Military & Defense, Recurrent Ventures Mark Harper is the General Manager of Recurrent’s Military vertical. He is responsible for all editorial and business operations of Task & Purpose, We Are The Mighty, and The War Zone, as well the industry-leading military events from MilSpouseFest and Military Influencer Conference.   Previously, Mark was CEO of We Are The Mighty (WATM) and joined Recurrent upon their acquisition of the brand. During his tenure at WATM, he built out content strategy and executive produced hundreds of hours of videos for brand partners, with an Emmy Award for “Songs of Service” for the U.S. Army. He joined WATM for the launch of the company in 2014.   Mark is a former Captain and veteran of the U.S. Air Force. After commissioning through ROTC from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he spent most of his Air Force career with the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, deploying twice while leading combat-ready photojournalists around the globe. After leaving the military, he held numerous positions in the entertainment industry, including for Paramount Pictures and Technicolor. Mark earned his MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.   Mark lives near Joshua Tree National Park with his Marine veteran wife Natasha and is an active member of the Television Academy (Emmys).   What are you most passionate about with your current work? : Continuing to service our extended military community. Mentioned Links We Are the Mighty: www.wearethemighty.com Task and Purpose: www.taskandpurpose.com The War Zone: www.thewarzone.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/markharper147 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markharper147/

Mike Polis started and ended with animation and graphic novels and cool creative content. In between, he has run marketing for Yo Gabba Gabba, Jim Henson, and other adventures. Mike shares his stories of how he moved from desktop publishing after college to food marketing, to DVDs for Universal Studios, and into adventures with Kermit and other creative projects. He brings us to his present day, where he runs two types of organizations -- one producing with creative brands and one now working with next-generation low-energy rendering systems. His stories are ones of finding unique opportunities from other people offering him a change in direction -- and being ready to say yes to something new. Guest: Michael R. Polis, CEO – Creator - Executive Producer, Atomic Toybox Entertainment, Inc.; Wild Hair Media - President; XetaOne - PartnerMichael Polis is an American producer, writer, and creator, of Puerto Rican descent, with a focus on science-fiction, fantasy, and family spaces. His specialty is in developing and creating intellectual property for television and film with a clear path to becoming entertainment brands realized in publishing, games, and consumer products.Nominated for 4 Emmy Awards, he has developed and produced award-winning content for film (Mirrormask), television (Yo Gabba Gabba!, Kermit’s Swamp Years) live entertainment (Bear in the Big Blue House), and digital media (UMIGO) in addition to managing content development, and production for some of the world’s most celebrated brands and companies including Universal Studios, HBO, Baby Einstein, Nickelodeon, Disney, and The Jim Henson Company.He also has extensive experience in digital and social media through Wild Hair Media, his digital media agency, and is a co-founder of Xeta One, a revolutionary technology company delivering the fastest, most compact, and energy-efficient servers on the planet.Polis heads up his own independent production company, Atomic Toybox Entertainment, and is currently engaged with multiple projects with world-class partners including Ridley Scott’s, Scott Free Productions for a prime-time television series, a Halloween special with Bix Pix Entertainment, in addition to a distribution deal with international distributor Cake for an original property developed by Atomic.In addition, Michael has acquired various intellectual properties including Captain Action, a world-renowned toy and collectible property, in addition to multiple properties from the former Fuel Entertainment library including content based on the toy line Chub City, the iTunes app BrOddcast and Sideway, the PlayStation network video game. He has also acquired film rights to reboot the “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” film franchise.Polis is also currently President of Wild Hair Media, a leading social media company that directs digital and social strategy for world-renowned brands, entertainers, musicians, and athletes principally on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Since Polis joined Wild Hair in 2014, the multi-million-dollar company has experienced a 3X growth in top-line revenue and 2 X EBITA.Polis is the creator and Executive Producer of UMIGO – a cutting-edge transmedia property designed to teach today’s generation of digitally savvy children aged 5-8 years old math and literacy skills. Under Polis’ direction, the project was awarded a multi-year grant with the U.S. Department of Education for thirty-two million dollars.Prior to 2013, Polis was CEO of Wildbrain Entertainment and EVP, of Branded Entertainment & Consumer Products at DHX Media. In addition to overseeing global development, production, distribution & digital operations for Wildbrain Entertainment, he led DHX Media’s international licensing activities. He also served as...

From photography to musician websites to Flash to now AR, Lafiya Watson Ramirez combines visual and experience creation with storytelling.  She tells her own story about how she moved from photography to web and interactive design into being inspired by Pokemon Go to pursue Augmented Reality (AR) through Snap Studios and a residency there.  She shares some of her projects and her ideas for future projects. Guest: Multidisciplinary artist Lafiya Watson Ramirez Lafiya Watson Ramirez is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in AR development, web development, graphic design, and photography. Her strength lies in combining her array of skills to produce unique digital content.    Over the years, Lafiya has created websites for musicians, artists, and non-profit organizations. Her photographs of musicians have been featured on billboards, various publications, and television programs including on BET and PBS NewsHour. For eight years, Lafiya worked as the Coordinator of Electronic Media at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts.    She returned to freelancing in 2019 to pursue her latest passion, Augmented Reality. She was part of an artist residency program at Snapchat in 2020 and has since become a verified Snapchat developer. Lafiya has been a part of a few hackathons including MIT Reality Hack, 5th Wall Forum, and the Musical Theatre Factory XR Garage experience. She has also developed AR filters for clients, most notably for The Museum of the City of New York. Most recently, she worked on a proof of concept with artist and choreographer Koryn Wicks for a location based AR walk through LA’s Cobb Estate. Lafiya’s main focus is on creating engaging and interactive storytelling games and experiences, especially for use with wearable devices. Mentioned Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/badchickstudios @Spectacles showcase: https://twitter.com/Spectacles/status/1538515192249720833 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badchickstudios/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lafiyawatson/  Bad Chick Studios: https://badchickstudios.com  Emily Wapnick, https://www.emiliewapnick.com/ TEDxBend: https://www.ted.com/talks/emilie_wapnick_why_some_of_us_don_t_have_one_true_calling  Big Magic: https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/books/big-magic/  Wikitude:

We are in post-production on new episodes, so our host, Gigi Johnson, shared a story about "Postcards" and Postcard Moments that has come up in prior episodes and in many recent conversations. She shares how a single postcard created a pivot that changed her direction when a TA offered the suggestion that she apply for USC Film School after a single class. She challenges us to explore "postcards" in our lives -- both given and offered. She also suggests that postcards are all over past episodes, which we'll call out with additional content in the future.Mentioned:Happenstance Theory - Krumboltz, J. D. (2009). The Happenstance Learning Theory. Journal of Career Assessment, 17, 135-154. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1069072708328861Example article: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/careers/2019/04/30/how-planned-happenstance-can-help-your-career/

Bruno shares his saga from playing the drums and enjoying international music, mixing songs and culture from Tunisia, France, and LA. Those facets led to studying at UCLA Ethnomusicology, becoming a DJ at KCRW, and building a record label in his living room. He shared work in place-based music and compilation records, in building the sonic architecture of hotels, vacations, and clothing brands -- creating soundtracks to vacations and lifestyles. His own independent label became his inspiration to work to streamlining the complexity of running a music label. His work in Filemaker Pro and Salesforce for his own company became the early stages of the 2015 go-to-market for Revelator. He became a “product guy,” helping labels in many regions with streaming music processing and accelerating catalog valuation and fractionalization processes. We closed with discussions from Web3 -- moving from an information-based to a value-based Internet -- and new types of marketplaces and tokenized economies that will go beyond what artists can do today. Guest: Bruno Guez, Founder and CEO, Revelator Founder of Revelator, and a former Director on the Board of Merlin Network, the leading music rights agency, Bruno Guez brings over twenty-five years of experience as a seasoned digital music executive working with Chris Blackwell’ Island Records and Guy Laliberte’s Cirque du Soleil. With a strong vision to retool the creative industry, Bruno saw the opportunity to provide a game-changing technology platform for global rights administration and royalty management using blockchain technology, with a goal of enabling efficient and fully transparent reporting, real-time payments and innovative revenue streams for rights owners, creators, artists, producers, and publishers around the world. Links: URL: revelator.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brunoguez/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brunoguez @brunoguez  

[Enjoy our podcast this week that we share with our sister Maremel Network podcast, Innovating Music, that has just launched its fifth year.] Dick Huey claims that his career jumps have been "educated luck."  "Because they they are luck. And I'm, I'm I don't ever pretend that I have more information than everybody else does. But I think I'm good at identifying opportunity. So for me, this felt like opportunity. And I jumped at it. And then of course that launched a 25-year career in digital music."  And so Dick shares with us his 25-year career, ranging from teaching software applications to getting his first music management client to building his digital music chops at Beggars Group to building Toolshed.  He works now on his three-legged stool of interests: helping big picture enhancements of the music business, working with record companies, and engaging in ed tech and new technologies. Guest: Dick Huey, Founder/President, Toolshed Dick Huey moved to New York City in 1997 to work for independent label powerhouse the Beggars Group (XL Recordings, 4AD, Matador Records, Rough Trade. He created and staffed the group’s digital media department as global head of digital in the early days of digital music, determined the group’s strategic direction, and licensed its groundbreaking catalog of world-class independent music from artists like the Pixies, the Prodigy, Throwing Muses, and many others.   Huey launched his NY Hudson Valley-based digital strategy company Toolshed in 2002, long before remote work was in vogue. Toolshed offered an early bespoke label and artist digital marketing, direct music service licensing, and download hosting service that created groundbreaking digital campaigns for Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, and Aimee Mann amongst hundreds of hundreds of others. Labels and distributors including Matador Records, Beggars Group, The Orchard, Touch and Go, PIAS, Righteous Babe, and Merge Records were also clients. In 2010, Toolshed expanded into music rights acquisition for consumer brands, media, tech, sports, and entertainment companies. Spotify contracted with Huey to lead its US independent label licensing efforts prior to and during Spotify’s US launch in 2011. Red Bull Music Radio, SoundExchange, 8tracks, Digital Rights Agency, Red Mountain Ski Resort, Jaxsta, and Tunecore are all past clients or advisory relationships.   Huey is currently a Business Development Consultant to AIMS API, an artificial intelligence music search platform based in the Czech Republic, as well as to Entertainment Intelligence, a high end music analytics platform for direct-license content owners. He is a music license consultant to the US independent record label Merge Records and to stealth cloud radio startup HijackRadio, and an advisor to Techstars accelerator winner Paperchain and Australian personal social media monetization platform OkTY.   Outside of the music industry, Huey is a senior teaching assistant at NYU Professor Scott Galloway’s two-year old educational sprint startup Section4. Huey regularly TA’s online classes of up to 200 students on the topics of Subscription strategy, Brand, Platform, Product, Data Analytics, Growth Innovation (brand association with physical stores), and Storytelling. Several of the classes Huey TA’s are taught by Galloway himself.   He held a 9-year board seat at SoundExchange representing Matador Records. He is a past Executive Director and board chairman of the Future of Music Coalition, based in Washington DC. He was chairman of the new media committee at the American Association of Music (A2IM) from its earliest days, as well as a consultant to independent entity the Association of Independent Music (AIM).   Huey is a USSA-certified downhill ski racing coach and committed biker and mountain biker. He moved from the New York area to the Columbia River Gorge in 2021. He began his career as a...

Questions: How do we design for extreme conditions and resource challenges?  Is that for Mars or Earth?Guest: Alfredo Muñoz, Architect; Founder; Onteco; Founder, ABIBOO Studio; Chair for Memberships of the Technical Committee of Space Architecture at the American Institute of Aeronautics and AstronauticsDigital twins?  Space architecture?  Alfredo Munoz combines astrophysics and architecture to let us pilot new ways of building in VR on Earth . . . as practice for Mars . . . to improve how we live on Earth.   He’ll share elements of a digital twin of a compound in Mars that you can engage with here on Earth to try out better ways of working, living, and creating.  He also shares his own journey through innovative architecture and bringing those skills and insights to connect with space architecture and collaborative virtual reality.  BioAlfredo Muñoz is the founder of Onteco and ABIBOO Studio. He is also the Chair for Memberships of the Technical Committee of Space Architecture at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.Mr. Muñoz has been considered the youngest among the most influential Spanish Architects and the youngest European Leaders (EYL40).His clients range from Fortune Global 500 conglomerates to governments to private high-net-worth individuals on five continents.Alfredo has been teaching and speaking at elite Universities, and his work has been featured in media outlets across the world.He holds a Master's in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and a Master's of Advanced Studies in Architecture from BarcelonaTech. Mentioned Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredo-munoz/Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbibooArchsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABIBOOStudio/ABIBOO YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAKg_w7V0PquCiyCCO8mdvAOnteco https://onteco.com/ABIBOO - https://abiboo.com/Mars Society and the Mars Desert Research Station - MDRS - https://mdrs.marssociety.org/Nüwa City: https://abiboo.com/projects/nuwa/ - https://vimeo.com/468344643Space Analogs in Israel - D-Mars 2021 - AMADEE-20 Mars simulation, led by the Israel Space Agency and the Austrian Space Forum,https://www.israel21c.org/astronauts-carry-out-space-mission-in-israeli-desert/NASA Analogs - https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/563511main_NASA-Analog-Missions-06-2011_508.pdfFriends of Europe / EU - 40 People Below 40 - https://www.friendsofeurope.org/insights/read-all-about-it-the-names-of-the-eyl40-class-of-2019-are-finally-out/Dr. Guillem Anglada-Escude and Proxima B - a...

Question: How can you build a rich creative life based on referrals and going out on a limb? Guest: Darryl Hurs, Owner/CEO, Indie Week; Managing Director, Downtown Canada; Director, Market Development, Canada, CD Baby; Educator, Harris InstituteIn this episode, Darryl Hurs shares his journey from studying music, working in retail at HMV, and being in a band to building a dynamic life in digital arts and music business through the reach of the people he has met and putting himself out there, even if he was uncomfortable.  His work of getting and giving work to others launched his own early work for Live Nation in launching VIPNATION.  His life ever since has all been about referrals and reaching out.  He built Indie Week from booking venues and creating discovery opportunities for new music.  He threads together stories of expanded risk-taking from one group of skills and people to bigger opportunities -- and how the referral is at the core of building his work in the world. BioDarryl Hurs has a 25+ year history in the music business including launching and running Indie Week (one of Canada’s largest music showcase festivals and conferences). In the past two years, he has founded 3 new online conferences: Music Pro Summit, indie101, and SCREENxSCREEN. Darryl recently has been hired as the Managing Director for Downtown Music in Canada heading the Canadian operations for FUGA, Songtrust, Adrev, Found.ee, and CD Baby.His past positions include design and branding/marketing for Live Nation as a freelancer (projects included a corporate rebrand and logo design, launching VIPNATION.com, work for U2, Nickelback, Madonna, Beyonce, Jay-Z and Dave Matthews), retail buyer at HMV, and booker for one of Toronto’s top live music venues (The Rivoli).LinksIndie WeekIndie 101Music Pro SummitScreen x ScreenDowntown MusicTwitter: DarrylHurs, IndieWeek, Downtown MusicInstagram: Darryl_Hurs, Indie Week, Downtown MusicFacebook: Darryl.Hurs, Indie WeekLinkedInOur MissionThrough our guests’ stories, we aim to...

Question: How do you connect independent artists and music business in India as a young woman?Guest: Ritnika Nayan, Managing Director, Downtown India; Owner: Music Gets Me HighRitnika Nayan shares stories about her passion: helping indie artists succeed and make money through various avenues that they might have been neglecting.  She does that in her main role: Managing Director for Downtown India.  That passion also connects her early love of Broadway musicals to working on college concerts at Hofstra, music festivals in India, building her own company, wellness work, ukulele covers, and writing a book and teaching future music industry leaders in India.  BioRitnika Nayan is the Managing Director for Downtown India representing CD Baby, Fuga, Songtrust, Downtown Music Services, Found.ee, and Adrev in the country. She is also the owner of the company Music Gets Me High and the author of Indie 101 – The Ultimate Guide to the Independent Music Industry in India. Throughout her 21 years of experience in the music industry, she has worked with artists like Maroon 5, Nickelback, Guns & Roses, Manu Chao, Nucleya, Advaita, Jalebee Cartel and also consulted on festivals like Sula Fest, Ziro festival of Music, Wonderflip fest and more. Ritnika has also set up India’s first stand-alone Music Business Certification course at SACAC, Delhi, and conducts workshops on various aspects of the Industry under MGMH Academy. She is an avid speaker at conferences globally including TEDx and has won various awards including the contribution to the creative industry award by the University of Westminster, UK and the Young Music Entrepreneur runner-up award by the British council and more.Mentioned Links:https://ritnika.com/about-me/https://ritnika.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritnika/https://twitter.com/ritnikahttps://www.facebook.com/ritnikanMGMH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mgmhindiaSAC Certificate in Music Business Management: https://www.sac.ac.in/certificate-course-music-business-management/ Indie 101: The Ultimate Guide to the Independent Music Industry in India: https://www.amazon.com/Indie-101-Ultimate-Independent-Industry-ebook/dp/B074279X8MOur MissionThrough our guests’ stories, we aim to inspire current and future change agents who are creatives, entrepreneurs, researchers, or community leaders who are seeking inspiration and support around creative innovation — changing the ways we create, collaborate, engage, change lives, and build communities.Your Host: Gigi Johnson, EdDI run transformative programs, speak/moderate, invest, advise, and produce multimedia on creativity and technology.  I taught for 22 years at UCLA, where I ran the Center for Music Innovation and the podcast "Innovating Music," built four industry-connecting programs, and taught undergraduates, MBAs, and executives about disruption in creative industries.  Before UCLA, I financed media M&A at Bank of America for ten years. Connect with...

Question: How can you build campfires, mixing music and social activism?Guest: Arturo O'Farrill, Founder, Artistic Director, Afro Latin Jazz Alliance; Professor, Global Jazz Studies, The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and InclusionArturo O'Farrill builds campfires and connects music, activism, and community to build momentum to change his areas of passion in the world -- especially in New York.   He shares with us the many projects he is working on, his Grammy-award winning music melding and digging beyond jazz and Latin music roots, his strong beliefs about Cuba and US foreign policy, and his new projects in housing and music in Spanish Harlem.  He talks about the impacts on artists with the Virtual Birdland project, which garnered a Grammy nomination, and his work with Dr. Cornel West with Four Questions.  He recalls his desires to conduct back at age 6 and breaking into his father's record collection and finding Seven Steps to Heaven, locking in his passion for music.  He states with bold examples how "Happiness is marrying your conviction with your art," which frames most of his adult work.  He speaks the vigor about the results of unbridled capitalism -- and does not mince words. Our GuestARTURO O’FARRILL, pianist, composer, and educator, was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. Arturo’s professional career began with the Carla Bley Band and continued as a solo performer with a wide spectrum of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Bowie, Wynton Marsalis, and Harry Belafonte.In 2007, he founded the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the performance, education, and preservation of Afro Latin music. An avid supporter of all the Arts, Arturo has performed with Ballet Hispanico, Ron Brown’s EVIDENCE Dance company, and the Malpaso Dance Company, for whom he has written several ballets. Arturo’s well-reviewed and highly praised “Afro-Latin Jazz Suite” from the album CUBA: The Conversation Continues (Motéma) took the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition as well as the 2016 Latin Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Recording. In addition, his composition “Three Revolutions” from the album Familia-Tribute to Chico and Bebo also received the Best Instrumental Composition Grammy in 2018. Arturo’s 2020 album, “Four Questions” won yet another Grammy award in 2021.Arturo has been a Steinway Artist for many years and is now a Blue Note Records Recording Artist.Mentioned LinksWebsites: https://arturoofarrill.com/http://www.afrolatinjazz.orgTwitter: https://twitter.com/afrolatinjazzWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arturo_O'FarrillUCLA: https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/people/arturo-ofarrill/New Complex in Spanish Harlem: https://latinjazznet.com/news/new-home-for-the-afro-latin-jazz-alliance/Fandango at the Wall (2020): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11278140/Cuba meets Khaleeji, the Middle Eastern roots of Afro Cuban jazz: