Dani Jackson-Smith (she/her/hers)

We're hungry. Society is hungry for uplifting content, authentic connection, media with vision, and stories that remind us of all of who we are. Exciting marketplace opportunities are emerging offering alternatives for those seeking more from their media experiences. Sector analysis highlights include: ✅ The Angel Studios community has contributed over $100,000,000 to support stories that amplify light and built a community of 20,000,000 viewers; ✅ ARRAY Films raised $38 million with philanthropic partners who believe in her vision to produce Origin. ✅ Cherokee Film Studios represents a new model to reclaim Indigenous narratives. ✅ reGEN Impact Media seeks to unlock the potential at the intersection of media with vision, well-being, and human agency fuelled by technological innovations, impact investment, and ingenious marketing.

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For over two decades, I’ve been speaking across the U.S. about sustainability in the entertainment industry. I was the first to pioneer this movement, integrating sustainable practices into film and TV production long before it became trendy. Many nonprofit organizations and so-called “sustainable consultants” dominate the spotlight today, claiming to lead this effort while ignoring those who laid the groundwork. These groups profit by promoting certifications and programs that do little to create real change. My clients, whether in engineering or film, trust me because I deliver real solutions—no shortcuts, no excuses. When I work with film studios, it’s 100% sustainability, no BS. What they want to know is the payback: how much will it cost, and how much money will it save? And I answer with results, not empty promises. I’ve spent my career transforming iconic venues—Yankee Stadium, Radio City Music Hall, federal courtrooms, and more—into energy-efficient benchmarks. A truly sustainable film requires the same commitment. It’s not about certifications or inflated budgets—it’s about action. For me, sustainability isn’t a trend; it’s a responsibility. If we want meaningful change, we need to stop talking and start doing.

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AFC24 PART 2 — HIGHLIGHT REEL: 📌 Our “Speed Pitching” panel, co-led by industry giant and my dear friend Douglas Vanmeeren — and me — was packed with hopefuls pitching their dreams to top producers and buyers. 📌 The Omni-Channel Panel with industry giant — and my Warner Bro — Griffin Gmelich from Roundtable Entertainment and the legendary Shari Belafonte brought out some of the best insights on the future of cross-platform storytelling. 📌 My personal favorite: The Sales & Distribution Panel featuring Matthew Helderman (BondIt Media Capital & Buffalo8), Alex Nohe (Blood Sweat Honey), and Steven Beer (Lewis Brisbois), offered game-changing advice and real life anecdotes to filmmakers navigating today’s unpredictable landscape. And let’s not forget the Money Market Panels—widely hailed as the most consistent of the convention. Despite the logistical and programming challenges, attendees kept stopping me to rave about the value and — industry connections— they gained. #AFC24 #SpeedPitching #FilmIndustryInsights #CrossPlatformStorytelling #OmniChannelPanel #SalesAndDistribution #FilmFinance #RoundtableEntertainment #BondItMedia #Buffalo8 #HollywoodPanels #PitchToProducers #FilmmakerTips #MediaMoguls #ContentCreators #MoneyMarketPanels #FilmConvention #IndustryLeaders #FilmBusiness #FilmmakersNetworking #StorytellingFuture

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If you're a creator or a leader within a creator led organization, I would love to get on a call to hear about all your operational issues, hurdles, roadblocks, and gripes! I've helped top creators solve problems and develop solutions to scale their businesses past where they ever thought possible. So let's figure out how to solve your problems so you can have a healthier org and a happier life! Hit me up :) #creatoreconomy #youtube #business

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Loan outs! I know most productions are still honoring them. We have been successful using Bellar Pilukas Consulting as our loan out. However, many non production corporate partners are really causing issues for small companies that have been running this way for years (I am looking at you of the capital D). What have you run into? How has this affected your business and do you think this bill will help? #entertainment #loanout #smallbusiness #womeninfilm #icvfx #losangeleslocal #savethecaliforniafilmindustry

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Here’s the 90 sec version 🔥

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What a great interview and organization! Check out the episode with BraveMaker founder, Tony J. Gapastione.

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What does it mean to be a "co-conspirator" for change? 💡 Hear Jerry Colonna's take on using your privilege and platform to make a difference in the world 👍 This episode is not to be missed! Tune in here: https://bit.ly/jcspoidfhas

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I was reading this article* with Kristin Chenoweth (original Galinda, for those of you who weren't musical theatre nerds in high school) where she recounted how, after the Wicked premiere, Ariana Grande came up to her with tears in her eyes asking, "Are you proud of me?" Ariana Grande. $230 million net worth. Four-octave vocal range. Two Grammy Awards. 15 nominations. Whistle register. Whatever that means. It's telling when someone quote-unquote "has it all" and still just, deep down, wants someone to be proud of them. Or even more foundational still—just to witness them. In the words of Susan Sarandon in a movie I have never seen, "We need a witness to our lives." And we need witnesses to our careers, too. I think this is what most employees want beyond the paycheck or promotion—to make someone else proud. Proud to be their partner, their boss, their advocate, their stand-in, their intern, their colleague. To be truly witnessed, and acknowledged as having left a mark—no matter how faint. It's basic, but a reminder to leaders (and mostly to myself) during the Q4 crazy to try to stop and see people. Recognize growth. Send a four-word Slack that says "I saw that!" ...In better words. And when contracts end or people leave or you have to lay someone off, take five minutes to let them know the fingerprints they left on your company, what you saw in them, or what they taught you. I think that's what people actually remember, and what they really want. *watching this TikTok

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🌟 Elevating Black Creators at SXSW! 🌟 We all know the challenges and triumphs that come with being a creator, but imagine having a playbook designed just for us. That’s why I’m excited to share our panel pitch: “Visibility & Wealth: The Black Creator's Playbook” This isn't just another panel; it’s a blueprint for navigating and conquering the creator economy. Here’s what we’re bringing to the table: 🧠 Meet the Game Changers: Alaina Fingal of The Organized Money, who turns budgeting into an art form. LaShonda Brown, the powerhouse behind Bootstrap Biz Advice, transforming tech for creators. Damien Ritter, the strategic genius managing #BiggJah. And me, Uzo Ometu, your guide and Founder of BlackOakTV. 📊 What You’ll Gain: - Strategies to overcome algorithmic barriers and boost your visibility. - Insights on building a community that’s more than just numbers. - Advanced monetization tactics that go beyond what’s obvious. 🔥 Why You Should Care: Because this is about more than just surviving in the creator economy; it’s about thriving and setting new benchmarks for success. We’re here to uplift, educate, and empower. 🗳️ Your Vote Matters: We’re committed to making a difference, but we need your support to get to SXSW. Cast your vote and join us in redefining what’s possible for Black creators! Vote for our panel here: https://lnkd.in/eyqgQ3M3 Let’s make this vision a reality!

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The "Techno-Humanist Manifesto" is Jason Crawford's vision for the advancement of humanity. Check out the introduction below, and stay tuned as Freethink releases new chapters weekly!

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🎙️ Creators, Are You Ready to Take the Stage at The Lively Grit Daily House at SXSW 2025? We’re looking for entertaining, fearless, and engaging creators to join us at The Lively Grit Daily House, one of the official media hubs at SXSW. If you have an audience hungry for innovation, tech, or the future of media, we want you to host a live podcast or run the stage with your unique energy. Whether you’re a podcaster ready to go live in front of a crowd or a host with a serious stage presence who can keep the energy high and entertaining, this is your moment to shine. 💥 What You’ll Get: Live podcast opportunities with an engaged SXSW audience. The chance to entertain the stage and bring the house down with your energy and personality. Content created for you to keep sharing long after the event. A platform to connect with visionaries, disruptors, and creators who are shaping the future of media, tech, and culture. If you’re the kind of creator who can bring a crowd to life, build real connections, and keep people entertained, we want you involved. Drop me a DM to get on board or tag a creator who’d be perfect for this! 👇🏻 Let’s make SXSW 2025 unforgettable. #audience101 #marketing #strategy #trends #content #digital #events

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I found this book and conversation incredibly insightful. Elias Aboujaoude, MD, MA has profound concerns with the cult of leadership in our society - especially as that same society espouses a kind of individualism and self-governance that is not sustainable. As he writes in the book: “What happens when a society feels so empowered by new technologies that it can longer ‘do’ hierarchy and its students think they can lead on teaching, its children on parenting, and its patients on doctoring? Now consider what happens when this society’s DNA is still pulling it in the direction of submission to a leader? This is the leadership conundrum we are currently living out in all its frustrations, contradictions, and conflicts.”  #leadership #coaching

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I used to think Hot Ones had the perfect branded YouTube series. But I was so wrong. Drumeo, an online platform for learning how to drum, has created the most fascinating, fun and business-aligned YouTube show I have ever seen. 💡 The concept: Get famous drummers to listen to famous songs with the drum track removed. Usually it's from a genre totally different from what the artist is known for (a jazz guy hears System of a Down for the first time.) Bonus points if they aren't familiar with the song. Why it works: 📓 The format tells a story: We see them get surprised by the song. Then we follow them through 3 or 4 takes as they find their own creative answer. We then get their glorious Final Take and wrap it up with the drummer listening to the original with the actual drums added back in. It's so simple and so engaging. 🎣 It's a perfect fit for the intended audience: What do aspiring drummers love? They love other awesome drummers. And they love seeing how it's done. This does both. 🎁 It's a perfect fit for the product: Every single time you watch an episode, you will be reminded (through well integrated ad spots) about what Drumeo does. They make it easy for you to rock out, too. 💝 Bonus points for top tier production and awesome hosts and little funny bumpers and editing. Watch it and tell me if you agree: This is the best branded YouTube series, ever. https://lnkd.in/gUyDJAgy #brandedcontent #storytelling

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On Monday, I discussed the long-term prospects for Tubi. On Tuesday, I praised Issa Rae's influencer marketing venture. "On today", these items converged: Issa partnered with Tubi for their new "Stubios" program—a fully-funded incubator for emerging creators. Stubios mirrors our initiative at BlackOakTV. Our "Choice" feature will empower users to greenlight the Black TV shows and films they want to see, illustrating the potential of fan-driven projects. While Tubi leverages its Black Indie vertical's success, we aim for similar engagement at BlackOakTV. So I respect Stubios model, but I question Issa’s choice to align with Fox Corp., Tubi's parent company. A Brief History Lesson: In the '90s, Fox, then a lesser network, adopted a strategy targeting Black audiences with original programming like Living Single and Martin, which became instant classics. These shows boosted Fox’s ratings, enabling it to secure NFL rights in 1994. Almost immediately after rising to prominence, Fox dropped its Black-centric shows. The revenue and prestige from Black viewership and NFL games helped launch Fox News in 1996, an outlet that has since posed significant challenges for Black communities. Present Day: Tubi has been thriving off indie Black projects. Fueled by popular content and the viral power of platforms like TikTok, Black viewership is propelling Tubi’s growth, again benefiting Fox financially. Don't buy that Tubi is all that important to Fox? Well, during Fox's last earnings call, Tubi was mentioned 24 times, nearly as often as the Fox name itself. So what does this have to do with Issa? Issa is partnering with Fox to bring more diverse (read: Black) voices to Tubi. I commend her for the thought, as I'm sure her intentions are pure. And when you can marry business with your passion for Black people, life is great. I know this because I live it every day with #BlackOakTV. But Issa once said, "I'm rooting for everybody Black." Yet, this move ain't that! This move is helping Fox run an old trick that allows Rupert Murdoch's Fox, which I believe is more responsible for Black plight than any other modern major media company, to further its highly questionable agenda. And they need Tubi to do it! The Fox Network is less relevant than it's been in decades. Fox News is going the way of the dying cable business. Fox Sports is irrelevant. Even TMZ is struggling. Instead of letting this decaying company go by the wayside, Issa is lending her credibility to the asset most linked to Fox's future. And she shouldn't do it. The value generated by Tubi still goes to the Murdochs, and there's no telling what crazy thing they'll use it to invest in next. My guess is it won't be something that empowers Black people. I know the world isn't perfect, and we, including myself, can't always line up our beliefs with our work. However, when it's this obvious, I believe we can and should make better choices. And I hope in the end, Issa does just that.

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If you need to turn passive viewers into active participants, video is the right solution for you. It’s heartfelt, honest, and engaging—and it’s what will get your social fundraising campaigns closer to hitting your goals. #fundraising #video #strategy https://lnkd.in/euq3JyNc

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