48. Shabnam Mogharabi: The Business of Impact Entertainment

Future of Film Podcast with Alex Stolz

Shabnam Mogharabi (@shabster on Twitter) is a former award-winning journalist who co-founded SoulPancake in 2008 with the actor Rainn Wilson. SoulPancake is a digital entertainment company with the vision to “make stuff that matters” creating uplifting and socially impactful videos on a daily basis. With this singular and different approach to online entertainment, the company has amassed over 10m fans online and nearly 1B video views. Under Shabnam’s tenure, SoulPancake was also acquired by leading impact film organisation, Participant Media and worked across their releases such as ROMA and DARK WATER, to reach new audiences and create and measure their social impact. Shabnam is an incredibly articulate and engaging speaker and we cover a lot of really valuable material in this conversation Including: - strategies to create impact through filmmaking, - ways to reach new audiences - how brands and filmmakers are working together as well as and how to approach brands if you are a filmmaker - How to strategise your career as a storyteller More About Shabnam Mogharabi Shabnam Mogharabi has more than 15 years of experience in media and entertainment building startups and organizations with an emphasis on digital content, social platforms, production, and news media. She most recently served as CEO of SoulPancake, an inspiring entertainment company she co-founded with actor Rainn Wilson that creates daily positive, socially conscious videos about human connection. As CEO, she was responsible for steering the company’s vision, safeguarding its mission, and supercharging its growth past its current community of 10M fans online and nearly 1B video views. She also advised SoulPancake’s parent company, Participant Media, and its board on strategic issues, acquisition opportunities, and the company’s social impact goals. Prior to SoulPancake, Shabnam was an award-winning journalist and editor, having served as the youngest Editor-in-Chief at Hanley Wood Business Media, where she oversaw a group of 4 print publications, 8 websites and e-newsletters, and 3 annual live events in the real estate space. Under her leadership, the group weathered downsizing and consolidation during the financial and housing crisis of 2008, yet surpassed annual revenue growth and profitability targets by 20%. One of the youngest winners of the Jesse H. Neal Award (the Pulitzer Prize of B2B journalism), Shabnam has worked as a contributing writer, editor, and stringer for a number of publications, including People, Pool & Spa News, Sunset, and HuffPost. She is a New York Times bestselling author with SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions. Shabnam is honored to be a member of the 2016 class of Henry Crown Fellows and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. She is a frequent speaker on the importance of joy, how to connect with Millennials, and meaningful online engagement. She resides in Los Angeles, where she is active with a number of interfaith organizations and volunteers with the Crisis Text Line. Shabnam received her B.A. in journalism and business administration from the University of Southern California and her Master’s in media management from Northwestern University. You can find her on Twitter at @shabster. More info at www.futureoffilm.live