Director
Deborah Riley Draper
Deborah is an award-winning, veteran documentary filmmaker. Her most recent television documentary, The Legacy of Black Wall Street, is a two-episode special on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, to honor the historic, pioneering community of Greenwood, Oklahoma, known as Black Wall Street. This project marks her third nomination for the NAACP Image Awards, this year for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative-Television. Her other films include the recently released Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; the 2017 NAACP Image Awards nominee Olympic Pride, American Prejudice; Versailles ’73: American Runway Revolution; and an upcoming 4-part docu-series about soul music icon James Brown for A&E.
Executive Producer & Producer
Merline Saintil
Merline Saintil is a former Silicon Valley technology executive and Fortune 100 board director and lead independent director at Rocket Lab (RKLB). She also serves on the boards of TD Synnex, GitLab, Symbotic, and Evolv Technology. She's an investor, speaker, and proud Stanford Women's soccer mom. More at merlinesaintil.com.
Executive Producer & Producer
Shannon Nash
Shannon is a highly accomplished Silicon Valley tech executive, currently holding the position of Chief Financial Officer at Wing, Alphabet's cutting-edge drone delivery company. With a multifaceted professional background, she excels as an attorney, CPA, and recognized Qualified Financial Expert. Shannon's expertise and influence extend beyond her executive role, as she actively serves on the boards of notable companies such as NetScout Systems (NASDAQ: NTCT), SoFi Bank (a subsidiary of SoFi Technologies Inc., NASDAQ: SOFI), and Lazy Dog Restaurants. Throughout her career journey, Shannon has ventured into various industries, embracing the arts and entertainment as the Executive Director of the renowned Debbie Allen Dance Academy. Notably, she has also made her mark as an award-winning filmmaker, with her documentary on autism, "Colored My Mind," receiving the prestigious Best Short Film award at the 2013 American Pavilion in Cannes. To explore Shannon's film and TV credits, please visit her IMDb profile under the name -Shannon K. Nash
Producer
Lacy Barnes
Lacy Barnes is a multi-disciplined creative professional. Her work includes countless high-profile events, including Super Bowl XXVIII's NFL Experience, the Opening & Closing Ceremonies of the Centennial Olympic Games, and consumer activations for Verizon, Powerade, adidas and more. In film and television, her roles as Line Producer, Outreach Producer and Co-Producer, respectively, include the NAACP Image Awards nominee "Olympic Pride, American Prejudice," the AAFCA Award winner "Versailles ‘73: American Runway Revolution," and the 2023 Anthem Award winner “Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.” She is also the costume designer for the film "Illegal Rose." In addition to production work, Lacy is the COO of Coffee Bluff Pictures.