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From Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor to influential voices in film, television, media and entrepreneurship, Creative Calling’s October 7 gathering explored what it truly takes to turn creative ambition into a sustainable career.
NEW YORK CITY — October 7, 2026 — In an industry where talent alone is rarely enough to guarantee success, Creative Calling is working to change how creative professionals connect, collaborate and build their futures.
The cross-industry conversation and community-building series brought together influential figures from entertainment, media, entrepreneurship, marketing and digital culture for an evening centered on a powerful idea: The most meaningful creative opportunities often begin with the relationships we build and the conversations we are willing to have.
Co-founded by actresses, filmmakers and creative entrepreneurs Melody Baha and Marisa Hernandez, Creative Calling is presented by Melodically Productions and 22 Pictures. The initiative aims to bridge the gaps between industries, bringing established leaders and emerging voices into the same space to exchange perspectives, develop relationships and explore opportunities beyond their traditional professional circles.
Hosted at New York City’s Open Air Club, the October 7 gathering featured three curated discussions exploring the interconnected foundations of creative success: The Business, The Craft and The Career.
Together, the conversations offered a broader perspective on the realities of working in today’s creative economy, from financing independent projects and building engaged audiences to developing an authentic artistic voice and navigating an increasingly unpredictable professional landscape.
Beyond the Film: Turning Creative Ideas Into Sustainable Businesses
The evening’s first conversation, The Business: Beyond the Film — How to Fund, Build & Market Your Story, addressed one of the most persistent challenges facing creative professionals: transforming a compelling idea into something that can be financed, produced, marketed and sustained.
Moderated by Amanda Etemad, Head of Marketing at the School for Moral Ambition and a creative strategy and partnerships advisor to Nimruz, the discussion brought together Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor, filmmaker and playwright Tristen Tarp, and content creator and brand advisor Paul Fino.
The panel’s central premise challenged the traditional separation between artistic expression and entrepreneurship. In today’s competitive creative economy, developing a great project is only part of the equation. Creators must also understand their audience, articulate their value, cultivate trust and identify the resources needed to bring their vision to life.
Taylor’s leadership at Kickstarter provided an especially relevant perspective on community-backed financing and the evolving relationship between creators and supporters. Crowdfunding represents more than an alternative way to raise capital; it also offers creators a means of building relationships with people who believe in their work before a project is completed.
Tarp brought the perspective of an independent filmmaker navigating the practical challenges of moving stories from the page to the screen, including the balance between financial limitations and artistic integrity.
Fino, who has built a substantial following through fragrance-focused content, represented another dimension of modern entrepreneurship: the ability to transform audience trust and specialized expertise into brand partnerships, product development and business opportunities.
The discussion framework explored how creators can approach fundraising as an invitation to participate in a shared vision rather than simply a request for financial support.
It also raised an important question for aspiring filmmakers, entrepreneurs and digital creators alike: Should audience development begin after a project is finished, or should community-building be part of the creative process from the beginning?
The larger lesson was that successful creative work increasingly requires both imagination and commercial awareness. Understanding how to position, fund and communicate an idea does not necessarily diminish its artistic value. Instead, those skills can help give meaningful stories the opportunity to reach the audiences they deserve.
Beyond the Screen: The Human Side of Storytelling
While the opening discussion examined the business behind creative projects, the second panel shifted attention to the artistic decisions that make those projects memorable.
The Craft: Beyond the Screen — The Art of Storytelling brought together Carmen Cee, a producer at TIME Studios, as moderator alongside television director Geoff Shotz, actor and digital creator O’Neil Thomas, and actress Aysia Moorer.
Representing different perspectives within the storytelling process, the speakers offered a framework for examining the relationship between directors, producers, actors and creators, as well as the importance of developing a distinctive artistic identity.
Shotz, whose directing credits include The Vampire Diaries and We Were Liars, brought experience in developing performances and translating scripts into emotionally compelling screen experiences.
Cee’s background in documentary and nonfiction production at TIME Studios introduced another perspective on the responsibility of identifying meaningful stories and bringing them to audiences.
Thomas, whose career spans acting and digital content creation, represented the increasingly fluid boundaries between traditional entertainment and social media storytelling. As digital platforms continue to reshape how audiences consume entertainment, creators face new opportunities to experiment with pacing, format, performance and audience engagement.
Moorer, an actress associated with Netflix’s A Different World, brought a particularly human-centered dimension to the panel’s themes. Her work as both an actress and social worker informs a perspective rooted in empathy, lived experience and community.
The conversation’s planned themes included the importance of creative trust, the relationship between actors and directors, and the willingness to take artistic risks even when the outcome is uncertain.
One of the most compelling ideas underlying the discussion was the distinction between technically impressive work and storytelling that leaves a lasting emotional impression.
A project may have strong production values, polished performances and sophisticated visuals, but its deeper impact often depends on whether audiences recognize something authentic within the experience.
In an entertainment landscape increasingly influenced by algorithms, short-form content and rapidly changing consumption habits, the panel’s focus on empathy, collaboration and artistic identity reinforced the continuing importance of human connection in storytelling.
Creating Your Own Path: Redefining Success and Career Longevity
The final conversation, The Career: Creating Your Own Path — Building a Sustainable Creative Career, examined the professional realities of pursuing creative ambitions without relying on a conventional roadmap.
Moderated by editor, strategist and storyteller Emanuel Okusanya, whose background includes EBONY Magazine and Variety, the panel featured Ann Shoket, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh and Matthew Cancel.
Each brought a different perspective on building a career that can evolve beyond a single title, platform or achievement.
Shoket, the former Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen, author of The Big Life, and CEO and owner of TheLi.st, has built a career spanning editorial leadership, authorship, entrepreneurship and community development. Her professional journey provided a foundation for examining reinvention and the importance of allowing ambitions to evolve over time.
Al-Khatahtbeh, founder of Muslim Girl, represented the power of building a platform when existing institutions fail to provide adequate representation. Her entrepreneurial journey illustrates how independent media and community ownership can create space for perspectives that have historically been overlooked.
Cancel, founder and CEO of Cancel Communications, brought expertise in public relations, career positioning and the relationship between talent, reputation and long-term professional opportunities.
Together, the panel’s themes challenged the notion that a successful creative career must follow a predetermined sequence of milestones.
Instead, the programming examined how professionals can create opportunities rather than wait for permission, embrace unexpected career pivots, and develop identities that are not limited to a single job description.
The conversation also addressed the distinction between professional visibility and meaningful career development.
In a world where follower counts, viral moments and public recognition can dominate perceptions of success, long-term sustainability often depends on less visible qualities: credibility, consistency, adaptability, relationships and a clear understanding of one’s professional goals.
Equally important was the question of how creative professionals decide which opportunities are worth pursuing.
Not every impressive opportunity contributes to the career someone ultimately wants to build. Learning when to decline an offer, change direction or invest in a new skill can be as significant as securing the next major project.
For emerging creatives and established professionals alike, the discussion offered a reminder that career longevity requires more than ambition. It also demands the ability to evolve without losing sight of one’s values and creative purpose.
A Cross-Industry Gathering of Influential Creative Voices
Beyond the scheduled panels, Creative Calling’s guest roster reflected the initiative’s ambition to connect professionals who might otherwise remain within separate industry circles.
The event’s notable RSVP list extended across entertainment, journalism, entrepreneurship, communications, technology and digital media.
Among the prominent names were Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor; media entrepreneur Ann Shoket; Muslim Girl founder Amani Al-Khatahtbeh; The Conversationalist founder and CEO Sophie Beren; and Matthew Cancel, founder and CEO of Cancel Communications.
Entertainment and creative professionals on the list included filmmaker Tristen Tarp, director Geoff Shotz, actress Aysia Moorer, actor and creator O’Neil Thomas, actress and singer Jess Val Ortiz, and celebrity magician and mentalist Josh Pele.
The wider creative and media community was represented by TIME Studios producer Carmen Cee, content creator and brand advisor Paul Fino, editor and storyteller Emanuel Okusanya, Tubi lead publicist Tashfina Rahman, Disney/Hulu/ABC advertising executive Nicole Cancel, and Cosmopolitan writer Samantha Olson.
The breadth of professional backgrounds underscored one of Creative Calling’s defining characteristics: its commitment to encouraging conversations across disciplines rather than limiting networking to a single industry.
A filmmaker might find valuable perspective from a marketing executive. A digital creator might discover an unexpected collaborator in a television producer. An entrepreneur might identify common challenges with an artist navigating the complexities of building an independent career.
By creating an environment where these professional worlds intersect, Creative Calling seeks to make the process of building relationships more organic, purposeful and accessible.
More Than Networking: Building a Community Around Creativity
For co-founders Melody Baha and Marisa Hernandez, Creative Calling represents an extension of their own experiences navigating the creative industries.
Baha, a Persian American actress, filmmaker and creative entrepreneur, is the founder of Melodically Productions and also works in audience engagement at TIME. Her creative interests span storytelling, culture, identity and the development of experiences that connect people through shared ideas.
Hernandez, a Mexican American actress, producer, author and entrepreneur, founded 22 Pictures with a focus on amplifying women and underrepresented voices through film and storytelling.
Their combined backgrounds reflect the series’ cross-disciplinary philosophy.
Rather than organizing events solely around celebrity appearances or conventional networking, the founders have developed Creative Calling around three interconnected principles: conversation, connection and opportunity.
Conversation creates room for honest discussions about the successes, uncertainties and challenges involved in creative careers.
Connection encourages meaningful relationships between professionals from different backgrounds, industries and stages of development.
Opportunity focuses on translating those conversations and relationships into collaborations, mentorship, partnerships and new creative ventures.
The October gathering put that philosophy into practice through curated programming, a welcome reception, red carpet interviews, networking opportunities and an official after-party in partnership with Open Air Club.
The red carpet component also extended the evening’s central theme, inviting guests to reflect on how they discovered their own creative calling, how their ambitions have evolved and what they hope to pursue next.
Together, these experiences positioned Creative Calling as more than a one-night industry gathering. The series is designed to support a growing network of individuals who share a commitment to storytelling, collaboration and creative advancement.
Strategic Partnerships Supporting the Creative Community
The evening was supported by a collection of beverage and hospitality partners that contributed to the gathering’s social and networking experience.
Partners included Fria Frio (@drinkfriafrio) as the wine partner, Weber Ranch Vodka (@weberranchvodka) as the liquor partner, and Recess (@takearecess) as the beverage partner.
Open Air Club (@openairclub.nyc) served as the venue partner and collaborated on the evening’s official after-party.
These partnerships also reflected the role brands can play in supporting experiences that bring together creative communities and facilitate connections across industries.
The Bigger Picture: Where Creativity Meets Opportunity
Perhaps the most important idea connecting Creative Calling’s three panels was that building a creative career requires more than mastering a craft.
Artists need the business knowledge to bring their ideas into the world. Entrepreneurs need authentic stories and communities that believe in their vision. Professionals need relationships, resilience and the willingness to redefine success as their careers evolve.
Those principles are not exclusive to filmmakers or entertainers. They apply equally to writers, marketers, founders, digital creators, media professionals and anyone seeking to build a meaningful career through creative work.
As entertainment, technology, media and entrepreneurship become increasingly interconnected, initiatives like Creative Calling provide opportunities for professionals to move beyond traditional industry boundaries and explore what they can accomplish together.
For Baha and Hernandez, the long-term vision extends beyond hosting individual events. Creative Calling aims to develop into a recognizable creative platform and community that champions diverse perspectives, encourages mentorship, facilitates collaboration and helps connect ambitious individuals with the people and resources needed to advance their work.
The October 7 gathering offered a compelling expression of that mission, bringing together people whose careers and experiences demonstrate the many different ways creativity can shape professional success.
In an industry often defined by competition and limited access, Creative Calling is advancing a different proposition: that some of the most valuable opportunities emerge when people are willing to share knowledge, build trust and create space for one another.
Because the future of creativity isn’t built through talent alone. It’s built through the conversations that inspire us, the communities that support us and the connections that turn ideas into reality.
For more information about Creative Calling, its founders and future programming, follow @thecreativecallingseries on Instagram. Stay connected with Creative Calling by registering through the Creative Calling Community Form.
