The non-profit BIPOC accelerator Rideback Rise, launched last July by Dan Lin’s production company Rideback (The Lego Movie, It Franchises) today appointed filmmaker Tracey Bing as chief content officer, appointed former charity water manager Sabrina Pourmand as founding managing director and added Panda Express chief brand officer Andrea Cherng to the board.
These developments come as Rideback Rise seeks to further its mission of advancing racial equality by promoting the development of market-ready mainstream film, television, digital and audio entertainment. Also helping in this regard is a newly announced $2 million donation from the Murphy Family Fund, led by internet entrepreneur and Snap co-founder and CTO Bobby Murphy and his wife Kelsey Murphy, and a donation from Comcast NBCUniversal. These funds bring the total raised by Rise to over $3 million.
As Head of Content, Bing will oversee all content activities for Rise, focusing on the Rise Fellowship, the annual cohort of BIPOC-funded filmmakers, writers and creative entrepreneurs at the core of the Rise initiative. She will be responsible for selecting the Fellows – five in the first cohort, with plans to expand in subsequent years – and for managing the development of Fellows projects and leading that work to market. In addition, Bing will oversee all curriculum, programs and networking opportunities for Fellows, while also managing the Rise Circle, a growing community of diverse developers who are invited to participate in Rise programs and networking events focused on career growth.
In her new role as Rise’s Founding Chief, Pourmand will oversee all development, fundraising and partnerships for the accelerator, helping to achieve its long-term goal of becoming a self-sustaining not-for-profit organization with ongoing revenue dedicated to supporting future cohorts go through Fellows. . Pourmand will also be responsible for infrastructure management and will be the primary point of contact for Rise’s board.
Cherng is the first new director to join Rise’s board since launch, joining a board that includes Rideback CEO Dan Lin; Spencer Stuart Partner and founder of the Blackhouse Foundation, Brickson Diamond; Alice Rhee, Chief Communications and Partnerships Officer of the Skoll Foundation; and Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take Two Interactive and Managing Partner of Zelnick Media Capital.
“We are delighted that Tracey and Sabrina have joined Rise,” said Rise CEO Lin. “Tracey’s experience as a producer and executive and her eye for creative excellence make her the ideal leader to build the collaborative environment that will support our Rise filmmakers and creators and ensure the viability and marketability of their projects.”
Lin continued, “Sabrina’s extensive experience and connections in the social impact world combined with her industry expertise will ensure that Rise is on the right track to becoming a lasting and meaningful system of change. On behalf of the Board, we welcome Sabrina and Tracey to Rise and look forward to their leadership.”
The producer added, “We are delighted to welcome Andrea Cherng, a respected leader whose experience in business leadership and social impact will be an undeniable addition to our growing Rise board. We are also deeply grateful to Kelsey and Bobby Murphy , whose transformational donation dramatically enhances our growth plans, and we would like to thank our new partners at Comcast NBCUniversal and their Global Talent Development & Inclusion team for their support and participation.We hope their commitment will open the door for others in the business community to financially support our Rise mission to promote social change.”
“I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with some of the most talented BIPOC writers and directors in the industry to drive a shift in narrative,” said Bing. “I’m excited to join Rise and establish the Fellowship as a great opportunity for storytellers to be their best and make a difference. I am grateful to Dan and the Rise board for trusting me with this important role and I can’t wait to get started.”
“If there’s one thing I learned quickly, it’s that Dan Lin likes to dream big, and what he’s already set in motion for Rise is remarkable and inspiring,” said Pourmand. “I look forward to building on Rise’s incredible momentum and showing our future partners, employees and supporters how they can get involved in this important initiative to contribute to greater racial equality.”
“I am honored to join the Board of Directors of Rideback Rise and help lead their important mission to drive narrative change through compelling and popular storytelling,” added Cherng. “I look forward to working closely with Dan and my fellow board members as we build this unique, forward-thinking institution.”
Bing is best known for producing titles including the hit Netflix rom-com idle foreverand the Treasure of Sundance south side with you, distributed by Miramax/Roadside Attractions, among others. She was previously VP, production and acquisitions at Warner Independent Pictures and also worked as a consultant for media groups such as eOne Features, Warner Bros., Fox International and PBS. Bing was also an associate professor for USC’s Peter Stark Production Program and executive director of Mira Nair’s Maisha Foundation, which trained emerging East African filmmakers.
Pourmand is an Executive Advisor to multinational corporate foundations, brands and major philanthropists, known for her efforts as an international humanitarian crisis responder, raising and managing a $250 million portfolio in response to the Haiti earthquake and strategic advice to organizations in Central- America provided. and led a $40 million emergency humanitarian operation for Syrian refugees. She joined the nonprofit charity Water, which brings safe drinking water to developing countries, in 2014 as vice president of key relationships, leading her team to more than $50 million in annual sales for the first time in its history. Her clients include the American Journalism Project, African Leadership Group, New Story and Every.org to name a few. She is also a Trustee of Founders Pledge, a free, comprehensive philanthropic giving solution designed for entrepreneurs, and sits on the board of The Philanthropy Workshop, a network of over 450 global leaders dedicated to solving problems that are the most pressing social problems in the world.
As Chief Brand Officer of Panda Restaurant Group, the parent company of Panda Express, Cherng leads the growth and development of the Panda brand family through strategy development, menu and concept innovation, marketing and quality assurance. In 2021, under her leadership, Panda established the Panda CommUnity Fund – a five-year, $10 million community investment and response program that supports immediate and sustainable solutions from national and local organizations to help diverse and marginalized groups, with a focus on BIPOC communities. Her career has also included successful terms as vice president of a Silicon Valley marketing consultancy, as an attorney at the global law firm Morrison & Foerster, and working in the nonprofit and public sectors with a focus on Disconnected Youth and Human Rights.
Founded in 2007, Lin’s Rideback production company is otherwise best known for making tentpoles like Disney’s Aladdinand series including The CW’s walker, among other projects that have raised billions worldwide. Accelerator Rise operates as a separate organization from the for-profit film and television company, although participants benefit from access to the creative campus at Rideback Ranch in LA’s historic Filipinotown.
Applications for the Rideback Rise Fellowship will officially open on March 15, with the first cohort being offered this summer. More information about the program can be found here.
Source: Deadline
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