TheWrap celebrated its inaugural Creators x Hollywood Summit, presented in partnership with Whalar and The Lighthouse, at The Lighthouse community and studio space in Venice Beach on Wednesday with an afternoon of first-rate industry panels, networking sessions, a cocktail reception presented by City National Bank and, of course, our exclusive portrait studio spotlighting the event’s best and brightest.
Hosted by TheWrap and photographer Ian Spanier, talent from the day including “Insecure” creator-star Issa Rae, Dhar Mann Studios founder Dhar Mann, Whalar co-CEO Jo Cronk and Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade all joined for an exclusive midday photo session.
The afternoon of the summit began with a spotlight panel on Rae (pictured below), an actor, writer and producer who started her creative work on YouTube before creating HBO’s Emmy-nominated “Insecure.” In many ways, Rae’s journey set the stage for the courtship between Hollywood and creators that the summit explored.
“We’ve been working with creators for 100 years, right?” Fox Entertainment’s Wade said during the “The Next Wave of Short-Form Storytelling” panel. “I don’t think of creatives or creators as difficult. Usually, they are trying to realize their vision … These are eminently brilliant creatives who have not just an understanding and ability to create content, but to create businesses.”
Check out our full portrait gallery below:
TheWrap’s Creators x Hollywood Summit is an invite-only gathering of the top creators, entertainment leaders and brand partners who are shaping the future of storytelling and the new entertainment economy.
The event is presented in partnership with global creator agency Whalar and The Lighthouse, both part of the Whalar Group. It is sponsored by City National Bank, Fox Entertainment, Lionsgate, Loeb & Loeb LLP and Webtoon.
Issa Rae, Creator & Producer
Dhar Mann, Founder, Dhar Mann Studios
Jo Cronk, Co-CEO, Whalar
Rob Wade, CEO, Fox Entertainment
Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios & Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe
John Kulback, Partner, Loeb & Loeb LLP
Michelle Khare, Creator & Host, “Challenge Accepted”
Adam W, Creator & Comedy Star
Adam W, Brandon Marshall, 13-Year NFL Veteran & Pioneer of Athlete-Driven Media, Jo Cronk, Ross Smith, Comedy Content Creator, and Ian Trombetta, Global SVP of Social, Creator & Content Marketing, NFL
Adam W, Brandon Marshall, Jo Cronk, Ross Smith, and Ian Trombetta
Shira Lazar, Founder & CEO, What’s Trending, Creators 4 Mental Health
Ian Trombetta
Jessica Ramsden (Rotaniah), Creator
Brandon Marshall
Josh Richards, Entrepreneur, Multi-Hyphenate Creator & Cultural Architect, CrossCheck Studios
Dunia McNeily, Partner, 3 Arts Entertainment
Yongsoo Kim, President, Webtoon Entertainment
Andrew Bachelor, Actor and Creator
Sharon Waxman, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, TheWrap
Kudzi Chikumbu, VP, Creator Partnerships, Tubi
Ross Smith
Tony Vassiliadis, EVP, Operations & Strategy, Fox Entertainment
Kayla Cobb, Senior Reporter, TheWrap
