Independent creative agency Zambezi has hired technopreneur, innovator, and filmmaker Dawn Thomas as its first head of culture strategy and content innovation. In her new position, Thomas drives the agency’s Samsung business and is responsible for overseeing all agency client initiatives to elevate creative strategy, brand narrative and cultural IQ.
She was recruited by and reports to Zambezi’s chief strategy officer Kristina Jenkins. “I believe in finding inspiration and talent from unexpected places,” said Jenkins. “Dawn straddles a range of industries leveraging a deep understanding of people and an exceptional network. She is someone who sees the opportunity instead of the challenge in everything she does. She truly knows what it takes for brands to create with culture in powerful and meaningful ways.”
Thomas’ background is eclectic, with a J.D. in International Corporate Law (Syracuse) and a Masters in New Media Business (Newhouse School of Public Communications). She began her professional life on Wall Street in bank analysis, hedge funds and derivatives later moving in-house to a tech startup in the Equity Group Investments portfolio. However, with an obsession for technology, finance and storytelling, she moved to Los Angeles to explore opportunities in entertainment.
Thomas started that career at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) working in the film finance, film talent, and TV divisions. She then became a sr. development and production executive for Will Smith’s production company, Overbrook Entertainment (Pursuit of Happyness, I Am Legend and Hancock), managing a slate of film and television projects. At Overbrook, she worked with some of the industry’s top creative professionals, as well as major studios and networks (including ABC, CW, Sony, and Warner Bros) with budgets from $10M-$100M+. Later, she founded the company’s interactive marketing division developing digital content and franchise strategies. Creating transmedia campaigns to promote original IP’s and studio films (including I Am Legend), she developed original content producing motion comics, graphic novels, virtual games and live action shorts in partnership with brands like Xbox, Apple, DC and Vertigo Comics.
Following Overbrook, Thomas ran a consultancy for creative talent, TV networks and brands (Fiat, Hulu, Neutrogena, Reebok, Verizon, Walmart) structuring content deals, producing multi-platform campaigns and designing creative strategies.
Thomas is also a tech entrepreneur, a front-end developer (Java, HTML, and CSS), and founder of her own interactive content platform, Koi Media, producing immersive narratives (including VR and 360) for women – a community she is passionate about.
“For me, culture is truth and stories are powerful,” said Thomas. “Culture is a phenomenon that is constantly changing, refusing definition, and rejecting formulaic tropes. It appears across many passion points and is fueled by music, art, entertainment, fashion, technology and more. It doesn’t ask for permission and it can’t be bought. My intention is to continue building a collective of culture’s muses, invest in and amplify their passions, and architect strategic blueprints for brands fueled by authentic story narratives.”
Thomas’ hire is a continuation of Zambezi’s expansion of its strategy department led by Jenkins. Earlier this year Zambezi hired Wieden+Kennedy executive Danielle Pak as its first director of communications planning, launching a new communications planning offering within the agency’s strategy department.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More