Project Title:
KQED x New Media Ventures
Strategic Production and Communications
The Context:
In 2024, New Media Ventures hosted a pivotal summit in collaboration with KQED, uniting filmmakers, activists, and investors to spotlight diverse voices in media innovation. Human Impact Solutions (HIS) was engaged to design and manage integrated communications, PR strategy, and onsite production for the two-day event, ensuring that every component, from brand storytelling to live execution, aligned with the mission of amplifying equity and justice through media.
The Challenge
The Summit demanded more than traditional event management: it required building a live, multicultural storytelling environment while safeguarding the time, dignity, and experience of artists and speakers, many of whom were underrepresented voices. Balancing strategic PR for media exposure, coordinating dozens of stakeholders (performers, filmmakers, AV teams, leadership), and adapting production schedules on the fly presented complex logistical and reputational risks. Ensuring smooth, respectful transitions between performances and amplifying the Summit’s impact across digital, media, and live channels were mission-critical.
The Approach
As a lead communications and production partner at Human Impact Solutions, I served as the strategic bridge between New Media Ventures, KQED, and the broader Summit production team. From day one, I prioritized both operational fluidity and the visibility of underrepresented speakers and artists, ensuring their stories weren’t just told, but protected and elevated. Behind the scenes, I aligned audiovisual and event operations with the values of inclusion and precision, managing real-time adjustments in speaker flow, stage transitions, and technical setup. When the schedule shifted or production pressure escalated, I advocated for speaker presence and performance integrity without sacrificing the event’s professionalism or timing. As press engagement grew, I helped calibrate the onsite storytelling moments for digital and media resonance, weaving event flow and narrative impact into one cohesive experience.
The Impact
The Summit successfully honored the identities and intentions of every speaker and performer, delivering an experience that was both logistically sound and emotionally resonant. By keeping storytelling at the center of execution, we ensured that filmmakers, activists, and culture-shapers had uninterrupted moments on stage, reinforcing NMV’s brand as a convener of justice-focused media innovation. Our backstage adaptability and communications leadership helped secure international media coverage, deepen community engagement, and produce a replicable model for future events. The result wasn’t just a well-run summit—it was a powerful example of how values-driven production, equity-informed communications, and operational agility can coexist and elevate each other.