My extensive communications experience includes launching and writing newsletters, writing and editing press releases, emails, social media copy, and ghostwriting for Presidents and CEOs.
My communications approach is to use research and audience analysis to draft clear and effective messages that meet the needs of specific audiences. And through my efforts, I have captured audience interest, raised awareness, and maintained organizational relevance.
INEVITABLE FOUNDATION
Inevitable Foundation:
Disabled Creatives Newsletter
Disabled Creatives Newsletter
Summer greetings from Inevitable Foundation!
It’s been an exciting few months since we last reached out — we launched our new Visionary Fellowship for disabled filmmakers and we continue to provide resources for disabled creatives.
All our programs are open to creatives with disabilities of all kinds, including physical, intellectual, developmental, psychiatric, visible, and invisible disabilities, as well as those who are neurodivergent, mentally ill, or have chronic conditions.
If you previously weren't eligible for our programs, feel free to take our eligibility questionnaire again anytime to update us on your professional accomplishments.
Visionary Fellowship
The application deadline for our new Visionary Fellowship has been extended to Sunday, August 11, 11:59 PM (PT)!
The application deadline for our new Visionary Fellowship has been extended to Sunday, August 11, 11:59 PM (PT)!
Visionary Fellows will receive $55,000 in funding including:
● A production grant to produce their short film with an experienced crew
● An unrestricted grant
● Access to health insurance
● Marketing support
● Funds for travel and access needs
● The Fellowship also includes:
● Mentorship and workshops from industry leaders
● Opportunities to collaborate with other filmmakers on-set
● Community building within the Fellowship cohort
● An industry-focused short film showcase for creative executives, agents, and managers
This opportunity is open to filmmakers who self-identify as disabled, live in the U.S. or Canada, are 18 years or older, and meet specific eligibility criteria. Learn more and apply: inevitable.foundation/visionary.
Emergency Relief Funding
The third round of applications for our Young Adult Relief Fund will close next week, Wednesday, July 31, 11:59 PM (PT)!
The fund provides disabled creatives ages 18-26, pursuing careers in screenwriting and/or filmmaking in Los Angeles with $500 grants — available on a first-come first-served basis. We’re considering applications from anyone with a demonstrated track record of pursuing screenwriting and/or filmmaking, including those working as entertainment industry assistants, enrolled in educational or professional programs to become screenwriters or filmmakers, etc.
Learn more about the fund, check your eligibility, and apply at inevitable.foundation/la-young-adult-erf.
Disabled Consultants Futures Fund
Are you a disabled writer who has been asked to consult on a film or tv project? Visit hiredisabledwriters.com for multiple resources, including our Disabled Consultant Futures Fund!
The Futures Fund radically increases your leverage as a disabled consultant by providing you with a back-up offer to confidently negotiate to be hired as a writer, director, and actor — if those are your desired roles.
If those aren’t your desired roles, or if you aren’t able to be hired in those roles on equitable terms, the Fund will buy back your time by paying you 150% of your initial offer to fund your own creative pursuits.
Learn more at hiredisabledwriters.com.
Resources
AXS Film Fund
Applications for the AXS Film Fund will close next week, Wednesday, July 31, 11:59 PM (ET)! If you're a disabled creator in documentary or nonfiction new media, you can get up to $10,000 to advance your project.
Learn more and apply at axsfilmfund.org/how-to-apply.
MPTF Financial Aid
The Motion Picture and Television Fund is providing temporary financial assistance to qualified industry members who have a demonstratable financial need due to unforeseen circumstances. This temporary assistance may help towards such basic living expenses as mortgage or rent payments, utility bills, car insurance premiums, car payments, and food.
To apply, call the fund at (323) 634-3888 if you’re under 65 or (323) 634-3866 if you’re 65 or older. You can also email info@mptf.com.
Feel free to reply if you have questions about these programs that aren’t covered by our FAQs and we look forward to supporting you however we can.
Inevitable Foundation:
Quarterly Update
Quarterly Update
We’re writing to share exciting updates on Inevitable Foundation’s recent work investing in disabled writers and filmmakers so they can leverage film and television to create a world where disabled people are valued on- and off-screen.
As you may know, disabled people make up 20%+ of the
population but represent less than 1% of writers and filmmakers behind the screen and less than 2% of characters on-screen. Our programs are breaking down barriers by providing funding, access,
relationships, and opportunities to disabled creatives, which will create a wave of authentic films and television shows that destigmatize disability and mental health globally.
population but represent less than 1% of writers and filmmakers behind the screen and less than 2% of characters on-screen. Our programs are breaking down barriers by providing funding, access,
relationships, and opportunities to disabled creatives, which will create a wave of authentic films and television shows that destigmatize disability and mental health globally.
Recent turmoil within the entertainment industry makes our work supporting disabled creatives and their stories more urgent than ever. If you are in a position to support our mission, or would like to learn more about our plans for 2025, feel free to reply to this email.
The Highlights
● We announced our 2024 Accelerate Fellows
● We launched the Greenlight Disability Initiative
● Ramy Youssef and Karey Burke were recognized for their support of Inevitable Foundation in The Hollywood Reporter’s 2024 Forces for Change List
● The Writers Guild of America’s magazine profiled our work
Accelerate Fellowship
Our Accelerate Fellowship, exclusively supported by Netflix, provides $40,000 grants and a year of bespoke mentorship to help disabled writers develop and sell their own content.
Last month, we announced our 2024 Accelerate Fellows: Simone Hawthorne, Ashley Eakin, and Jamey Perry. Read the full announcement in Deadline.
In the last few months, we welcomed an outstanding collection of industry leaders to meet with our Accelerate Fellows as part of the program’s commitment to rapidly expanding their networks. Recent guests include Jen Statsky (Hacks), Laura Kittrell (Insecure), Jessica Sharzer (A SIMPLE FAVOR), Henry Alonso Myers (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), Chinaka Hodge (Snowpiercer), Ali Schouten (iCarly), Marqui Jackson (All American: Homecoming), and Trey Callaway (9-1-1: Lonestar).
Congratulations to our Accelerate Fellows on their recent accomplishments:
● Sheridan O’Donnell (‘23 Fellow) for the digital and theatrical release of his feature film LITTLE BROTHER this month through Gravitas Ventures.
● Ashley Eakin (‘24 Fellow) for writing, directing, and producing the short film THIS BODY IS A SHELL, which premiered at the 2024 Slamdance Film Festival and won Best Experimental Film at the Santa Monica Film Festival.
● Aoife Baker and Greg Machlin (‘21 Fellows) for winning a Story Incubator Writing Lab Fellowship to develop their military half-hour comedy Skippy's List with co-writer Eric Leja (A Grunt’s Life).
● Kalen Feeney (‘21 Fellow) for being featured in a new article in Written by WGA West, which delves into our efforts to level the playing field for disabled writers.
Impact Snapshot: The Accelerate Fellowship has:
● Dispersed $720,000 in unrestricted grants to Fellows
● Facilitated 36 mentorship connections with industry-leading creatives
● Hosted 95 off-the-record conversations with writers and showrunners.
In the words of one Accelerate Fellow:
“From everything I've seen, and in my case personally, the absolute most important thing it takes to break in as a screenwriter is time. Time to meet with people, time to write, time to plan, time to attend events and apply for fellowships, and time to rest. When you're working a full time job, you have so, so, so much less time and energy to do all of those things. The Accelerate Fellowship gave me that time, and it radically changed my career trajectory."
Elevate Collective
Elevate Collective invests in professional disabled screenwriters with the funding, mentorship, coaching, and connections they need to level-up their careers.
Congratulations to our Elevate Collective Members on their recent accomplishments:
● Natalia Temesgen (‘24 Loreen Arbus Foundation Member) for writing and producing on Season 2 of Reasonable Doubt on Hulu.
● Roma Murphy (‘24 Member) for writing on Season 2 of Zombies: The Reanimated Series on Disney+.
● Cheryl Meyer (‘24 Member) for co-writing the horror film, CARVED, that will be screened at Screamfest 2024; being selected for Playback's 2024 10 to Watch; and being selected as a participant for the Athena Film Festival's Episodic Writers Lab for her project CHRONIC ELLE, a dark comedy about a woman and her chronic pain.
● Hari Ziyad (‘24 STARZ #TakeTheLead Member) for being selected as a participant for the Athena Film Festival’s Episodic Writers Lab for their project ANY LAST WORDS, a dramedy about a young death doula and her cranky first client.
Read the full Quarterly Update.
● Ashley Eakin (‘24 Fellow) for writing, directing, and producing the short film THIS BODY IS A SHELL, which premiered at the 2024 Slamdance Film Festival and won Best Experimental Film at the Santa Monica Film Festival.
● Aoife Baker and Greg Machlin (‘21 Fellows) for winning a Story Incubator Writing Lab Fellowship to develop their military half-hour comedy Skippy's List with co-writer Eric Leja (A Grunt’s Life).
● Kalen Feeney (‘21 Fellow) for being featured in a new article in Written by WGA West, which delves into our efforts to level the playing field for disabled writers.
Impact Snapshot: The Accelerate Fellowship has:
● Dispersed $720,000 in unrestricted grants to Fellows
● Facilitated 36 mentorship connections with industry-leading creatives
● Hosted 95 off-the-record conversations with writers and showrunners.
In the words of one Accelerate Fellow:
“From everything I've seen, and in my case personally, the absolute most important thing it takes to break in as a screenwriter is time. Time to meet with people, time to write, time to plan, time to attend events and apply for fellowships, and time to rest. When you're working a full time job, you have so, so, so much less time and energy to do all of those things. The Accelerate Fellowship gave me that time, and it radically changed my career trajectory."
Elevate Collective
Elevate Collective invests in professional disabled screenwriters with the funding, mentorship, coaching, and connections they need to level-up their careers.
Congratulations to our Elevate Collective Members on their recent accomplishments:
● Natalia Temesgen (‘24 Loreen Arbus Foundation Member) for writing and producing on Season 2 of Reasonable Doubt on Hulu.
● Roma Murphy (‘24 Member) for writing on Season 2 of Zombies: The Reanimated Series on Disney+.
● Cheryl Meyer (‘24 Member) for co-writing the horror film, CARVED, that will be screened at Screamfest 2024; being selected for Playback's 2024 10 to Watch; and being selected as a participant for the Athena Film Festival's Episodic Writers Lab for her project CHRONIC ELLE, a dark comedy about a woman and her chronic pain.
● Hari Ziyad (‘24 STARZ #TakeTheLead Member) for being selected as a participant for the Athena Film Festival’s Episodic Writers Lab for their project ANY LAST WORDS, a dramedy about a young death doula and her cranky first client.
Read the full Quarterly Update.
NYC DEPARTMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES
Construction Ramp Up Email
Construction Ramp Up Email
Header: Applications Open for New NYC Construction
Ramp-Up Program!
Ramp-Up Program!
Subheader: Deadline to Apply: Friday, June 9, 5 PM.
Body: Did you know that more than 180,000 sidewalk corners in the five boroughs of NYC will need to be rehabilitated to comply with Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards? The City's Pedestrian Ramp Rehabilitation Program is anticipated to be a $5 billion program over the next 25+ years!
Join SBS’s newest capacity-building program for construction M/WBEs in the concrete sector to prepare your firm to successfully compete for and perform Pedestrian Ramp Rehabilitation project work and to apply for related Pre-Qualified Lists (PQLs).
RISEBORO COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
On The Rise Newsletter
On The Rise Newsletter
The Our Food team at RiseBoro invites our communities to build a
vibrant, robust food system with and for all of us.
vibrant, robust food system with and for all of us.
Food is central to how we live our lives – our work, our health, our neighborhoods. The majority of workers in this country are food workers – mostly Black and brown and underpaid. A handful of corporations make massive profits—collapsing the environment in the process – and wealthy communities thrive, while working class communities and communities of color have little access to healthy and affordable options. Our food should be the opposite. Our food should keep our communities healthy, give our people dignified work, drive a just transition through the climate crisis, and bring our neighborhoods to life.
Our food should be a source of joy, connection, health, and solidarity. Our food should build community, knowledge, power, and self-determination. Our food should be ours.
14TH STREET Y
Blog Interview with Evan Greenberg (Excerpt)
There are a lot of commonalities between the 14th Street Y and AfterWork Theater. The biggest one? Both our organizations are committed to playing integral roles in the lives of our members and the communities we serve. AfterWork Theater is a community theater designed to provide everyday New Yorkers with the extraordinary opportunity to perform in musicals, plays, and musical revues, in an stress-free environment. We sat down with Evan Greenberg, Founder and Executive Director of AfterWork Theater, to discuss inclusivity, new parenthood, and the significance of the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
As the Founder and Executive Director, was working with people from marginalized communities a deliberate effort?
At AfterWork Theater, we believe in the incredibly transformative power of being in a show, from bonding with cast mates, to building self-confidence, to the thrill of a well-deserved applause. Yet, historically, participation in the performance arts has been reserved for the privileged few, those with "enough" talent or experience, and for those possessing the "right" racial/ethnic identity, socio-economic background/mobility. From the beginning, we have sought to create access to powerful theatrical expressions for literally anyone over 18 years old.
Congratulations on becoming a new father!
What is it like having a small new addition to your family?
Thank you! My husband, Jon and I feel so blessed to be alive during this incredible time in history when we're able to have a family of our own. It took three years for us to be successful in having a child and Piper was worth the wait. She is an absolute miracle and a force to be reckoned with. My time suddenly feels so precious—as someone who has always had a very active social life, I had to shift my priorities in order to make more time to spend with my family.
