SO, WHO ARE WE ANYWAY?


Beth Pacunas

Founder / Artistic Director / Acting Executive Director


Beth is a 20-year veteran of purpose driven media from documentaries and television, to advertising, corporate image, fundraising and development. As an independent writer and producer her vast body of professional work has taken her around the world and helped raise awareness and millions of dollars for such organizations as Literacy Partners, Operation Smile, and Habitat for Humanity to name a few. She has been an advisor to teenage media makers through ACHIEVE Minneapolis, as well as PYC Arts and Tech High School, North Minneapolis.


She is a 2009 Archibald Bush Fellowship finalist, a trained American Red Cross Disaster Relief Volunteer, and a committed mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.




Craig Rice

Board of Directors


Craig is an award-winning producer, director, and entertainment executive nationally recognized for his distinguished career in the television, film, and music industries. His work has been nominated for four Emmy Awards, an NAACP Award, and several other honors. He has worked with corporations such as HBO, PBS, Paisley Park Films, Warner Bros, MCA Records, ABC Sports, KABC. In addition to his extensive arts and entertainment work Craig has served on over a half dozen nonprofit boards including the Minnesota Film and TV Board, Minnesota Independent School Forum, and Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He is also an educator that includes work with Perpich Center For the Arts High School, North High School and PYC Arts and Technical High School, all in Minneapolis.


He is currently a professor at Minneapolis College of Art and Design and McNally Smith College of Music in the Twin Cities.




Robin Hickman

Board of Directors


Robin is the CEO and Executive Producer of SoulTouch Productions, a television and film production, youth mentorship and media consulting company, with a mission to make meaningful media and produce powerful social impact experiences.


She is the founder and curriculum developer of the “Lovin’ the Skin I’m In” (Lovin’) Hope & Healing Movement, a SoulTouch partnership initiative for youth, inspired by Sharon G. Flake’s book The Skin I’m In. The movement explores societal standards of beauty and media influences on self-esteem and identity.


Robin served as Executive Producer of Community Affairs Programming at Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) where she developed and managed local and national public affairs programming, documentaries and community outreach initiatives, including national award winning Don’t Believe the HYPE (Emmy). Her film work includes the HBO mini-series, Laurel Avenue and Emmy and NAACP Image Award nominated Half Past Autumn: The Life and Work of Gordon Parks.


SoulTouch is a member of the MN Black Chamber of Commerce and Robin serves on the boards of the St. Paul YWCA, St. Paul Neighborhood STAR, and IFP Minnesota Media Arts Center.




Robert Ashmun

Board of Directors


Robert has a diverse range of experience from startups to Fortune 100’s in industries from entertainment to aerospace, delivering mission critical solutions with results that exceed expectations. Ranked by PeopleAssessments in the 99-percentile for valuable creative thinking among senior solutions leaders with “a unique ability to synthesize diverse elements into meaningful results,” a skill that organizations depend on for growth and competitiveness.


Robert’s skills have been called upon to kick start lagging product development within divisions, create a distinct product mix, develop transmedia marketing solutions, build a business case for breakthrough innovation start-ups, build high performance teams and find value-add common ground across soiled departments. His expertise in IP, C-level facilitation, and frontline systems allows him to quickly gain traction and achieve results in a wide range of projects and industries. CBS, HBO, Warner Bros., Paramount, Disney, K-Tel International, HP, Sony, Exxon, Wal-Mart, Belgravia Financial, Charthouse Learning, Neural Robotics, Applied Astronautics Corp. NASA, and PLACE.us.




Devin Halden

Board of Directors


Devin has been an influential entrepreneur, marketing executive, and producer in the film industry for over a decade. He has utilized strategic partnerships and created proprietary technology to package and distribute film properties safely around the world. Devin is also a Producer for several high budget films and has worked with many of the major studios in some capacity, including, DreamWorks, HBO, Warner Bros., and Picturehouse.




Ben Nelson

Board of Directors


For over 15 years, Ben has worked with non-profits, start-ups, and small businesses, aiding them in their growth and developing financial plans that lay a sound foundation for the future. Clients include the Minnesota Film and Television Board, MN Film Arts, Target, and independent photographers and filmmakers.




Andrew Rose

Board of Directors


Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota. MBA, University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management. Producer - YAFI Underground productions. Start-up: The 50 Fifty Reel Challenge. At Goodwill/Easter Seals he directs the IT department and manages technological projects, but also places value on training.




Dan Maloney

Board of Directors


Oracle, GE Capital, Corporate Accounts/Business Development. MBA, University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management. Community Involvement: PACER - Marketing Advisory Board, Junior Achievement - Volunteer Coordinator




Jeffrey Stamp, PhD

Strategic Associate


Head of Bold Thinking & Foundation, a leader in entrepreneurial education, created four $100M brands, inventor of the "Baked Lays", for PepsiCo, Main-trained-brain at the International Eureka! Ranch and the "George Land World-Class Innovator Award."




Dr. Tom Janz & Team

Strategic Associates


Dr. Tom Janz and his team are the leading authorities in behavioral and industrial psychology. They have a long successful track record and if you have taken any type of assessment test for a job it was most likely written by one of them.




Steve Helland

Strategic Associate


Fredrikson and Byron, P.A., Steve is Chair of Fredrikson & Byron’s Internet, Technology & E-Commerce Group and Co-Chair of the firm’s Media & Entertainment Group. His clients are concentrated in the Internet, software, consulting services, medical device, new media, and entertainment industries.