BEA2013 Keynote Speaker
Evan Shapiro, President Participant Television

Monday, April 8 |2:30 pm – 3:45 pm | Pavilion 1, LVH

Evan Shapiro joined Participant Media in May 2012 as President of Participant Television. Evan is responsible for the conception, development, and production of original television programming that will follow the company's model of commercial and socially relevant entertainment. Participant Media just announced the Summer 2013 launch of a TV network targeting "the next greatest generation" of viewers.

Prior to Participant, Evan served as President of IFC TV and Sundance Channel, where he steered both networks to new business and programming models that garnered each network its first Primetime Emmy nominations, as well as its first Golden Globe Award. Additionally, he has executive produced numerous acclaimed original documentaries and series, including This Film Is Not Yet Rated, which challenged the MPAA for its ratings practices; the Peabody Award-winning Brick City, which chronicled a year in the life of Newark's Mayor, Cory Booker; At the Death House Door, Steve James' provoking documentary on the death penalty; R. Kelly's one-of-a-kind 'hip-hopera,' Trapped in the Closet; and most recently, the two-time Peabody Award-winning hit series Portlandia.

Evan has dedicated much of his life to public service and education. He has served on the Board of Directors at The Ghetto Film School for the past eight years (including three years as Board Chair) and helped open the Cinema School, the nation's first public high school for film and video. He is Chair of the 25th Anniversary Gala of the Social Venture Network; a Board member of Women in Cable Telecommunications New York; Chair of the Cable Center's Cable Mavericks Masters Program; and is an Adjunct Professor of Television Management at NYU's Stern School of Business. Evan is also a regular contributor to The Huffington Post.

About Participant Media

Participant Media (participantmedia.com) is an entertainment company that focuses on documentary and non-documentary feature films, television, publishing and digital content about the real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates social action and advocacy programs to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant's online division and Social Action Network is TakePart (takepart.com). Founded by Jeff Skoll in 2004, Jim Berk serves as CEO. Participant's films include The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson's War, An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night, and Good Luck, The Visitor, Food, Inc., The Cove, The Crazies, Countdown to Zero, Waiting for "Superman," Fair Game, PAGE ONE: Inside The New York Times, The Help, Contagion, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Middle of Nowhere, Lincoln and Promised Land. Please click here for more information about Participant Media.