Seven young creatives have been chosen as the inaugural class of ViacomCBS‘ newly launched Content for Change Academy. Dominick Berry, Brianna Cousins, Shamar Darden, Tenia Hardy, Marvin Hernandez, Georgia-Rae Lyken and Anfernee Villaroel were the selected few to participate in the new venture from ViacomCBS and Reel Works.
Content for Change Academy is a talent program that aims to remove barriers to entry for new storytellers, build equity, and invest in the industry’s next generation of leaders from nontraditional pathways, including individuals from community colleges and certification programs, who are historically marginalized from entry into the entertainment industry.
To identify this initial class, ViacomCBS has partnered with Reel Works, a Brooklyn-based organization that provides emerging storytellers in underserved communities with mentorship for careers in media, and their MediaMKRS workforce development program. The MediaMKRS program aims to build a talent pool that reflects the diversity of New York City by credentialing young professionals and matching them with on-the-job training opportunities at a number of media organizations, including ViacomCBS.
The Content for Change Academy will provide these individuals with paid experience in entry-level creative and production roles – without the need for enrollment in traditional four-year colleges or universities – allowing them to learn the skills for a successful career in entertainment and build their portfolios, with the goal of staff placement upon the program’s completion. The Academy will scale to support storytellers on the West Coast and explore additional cohorts on an ongoing basis.
“It is critical to open up nontraditional pathways and evolve our early career hiring models to further break down the systemic barriers that impact the representation of marginalized communities in our industry,” said Crystal Barnes, SVP, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental, Social and Governance at ViacomCBS. “Just think of all the stories that have yet to be told just because these creators haven’t had the access or opportunity to join our industry through traditional talent pipelines. Through the Content for Change Academy, we are building on ViacomCBS’ longstanding efforts to break down these barriers, further inclusion and equity, and diversify representation to write the next chapter of inclusive storytelling in the entertainment industry.”
The Content for Change Academy is part of ViacomCBS’ company-wide Content for Change initiative that seeks to apply scientific research, rigor, and data to transform the entire creative ecosystem across three pillars – 1) the content the company produces 2) the creative supply chain that powers it and 3) the culture that underpins everything ViacomCBS does. It is part of ViacomCBS’ early career pipeline recruiting initiative and reflects the focus of Content for Change on systemically transforming the creative supply chain, with a renewed emphasis on hiring emerging talent and moving to new paradigms that inject equity into talent pipelines. It joins ViacomCBS’ longstanding slate of programs to broaden the creative talent pool, including the company’s ViewFinder Emerging Directors Program, Directing Initiative, and Writers Mentoring Program.
“We are thrilled that the innovators at the helm of the Content for Change initiative have chosen Reel Works as their partner in carrying out their mission to help diverse young storytellers realize their full creative potential,” said Keisha Katz, Director of Workforce and External Partnerships at Reel Works. “Part of our responsibility as a film education and workforce development program is to act as a network of support and guidance for our students beyond just the walls of our classrooms. We are proud to provide our alumni with the opportunity to continue building their professional skill sets by matching them with the qualified talent at ViacomCBS’ stand out networks and brands.”
The seven storytellers will be using their talents at seven different major networks; Dominick Berry is heading to Paramount Network, Brianna Cousins will land at Velocity, Shamar Darden is set for CBS Sports, Tenia Hardy at BET, Marvin Hernandez at CBS Studios, Georgia-Rae Lyken at Showtime, and Anfernee Villaroel at Nickelodeon.
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