Meet Jennifer Mangan and Michael Fisk | Co-Founders: The Business of Creating Institute

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Mangan and Michael Fisk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer and Michael, how does your business help the community?
The Business of Creating Institute exists to educate and to empower underserved individuals and communities in the Entertainment industry. Hollywood has traditionally been closed-door about the practicalities of navigating the business side of Entertainment, from how to market and sell your project to actual profits made. As the Wizard states in The Wizard of Oz, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.” The Business of Creating Institute not only opens that door, it gives people a front-and-center “look behind the curtain”.

The Business of Creating Institute produces free interactive panels with top executives from the studios, streamers, production companies, independent creators, and more. Panelists provide information on up-to-the-minute trends and practical action steps for creating, financing, marketing, selling and distributing top-quality Entertainment projects. Attendees are encouraged to ask specific questions regarding their own projects during the Q&A.

We offer professionals in the industry opportunities to learn outside of the expensive universities and trade publications that offer classes or panels. Also, we offer tangible advice. It’s not about just telling “war stories” about the industry, as interesting as they are. Our panels are all about offering “next steps” in what a professional can do to make their project a reality.

We foster an atmosphere of camaraderie wherein panelists and attendees are encouraged to network with each other after the event.

The Business of Creating Institute provides unique opportunities free of charge in order to truly provide an equal opportunity for all who wish to learn, grow, and succeed in the Entertainment Industry. As such, we rely on donations and corporate sponsorship to fund our organization.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Jennifer: The Business of Creating Institute’s motto is Educate, Empower, Succeed. The more we can help and guide each other, the better off we all are. Our panels provide a unique platform where industry professionals and aspiring creatives come together to learn, network, and succeed.

Michael: The most significant factor behind the success of The Business of Creating Institute is our unwavering commitment to adapting to our constantly changing industry.

The pandemic presented a unique set of challenges. Live, in-person events were no longer feasible. However, instead of seeing it as the end, we embraced the opportunity to pivot to a streaming format in partnership with the Writers Guild Foundation. We not only survived but thrived, reaching a global audience.

This also birthed our website and YouTube channel.

Our focus on providing practical information, fostering a sense of camaraderie, and creating an inclusive environment through free panels with top Entertainment executives has set us apart. The unique blend of creativity and business insights shared by our panelists has resonated with industry professionals, making our panels invaluable.

Jennifer: The success is not just measured by our growth and positive feedback but by the impact we’ve had on empowering individuals and communities in the entertainment industry. The resilience demonstrated during challenges, such as transitioning to streaming during the pandemic, showcases our determination to adapt and continue providing valuable content to a global audience. Ultimately, our success is rooted in a mission to educate, empower, and facilitate the success of professionals within the entertainment industry.

Here is a sampling of feedback from attendees and panelists:

“…incredibly candid and informative. I’m very grateful to have been invited.” –Austin K., Filmmaker

“The kind of stuff you don’t learn in film school.” –Billy M., Still Photographer

“The level of people Jennifer and Michael put together for their panels/conversations/seminars is truly astounding – industry leaders (from both mega-companies and small scrappy ones) who they get to share real-world tips and secrets on everything from development and pitching to production — plus real world advice for managing your career (and expectations). And it ain’t a four minute tease and then a firewall — Jennifer and Michael get these top notch people to really dig deep (while keeping it breezy and fun), inviting Q+A from their audience – providing a true open-access masterclass in various aspects of ‘the industry;’ Their vibe is SO positive and inclusive – and they are genuinely sharing knowledge for anyone dreaming of advancing their career, presently active on a project, or re-inventing their goals It’s rather extraordinary what they have created.” –Neil C., Writer/Producer

“I have been a regular to the series for over a year now, and I was also very fortunate to have participated as a panelist once. Both as a collaborator and an attendee, I always leave the room full of useful insights, inspiration and meaningful conversations that I am happy to say, most times go beyond the events and become real connections and professional collaborations.

The structure of the panels is very well-thought out and straight to the point, with the information given based on real cases and not theories. No matter if you are a seasoned (professional) or a filmmaker trying to be marketing conscious with your project, the panels will offer you something new. ” –Nuria Botella, Netflix

“The Business of Creating Institute brings together truly unique, incredible and diverse perspectives in an engaging way. Michael and Jennifer are both inspiring and impactful individuals with a passion to spread knowledge, wisdom and build a sense of community. It’s been a great honor to collaborate with them and I am excited to see the panels blossom into more. The practical and tangible lessons in the discussion are immensely valuable.” –Ariel Sara R., BLOOM XO

Topics will include:

• Creating a Successful Pitch Deck
• How to Personalize the Pitch
• Pitching Original Content vs. Adaptations
• Elements that can Help/Harm Your Pitch
• How to actually get in front of Buyers and Studios
• What Happens in the Room?
• Pitching Etiquette: How to ask for the cold, hard cash?

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’d spend a lot of time at the Writers Guild Foundation library! You can read hundreds of film and tv scripts and browse for hours. Dreamy!

No trip to LA would be complete without visiting the Academy Museum, of course.

Watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Get there a bit early, and you might even get to see dolphins riding the waves and jumping into the air…pirouetting just for you.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Michael: I love this question! We initially met through a beloved professor of ours, Ken Markman, who taught at UCLA Extension when Jennifer was taking a marketing class and I was a guest lecturer.

Jennifer: If it wasn’t for Ken, we wouldn’t be telling you about The Business of Creating Institute right now. So, Ken, this is all your fault, lol! If Michael and I had never met, we’d be chilling on a beach or something re-reading Shoe Dog (Phil Knight’s founding of Nike), rather than producing panels.

Michael: We’ve already produced over 30 panels and had over 3,000 attendees, both in-person and streaming. We continue to grow, adapt, and thrive in a constantly changing industry.

Jennifer: We’d also like to give thanks to our Business of Creating Institute community. We’ve grown organically by word of mouth from a handful of folks to now over 3,000 worldwide. Their continued participation and feedback have been key to our growth, starting as a goup of professionals wanting to learn from each other to becoming a 501c3 non-profit in 2024!

Website: www.businessofcreating.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/businessofcreating/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-business-of-creating-institute/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BusinessOfCreating/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@businessofcreating

Other: Venmo @BusinessofCreating