Meet Amanda Aoki | Founder / Entrepreneur / Producer / Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Aoki and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When someone asks my background, it’s always funny. Cause I started as an Actress, but I never had the patience to wait for someone else’s approval, eventually I step into producing but, as everybody knows, this industry is still overwhelmingly male‑dominated at every level — financing, decision‑making, gatekeeping, and ownership. And because of that, it’s always the same story: Bad scripts getting greenlit cause the people making the decisions are still stuck with the mindset from the last decade and don’t understand or listen to the new audience, good scripts dying without never having a chance, projects that had potential being a waste out of bad marketing and failed audience research, and, talking about inception? creatives, and especially women, constantly replaced or pushed aside once laid the ground with the hard work, for a pretentious man to come and take over, get credit and financial security for it.

This town rewards whoever controls the capital, not whoever creates the value. And in every project I touched, I saw how easy it was for the people with money, usually men, to take over once things started gaining traction. So I decided to step in.

At some point, you either keep participating in that structure and listening to people saying “this is how it works” or you decide to say fuck it, and build something that doesn’t require you to shrink, nod and be nice. And honestly, I was never known to be patient nor digestible. So I built the system I wish existed: one where ownership comes from day one, critical thinking for greenlight and actual market validation is necessary before a giant spend, and the people doing the actual work actually profit of the value they generate. It’s gonna be a long game, and way out of hollywood’s comfort zone. but nobody is winning right now either way. and the system needs change.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The old Hollywood model is just completely broken; everyone’s terrified to spend money, but they’re still wasting *billions* on projects that have zero market validation. In the tech industry, you have Venture Capital firms and angel investors financing pre – seed (development) in film, that becomes almost impossible. They all expect you to be packaged, but who’s paying the line producer? the casting director? Film financiers don’t want to do the dirty work and risk it, and tech investors don’t understand film model, cause it’s too gatekept. We’re building a bridge.

Ravok Studios is not a production company, but it’s also not a venture capital firm. We’re a Venture Studio with focus in media-tech, a more recent business model, besides capital, we help build. In the media side of things, we treat every film like a startup—SPVs, clean cap table and PPUs, the creator retaining ownership of their idea and serving as a “co-founder”, yes, no more work fore hire. Like a portfolio company, we provide the pre-seed R&D, the legal, the entire operational playbook to de-risk the films before they go to market for production financing (seed round in startup language) We validate the hell out of them first. Projects either are produced in house under our production labels once they’re validated if they fit one of the brands and raise production financing (seed round) via PE, or we sell our part of the IP to another company, leading to an exit, the creator remain protected and do their own negotiation from inception with the operating agreement. Our current slate is closed and in operation. On the tech side of the business, I can’t announce much details yet, we have a couple of ventures in development.

As for what I’m most proud of? I’m most proud that I architected this —all of it, the legal frameworks, the brand, everything—in like six months before soft launching. And I’m proud that I did it by leveraging every critique and person that told me it was too ambitious as fuel. I used to be ashamed of my ADHD and Bipolar and what it comes with it, but I see it now that’s its my competitive advantage. My neurodivergence is what lets me see the patterns and build the systems everyone else misses, while being too stubborn to quit and remaining with an insane drive no one can keep up with.

Our current flagship feature proving the speed of the model is packaged and raising PE round, with a strong team and trusted partners already in place. We’ve started growing the company team recently too and did our first hosted event. It was a sucess, 70+ attending. All of this reflect exactly the kind of culture and community we’re building towards.

We’re also finalizing our advisory board. It’s not locked yet, but it’s been genuinely rewarding to see how many experienced, smart people — across entertainment, tech, finance — want to be part of this. People who get what we’re doing, aren’t afraid of the new and wants to offer real value.

And how did I get here? Was it easy?

No. God, no. It was a nightmare. This whole business was born from frustration, burnout, and from being betrayed. I had to kill my old ‘people-pleasing’ patterns. It’s something I still struggle with, honestly.

The lessons I’ve learned?

First: If someone says they’re your friend but refuses to sign a contract, they’re not your friend. Don’t lose your time.
Second: Don’t settle for ‘net profits.’ Don’t settle for a ‘producer’ credit. Demand founder-level equity in your own work or go home.
And third: Your ‘weakness’ is your advantage. This industry will try to beat the authenticity right out of you. But my ‘too-much-ness’? That’s why I win.

What do I want the world to know?

That RAVOK is here to stay.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Honestly i’m not the biggest fan of LA, but i’d definitely take them to Santa Monica, the grove, little tokyo, the intercontinental rooftop in DTLA, eat at pasta sisters! maybe go to a farmer’s market, definitely have to try shake shack, and obviously as every tourist visit hollywood and be disappointed afterwards

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First, my family, for giving me the financial privilege to move to the US and for supporting me while I hustle to make my name in this town. That’s a safety net a lot of people don’t have, and it’s made a huge difference and I know how much it takes them.

My friends from Brazil. I’m talking about the ones who’ve been with me for years, through all my different phases, crazy ideas and in every single state, and now country, I’ve moved to. They know who they are. I wouldn’t be who I am without them.

And then, all the mentors and friends who have genuinely shown up for me and believe in what I’m doing with Ravok day after day, especially when I go MIA with meetings and take forever to respond to their messages…sorry guys.

And honestly, also to, Taylor Swift. my biggest business inspiration—watching her fight for her masters and build an empire on her own terms after the media trying to silence her over and over…she’s the best exemple i could have. Plus, her music has always been there when I just need to rage out my feelings and get it all out.

Website: ravokstudios.com

Instagram: @aaokirak @ravokstudios

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-a-149127339

Image Credits
Austin Chang