We Are As Gods

This is Stripe Press’s first feature length documentary about Stewart Brand. Directed by Jason Sussberg and David Alvarado of Structure Films.

For the past few years, I’ve been producing documentary films that challenge conventional thinking on topics ranging from science, technology, and the intersection of culture and commerce. Stewart Brand exemplifies how having creativity and agency can lead to radical change and progress. This film not only documents his storied history, but it highlights his current endeavors that continue to push the edge of technology and society’s perspective on it’s relationship to the planet and beyond.

This film was originally scheduled to premiere at South by Southwest in March of 2020. This festival was infamously shut down days before at the onset of the pandemic.
>>Read about the filmmaker’s experience in Variety Magazine<<

Download the film and more details at:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/we-are-as-gods/id1634046856

I’ve partnered with Structure Films, directing duo David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg, as an executive producer on We Are As Gods. We Are As Gods offers a compelling deep dive into the many sides of Stewart Brand—creator of The Whole Earth Catalog, an influential member of Ken Kesey’s “The Merry Pranksters,” a founder of the modern environmental movement, and today a vocal advocate for bringing back extinct species of animals and plants. Brand’s approach to his work and life influenced many, including Steve Jobs, who have gone on to shape our modern world. Now in his 80’s, he looks to leave a legacy for the future with his Long Now Foundation and efforts to “enhance biodiversity through the genetic rescue of extinct and endangered species.”

Download the film and more details at:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/we-are-as-gods/id1634046856

The film premiered in theatres in NY, SF, and LA, and is available for streaming in iTunes and Prime.

When screening the film, Kevin Kelly (founder of WIRED magazine) said the 90 minute documentary was a nice trailer for Stewart’s life. He’s done so much in his 8+ decades, that we were able to produce an 8 hour deep dive podcast for Audible Originals.

Listen to the series here:

La Red Callejera
the street network

A documentary from Stripe Press that follows the evolution of a rudimentary gaming network between friends in Cuba into a DIY internet that serviced most of the island. This is a story about how access to tools and infrastructure, even through seemingly primitive tools, can spark technological and societal progress.

This was the first short film I produced for Stripe Press, and the first example of work that we published through with own editorial voice. Stripe Press originally started out by publishing books, but I’ve expanded our output into documentary films and podcasts.

Director: Emile Bokaer
Executive Producer: Everett Katigbak
Cinematographer: Tijana Petrović
Producers: Emile Bokaer, Sage Lewis, Jorge Nhils Herrera Ortíz
Story source: Michael Thomas

Beneath the surface
a podcast about infrastructure

Infrastructure is—finally—having its moment. From transit systems to supply chains, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others are evaluating whether our civic infrastructure is up to the task of supporting a growing—and warming—globe.

In each episode of Beneath the Surface, we explore some of the most complicated challenges facing our world, and talk to the people who are rolling up their sleeves to build solutions.

Stripe Press focuses more broadly on Ideas for Progress. Those ideas take many shapes, and Beneath the Surface was our first foray into audio narrative and podcasting. I was the executive producer on the series, a writer, and the studio director.

>>Listen to the series here<<

Executive Producer: Everett Katigbak
Host and Senior Producer: Tamara Winter
Lead Producer: Whitney Chen
Producers: Dave Yim, Jack Rossiter-Munley
Sound Engineer: Jim McKee
Art Director: Joshua Miranda

Ideas For Progress

Stripe Press is an upstart independent publisher developed at Stripe. The north star for our editorial approach is Ideas For Progress—we publish work that highlights scientific, technological, and economic progress, in order to inspire and educate builders and entrepreneurs.

The imprint began by publishing books from authors, but my work has been developing the Press’s own editorial voice while expanding it into new medium such as podcasts and films. I produced our first feature length documentary We Are As Gods, about the luminary Stewart Brand. Beneath The Surface is a narrative podcast series about infrastructure. that I developed with our host (and the press’s commissioning editor) Tamara Winter. I also produced The Street Network (La Red Callejera), a short film about Cuba’s underground internet.

Stripe brand

I am currently on the Brand Design team at Stripe, focusing primarily on brand narrative and strategy through filmmaking. I am a producer, strategist, and DP, and occasionally produce environmental design for events. 

FIlmmaking

Recently, I've focused most of my energy on producing films, both through the coordination and actual filming and editing. 

DP 

I've been shooting a lot of run and gun projects for Stripe globally. From internal productions to public facing work, I've been focusing a lot on documentary filmmaking, DP work, and post-production

Story driven approach

I work across the company to find stories of global entrepreneurship. My main goal is to bring the Stripe brand voice and vision to life, through the voice of our users.