Raised in Atlanta, Jeffrey Stepakoff is an internationally recognized writer-producer with a thirty-five year career that includes senior leadership roles in content creation and production. He is credited on more than two hundred episodes of popular television shows, including the Emmy-winning The Wonder Years and break-out hit Dawson's Creek, where he was Co-Executive Producer. He has developed and written major motion pictures, created and developed pilots for major studios and networks, worked for numerous digital media companies, and is a bestselling novelist. He left Hollywood in 2015 to become the Founding Executive Director of the Georgia Film Academy. A first-of-its-kind film and entertainment education/workforce program, the GFA helped drive over a 100% increase in direct spending by productions in the state’s film industry. Widely recognized by the Motion Picture Association as “the gold standard” in film production workforce education, the GFA provides students with college-credit coursework, professional training, paid union-covered craft internships, and job placement support. Stepakoff has a BA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and an MFA from Carnegie Mellon.
Josh Lee is an award-winning educator with over fifteen years of production and business experience, and over ten years of leading strategic initiatives. He holds a BA in Media Studies from Mercer University, a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology from Georgia State University, and an MBA from the University of Mississippi. Josh began his career working at CNN, CNBC, and running his own video production company which grew significantly in Washington D.C., where he created videos with high profile individuals such as Al Gore, John Kerry, and Hilary Clinton. He transitioned to high school teaching, where within 4 years, Josh had won teacher of the year, as well as led his students to a national championship in film production. He was promoted to a leadership role with Fulton County Schools, where he built programming for the third largest district in the state of Georgia. Following his award-winning stint at the district, Josh developed several new state-wide secondary programs for high school teachers through the Georgia Film Academy, growing the secondary programming within the organization, launching new high school courses and pathways for the entire state, as well as providing relevant industry exposure and experiences to high school students and teachers. Josh is recognized in the entertainment industry and educational fields as a leader with an expertise in strategy, planning, and partnership building, and is known for his ability to build new, successful education and entertainment-based programs from the ground up. Josh resigned from the GFA in July 2022 to become the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder at Content Talent South.
Mitchell Kupstas spent the first 8 years of his career working for a corporate-backed technology incubator and the family office of a prominent Atlanta-based tech entrepreneur. Within his incubator role, Mitchell experienced and contributed to the inception, fundraising, operational growth, and eventual sale of multiple technology-based start-up companies. Specifically, he helped manage the process of strategy conceptualizing and storytelling in order to operationalize from early stage whiteboard drawings. As the business grew, he would fill the gaps between technology and operations until the roles were filled by full-time positions. At the family office, Mitchell was the lead analyst overseeing all alternatives investing. This included sourcing and evaluating start-up pitches, private equity pitches, as well as small business mergers and acquisitions. He directly sourced and oversaw the successful acquisition and continued operation of four local businesses. Mitchell is now the Chief Strategy Officer of Content Talent South and is in charge of operations strategy, planning, and presentation deliverables both internally and for external clients. Mitchell brings both a strategic financial background as well as ample experience in the flexible world of private enterprise ideation. Mitch has a BS in Applied Mathematics from Brown University and Masters in Management Studies from Duke University.
Laura Beth Daws spent 17 years as a communication professor, teaching courses at the graduate and undergraduate level in public speaking, business communication, media studies and research methods, becoming nationally recognized for her work in innovative online and in-person classroom teaching strategies. She ultimately was promoted to the position of Interim Director for the Kennesaw State University School of Communication & Media, supervising 70 faculty and staff, and managing curriculum for 4 undergraduate BS programs, one MA program, and multiple certificates and minors serving 1,600 students. While in academic leadership, she developed and facilitated numerous faculty training programs related to online education and pedagogical skills, created university-wide curriculum, developed policies and procedures for various academic units, and implemented new, more efficient workflow processes. Laura Beth was routinely sought after for committees and leadership positions due to her reputation for forming and maintaining positive working relationships with a variety of constituents and her diplomacy skills in dealing with difficult student, faculty, and other situations. She left academia in June 2022 transitioning to work in the areas of higher education consulting, corporate training, business strategy, and workforce development. She has a BA in Public Communication from the University of North Alabama, an MA in Communication from Auburn University, and a PhD in Communication from the University of Kentucky.
Amy Beth Barnes is a seasoned television producer with over 18 years of experience in the entertainment industry. Originating from the suburbs of Baltimore, Barnes earned her degree in Film and Television from Stevenson University and began her career on HBO's The Wire. Barnes' career has been profoundly shaped by her decade-long tenure within The Walking Dead universe, starting on the pilot of The Walking Dead. Her contributions expanded across multiple facets of the franchise, culminating in key roles within the producing teams of The Walking Dead: World Beyond and Tales of the Walking Dead. Her portfolio also includes work on TV pilots, TV shows and feature films like Marley and Me, What Happens in Vegas, and Moon and Me. Currently based in Los Angeles, Amy Beth Barnes remains dedicated to pushing creative boundaries and crafting compelling narratives that resonate with audiences worldwide.
Mandy McCowan is a Writer, Producer, and Production Manager with 16 years of experience in the dynamic and high-pressure Television and Film production industry. I have created and delivered high-quality content and been lucky enough to work with and learn from some of the best in the business. I am passionate about being an integral part of the process and a resource to help those around me succeed. My commitment to the greater-good of the project as well as my strong work ethic and positive attitude make me an asset to collaborative and individual projects.
Trudy Coleman is an Internationally recognized Head of Production, Production Executive, Producer and Line Producer with over 40 years in the TV Industry under her belt. She has worked in many genres of scripted production including Comedy, Light Entertainment and Drama, she has filmed in the US, UK, and Europe. The thing of which she is most proud is the building and running of the Birmingham Drama Hub in the UK, which is home to the worldwide phenomenon that is Father Brown, as well as many other daytime dramas. When asked what she would do if not TV or Film production there is a deafening silence, she cannot conceive of not working in the industry. Trudy is passionate about developing the next generation of storytellers here in Georgia and being a part of the team that is building an ecosystem here that encourages and nurtures local talent, so much so that she has relocated from the UK to be a part of this exciting chapter in Georgia’s history.
Terrence Battled has over 15 years of experience in the entertainment and media industry. During his tenure at Morehouse College, Terrence was hired as an A&R Assistant at Universal Records. Over the next decade, this 30 Under 30 recipient would go on to work on albums from India Irie, Toni Braxton, Trey Songz, Tamela Man, Flo-Rida and David Guetta amongst others. Later Terrence would go on to lead Teamedia, a multimillion-dollar boutique Ad agency whose clients included Sony, Universal, RCA, US Army, Nike, McDonalds, and Pepsi. After transitioning into television and film production, Terrence would produce multiple tv shows including Rell Against the World, Black Twitter, and Off Fairfax which was recently sold to Universal Pictures. In 2021, Terrence co-founded a 125,000 ft film studio facility which housed the likes of Netflix, Apple TV, Warner Bros., and BET. Terrence currently consults for multiple production and management companies in the entertainment industry including 3 Arts Atlanta.
Baker Waite is an accomplished writer and producer dedicated to creating films that inspire positive change. He holds a BSBA in Marketing with a focus on Visual Media from Auburn University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with Honors, and an MFA in Writing and Producing from the University of Georgia. After beginning his career in the business sector, Baker transitioned to focus on film and entertainment, producing 10 international award-winning films that highlight diverse perspectives and aim to foster social change. Currently, he serves as a Project Manager and assists with administrative operations at Content Talent South, consulting on and advancing various projects and initiatives to support the leadership team. Before entering the film industry, Baker worked at a financial services company providing affordable platforms for non-profits. His work aims to uplift voices and uncover common threads of humanity, and he is passionate about developing the next generation of storytellers and nurturing local talent in the modern era of the entertainment industry.
Jennifer Louten has over 15 years of experience in higher education, having taught courses such as virology, immunology, and biotechnology at the undergraduate, graduate, and honors levels. As a professor at Kennesaw State University, she was Director of two enrichment programs hosting over 900 undergraduates. One program more than doubled the number of students graduating in their original major, while the other program increased graduation rates by 45%. Jennifer was recognized with the Faculty of the Year Award, Outstanding Teaching Award, Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award, and Master Advisor designation. She is known nationally and internationally for her work in program development and pedagogical innovation, and her publications have been cited over 3000 times. She is the author of the textbook Essential Human Virology, which received the Textbook and Academic Authors Association Textbook Excellence Award (“Texty”) in 2024. She left higher education in 2022 to pursue consulting opportunities in educational strategy, instructional design, program assessment, and grant/medical writing. She received a BS in Biotechnology from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a PhD in Medical Sciences from Brown University.
Brandy Dennard is an experienced executive administrative support professional with over 20 years in the field. She has extensive experience providing comprehensive support to executives to include gatekeeping, problem-solving, scheduling, and team support. Having held positions in government, healthcare, and law, Brandy is able to tailor her skills to meet the needs of various clients. She is especially passionate about her ability to predict and plan the needs of the executive and supporting the work of the organization. Brandy graduated from the University of West Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership. While working towards her degree, she served as an executive assistant to Jeffrey Stepakoff with the Georgia Film Academy where she gained a passion for advancing the entertainment industry in Georgia. Brandy joined Content Talent South as Sr. Executive Assistant in 2023.
Ami McBay is the accountant at Content Talent South where she oversees all the accounting duties for the company. She has a degree in accounting and has over 30 years of experience in the field of accounting. Ami started her career with an Electrical Contractor and worked her way up to Vice President of Finance and served on the Executive Board. Ami is a dedicated employee and stayed with this company for 30 years and retired in 2023. Ami is a very driven and detailed oriented professional who likes to stay organized. She prides herself on her work ethic, integrity, and accuracy. She leads by example, can build high performing teams, and is well respected by all managers and peers.
