MEET THE FILMMAKERS
Shennell Barnes-McCloud
Executive Producer & Writer
Barnes is a native and resident of Newark, NJ. She serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Project Ready and Executive Director of Be Ready. Project Ready is a nonprofit social justice organization that works to close opportunity gaps and improve life outcomes outcomes by empowering communities to demand social justice through civic engagement campaigns. This is done by growing the voters’ base, substantially increasing voter turnout while reshaping policies that further disenfranchise vulnerable communities.
Dana Offenbach
DIRECTOR
Offenbach is a member of the prestigious Producers Guild of America and New York Women in Film & Television. She is an award-winning producer/director who grew up in Washington Heights, where she developed her diverse creative vision. She is the founder and owner of CinemaStreet Pictures, Inc., which develops and produces original content across all platforms, and her films have won Best Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay, Best of Festival, Best Short Film, World Premiere Honors, and an NAACP Nomination for Outstanding Independent Feature.
Julia Carias-Linares
PRODUCER
Carias-Linares is a media executive, actress, and businesswoman. She is a founding partner and CEO of FREEDOM STUDIOS, INC., a media company creating thought-provoking, groundbreaking content that inspires social change. As a television executive, she worked for three of A+E Television Networks’ brands – Lifetime, A&E, and FYI, as part of the core team that successfully rebranded the Biography channel to FYI into the number one upscale entertainment network on ad-supported cable in 2015. She is producing the Dear America with Shennell Barnes, a podcast and radio show in collaboration with iHeart Media, Project Ready and Freedom Studios committed to amplifying Black and Brown voices in our national discourse. She is a member of the Executive Peer Group for the Television Academy - The Emmys.
Meiling Marcias-Toro
PRODUCER
Macias-Toro is a founding partner and COO of FREEDOM STUDIOS, INC., where she continues to executive produce while running all operations. She is an award-winning executive producer, advertising, and media expert who has produced content and commercials for Fortune 500 Brands. Her trajectory includes campaigns featuring celebrities and artists such as the Latin legendary Celia Cruz, Edward James Olmos, Eva Longoria, Isaac Hayes, Mary J. Blige, soccer legend Pele, and basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to name a few. She is in a joint venture with Freedom Global Network, a telecommunications and media company with long-term plans to serve Latin America.
Dr. Brittany Kirkland
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Dr. Kirkland has a decade-long career in Education and Project Management, including being an Adjunct Professor in Psychology and working on the Academic Operations and Strategy team for a charter school network. Additionally, Dr. Kirkland is currently serving her second term as a Board of Education Member and was appointed to serve on the Board of Directors for the New Jersey School Board Association. Her various roles in education brought her to Project Ready NJ as the Chief Program Officer.