MEET THE TEAM
Sam Eilertsen
Director/Cinematographer
Podcast Host & Co-Creator
Newsletter Writer & Editor
Sam is an accomplished cinematographer and editor as well as director (with Eric Axelman) of the upcoming film Israelism, which explores the American Jewish community’s shifting relationship to the Israel/Palestine conflict. His most recent cinematography credit is ‘Vault,’ starring Emmy Award winner Samira Wiley, Theo Rossi, Chazz Palminteri, and Don Johnson. After the 2016 elections he started making videos for activist groups as a volunteer, several of his videos have gone viral and been featured on MSNBC, Good Morning America, and even deceptively re-edited by Fox News.
Eric Axelman
Producer
Podcast Executive Producer
Eric is a trans non-binary (they/them) filmmaker and educator. Along with Sam they're a director and producer of the upcoming documentary Israelism, and is the co-executive director of Tikkun Olam Films, as well as co-executive director of Pushed Learning and Media, an education and media non-profit that gives large scale presentations and creates educational videos about gender and racial identity/inequality.
Marielle Olentine
Co-Producer
Podcast Producer
Marielle is a seasoned multimedia storyteller & filmmaker. From covering the beginning of the Syrian Revolution from Al Jazeera’s newsroom, to following presidential hopefuls on the campaign trail in 2016 for Huffington Post, she has worked with top media companies to share human stories that seek to inspire understanding and meaningful connections across different backgrounds. Her work has appeared on HBO and VICE, and at Toronto International Film Festival and SXSW.
Nate Birnbaum
Producer
Podcast Co-Creator & Producer
Newsletter Writer & Editor-In-Chief
Nate is an award-winning documentary producer and co-founder of the nonprofit film and media organization American Resilience Project (ARP). Nate was the Impact Producer on Roger Sorkin’s Award-Winning Documentary The Burden (2015), then co-wrote and produced Tidewater (2017) and Current Revolution (2018) with ARP. Nate also worked as a production and development assistant for The Story Group on their series Americans on the Frontlines of Climate Change, and their award-winning documentary Moving the Giants about Redwood trees and climate change. During this time, Nate also founded The Climate Studio, an independent project which uses photography to illustrate localized climate change and organize calls to action in communities.
Pulkit Datta
Impact Producer
Social Media/Outreach Manager
Raised in six countries across four continents, Pulkit Datta’s filmmaking interests are inherently cross-cultural. He has worked on the creative development and production of scripted films, Sundance-backed documentaries, commercials, short films, and multimedia campaigns. His films have screened at festivals such as, Toronto, Tribeca, Atlanta, and New Filmmakers New York. Pulkit is an alum of IFP, Cine Qua Non Lab, and of fellowships at Center for Asian American Media, and Impact Partners.
Maggie Lemere
Podcast Story Consultant
Newsletter Editor & Oral Historian
Maggie Lemere is a filmmaker, oral historian and master naturalist who works globally to cultivate connection through storytelling. Maggie is the co-founder of Rhiza, a women-led collective that uses storytelling, healing, organizing, and research to support social transformation and environmental justice — and she is currently directing and producing independent documentary films in the Middle East and Southeast Asia that explore communities' efforts to protect the environment. Her work also includes founding and hosting the podcast, Bad Feminists Making Films. She is passionate about expanding voice and representation in storytelling and film. www.maggielemere.com
Kristy Choi
Associate Producer
Kristy is a director, producer, and investigative reporter who has published work for PBS NewsHour, Teen Vogue, Washington City Paper, and The Daily Beast. Currently, she is working as a video producer for the National Nurses United union. She is a proud member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia and the Asian American Documentary Network. www.kristy-choi.com/
Daniel Byers
Associate Producer
Daniel’s documentary film career has focused on indigenous rights and environmental action. He has tracked cartels in Honduras, chased snow leopards in Afghanistan, and rafted glacial lakes in the shadow of Everest. His films have been featured at numerous festivals including the Environmental Film Festival (DCEFF), Banff Mountain Film Festival and International Wildlife Film Festival, and on National Geographic.
Shanaz Uddin
Social Media Assistant
Shanaz is a college student and New York native, hoping to one day have a career in law. She helped run the Students for Markey social media accounts and was a fellow for the Ed Markey campaign. She centers her politics around radical love and compassion. She is passionate about social change and doing work in her community.
Michael Catano
Podcast Producer & Editor/Mixer
Nikayla Jefferson
Podcast Reporter
Screenwriter
Newsletter Contributor
Nikayla is a Sunrise Movement organizer, writer, and climate-storyteller. With experience writing, directing, and appearing in numerous viral Get Out the Vote and election campaign videos with groups such as Patagonia, Sunrise Movement, and Bernie Sanders’ Presidential campaign. Nikayla is a graduate student at UC Santa Barbara, a Yale and Op-ed Project fellow on Climate Communication who has been published in the LA Times, The Guardian, The Hill, the Boston Globe, and more. Nikayla was California Co-Chair of the Bernie 2020 campaign. She is a lifelong Californian, and a National Park Pin collector.
Nik Damants
Podcast Script Consultant & Video Editor
Based in Los Angeles, Nik's filmmaking career has centered around the arts and humanities, and he has worked on a variety of feature documentary films.