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Elijah McKinnon
FINALIST

Elijah McKinnon

Open Television (OTV)

Open Television is a platform for intersectional television, supporting artists and communities marginalized by their race, gender, sexuality, class, religion, disability or nationality: think community-based Netflix

VISIT WEBSITE

ABOUT

  • ISSUE AREA: Arts, Culture, Journalism & Media
  • ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET: $750,000
  • GEOGRAPHY: United States (Chicago, IL w/ reach in Mexico, Germany, United Kingdom, and South Africa)

KEY FINDINGS

  • 2023 will be OTV’s 10th anniversary and they want to highlight stories around joy and joy-building – aspects of the human experience that the executive director believes are missing in intersectional representation spaces
  • Interested in building a healthy subscriber base and “activated” audience that learns from the curriculum they publish online – and stories they amplify
  • Instead of relying on consultants, OTV’s financial stability goals include intentional and competitive benefits for staff and creative teams, access to high-quality benefits for artists, and a move towards accessing unrestricted funding streams
  • Elevate would be the first fellowship OTV has participated in and they are interested in developing thought leadership, being the industry-first choice model, and cultivating relationships with other artists and media stakeholders
  • Individual mentorship, executive coaching, and brand development are also strong priorities for the next 3-5 years