community
IN 2007, A SMALL BAND OF INVESTORS, PHILANTHROPISTS AND CULTURAL INFLUENCERS LAUNCHED WEDGWOOD CIRCLE WITH A COMMON GOAL IN MIND: TO PROMOTE THE CREATION OF GOOD, TRUE, BEAUTIFUL ART IN MAINSTREAM CULTURE.
"We can be comfortable, even confident, in affirming a cultural contribution as generative if, over time, it recognizes, produces, or catalyzes more beauty, goodness, and flourishing."
-Makoto Fijumira, from his book "Culture Care"
staff
AMY D JONES
Executive Director
Amy is a documentary film producer, artist manager and activist. Having been a part of the team that launched the Damah Film Festival, providing a platform for filmmakers all over the world to join the conversation of spirituality and humanity, she has been involved ever since in bridging the worlds of art, culture and community. In more recent years, she served as a producer of several documentary feature films, run events everywhere from the foot of the Washington Monument to the White House’s backyard and traveled extensively to Uganda to become a student of the lives of those abducted and displaced. Amy lives in the heart of Washington DC.
BETSY BROWN
Director of Communications and Events
Betsy is an entrepreneur, brand builder and a purveyor of hospitality. She has spent the last five years working across the design, art, and fashion spaces in East Africa and through this work co-founded a textiles company that creates modern home décor products in the region. She is passionate about bringing creative vision to life, whether it is a product, an event, or around a table. Betsy is also an experienced relationship manager and storyteller, having had the opportunity to work with diverse communities from corporate leaders to vulnerable populations in Kenya through her work with Atlantic Media and International Justice Mission, respectively. She is a graduate of Georgetown University and calls Washington DC home.
TERENCE BERRY
Managing Director, Wedgwood Culture Fund
Terence began his career in New York with Citibank's Media & Entertainment Group working on film-financings for the major studios. Desiring to work more closely with filmmakers, he left New York for Los Angeles where he began producing short films, helped launch and run the Damah Film Festival, served as an associated producer for several shows on the Discovery Channel and produced the feature films That Evening Sun (starring Oscar-nominated Hal Holbrook) and Not That Funny (starring Emmy-winner Tony Hale.) Terence is in post-production on his third feature film, Waiting For The Miracle To Come, a film by Lian Lunson starring Willie Nelson and Charlotte Rampling. In addition to his work as a film producer, he also ran Act One, a Hollywood-based training program and professional society from 2009 through 2013. Terence is a graduate of the University of Virginia.
JACOB MARSHALL
Cultural Curator
Jacob is a music artist, film producer and pioneer of humanitarian art campaigns. As creator of the band MAE, he has sold over 500,000 records worldwide and performed over 1,500 concerts on 5 continents. His passion about collaboration, social justice, and using creativity to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems culminates in his role as Senior Connector for More Partnerships, an agency specializing in creative partnership design. Jacob and his wife, Hae-jin, live in Brooklyn, New York with their puppy Gogi.
leadership
MARK RODGERS
Founder and President
Mark Rodgers is the Principal of The Clapham Group, a creative consulting firm that works with non-profits, corporations and foundations. He is a published writer and a speaker on the topics of faith and public life, culture and caring for the least of these. His work over the years includes outreach to “culture creators,” and he has worked closely with artists from diverse fields including computer gaming, graphic novels, film and music. Mark is also a social entrepreneur, and enjoys finding ways to help people “do good while doing well.” Mark is married to Leanne, and the proud father of four children, living in Burke, Virginia.
STEVE GARBER
Facilitator of Meaning
Dr. Steven Garber is a teacher of many people in many places. In his work with The Washington Institute he focuses on the meaning of vocation for the common good. For many years on the faculty of the American Studies Program in Washington, DC, he has studied the intersection of popular culture with political culture for much of his life. A consultant to businesses, foundations and educational institutions, including the Murdock Trust, the Praxis Labs, the Wedgwood Circle, the Blood:Water Mission, the Demdaco Corporation, and Mars, Incorporated, his most recent book is Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good. A native of the great valleys of Colorado and California, he is married to Meg and they have five adult children whose lives have taken them all over the world.
board of directors
Steve Garber Facilitator of Meaning, Wedgwood Circle; Author; Founder and Principal, The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation and Culture
Laura Waters Hinson Filmmaker and photographer; Founder of Image Bearer Pictures; work includes documentaries As We Forgive and Many Beautiful Things
Brad Reeves Director, Art House Dallas Creative Council; Former Executive Vice President of People for Drive Financial Services
Mark Rodgers (Chairman) Founder, Wedgwood Circle; Principle, Clapham Group & More Partnerships
D.J. Smith Founder and CEO, CiV Digital
Allison Trowbridge President, Copper Pictures; Partner, Just Business
Ralph Winter Founder, 1019 Entertainment; Producer, Director
sector liaisons
FILM
Micheal Flaherty / Co-Founder of Walden Media, which has financed and produced the Chronicles of Narnia franchise films, Charlotte’s Web and Bridge to Terabithia and President of Good Thief Film
Steve McEveety / Founder of MPower Pictures and former Executive Producer at Mel Gibson’s Icon Productions, working on What Women Want, Payback, The Man Without a Face, and Braveheart; Producer of The Passion of the Christ and Producer and Writer of Airborne
Rick Rekedal / Chief Creative, Global Franchise at Dreamworks Animation, former Product Manager for Playnotes Toys (Ninja Turtles, Jurassic Park, The Lost World)
Ralph Winter / Producer of over 25 films, including work at 20th Century Fox productions, the X-Men Trilogy, Planet of the Apes, Fantastic Four, and Wolverine
MUSIC
Jon Foreman / Lead singer and guitarist of multi-platinum and Grammy-award winning alternative rock band, Switchfoot, as well as solo singer/songwriter and member of Fiction Family
Drew Shirley / Guitarist of multi-platinum and Grammy-award winning alternative rock band, Switchfoot
Janet Weir / Artist Manager at Red Light Management
TELEVISION
Sean Atkins / President of MTV; Former GM & Executive Vice President, Digital and Strategy of Discovery Studios; Former Senior Vice President of Digital Media at HBO
Dean Batali / TV writer/producer for That 70s Show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Adventures of Pete and Pete and pilots for ABC, ABC Family, the Cartoon Network and the Hub; founder of Poiema writers program (poiemahollywood.com)
Terry Botwick / Partner at 1019 Entertainment; Former President of worldwide television distribution and production company for the Hearst Corporation and part of the senior management team for the Family Channel; President and Chief Operating Officer of Big Idea during the expansion of the VeggieTales brand in 2001
Norman Stone / CEO of 1A Productions; Employed by BBC in 1984 as their youngest producer/director; Producer/Director of Shadowlands, Miss Marples, and The Black Velvet Gown
THEATRE
Max McLean / Actor, producer of the theatrical production of The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce and President of Fellowship for the Performing Arts
FASHION
Chidi Achara / Sr. Vice President, Global Creative Director for Simon Malls and noted photographer
Brant Cryder / President of Saint Laurent North America and distinguished DJ who has played at major parties, events and fashion shows in Bali, Italy, LA and NYC
FINE ART
Valerie Dillon / Former Director for Bowles Sorroko Galleries in New York City before opening her own gallery in the heart of Soho in 1994, The Dillon Gallery, which later relocated to Chelsea
Makoto Fujimura / Japanese Nihonga artist, Director of Brehm Center at Fuller Theological Seminary and founder of the International Arts Movement
Linnea Spransy / Award winning visual artist, lecturer
GRAPHIC NOVELS
Jim Krueger / Video Game Developer and Comic Book Writer for DC, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse, and other companies featuring the fantasy franchises of X-Men, Spiderman, Star Wars, Matrix, and more
Doug TenNapel / Video Game Developer and Comic Book Writer of Earthworm Jim, Creature Tech, Catscratch, and Ratfist
ELECTRONIC MEDIA
Lance Priebe / Co-founder of children’s virtual world and gaming production companies Hyper Hippo and Club Penguin
Scott Wong / Founder of Gamesamba and CEO and President of Brethren Entertainment Studios
LITERATURE
Bret Lott / Author of novels including A Song I Knew by Heart and Jewel (an Oprah’s Book Club selection)
Sumya Ojakli / Business and Market strategist at Simon and Schuster
Steve Turner / Journalist, poet, and author, including his book Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts
NEW MEDIA, DOCUMENTARIES, AND SHORT FILMS
David Carlson / Founder of Bucktown Pictures and Executive Director of Opera-Matic, a non-profit street opera company based in Chicago
Kiel Murray / Kiel Murray / writer, Disney/Toon Studios, Disney/Pixar (Cars); former Development Executive and longtime alum, Pixar
Carter Pilcher / Founder and Chief Executive of Shorts International, a full-service short film entertainment company representing over 3,000 films to over 120 international broadcasters
Tim Washer / Comedy Writer and Producer for IBM’s “Smarter Planet” campaign and Actor in several TV clips including T-Mobile’s commercial “Invisible” with Catherine Zeta-Jones
Senior advisors
Andy Crouch / Executive Editor of Christianity Today; Author of Culture Making, winner of Christianity Today’s 2008 Book Award for Christianity and Culture
Dave Evans / Design Lecturer and Co-Founder of the Stanford d.life lab; founding Member serving on the Apple Corporate Culture Committee with Steve Jobs; and Co-Founder and Vice President of Talent for the leading game software publisher, Electronic Arts.
Os Guinness / Co-Founder of The Trinity Forum, Author of over 25 books, and Senior Fellow of the EastWest Institute in New York
Chris Hansen / Founder of Piko Fellowship, a company that provides assistance to the emerging next generation of storytellers in the fields of writing, film, and graphic novels
Peb Jackson / Principal of the Jackson Consulting Group, as well as involved in a wide variety of projects including development work in Africa, fundraising consulting with non-profits, advisory roles with private-sector investment and mentoring next-generation leaders.
Erwin McManus / Curator of McManus Studios, Founder of Awaken Humanity, and Lead Pastor of Mosaic in Los Angeles
Eric Metaxas / Author of bestselling books Amazing Grace and Bonhoeffer; radio host of the Eric Metaxas Show; Senior Fellow and Lecturer at Large for the King’s College in New York City
Kathryn Seel / Executive Vice President of Business Development for Diane Synder at Home, a fashion accessory and home goods company
John Seel / Ph.D. Principal of John Seel Consulting LLC, a social impact consulting firm specializing on the current and future impact of millennials in American society. Former director of cultural engagement at the John Templeton Foundation
Rick Westerfield / Symphony conductor who has led orchestras such as the Boston Symphony and New York Philharmonic and collaborated with such artists as Yo Yo Ma, Luciano Pavarotti, Lang Lang, Joshua Bell, and Andre Watt
founders
Philip Anschutz, Denver, CO
Entrepreneur and Investor; Founder and CEO of The Anschutz Corporation, and Co-Founder of Major League Soccer
Makoto Fujimura, Princeton, NJ
Japanese Nihonga artist, Director of Brehm Center at Fuller Theological Seminary and founder of the International Arts Movement
Steve Garber, Washington, DC
Facilitator of Meaning, Wedgwood Circle; Author; Founder and Principal, The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation and Culture
David Kiersznowski, Leawood, KS
Founder and Co-Owner of DEMDACO, a wholesale gift company founded in 1997.
Thomas Lehrman, New York, NY
Entrepreneur and Investor; Partner at Haystack Partners investment firm; board member at KIPP NYC and co-founder of Gerson Lehrman Group
Charlie Peacock, Nashville, TN
Artist, Songwriter, Producer and Co-Founder of Art House America
Mark Rodgers, Washington, DC
Founder, Principal, Managing Director of The Clapham Group, More Partnerships, Founder and Board Chair of Wedgwood Circle
George Seay III, Dallas, Texas
Founder and CEO of Annandale Capital, a money management firm centered on conflict-free, customized investment portfolios for individuals, family offices, foundations, and various institutions.
Bill Wichterman, Washington, DC
Covington & Burling LLP, President of Faith & Law, Author of “Culture: Upstream from Politics” and “Dying to Live.”
Sean Wolfington, Miami, FL/Philadelphia, PA
Chairman and CEO of The Wolfington Companies. Entrepreneur with businesses in the technology, marketing, real estate and film industries.