Rich Polt
FOUNDER | PRODUCER
Helping people share their stories is Rich's passion and life’s work. Before launching Acknowledge Media, Rich built two P.R. (public recognition) agencies, Louder Than Words and Communicate GOOD. Both agencies worked with nonprofits, private foundations, and social enterprises to help them tell their stories and gain visibility.
In 2012, Rich launched a nationwide philanthropic effort called Talking GOOD, which recognized inspiring people "making a difference." Over the life of this initiative, the Talking GOOD team interviewed more than 100 people and created a repository of stories that can still be viewed at: http://www.talkinggood.com/.
Outside of the "office," Rich is a passionate cyclist and yogi. He also enjoys skiing, camping, crossword puzzles and spending time with his family (though not necessarily in that order). Rich lives in Baltimore County with his wife Jennifer and two sons, Samuel and Ethan.
MaRANDA KOSTEN
PRODUCER | INTERVIEWER
Maranda Kosten is a director, producer, performer and teaching artist working in film and theater. Recent directing credits include The Pajama Game and Urinetown. She is currently producing a documentary focused on end of life issues in the United States, and ‘Til Death a series being created for broadcast television. Along with her work in film and theater, Maranda has worked in nonprofit development and corporate marketing, working with several organizations including the Human Rights Campaign, Moms Clean Air Force and The Possibility Project.
Maranda proudly resides in Baltimore, MD with her family. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and Women’s Studies from University of Maryland and an M.F.A. in Acting from the Actor’s Studio Drama School/New School for Drama.
Sheila kinkade
PRODUCER | INTERVIEWER
Sheila Kinkade is a writer, producer, and storyteller based in Baltimore. Sheila co-produced Cafeteria Man, an award-winning documentary film chronicling a pioneering effort to reform school food in Baltimore, MD and Maine Girls, a film that explores the important role young people play in bridging cultural divides. A graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, Sheila is co-author of Our Time is Now: Young People Changing the World and has written four nonfiction children’s books celebrating our world as a common home.
Claire bangser
PRODUCER | INTERVIEWER
Claire Bangser is a filmmaker, photographer and storyteller. Her editorial projects and commercial work focus on telling human stories authentically. In 2014, Claire started the street portrait project NOLAbeings, through which she has photographed and interviewed well over 1,000 people in New Orleans. Since then, her documentary work has been featured by a wide range of media including National Geographic, The Atlantic, TIME, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Amazon's DP Review, HuffPost, PBS and NPR. She taught filmmaking for National Geographic Student Expeditions from 2013-2017. Claire lives in New Orleans, LA with her partner and young daughter.
RICHARD CHISOLM
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Richard Chisolm is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and cinematographer. Deeply committed to the value of real stories and the adventures of real people, Richard has worked for PBS, National Geographic, BBC, Discovery Channel, HBO, and many other broadcast entities.
jordan freeman
EDITOR
Jordan Freeman is lead editor at Acknowledge Media. Based in Los Angeles, Jordan is an accomplished documentarian, editor and cinematographer, having spent years documenting the unfolding controversies surrounding coal mining throughout Appalachia.
STEPHANIE LONDON
MEDIA DIRECTOR
Stephanie London is a professional photographer who owned a photography business prior to joining Acknowledge Media. Earlier in her career, Stephanie practiced healthcare law. She holds a J.D. as well as an M.P.H. in healthcare administration and management.
jan schein
RESEARCH GENEALOGIST
A third generation Baltimorean, Jan Schein has more than 25 years of experience reconstructing family histories through discovery and interpretation of primary source documents. She considers it her mission to dispel the myth that names were changed at Ellis Island. In her spare time, Jan is an avid jigsaw puzzler.
