Catalyzing culture and capacity in queer arts and entertainment
About Us
KaleidoCollective is a curated network of queer and trans creatives, executives, and other professionals in media, arts, and entertainment, who aim to make the world a safer, more enriching place for our community through narrative change and culture-shift efforts.
We envision a world where queer and trans communities can see the breadth of our diversity authentically reflected in the media milieu; where empathic representations forge broad acceptance and embrace; where the careers of queer and trans storytellers and culture-makers are thriving and sustained; and where no content about us is made without us. We are empowered to contribute to the collective discourse. We make greenlight decisions. We foster emerging talent and celebrate established success. We are durable, scalable, and adaptable.
We exist to (1) expand the market share of queer and trans content that gets professionally produced and distributed, and (2) ensure that members of our community are creatively propelling those works and getting paid for their efforts.
In other words, we work to get more queer and trans content made, and more of our people paid.
Events
Upcoming Events
- Zoom Panel on the State of LGBTQ Music (Tuesday, August 27th @ 10am PT)
Past Events
- Kaleido Soft Launch (May 9, 2024, Hollywood Hills)
- Kaleido+AQI+FilAm Creative Pride Mixer (June 18, 2024, DTLA)
- Kaleido+Casting Society of America Panel (June 26, 2024, Virtual)
- Kaleido Presents: The State of Nonprofit Support of Storytelling (July 30, 2024, Virtual)
Membership
Eligibility
- You’re a creative, executive, professional, or funder in media, arts, or entertainment; openly and proudly LGBTQ; established and successful but not a billionaire who doesn’t need anyone’s help to get your work out into the world.
- What are some examples of our member categories? Glad you asked:
- Creatives are those who actually make any form of art or entertainment: content creators, artists, writers, actors, musicians, directors, comic book illustrators, producers, podcasters, etc. You can be independent, run your own production company, or be embedded within a larger organization if you’re hands-on in the making of content.
- Executives are full-time employees at for- or non-profit companies or organizations that create or platform media, arts, or entertainment in their operations. Whether it’s at Netflix, Sundance, Revry, or GLAAD, executives spend their time advancing the mission of their company or organization.
- Professionals provide the wraparound services essential to the production and distribution of arts and entertainment content: lawyers, publicists, managers, journalists, agents, accountants, independent strategists, consultants, etc. Professionals are usually independent or run their own shop, but sometimes they work within a larger organization.
- Funders are those who funnel cash to content: equity investors, philanthropists, program officers at foundations with narrative change programs, bridge lenders, executives at media companies with green-light authority, etc.
- We recognize that many folks’ work spans multiple categories. Where you fit is just as much art as science, but we look to categorize you based on the core function of your job. Do you make content yourself? Creative. Do you operate within a larger machine that makes content, but aren’t directly making the content yourself? Executive. Do you facilitate content’s creation and reach? Professional. Do you allocate money to content? Funder.
Application
KaleidoCollective will launch its formal membership program in 2025. In the meantime, you can sign up for our email list to get invited to our events, stay current with our happenings, and get notified when we open applications for membership.
Leadership
Co-Founders
ASHLEE MARIE PRESTON (she/her)
is an acclaimed media advocate, producer, and humanitarian, made history as the first trans person in the U.S. to serve as Editor in Chief of a national publication and the first openly trans person to run for state office in California. Leading transformative discourse, Ashlee Marie fosters understanding and builds intersectional partnerships, emphasizing cross-cultural unity. In 2020, she initiated YouAreEssential.org, a national fund benefitting grassroots organizations disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization also curates programming supporting the healing, growth, and sustainability of social movements. Ashlee Marie co-chairs the Artists & Talent peer group of the Impact Guild and is a Legacy Member of the NEXUS Impact Society. A TED alumna, she has received numerous awards, including The Root 100's “Most Influential African Americans of 2017," LOGO/NewNowNext’s 30 Most Influential LGBTQ Influencers of 2017 & 2018, PopSugar's Top 40 LGBTQ's of 2017, OUT Magazine’s OUT100 of 2018, Coca Cola’s Next Generation LGBTQ Leadership, the BlackList100 (2020), and Power of Women’s Change-makers(2021).
JARED RUGA (he/him)
is an Emmy Award-winning and GLAAD-nominated director, producer, writer, and “creative suit” who helms Vavani Productions, an ethos-driven media production company he founded in 2017. With three documentaries in distribution (including Sundance premiere QUIET HEROES), two in production, and a slate of scripted films and series in development, Jared’s goal is to build community by making content that engages and entertains while “sneaking in the vegetables” of prosocial impact. His thematic areas of focus are gender equity, LGBTQ equality, climate justice, and democracy. Also deeply involved in the nonprofit sector, Jared has served in various leadership and advisory capacities at the Sundance Institute, Voterise, Equality Utah, Restore Our Humanity, and both of his alma maters, including teaching undergraduate courses. He is a co-founder and board member of the Impact Guild and the Lightspark Foundation, which are actively engaged in organizing and funding civic engagement efforts.
Contact
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