Hillman Grad: Inside Lena Waithe's Powerhouse Fim & Television Production Company

In 1996, Adrian Moeller and Patrick Elasik published the first issue of Mass Appeal Magazine.   In the nearly three decades that followed, Mass Appeal would grow from an underground graffiti zine into a culture-defining multi-faceted entertainment brand with a hand in everything from digital content, to music distribution, to full-length documentaries and much, much more.   However, the rise of Mass Appeal has been anything but straightforward. From barely legal circulation schemes and bankruptcy to a shocking death in the family, the brand has endured extraordinary challenges and still, through it all, risen like a Phoenix. On this week's episode of All Angles, we talk to co-founder Adrian Moeller, Creative Director Sacha Jenkins, as well as current CEO Peter Bittenbender and rap legend / partner Nas, to hear the tale of two Mass Appeals, and understand how a brand can rise, fall, and rise again, thanks to an ensemble cast of elite like-minded culture creators    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2002, accomplished SUPREME creative director Brendon Babenzien took his first swing at entrepreneurship and launched NOAH, a menswear brand born at the intersection of nautical living and skate culture. However, despite critical acclaim and downtown cool, the brand barely made it a few seasons before Brendon was forced to put NOAH on the backburner, and resume his role at Supreme. After a decade at the house James Jebbia built, in which he helped take SUPREME from a skate shop in soho to a global brand, Brendon decided it was time to revisit NOAH, and with the help of then new wife Estelle Bailey-Babenzien, he relaunched the brand in 2015 to industry fanfare.In the 8 years since, NOAH has grown slowly and steadily while maintaining the core philosophical commitments that animate Brendon and Estelle. NOAH is a beacon of hope in menswear and fashion, exalting virtuous values like sustainability, quality over quantity, and forward-leaning but timeless designs.On this week's episode of All Angles, we talk to founders Brendon and Estelle, as well as Brand Energy Director Johnny Knapp, to hear the full story of NOAH, and find out how the little shop on the corner of Mulberry street in lower Manhattan became an industry thought leader and global brand.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2017, Raynell Steward, more commonly known by her social handle Supa Cent, launched The Crayon Case, a cosmetic kit for amateur makeup artists featuring bright, playful colors. In the ensuing 5 years, The Crayon Case would explode into a $50 million business, thanks to confluence of their innovative marketing approach, their vocal and hilarious founder, and a rock solid team of crafty individuals with unique professional experience—including time with the illustrious New Orleans record label, No Limit. But as with any company that enjoys rapid growth, mistakes were made, lessons were learned, and the Crayon Case would be forced to navigate uncharted waters. On this week's episode of All Angles, we talked to founder Supa Cent, business manager Russell Baker, and marketing director Iona Norris, to hear how together they built one of hottest makeup brands on the market. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2016, Scarr Pimentel founded Scarr's Pizza, a classic New York City pizzeria on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.In the years that followed, Scarr's would become one of the hottest restaurants in New York, and be crowned “Best Slice in NYC.” But with these massive expectations would come unexpected challenges that would push the Scarr's team to their limits. On this week's episode of All Angles, we talk with founder Scarr Pimentel, his wife and marketing director Meagan Pimentel, as well as close friend and collaborator DJ Clark Kent, to hear the full story behind the rise of Scarr's Pizza. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2017, Dae Lim founded Sundae School, a Korean "smoke wear" brand born at the intersection of cannabis and streetwear. With the help of his sister, Cindy Lim, Sundae School started releasing collections of shirts and jackets filled with weed references and plays on religion.In the years that followed, Sundae School would grow from a rack of t-shirts to a full fledged global brand, offering cannabis products, accessories, and apparel worn by celebrities like Pete Davidson and Jacob Elordi.On this week's episode of All Angles, we talk to co-founders Dae Lim and Cindy Lim, head of business development Jennifer Tran, and head of Fashion Gia Kim, to hear the full story of Sundae School, and learn how a small team of high achieving degenerates created one of the most interesting and exciting new brands in fashion and cannabis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2018, Lena Waithe, an Emmy winning writer and actor from Chicago, founded Hillman Grad, a film and television development and production company. With the help of Rishi Rajani, Hillman Grad would go on to become a force in the entertainment industry by offering unique perspectives, focusing on marginalized storytellers, and giving a platform to diverse voices across all mediums.The company experienced rapid success securing deals and landing projects at Showtime, Netflix, Disney, Amazon, and many more. But as with any young company, success and scaling can lead to mismanagement and to setbacks, and Hillman Grad was no exception. On this week's episode of Idea Generation's All Angles, we talk with founder Lena Waithe, CEO Rishi Rajani, as well as VP of Operations, Justin Riley, and President of TV and Film, Naomi Funabashi, to get the complete story on how they built Hillman Grad into one of the most successful young production companies in Hollywood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2010, Brandon McEachern and Marcus Allen threw a hip-hop centric Earth Day celebration for the black community in Los Angeles. In the decade plus that followed, and with the help of co-founder Jermon Williams, that party evolved into Broccoli City, a global brand focused on community, music, health, and culture, culminating in an annual festival in Washington DC.But along the way Broccoli City would discover the challenges that come with running a festival, expand into digital content, and develop exciting new initiatives that make a positive impact in their community.On this week’s episode of Idea Generation's All Angles, we talk to co-founders Brandon McEachern, Marcus Allen, and Darryl Perkins, creative director Hugo Cubias, and Chief of Staff Jacqueline Alston, to hear the intricacies of throwing a major festival and creating one of the most dynamic brands in music and culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2015, Songe LaRon and Dave Salvant founded Squire Technologies, a software company for barbershops.In the years that followed, Squire would grow from a simple booking app to a full-service barber shop backend software with a whopping $750 million avaluation. But along the way, Squire would go through several iterations, raise money from a variety of unlikely sources, fall victim to a scam, and even buy a barber shop to save their only client.On this week’s episode of All Angles, we talk to founders Songe and Dave, head of product development Aram Muradyan, and head of engineering Troy Payne to hear the unique story of how they came together to form Squire and how together they revolutionized the barbershop industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2012, a group of friends in New York formed Ghetto Gastro, a collective of chefs and food enthusiasts.In the decade that followed, Ghetto Gastro grew from a weekly house party in Long Island City into a full-blown global brand offering large-scale events, their own food products, kitchen appliances, and cookbooks.On this week's episode of All Angles, we talk with founders Jon Gray, Lester Walker, and Pierre Serrao to get the full story behind Ghetto Gastro and hear how a few chefs and hustlers came together to form one of the most unique new brands in food and media. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1988, April Walker opened Fashion in Effect, a custom clothing boutique for the burgeoning hip-hop audience in New York City. In the years that followed, April would launch her own streetwear brand, Walker Wear, and become a pop culture phenomenon, working closely with A-Listers like Notorious B.I.G, Tupac, and Shaquille O'Neal. But just as Walker Wear started to ascend from hip hop staple to mainstream recognition, April made the shocking decision to shut down the brand.On this week's episode of All Angles, we talk to founder April Walker, assistant Miles Hopkins, lead stylist and designer Gloria Cherubin, and head of marketing Kimya Rainge, to hear the full story of how Walker Wear became the hottest streetwear brand of the ‘90s, and how the brand has re-emerged today with a refreshed approach. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.