Making a Living As a Creator 10.27.21
Click on the video to watch a full replay of this live program from October 27th, 2021.
Join our host Lorena King, Live Events Producer, as she leads an expert panel with Hewan Abebe, a Senior Partner Manager at Patreon; Erica Eng, a fifth-generation Chinese American director based out of Los Angeles; and Tiana Harris, a filmmaker, digital content producer, and lead social media strategist for Issa Rae’s media company, Hoorae.
Lorena King, Creator Chat Host
Lorena King is a Live Events Producer working at a large tech company in Silicon Valley. She is passionate about education, equality, and her Latinx heritage. She graduated at the top of her class with a B.A. in Multimedia Communications from Academy of Art University. She is a U.S. Army veteran and her career has led to work in production, media, government, and tech. Lorena is in the process of establishing a non-profit organization that offers scholarships and mentoring to women and people of color.
Hewan Abebe
Hewan is a creator and tech leader with ten years of experience developing and implementing campaigns in the music and tech industry. Hewan started her career as a musician/songwriter, developing creative projects with hundreds of musicians. Her music garnered film and tv placements, collaborations with top artists in Hip-hop and R&B, and domestic and international shows. Hewan’s experience as a creator and entrepreneur uniquely prepared her for Patreon, where she’s a Senior Partner Manager, managing some of the largest creators on the platform. Most recently, Hewan has launched a creative incubator dedicated to the growth and success of creators of color. Hewan’s work with creators and experience in the music industry provides a unique and diverse perspective on building monetizable creative businesses that are sustainable.
Erica Eng
Erica is a fifth-generation Chinese American director based out of Los Angeles. Her films have screened at Atlanta Film Festival, Urbanworld, and HollyShorts among others. Erica’s latest film “Americanized” took home a Special Jury Award at Palm Springs International ShortFest and won “Best Short Film” at Bentonville Film Festival. The film based on her experiences playing high school basketball became Oscar-qualified after winning “Best Dramatic Short” at Cinequest.
Erica’s commercial work has been recognized as AdAge’s “Editor’s Pick” and “Pick of the Week.” She was selected for SHOOT Magazine’s New Directors Showcase and the Commercial Directors Diversity Program – a fellowship partnered with the Directors Guild of America and the Association of Independent Commercial Producers. Since then, Erica has directed content for Facebook, Netflix, NBC Asian America, Bank of America, and Procter & Gamble.
Inspired by her Oakland roots, Erica creates work that reflects the diverse community in which she grew up. As a student, she used her winnings at the San Francisco International Film Festival to buy camera gear and shoot videos around the bay area. Erica moved to Los Angeles where she worked her way up the assistant ladder before becoming the executive assistant to the Academy-nominated director, Michael Mann. She spent six years balancing work with her own projects before taking the leap to become a full-time director.
Erica’s combined background in film and dance influences the rhythm and energy behind her emotional storytelling. Through her character-driven films, she creates stories that explore themes of cross-cultural relationships, acceptance and self-discovery.
Tiana Harris
Tiana is a filmmaker, digital content producer, and lead social media strategist for Issa Rae’s media company, Hoorae.