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01 BIO

As the daughter of a Sierra Leonean former UN official, cabinet minister, and international scholar, Nzinga spent a majority of her childhood in Japan, Kenya, and the United States. Nzinga graduated cum laude from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Film, Television and Digital Media with a concentration in documentary and scripted television production.  She has worked as a host, actress, producer, writer, director and host for the past 15 years in Los Angeles, CA.  From 2006 - 2008 she worked as a host, writer, producer and voice-over talent on Al Gore’s former Emmy award-winning network Current TV. After Current, she worked as an entertainment correspondent for BET, TV Guide and the Australian primetime talk show “The 7pm Project,” on the CBS affiliate Network 10 Australia. In 2012 Nzinga hosted a show entitled “Culture Click” on ABC, which won a Telly Award for Outstanding Cultural Television Program. 

 

Because of Nzinga's international background, she has a unique ability to create storylines and content that appeal to a diverse, global audience.  She has built her brand around inspiring social change through entertainment and the arts. During the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, she founded, wrote, directed and produced a PSA campaign entitled “End Ebola Now.”  The PSA was distributed virally and now airs on a new satellite television channel SES Networks in West Africa.  In addition to the PSA, Nzinga created and launched a viral challenge entitled #ShakeEbolaOff with celebrities including Kevin Bacon, Naturi Naughton, Edi Gathegi, Sam Underwood, Gavin Houston and much more; in efforts to raise awareness and funds for the only fully functioning hospital in Sierra Leone at the time. The campaign received a great amount of domestic and international press and was featured in Forbes Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, The Telegraph, RYOT, Voice of America, which generated at least 1.5 billion media impressions worldwide.  In 2014 The Abaunza Group brought Nzinga on to their campaign to co-direct and produce the United Nations ILO World AIDS Day and End Slavery Now PSAs featuring four-time Olympic Gold Medalist Greg Louganis and actress Garcelle Beauvais. Recently, Nzinga was the Creative content director and producer on the social impact campaign for the documentary film "Harry & Snowman," which raised awareness about animal rescue. She directed 2 music videos for the campaign - the first video for the song "Take Me Home" with up-and-coming talent Tiffany Brevard, which highlights horse rescue and the importance of supporting the SAFE Act.  The second music video she directed and produced, "(We All Are) Looking for Home," is written by Grammy and Emmy Award-winning Diane Warren and performed by singer Leona Lewis.   She also serves as a consultant and keynote address speaker for the national +IMPACT Conference where she encourages brands to embrace the power of social impact storytelling in efforts to appeal to the growing millennial/social conscious demographic.  In 2018 Nzinga became a writer and producer for Season 2 of the award-winning scripted series, 'GodComplX,' which is a social impact initiative in conjunction with Google's Computer Science in Media and Diversity team in efforts to inspire girls and women of color to pursue careers in STEM / STEAM.   She also directed a PSA with Diane Warren and her Oscar-nominated Song 'Stand Up For Something' for the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety as a rallying call for gun violence prevention.   She is currently the Executive Producer for Tribune Media's new storytelling arm that focuses on marginalized, underrepresented voices, and social issues that need more media attention. 

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During her free time, Nzinga enjoys mentoring students and college graduates.  She has served as an adjunct instructor at UCLA’s School of Film Television and Digital Media’s Masters and Professional Program, and in is development on projects that promote youth empowerment through entertainment, fashion, and the arts.

IAM

Nzinga

Blake.

 
  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
  • DIRECTOR
  • WRITER
  • CONTENT CREATOR
  • TALENT
  • CREATIVE ACTIVIST

HELLO!

WELCOME TO MY SITE!  PLEASE EXPLORE AND GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ME, MY WORK, MY PASSIONS AND MORE!     

PROFESSIONAL 
PORTFOLIO

02 REEL / PORTFOLIO

SEE MY LATEST WORK >

03 Experience

JULY 2018 - JANUARY 2109

CAUSECAST

Consultant  / Content Development / Brand Strategy 

  • Keynote address speaker for +IMPACT Conference encouraging brands to embrace the power of cause marketing by using more of a storytelling approach about their social impact / CSR programs. 

 

  • Advise companies on how to brand themselves through the power of social impact marketing and storytelling in efforts to appeal to the growing millennial demographic

 

  • Developed, produced and directed the media lounge for the +IMPACT Conference East. 

 

  • Advised the President and COO on creating +IMPACT Media as a new revenue stream for the +IMPACT Conference platform.  Executed and launched +IMPACT Media with the President at the +IMPACT East Conference in Washington D.C.

 

  • Advised the President on having the Kenyan Embassy present at the +IMPACT East Conference to give their perspectives on working with corporations and their CSR initiatives, due to the large presence of international brands in Kenya; in addition to their longstanding tradition of "Harambe," which encourages communities to work together to raise funds for various local projects.

 

  • Secured the participation of the Kenyan Embassy to participate in a special Q&A with the Deputy Ambassador of Kenya - focusing on how corporate and non-profit partners can work most effectively with governments and local citizens as they craft global volunteering and workplace giving.

 
 

 

APRIL 2014 - APRIL2015

FREELY

Producer / Creative Executive 

  • Developed optioned and original content for film, television and / or digital distribution. Locating and contacting strategic partnerships.  Developed, wrote, produced and directed content for marketing / promotional materials, social impact campaigns and social media.  

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  • Secured celebrity partner Michelle Williams, from Destiny's Child, for the month of October and created a short digital series with Michelle for the Freely website and Michelle's Instagram / Twitter feeds with a total of 1 million followers combined.  Also created the Freely Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign featuring Michelle Williams and VO by Ellen K. 

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  • Created the company’s social action arm Freely ACT . 
     

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NOVEMBER 2014 

UNITED NATIONS ILO 

Director / Producer

  • Co-Directed and produced 3 "Voice of the Voiceless" PSA's for the United Nations International Labor Organization commemorating World AIDS Day featuring four time Olympic Gold medalist Greg Luganis.

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  • Produced and directed a PSA about human trafficking featuring actress Garcelle Beauvais.

FEBRUARY 2019 - PRESENT

Executive Producer 

  • Developed and executed an action plan for creating content in and across all of Tribune’s markets utilizing state of the art video production equipment/techniques, new distribution channels and most importantly featuring voices and stories not generally seen or heard on broadcast television by branding and creating 6 original series for the VOICES storytelling arm in partnership with the Google News Initiative.

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  • Responsible for changing the culture of the news rooms by collaborating with Tribune’s news directors, digital content team, while providing editorial guidance, training and support to participating journalists. Traveled to news rooms across the country to train colleagues on the ground.

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  • Launched KTLA's IGTV Channel and first ever YouTube Live series.

 

 

TRIBUNE MEDIA 

SEPTEMBER 2017 - JULY 2018

Writer / Producer

  • Writer and producer for Season 2 of Google's award-winning scripted series, 'God Complx,' which is a social impact initiative in conjunction with Google's CS in Media team.   

 

 

CONROY PRODUCTIONS LLC

MAY 2016 - FEB 2017

FOR GOOD.

Creative Content Director / Producer 

  • Develop, write, produce and direct content for FOR GOOD's digital/social platforms in efforts to raise awareness and further promote social impact campaigns tied to films / other works of art.

 

  • Creative content director and producer on the social impact campaign for the newly released documentary film "Harry & Snowman," which focuses on animal rescue. Recently directed 2 music videos for the campaign.  The first video for the song "Take Me Home" with up and coming talent, Tiffany Brevard, which highlights horse rescue and the importance of supporting the SAFE Act. The second music video for the song "(We All Are) Looking for Home," written by Grammy and Emmy Award winning Diane Warren and performed by singer Leona Lewis. 

 

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SUMMER 2015

UCLA SCHOOL OF FILM, TV AND DIGITAL MEDIA 

Adjunct Instructor
Taught international students during the summer professional programs about how produce content  for their social media platforms as a way to further brand themselves as filmmakers.

AUGUST 2014 - SEPTEMBER 2015

END EBOLA NOW

Founder / Director / Producer

  • Assembled a production team of people in the entertainment industry in order to spread accurate information, preventative measures and awareness about the Ebola Virus Disease and its impact through artistic community activism. In efforts to raise awareness for Emergency USA, I created and launched a viral challenge entitled #ShakeEbolaOff with celebrities including Kevin Bacon,  receiving domestic and international press.   featured in Forbes Magazine, Entertainment Tonight and more, which generated at least 1.5 billion media impressions worldwide and $1 million in earned media for Emergency USA.

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  • The End Ebola Now PSA has been distributed all over West Africa on several media platforms including TV, Radio and internet play.

 

2003 -2016 

HOST /WRITER / PRODUCER 

SHOWS/ NETWORKS

  • The Girls Have Something to Say Podcast - (2016) - Global Voice Broadcasting

  • The Girl Spot - Digital Talk Show (2014)  - Bitesize TV

  • CULTURE CLICK (2011-2012) - ABC / Litton Entertainment

  • TV GUIDE Entertainment Correspondent (2010)

  • 7pm Talk Show  (2009 - 2010) - Network 10 Australia CBS

  • BET Host / Correspondent (2008 - 2009)

  • CURRENT TV Host/ Writer/ Producer (2006-2008)

  • CARTOON NETWORK Host (2003-2005)

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES (UCLA)

School of Film Television and Digital Media

  • 2003 Cum Laude Graduate with concentration in scripted, non scripted TV production and screenwriting.  

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  • Two time recipient of the ION Picture Award.

EXPERIENCEO
CONTACT
CONTACT

Let's Connect! 

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info@nzingablake.com

Tel: 424.245.0438

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Representation:

ICM Partners

Tyler Kroos

Tel: 310.550.4264

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