[Welcome] 350 Writers Signed Celebration

Ryan Cunningham is a literary manager and producer at Anonymous Content. Ryan joined Madhouse Entertainment in 2006, soon after the company's inception and was promoted to full manager in 2009. Ryan moved to Anonymous Content in 2019. His client list includes Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (A QUIET PLACE), Phil Gelatt (LOVE, DEATH, + ROBOTS), Lynn Maxcy (THE HANDMAID'S TALE) to name a few. He Executive Produced Sony / Screen Gems’ feature SLENDER MAN. He’s also developing John Scalzi’s award winning sci-fi book series OLD MAN'S WAR as a feature for Netflix, Stephen King’s THE BOOGEYMAN for Fox, and has several other projects in development.

Kris Crenwelge, a staff writer on the upcoming CBS series True Lies (20th TV), was a 2022 Disney Program Writer and previously wrote on Spirt Rangers, the multiple Annie award-nominated series at Netflix. 

Kris landed her dream PR job straight out of college with a travel company in the Caribbean. Shortly after, her boss quit, she narrowly escaped decapitation-by-ceiling-fan during a Catagory 5 hurricane, and a disgruntled coworker put a curse on her because she wanted her job. 

Quickly pivoting, Kris earned her master's degree from Ohio University and worked in communications for ABC Sports, NFL Europe, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets. Upon moving to L.A., Kris launched her own sports-related firm, which produced branded content for more than 20 clients in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and NCAA. Kris multitasked as communications direct for two entertainment industry nonprofits and served on the board of directors for the Junior League of Los Angeles. She was a mentor for the 2022 NAMA Native American Writers Seminar and is a volunteer for the BRIC Foundation's Writers Room in the Classroom. 

Kris was a fellow in the Native American TV Writers' Lab and the Women in Film Mentoring Program, an essayist for O, the Oprah Magazine, and her book, Growing Up with Granny: A Survivor's Guide, won Roadmap's Write Start Manuscript Competition. A preforming storyteller and speaker, she began her comedy career at The Groundlings and was a mainstage company member at Acme Comedy Theater, writing for the multi-cam late night show Acme Saturday Night. These days, Kris lives curse-free in WeHo with her husband and their much loved rescue pup, Linus. 

 

Justin Calen-Chenn is a writer-producer looking to help writers succeed in a chaotic industry. One of his aims is to pass on what producers, execs, and reps DON'T tell you. Justin was a homeless teenager until he was unofficially adopted by his African-American street father. He got involved in a life of street hustle and later, organized crime, but left that world behind many years later after witnessing a horrific incident in 2016. Soon after, he left to attempt a second career in Hollywood with no formal training. Justin is writing projects with eOne, Matt Jackson, and action star Ma Dong Seok (Don Lee), Chernin and Netflix, Taraji P. Henson and Confluential, global icons RuPaul and Rza, Roth/Kirschembaum, and more. Other projects include a rap horror feature with Eli Roth, 50 Cent, and 3BlackDot. He has written a crime-action movie with Universal, Ludacris, and 87North and previously had The Obamas’ Higher Ground set to produce his international Netflix action-adventure thriller set in the world of pickpocketing and dancing. His 2020 produced feature, an indie zombie horror, is something he'd rather not talk about, lol. In TV, Justin was selected to the 2020 Sundance Episodic Lab and has written on THE BROTHERS SUN, a Netflix crime-action series starring Michelle Yeoh w/ Brad Falchuk as showrunner (premiering in 2024), and served as executive story editor on Season Two of BEL-AIR, EP-ed by Malcolm Spellman. He has sold shows to AMC Studios and a show to Paramount w/ EP and NBA legend Carmelo Anthony. Justin is repped by Grandview and CAA.

While attending the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Niko began his career on AMC’s MAD MEN. He went on to assist several writers’ rooms for shows including the Netflix series LOVE, as well as A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN and DAISY JONES & THE SIX for Amazon. In 2020, Niko’s pilot CUBA LIBRE was included on The Black List’s inaugural Latinx TV List – one of ten scripts selected from hundreds of submissions. Niko went on to co-write an episode of A24/Netflix’s BEEF, then staffed on Season 2 of HBO’s PERRY MASON. He's currently a Story Editor on BEEF and developing a Cuban-American family drama with Black Label Media.

Scott Z Burns is a writer, director and producer. Credits include: THE REPORT, CONTAGION and THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. 

Jasmine Chiong is a writer from the Bay Area. After graduating from Loyola Marymount University in 2014, she worked her way up the writer's room as support staff on shows such as THE TICK and FUTURE MAN, eventually getting her first freelance script on FUTURE MAN's 3rd season. She was a staff writer on Netflix's KUNG FU PANDA: THE DRAGON KNIGHT. She has experience pitching original concepts as well as takes on existing IP.

Aadip Desai is Roadmap Writers' Director of Brand Management & Marketing, working tv writer, comedian, speaker, musician, and Air Force Brat. Aadip was honored as a BAFTA Breakthrough for his work as a Staff Writer on THE GOLDBERGS (ABC), a show mostly about yelling. Aadip leveraged his Indianness to write for MIRA, ROYAL DETECTIVE (Disney Jr.), his shark obsession to write for SHARKDOG (Netflix/Nick), and his daughters' fairy knowledge to inform his work on DEW DROP DIARIES (Netflix/DreamWorks). He was in AFI’s MFA Screenwriting program but dropped out to join the ABC/Disney TV Writing Program, or whatever it’s called now, thanks to corporate restructuring. He’s currently developing a variety of tv series and features across several  genres, but they all have comedic elements, and Ganesha. Bobby Flay considers Aadip to be the most memorable (WORST) castmember on Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America.

Ever the advocate for writers, Aadip runs the 17.5k+ LA TV Writers Facebook Group, is an Advisor/Instructor at the Sundance Institute, and a speaker at BAFTA, WGA, CAPE, and leading film schools--AFI, NYU, UCLA, and USC. He’s a mentor and juror for BAFTA Breakthrough, Read Latin Writers Initiative, and judge for the 1497 South Asian Writers Fellowship. He’s a former producer/co-host at On The Page podcast with Pilar Alessandra, Development Intern at Trancas Films, and President of the Northwest Screenwriters Guild. Aadip studied comedy at UCB, The Groundlings, Comedy Workshops, and iO, and has been heckled at the Improv, Comedy Store, and a regular gig at a vegan restaurant with one bathroom. Aadip has a vestigial BA in Economics and a Minor in Music from the University of Puget Sound (the one with the pretty brochures). He is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency, and is a member of the WGAw and BAFTA. Aadip has murdered seven sideburn trimmers in three years.

You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram for his thoughts on diversity and inclusion in the writing business, and unflattering photos. He also has a wealth of screenwriting resources on his website.

Emily Abbott is currently a Staff Writer on the final season of COBRA KAI (Netflix). After graduating from UCLA in 2019 with a degree in English Creative Writing and Film / Television, Emily went on to be the Writer's PA on COBRA KAI Season 3. From there, she worked as a Development Assistant for Counterbalance Entertainment, a Showrunner's Assistant on COBRA KAI Season 5, and a Writer's Assistant and Script Coordinator for the upcoming Netflix series OBLITERATED. Outside of the room, Emily is developing multiple projects with producers in both the half-hour and hour long space. In her free time, she co-hosts a lifestyle podcast called Open To It.

Charlie Peppers is an African-American, LGBTQ+ writer who was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Charlie’s love for writing began at the early age of 8 when he would accompany his mother who was a PA to various sets. Rather than playing with toys or video games, Charlie lost himself in reading scripts. Charlie then began journaling which quickly evolved into writing short stories, plays, and graphic novels. In addition to writing, Charlie is a dedicated community organizer in East Hollywood. Recently he sold his TV pilot, BROOKLYN SO DEAD, to MGM Studios. He was also a story editor on Rian Johnsons’s series POKERFACE.

Lillian grew up as a first generation Taiwanese-American in the San Francisco Bay Area, went to U.C. Berkeley undergrad, Columbia grad in international affairs, and Cardozo Law School. To her parents' chagrin, she gave up accomplished careers in business, national security, and law to become a full time writer. Lillian has no regrets as she lives by the motto of "you only have one life, so make it count." Lillian draws from her diverse experiences to create authentic worlds and characters who are often outsiders fighting against seemingly insurmountable forces. Lillian believes in the power of story to create worlds where people can connect and belong.

Lillian developed her craft through professional screenwriting programs at UCLA and NYU. She read scripts at Miramax Films in New York and Gold Circle Films in Los Angeles. Her scripts have earned recognition in the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship, ScreenCraft, Scriptalooza, PAGE International Screenwriting Awards, and Creative Screenwriting Contest.

Lillian has been staffed on Amazon’s REACHER and Netflix’s Arnold Schwarzenegger spy adventure drama FUBAR. She rose from Staff Writer to Story Editor. She's currently developing stories in TV, film, and novel format. Lillian loves dogs, dark chocolate, beaches, uncovering fascinating stories, and seeing the world. She’s repped by Rosa Entertainment and A3 Artists Agency. For more information about Lillian, please visit https://lillianlwang.com.

Kelly Eisenbrand is a queer, biracial Chinese comedy and animation writer and native Angelino. She received a certificate in Fiction Novel Writing from Stanford University and MA in English Literature from Claremont University. Kelly loves to write about protagonists who overcome their fears to realize their true selves — usually through connection with found family. She is currently represented by literary manager Grace Ledding at Agile Entertainment (via the Roadmap for Writers AAPI Diversity Initiative). This year, she was a finalist in the Chinese in Entertainment Pitch Contest. The source of Kelly’s best comedy is authenticity, and she seeks to bring nuance and specificity to Asian American representation in the TV landscape. Her hobbies include attending and reviewing every Halloween haunt event within 100 miles, and hoarding books — a habit kept only in check by her two rabbits Bruce Wayne and Blink, who eat books.