The Soul Swell team is diverse, experienced and personally affected by gentrification and over-tourism in our hometowns:
Melanie Cheng, Executive Director: 17 years nonprofit and social enterprise management, state-wide and national multi-stakeholder initiatives, community development and sustainability. 11 years corporate training and textbook writing & editing.
Manuel Tsingaris, Producer/Senior Editor: Award-winning documentary film producer/editor focusing on social and economic issues: Peabody Award, Audience Awards at Sundance and HBO, and countless film festivals. Clients: Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Public Broadcasting Network (PBS), Independent Television Service (ITVS), NBC, ABC, Discovery Channels, ESPN, HGTV, and others.
Mark Fiore, Animator: Pulitzer-Prize-winning political cartoonist and animator. Clients: Greenpeace, Sierra Club, Amnesty International, Earthworks, NRDC, The Center for Media and Democracy, Alaska Wilderness League, National Education Association, and others; regular feature contributor to KQED.
Emily Cohen Ibañez, Producer/Editor/Camera Operator: Documentary filmmaker supported by the National Science Foundation, Fulbright Colombia, and others. Best of Fest Award Winner at American Film Institute Docs; nominated for UNICEF award; two-time finalist for the Sundance New Frontier Lab.