April 2011 Contest

David Stainton is currently the Chairman and CEO of Henry's World Media, creating smart, high quality family entertainment for all media. Current projects include a broadband television channel for a major family brand, a family movie slate for independent financing, and a multi-platform franchise based on Graham Roumieu's acclaimed book, In Me Own Words: The Autobiography of Bigfoot.

Before founding Henry's World Media in 2006, David was President of each of the animation divisions at Disney, including Walt Disney Feature Animation. His theatrically released movies earned over $800 million at the box office worldwide, and the Disney Video Premieres business had revenues of over $1.7 billon. In all, David oversaw the release of 11 feature films, four animated shorts, 22 video premieres, and 12 animated TV series—generating nearly $3.5 billion in worldwide revenues.

At Feature Animation, David transformed the division financially, creatively, and technologically. His leadership drove the historic transition from hand-drawn to computer-generated animation at Feature Animation and his other divisions, bringing Disney fully into the digital era.

The first fruit of David's turnaround of the division was the success of Chicken Little, released in November of 2005. It was named one of Time Magazine's "Top Ten Movies of the Year" and went on to bring in $319 million at the box office worldwide.

Other positions held by David during his 17-year tenure at the Walt Disney Company include overseeing Feature Animation's 150-person production facility in Paris, and heading up creative development at Feature Animation from 1993-1997. David is an Honors graduate of the Harvard Business School and Cum Laude graduate of Princeton University in History.

David Stainton is currently the Chairman and CEO of Henry's World Media, creating smart, high quality family entertainment for all media. Current projects include a broadband television channel for a major family brand, a family movie slate for independent financing, and a multi-platform franchise based on Graham Roumieu's acclaimed book, In Me Own Words: The Autobiography of Bigfoot.

Before founding Henry's World Media in 2006, David was President of each of the animation divisions at Disney, including Walt Disney Feature Animation. His theatrically released movies earned over $800 million at the box office worldwide, and the Disney Video Premieres business had revenues of over $1.7 billon. In all, David oversaw the release of 11 feature films, four animated shorts, 22 video premieres, and 12 animated TV series—generating nearly $3.5 billion in worldwide revenues.

At Feature Animation, David transformed the division financially, creatively, and technologically. His leadership drove the historic transition from hand-drawn to computer-generated animation at Feature Animation and his other divisions, bringing Disney fully into the digital era.

The first fruit of David's turnaround of the division was the success of Chicken Little, released in November of 2005. It was named one of Time Magazine's "Top Ten Movies of the Year" and went on to bring in $319 million at the box office worldwide.

Other positions held by David during his 17-year tenure at the Walt Disney Company include overseeing Feature Animation's 150-person production facility in Paris, and heading up creative development at Feature Animation from 1993-1997. David is an Honors graduate of the Harvard Business School and Cum Laude graduate of Princeton University in History.

Shane Black is currently directing the third installment in the popular Iron Man franchise. His other projects include Warner Bros.' Death Note, and a revival of the Doc Savage adventure character for Sony. In 2005, Black wrote and directed the comedy/thriller Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. His previous screenwriting credits include Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and The Last Action Hero.

As an actor he is featured in the films Predator, Robocop 3 and As Good As It Gets, in addition to television appearances. He lives in Los Angeles in a haunted house, surrounded by three dogs who often stare at empty rooms as though something (or someone) beckons to them.

Tom Strickler is the co-founder of Endeavor—a leading talent agency representing writers, directors, producers and actors in the motion picture and television industry. During his 14-year tenure at Endeavor, the company grew from 4 to 300 employees with over $100MM in annual revenue.

Mr Strickler headed up the Motion Picture Writer/Director Department—one of the 3 operating divisions of the company. Mr. Strickler served on the Endeavor Management Committee and resigned from his company in the summer of 2009 on the completion of its merger with the William Morris Agency.

Mr. Strickler is currently the Chairman of the Board of Extera Public Schools—an organization dedicated to building new charter schools in the Boyle Heights/East LA area of Los Angeles.
In 2004, Mr. Strickler teamed up with conservationists Doug & Kris Tompkins to purchase the Estancia Valle Chacabuco (173,00 acres) in Southern Chile to create The Patagonia National Park. With additional land purchases and grants, the park will grow to over 1 million acres of protected wilderness.

Mr. Strickler is a graduate of Harvard College where he headed up the two largest student theatrical organizations at the University—The Hasty Pudding Theatricals and The Gilbert & Sullivan Society.