MENTORS
JASON BRENTS
Volunteer Mentor, Ascension Media Partners
Founder, President, COO and Producer, One Door Studios
As OneDoor’s COO, Jason continues to oversee all of its entities, developing their in-house story properties and connecting OneDoor Studios with its various production partners, helping set OneDoor’s development funding and bank production financing.
JOHN DORYK
Volunteer Mentor, Ascension Media Partners
Composer, Sound Designer and Owner, Night Sky
John William Doryk is an award winning television/film composer, who has been creating original music and sound design for film and television for over 25 years. Classically trained in operatic voice, violin, viola, and guitar, he started playing music at the age of 5. He has had his work aired on The Discovery Channel, History Channel, PBS, ABC Nightline, A&E Biography, BBC, FOX Network, Netflix, for Focus on the Family, Answers in Genesis Creation Museum, Compassion Intl, and many independent feature films.
DARRIN GRAY
Volunteer Mentor, Ascension Media Partners
CMO, Athletes in Action
Darrin Gray has been immersed in the world of strategic sports philanthropy and media for 30 years. Darrin is a professional speaker with a unique window into the Fatherhood, Mentoring and the NFL by virtue of his longstanding relationship with All Pro Dad, the national fatherhood program founded by Tony Dungy. Darrin serves as CMO of Athletes in Action and interacts regularly with NFL players, coaches, and alumni and has conducted programming with over half of the NFL franchises, the Super Bowl, Pro Football Hall of Fame and many other notable events and sponsors.
Darrin speaks on a variety of inspirational topics that include fatherhood, mentoring, faith, leadership, philanthropy that are grounded in the timeless practices and principles of Serving Leadership. Darrin co-authored The Jersey Effect, Beyond the World Championship about Tony Dungy’s Super Bowl XLI team. He resides near Indianapolis, and has been married to his wife Leslie for 27 years and together they have 4 children from 19-24 years of age.
MICKEY SWORTZEL
Volunteer Mentor, Ascension Media Partners
Operations and Finance, New Eagle
Mickey is a driven Entrepreneur successful at developing operational areas, outlining business plans and creating effective company cultures. She is an innovative and strategic leader with a successful history of operating in complex, chaotic environments and achieving dramatic results.
CHRISTOPHER SHAWN SHAW
Volunteer Mentor, Ascension Media Partners
Owner + Filmmaker, Anchor Productions
Christopher Shawn Shaw is an award-winning filmmaker and owner of Anchor Productions. He helmed the recently released redemptive comedy, CHURCH PEOPLE, starring Thor Ramsey and Erin Cahill, featuring Stephen Baldwin, William ”Billy” Baldwin, Chynna Phillips, Michael Monks, Donald Faison, Joey Fatone, and more.
Christopher also produced, directed, and edited the hilarious comedy cooking show, SOMETHING SMELLS FUNNY™—hosted by Comedian Scott Wood, featuring special guests Victoria Jackson, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Jimmy Brogan, and Bobby Collins—streaming now for free on Tubi.
In between freelance film productions, CSS helps businesses, organizations, and individuals increase their visibility with high-quality and memorable video content, consulting and coaching, branding, and social media strategies.
Christopher and his family reside in Northern California with their dog, Nugget. His favorite daily treat is Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao chocolate. (Christopher’s, not Nugget’s. Chocolate is bad for pooches.)
TYLER HARMAN
Volunteer Mentor, Ascension Media Partners
Growth Marketing, Rad Dad Founder
Tyler is a marketing and advertising expert who specializes in growing small startups into hundred-million-dollar brands. From fintech to e-commerce, entertainment, and fundraising, he knows how to tell the right story to grow companies through paid advertising, how to set up effective sales processes, how to refine business models, analyze and understand consumer behavior, and he has the track record to prove it. He is the perfect partner for founders and creators to help "dial in" and grow their businesses.
JEFF HOLDER
Volunteer Mentor, Ascension Media Partners
The Jeff Holder Creative Agency, Principal
Jeff Holder is a kids media veteran as a network and studio executive (ABC, Cartoon Network, Hanna-Barbera), writer (Scooby Doo, Yogi Bear, more) and producer (Veggie Tales, more). Jeff currently writes and produces Star Spangled Adventures, a kids history initiative; writes The Barkers, a series of picture books with Dr. Ben Carson; teaches writing for animation and comedy at Regent University.
CONTACT US
Get in touch with Ascension Media Partners to learn more about our work and how you can get involved as a Mentor for filmmakers.
