Generate Builds Out Executive Team

Generate Builds Out Executive Team

Adds New CFO, EVP of Business Affairs; Appoints Generate Studios Leadership

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Generate (www.generatela.com), the cross-platform production and management company, today announced the continued growth of its corporate management team with the additions of Chris Gwiazda as chief financial officer and Tim Stephen as executive vice president of business affairs. In addition, the company named founding partner Pete Aronson president of Generate Studios, overseeing the development and production of franchise entertainment properties across film, television and digital platforms, and Emmy-winning producer Michael Petok as head of production for all Generate projects.

"As Generate continues to deliver on the promise of developing integrated content to migrate across platforms it became crucial that we augment our corporate structure," said Jordan Levin, CEO. "Generate's success will be driven by a deeply experienced, entrepreneurial senior management team, and adding seasoned entertainment and media executives like Chris and Tim to help support accomplished producers and industry leaders like Pete and Michael are important landmarks as we grow into a larger company."

Gwiazda, who will lead Generate's finance and accounting operations, is a veteran of HBO, where he held numerous positions in finance and analysis, including Vice President, across sales, domestic and international distribution and original programming. As a key member of the new media programming team he contributed to online comedy site This Just In, HBO Lab and The Las Vegas Comedy Festival. Before HBO Gwiazda was a senior accountant at KPMG. He is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Masters in Business Administration and Juris Doctor.

Stephen was most recently Counsel at Cartoon Network, where he was primarily involved in establishing the network's live action series and movie business. Previously he was director of business and legal affairs -- at Lionsgate Television, working in both network and cable television. Prior to joining Lionsgate, as President of Adam Productions Stephen was an executive producer of television movies including Holy Joe and 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. Early in his career Stephen spearheaded ABC Production's efforts in international co-productions. He is a member of the California bar. At Generate Stephen will oversee business and legal affairs across the various media platforms.

Generate Studios

Aronson, a founding partner of Generate, will spearhead Generate Studios' development of multiplatform content, including that developed under Generate's exclusive multiyear television development and production deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television signed last month. Aronson previously served as president of Regency Television and, before that, was executive vice president of Walt Disney Television and Touchstone Television.

"We had a successful 2008 and 2009 is off to a strong start with the Fox deal," said Aronson. "With Michael's extremely deep industry experience and award-winning vision, Generate Studios is going to keep developing great entertainment concepts for a range of media channels, supported by the diversity of the entire Generate team from production to management."

Petok, who has over 25 years of experience, manages all Generate productions of projects across platforms as well as outside production services. He previously worked with Aronson on The Bernie Mac Show. In addition to his Emmy win for In Living Color, he has won four NAACP Image Awards for In Living Color and Bernie Mac, as well as two Humanitas Prizes and a Peabody Award for Bernie Mac. His producer credits also include primetime hits, television specials and major award shows including Cavemen, The Dave Chapelle Project, Dave's World, the 52nd Presidential Inaugural, Walt Disney World's 15th Anniversary, and NFL All-Star Comedy Blitz.

Generate produced two of the fall television season's most critically-lauded new series: The David Alan Grier vehicle, Chocolate News for Comedy Central, and Somebodies, BET's first original scripted series based on the Sundance-honored film of the same name. In addition to Chocolate News and Somebodies, Generate's fall 2008 slate included two scripted, original Web series: The political satire Republicrats produced exclusively for MSN; and the second and third seasons of the Webby-nominated dark comedy, Pink: The Series, which recently cracked the top 15 most-subscribed channels on YouTube.

Petok also supports Generate Management, Generate's talent management division, which represents a range of screenwriters, producers, filmmakers, actors and comedians. Generate Management's eight managers operate in both Los Angeles and New York.

About Generate

Launched in 2006 by leading entertainment executives with diverse experience in television, film, digital and talent management, Generate is the first cross-platform production and management company established to develop franchise entertainment properties for the transmedia generation. Generate develops professionally produced, premium content that can migrate from broadband to television, film, publishing and beyond, and creates innovative concepts to integrate into the advertising, technology and entertainment communities. Generate's talent management arm boasts a large concentration of online talent including actors, comedians, writers, producers and directors. Headquartered in Los Angeles and New York, Generate was recently named by TV Week magazine as a Top Web Video Creator and to the 2008 AlwaysOn OnHollywood 100 as a top private company in digital entertainment and media. The company completed a $6 million Series A round backed by Velocity Interactive Group and MK Capital in March 2008. For more information on Generate visit www.generatela.com.

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Source: Generate

CONTACT: Media, Wilson Cleveland of CJP Communications, for Generate,
+1-212-279-3115, Ext. 207, wcleveland@cjpcom.com

Web Site: http://www.generatela.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment