Evan Shapiro, Participant Media

Evan Shapiro joined Participant Media in May 2012 as president of Participant Television. He is responsible for the conception, development, and production of original television programming that will follow the company’s model of commercial and socially relevant entertainment. Prior to Participant, Shapiro served as president of IFC TV and Sundance Channel, where he steered both networks to new business and programming models that garnered each network its first Primetime Emmy nominations, as well as its first Golden Globe Award. Additionally, he has executive produced numerous acclaimed original documentaries and series, including This Film Is Not Yet Rated, which challenged the MPAA for its ratings practices; the Peabody Award-winning Brick City, which chronicled a year in the life of Newark’s Mayor, Cory Booker; At the Death House Door, Steve James’ provoking documentary on the death penalty; R. Kelly’s one-of-a-kind ‘hip-hopera,’ Trapped in the Closet; and most recently, the two-time Peabody Award-winning hit series Portlandia. Shapiro has dedicated much of his life to public service and education. He has served on the board of directors at The Ghetto Film School for the past eight years (including three years as board chair) and helped open the Cinema School, the nation’s first public high school for film and video. He is chair of the 25th Anniversary Gala of the Social Venture Network; a board member of Women in Cable Telecommunications New York; chair of the Cable Center’s Cable Mavericks Masters Program; and is an adjunct professor of television management at NYU’s Stern School of Business. Shapiro is also a regular contributor to The Huffington Post.