The creator-led media company Dhar Mann Studios has staffed up with veterans of production companies and media ventures, as it seeks to build out what its founder hopes can become the next generation of Hollywood studios.
Mann and CEO Sean Atkins say that Toni Gray, Alex Tinley, Kelly Browne and Regina Kozakiewicz have all joined the company, and that Ruben Ortiz has been elevated to a significant new position.
“This new team brings an exceptional mix of creative, operational, and analytical leadership to Dhar Mann Studios – each with proven success in high-volume, high-impact production. From trailblazing unscripted formats to launching global digital video brands, their backgrounds span traditional television, digital-first media, and social platforms,” Mann tells The Hollywood Reporter. “What unites them is a shared ability to scale quality storytelling efficiently. Whether it’s Toni Gray’s expertise leading 1,200-person production teams for MrBeast and Amazon, Regina Kozakiewicz’s deep command of YouTube growth and audience strategy, or Ruben Ortiz’s experience building the world’s largest digital scripted studio from day one at DMS, they each bring world-class skills tailored to the demands of digital production.”
Gray is Mann’s head of production, overseeing production for the fast-growing scripted studio. Gray served as the executive in charge of production for Beast Games from MrBeast and Amazon Prime Video, and before that spent a decade at Fremantle, including a run as executive in charge of production at Let’s Make a Deal.
Tinley is senior manager of production and operations, having joined Dhar Mann from Mentorn Media, where she helped launch the U.S. business after working as head of production for its U.K. hub.
Kozakiewicz is head of audience development and insights, tasked with growing the audience and shaping the company’s strategy across social and video platforms. She was most recently Director of YouTube Strategy at Dotdash Meredith and previously worked at Hearst.
Browne is controller, finance and accounting lead, after previously serving in senior roles at Jellysmack, Warner Bros., Disney, Maker Studios, and HBO.
Ortiz, who has worked with Mann for years, has been promoted to showrunner, overseeing the company’s scripted slate across YouTube and Facebook platforms.
The company is planning a significant expansion into new genres (during a recent tour, horror was cited as one possibility) as well as new platforms like podcast and free, ad-supported streaming. The team is expected to help turbocharge that growth.
“At DMS, we’re aiming to grow from the #1 digital scripted studio into a global storytelling brand that drives positive impact at scale. That means expanding our content, launching new channels, entering new verticals, and reaching more platforms – from short form and long form to audio and OTT,” Mann and Atkins say. “To do that, we need visionary creatives and strong operators who can take Dhar’s storytelling ethos and scale it to meet our audience where they are. Ruben, who started as our first hire and is now showrunner, is a perfect example – he helped build the foundation for our creative and operational model. But growth requires bandwidth.”
Mann is one of many creators that have leveraged YouTube channels into fully-fledged studios, aiming to take on the scripted entertainment space with gusto.
During a recent tour of his nearly 100,000 square foot studio lot, Mann and Ortiz highlighted the multiple sets for schools, restaurants and homes, as well as unique settings like an airplane cabin and shopping mall.
“These are real film-level sets. We use the same equipment, we have the same types of resources that the same production companies are doing on TV, well now you’re seeing that on YouTube,” Mann said, adding that his company produces content at what he estimates to be 1/100th the cost of a traditional production.
