About The Art of the Pivot: Navigating Careers in Film, Advertising, and Media
Join us for a panel discussion with industry veterans as they share their tips and advice for building careers and maintaining personal lives in one of the most chaotic industries in the world.
Learn how to increase your own professional resilience and build a career you love.
Careers in film, television, commercials, and media are often unpredictable. As demand for content fluctuates, and new technology is introduced, how do you maintain a career while simultaneously sustaining a personal life? Join us for an intimate conversation with media professionals who had to answer that question for themselves, and learn how they navigated the turbulence along the way.
Through this panel discussion, we're here to build a sense of:
Hope: Understanding career options and ways to build, sustain, or pivot.
Community: Through connection with panelist stories and experiences along with meeting and mingling with other attendees.
Activation: Walk away with tangible and actionable advice and takeaways you can apply to your own career
6:30PM
Networking and Bites
Canteen A
Start the evening with some light fare and conversation before the main event.
7:00PM
Panel Discussion
Studio A
Join us in our flagship studio for the main event – a panel discussion on building a sustainable career in the entertainment industry and beyond.
7:45PM
Dessert and Networking
Canteen A
Stick around after the panel for dessert and continued conversation before heading home.
Who's Speaking:
Angie Gaffney
Executive Producer - Charter
Angie Gaffney, Executive Producer, is a filmmaker and creative executive passionate about the intersection of business, leadership, and storytelling. She’s dedicated to developing bold, innovative ideas, and infusing every step of the process with a sense of professionalism, excellence, and inclusivity. She loves a strong cup of tea with cream in the morning, a perfectly formatted callsheet, and wrangling any and all creative chaos.
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Natasha Olguin
Deputy Commissioner – Chicago Film Office, DCASE
Natasha Parker Olguin, a Chicago native from North Lawndale, has built a dynamic 25‑year film career as an indie filmmaker, studio professional, and entrepreneur. A member of IATSE Local 476, the Directors Guild of America, and the Producers Guild of America, her credits include The Chi, 61st Street, and Ironheart. She founded Noisemakers Entertainment and has written, directed, and produced films featured on BET, BET+, Amazon, Tubi, and ABC. Her work has earned international recognition, including an African Movie Academy Award nomination, and named as one of NewCity’s Film 50 Producers and Cinema Femme’s “10 Chicago Film Creatives Breaking Barriers”.
Appointed Deputy Commissioner for the Chicago Film Office in 2025, Natasha leads efforts to support film and television production, foster industry partnerships, and promote equitable access across the city. Beyond filmmaking, she is a seasoned entrepreneur and former CEO and Co‑Founder of Windy City Event Rentals. She is a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses graduate, a YWCA Breedlove Accelerator alum, and a dedicated community advocate with over 30 years in Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Natasha is the founder of ‘Beyond the Frame’, a workforce innovation hub accelerating skills‑based training in entrepreneurship, filmmaking, and the trades.
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Michael Mimms
Founder & Creative Director – Mimms Creative
Michael Mims is a creative director, brand strategist, and content creator with 18+ years in the industry. He founded Mims Creative, a full-service bespoke creative studio, and serves as fractional Chief Brand Officer for Generation Distinct, co-leading brand direction. His social strategy and creative direction work spans global nonprofit organizations, Grammy-winning artists, innovative startups, and visionary founders alike. As a trustworthy practitioner, he has also grown his personal following past 140K across all social platforms.
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Aimy Tien
Producer, Intimacy Coordinator, Actor
Aimy Tien (she/they) is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist. As a queer Vietnamese Chinese American producer, intimacy coordinator, and actor, Aimy is driven by narrative plenitude, bringing the stories of people of color and historically excluded groups to the page, stage, and screen. She is the founder of tinheart productions where they are developing projects centered on the intersections of race, healing, and sexuality. At the core of their approach to storytelling is a practical commitment to craft informed by experiences pivoting between genre and role. Aimy has worked with HBO, AppleTV+ Fox, Showtime, independent productions, and Fortune500 brands. Outside of her film and stage work, she facilitates conversations and workshops around the world on cultures of care, advocacy, and storytelling.
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Discover Other Upcoming Event Experiences.
Every event at Forge is built to connect, educate, and empower creators. Want to see what else is happening? Browse all upcoming events here:
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