STANDING ON PODIUMS

Standing on Podiums: The Death of Impact Storytelling in Hollywood and the Birth of a Nonprofit Studio is the story of Brett Rapkin. He began his career producing award-winning films for NFL Network, ESPN, and HBO, earning an Emmy and six nominations. A visit to the eye doctor inspired him to document Olympic gold medalist Steven Holcomb's journey from a 2007 suicide attempt to Olympic glory. Tragically, Holcomb passed away shortly after their interview, leading Rapkin to explore the widespread mental health struggles among Olympians. Teaming up with Michael Phelps and other Olympic icons, Rapkin's documentary The Weight of Gold reached billions during the COVID-19 pandemic with its message, "e;It's ok not to be ok,"e; inspiring Team USA to secure $12 million for mental health resources. This experience led him to transform his production company, Podium Pictures, into the first nonprofit studio dedicated to using storytelling for global change.