Former White House advisor Nick Rathod has joined People of Culture Studios as president of its new Impact division, which looks to blend culture and politics in storytelling.
In his new post, Rathod will oversee both unscripted and scripted production as well as partnerships with studios and other companies on philanthropic initiatives tied to their projects. The role also will include consulting for political candidates and nonprofit campaigns and creating educational campaign materials.
“I am thrilled to join PoC Studios as President of Impact and as a Partner in the company,” Rathod said in a statement. “Our mission is clear: to spotlight the diverse stories and voices that define the American experience. Through impactful content, innovative partnerships and political engagement, we aim to make a real difference in society. I look forward to leading this groundbreaking initiative and bringing positive change to the forefront of the entertainment industry.”
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During the Obama administration, Rathod served as special assistant to the president and deputy director of intergovernmental affairs, serving as President Obama’s liaison to states and U.S. territories in the handling of political and policy engagement across states, territories and tribal governments. He served as director of intergovernmental affairs for the Obama-Biden transition team, and also previously served as assistant director for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, having helped her build the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He was most recently campaign manager for Beto O’Rourke’s gubernatorial campaign in Texas, the first person of South Asian descent to run a statewide campaign of that size.
Before officially coming on board, Rathod partnered with PoC earlier this year on the #ImmaBeHonest campaign about mental health in the Black community, tied to the feature A Snowy Day in Oakland. In addition to helping dismantle the stigma around the conversation, the campaign also steered up to half of the PVOD/TVOD profits from the film to sponsoring life-coaching certifications for barbers.
“Nick’s track record of driving meaningful change and his deep understanding of both politics and storytelling make him the ideal leader for our new division,” PoC Studios co-founder and CEO Labid Aziz said in a statement. “With Nick on board, we’re confident that our commitment to diversity, inclusion and societal impact will not only be strengthened but will prove to become a beacon for others.”
