SPIRIT MEDICINE PRODUCTIONS - RISE 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
Our Board
Alma Russell (Board Chair)
Alma Russell (Board Chair)
Alma Russell (Board Chair)
Alma (NB: they/them) hails from Lexington, Kentucky, and now resides in Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley.
Sharen Davis (Secretary)
Alma Russell (Board Chair)
Alma Russell (Board Chair)
Sharen is an award-winning costume designer whose work appears in film, television, and on stage.
Neil Syal (Treasurer)
Neil Syal (Treasurer)
Neil Syal (Treasurer)
Neil Syal is a seasoned finance and accounting professional with over a decade of experience across various industries.
Anishika Jontae
Neil Syal (Treasurer)
Neil Syal (Treasurer)
Born and raised in the South, Anishika Jontae has always had a passion for the arts. She began to explore her own artistic talents when she relocated to New York and became a model and actress.
ADVISORY BOARD
Janice Cooke
Ann Walters
Ann Walters
Janice is a director and producer in Los Angeles. Janice began her professional career as an associate producer, rising to director, with her directorial debut on the hit series, Dawson's Creek.
SMP Rise Founder
Alonzo Van Wilson
Alonzo is a former costume designer, now working as a writer and producer whose passion for stories that celebrate the human spirit catalyzes the mission of SMP Rise.
Creating Opportunity
My career journey began in 1983 in Wilmington, North Carolina, my hometown. I was 18, a senior in high school, an aspiring journalist. During this time, an Italian filmmaker, Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis, built a film studio in my hometown. Mr. Dino, as we called him, brought along his Italian crew and some American crew (department head
My career journey began in 1983 in Wilmington, North Carolina, my hometown. I was 18, a senior in high school, an aspiring journalist. During this time, an Italian filmmaker, Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis, built a film studio in my hometown. Mr. Dino, as we called him, brought along his Italian crew and some American crew (department heads) whose tasks were to run the studio and make films, but also to TEACH the locals the skills needed to become the crew for the productions.
The rest, as they say, is history. You may call it fate, I call it OPPORTUNITY.
From Survival to Storytelling A Spotlight on Destiny Roman
At S.M.P. RISE, (Spirit Medicine Productions -RISE) our work is grounded in the belief that creative expression is not a luxury—it is a pathway to healing, self-worth, and lasting independence.This month, we shine a light on a remarkable individual whose journey embodies everything S.M.P. RISE stands for. Destiny Roman, our very first apprentice in writing and directing, came to us with a voice, a vision, and a story to tell.