Masterclass: The Filmmaker as an Entrepreneur

Chike Nwoffiah is an actor, theater director, educator, award-winning filmmaker, and
consultant on theater, film, television and multimedia projects. He is a graduate of
University of Lagos, Nigeria and Columbia University's Graduate School of Business
INM program. After twelve successful years as a corporate strategist for a
Silicon Valley bio-tech company, he transitioned into private enterprise and has vast
investments in Media and Real Estate in USA, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.
Nwoffiah has been a respected creative industry voice in California and the United
States for over twenty years. He is the president of Rhesus Media Group, an award-
winning full-service media production and consulting firm based in San Jose,
California. He is the founding director of the Silicon Valley African Film Festival
(SVAFF), the only film festival in California that is exclusively focused on films by
African filmmakers and provides a platform for Africa's seasoned and emerging
filmmakers to share their stories with a global audience. He is also the
project coordinator for the annual African Diaspora Investment Symposium in SiliconValley, California, a program that convenes over 200 Africa-focused venture
capitalists, angel investors, academics, entrepreneurs for three days of engagement
and conversations on new and emerging cross-sector opportunities in Africa.
Nwoffiah is a member of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of
Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and an award winning film producer and
director with over 50 productions to his credit. His awards include the California Arts
Council Director’s award, Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame award, Cinema in
Industry (CINDY) Gold award, and the Telly award. He was listed as one of the "Top
Ten Most Influential African Americans" in the San Francisco Bay Area by CityFlight
Magazine, and has served on several regional, national and international creative
sector policy panels including the National Endowment for the Arts,
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Sacramento Arts Commission, San Francisco Arts
Commission, Arts Council Silicon Valley, Walter and Elise Haas Fund and the Center
for Cultural Innovation. He served 8 years as the Chairman of the Arts Council
Silicon Valley Grants Committee and managed the annual distribution of over $1
million dollars to Artists and Arts organizations in Silicon Valley. From 2004 to 2008,
he served as a Fund for Folk Culture strategy panellist on the development of
support systems for Immigrant and Refugee Arts in the United States. In 2013,
he was appointed by the California Superintendent of Education to serve on the
California Blueprint for Creative Schools Task Force. He is a Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion consultant for several Silicon Valley companies, venture capital firms,
universities and foundations. Nwoffiah is a past president of Mountain View Television (KMVT Channel 15) and a
former Arts Commissioner for the City of Stockton. He is currently on the Arts
Advisory Commission for the San Diego International Airport and the boards of the
Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA), Families Without Borders and African
Diaspora Network. He is an adjunct professor at Menlo College in Atherton,
California where he teaches African History. He has been a guest lecturer at
University of California Los Angeles Urban Policy Institute, Southern New
Hampshire University's Community Development graduate program, Sacramento
State University's Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution, University of
California Santa Cruz’s History department and Suffolk University's Black Studies
Program. He has presented keynote speeches at several conferences and events,
including: The United States Post Office unveiling of the Ella Fitzgerald Stamp, the
Black Educators Conference, the National conference of Community Arts Educators,
etc. He was a contributing author to the critically acclaimed book "Black Cultural
Traffic - Crossroads in Global Performance and Popular Culture" edited by Stanford
University professors Harry Elam,Jr. and Kennel Jackson.
Nwoffiah has received several commendations and recognitions for his work,
including Freedom Fighter Award by the Silicon Valley Chapter of the NAACP, Arts
Leadership Award by the Arts Council Silicon Valley, several Certificates of Special
Recognition from the California State House of Assembly and, a Certificate of
Special Congressional Recognition by the US House of Congress. He is a member
of the United States Press Agency and a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership
Forum - Silicon Valley.