Founder, Director and Executive Producer, Sarah Hesterman, grew up in East Lansing, Michigan and is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a B.F.A. in Film & Television. After establishing her production career in New York City over the last 15+ years, Sarah recently relocated from Brooklyn, NY to Traverse City, MI to buy a farm and live more closely aligned with her passion of food and farming. Sarah is dedicated to creating media that inspires, educates and engages audiences in critical social issues and her life goal is to raise awareness and understanding through film.I've spent the last 15 years as a Freelance Broadcast Producer, Content Producer and Post-Producer for advertising, brand, event, web, and promotional video content and documentaries. I was the EP at production company, Homestead, for production and post since May 2017 and prior to that a Senior Producer at Hogarth Worldwide with a focus on global production and cost efficient solutions for global brands. From 2007-2014, I produced on a freelance and consulting basis for agencies like JWT and BBDO, production and post-houses and direct-to-client for many foundations and NGOs. I have produced work for clients and brands including Fair Food Network, GSK, Revlon, Nestlé, Barnes & Noble, Microsoft, American Express, Rolex, Estee Lauder, Johnson & Johnson and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. I am also a documentary filmmaker and recently launched Render & Rise, the food-focused offshoot of Phase 4 Media. For over 10 years, our team has partnered closely with Michigan-based, national non-profit, Fair Food Network, to produce numerous awareness campaigns to promote their mission of growing community health and wealth through food. In 2020 we developed and produced multiple content campaigns for Double Up Food Bucks in Michigan. In 2018 and 2019 we produced a campaign of original content for Michigan Good Food Fund highlighting farmers, families and good food entrepreneurs for digital and social media and fundraising. In partnership with the Wallace Center at Winrock International, we produced the interview series “Lifting Up Leadership” for the Food Systems Leadership Network. In 2016, Phase 4 produced the TV and online video campaign for Double Up Flint to promote healthy food access in the wake of Flint's water crisis. Our short film highlighting the success of Fair Food Network’s Double Up Food Bucks program in Detroit was a winner at the 2011 Michigan Good Food Film Festival.