As the first executive hire, Dara Eliacin has been instrumental in launching Impact, while building its systems and tools from scratch. Impact, the ground-breaking accelerator and online marketplace startup, brings a Silicon Valley approach to democratizing access to the entertainment industry, accelerating the development of original content, and innovating the way that studios, producers, writers, directors, talent and crew connect.
Hollywood is a $177 billion per year industry that supports 2.6 million people whose dreams, livelihood, and income are all dependent on an antiquated and fragmented system marked with artificial barriers and often controlled by Hollywood players. As studios and streamers scramble for the next great IP and A-list creators, it’s nearly impossible for fresh, new voices with stories that can change the world to break into the industry – that’s where Eliacin comes in.
In May 2018, Impact was a theoretical business idea with a mission that not many people understood or believed in. While the founders had announced the idea, there was barely a plan and it was a very long way from being built. Eliacin immediately understood the vision and took the initiative to communicate how she could execute the founders’ vision, and was immediately brought on as the first executive – integrally involved in every aspect of building the company. She now oversees the day-to-day operations of the entire Impact ecosystem, straddling content, product, and business development to oversee creative programs domestically and abroad, marketing and partnerships with companies such as Netflix and Skydance, and product research and launches.
