THOMAS MORGAN, FILMMAKER

Thomas Morgan is more than a filmmaker. He’s an astute observer of the human condition with a visionary drive to tell the stories of others to make the world a better place. – Steve Stein, Inside Asia

Thomas Morgan is a film director whose films have been leveraged to create lasting movements with a specific call to action. In his first film, Storied Streets, Morgan captured the painful reality of homelessness in America and gracefully unearthed the pain and personal triumphs of those living unhoused in our country. Through the film, he has elevated awareness of the problem on thousands of college campuses, petitioned in front of Congress, and pushed for laws to make violence against the homeless a hate crime and the abolishment of laws criminalizing homelessness.

With the 2013 documentary short film, Waiting For Mamu, he speaks to one person’s power through the story of Pushpa Basnet, who, at age 21, began helping free innocent children from the prison floors in Nepal. The award-winning film has raised over $1.4M, which helped build a permanent home, The Butterfly Home, in Kathmandu and helped support these children’s ongoing education.

His latest film, Soufra, was a New York Times and LA Times critics pick, won several film festival awards worldwide, and screened at the Vatican. The film tells generational refugee Mariam Shaar and her quest for the fundamental right to own a business—a food truck. Soufra was used to raise nearly $1 million to build a school in the camp, and now 150 refugee children have access to education.

Morgan was Executive Producer of Silenced, a film about US government whistleblowers, and India’s Daughter, an Oscar-contending movie about the rape and murder of a 23-year old medical student in India. He has been a keynote speaker many times on Capitol Hill and twice before the U.S. Congress. 

LAWRENCE ALDRIDGE, PARTNER

Lawrence Aldridge is a partner at Square Zero Films, where he is currently producing the independent feature Exit Right and developing a slate of premium scripted content. At Square Zero, he has also overseen the production of critically acclaimed social impact documentaries, including Scrum, furthering the company’s mission to tell meaningful, globally resonant stories.

He was previously President of iGeneration Studios, the company behind global hits such as The Kissing Booth and My Life with the Walter Boys. At iGeneration, he specialized in developing primetime and YA content for digitally connected, next-generation audiences.

Lawrence brings a diverse, senior executive background spanning strategy, business development, sponsorship, strategic sourcing, and operations across the entertainment, healthcare, and oil & gas industries. His entertainment leadership includes roles at Sony Pictures (2013–2018) and Disney (2000–2010) . He also held senior roles at UnitedHealth Group (2010–2012) and ARCO (1990–1999).

With a strong track record of creating new revenue streams and unlocking business value, Lawrence has worked across North America, the UK, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, bringing a global lens to both creative and operational challenges.

LISA MADISON, VP DISTRIBUTION & IMPACT

Lisa Madison is a multi-media Impact Producer and documentary filmmaker based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. With a passion for storytelling that drives social change, she creates and distributes powerful documentary films in tandem with grassroots campaigns designed to inspire action and advance critical social issues.

Since earning her MA in Media Studies from The New School in New York City, Lisa has worked at the forefront of impact-driven filmmaking, combining her expertise in online organizing with documentary production. In 2010, she pioneered a new model for grassroots distribution using tools like Salsa and NationBuilder, helping films serve as effective tools for advocacy and movement-building.

Lisa has served as Campaign Director and Distribution Coordinator for a range of acclaimed films, beginning with Fresh (2009), a groundbreaking food documentary. She was the Distribution & Social Action Director for Seeds of Time (2013), by Academy Award-nominated director Sandy McLeod, and A Small Good Thing (2015), by Academy Award-winning producer Pamela Tanner Boll.

As Vice President of Distribution & Impact at Square Zero Films, Lisa leads strategic distribution, fundraising, and social impact campaigns for global documentary projects. Her work included directing the global campaign for Soufra, executive produced by Susan Sarandon, which mobilized over 1,000 grassroots screenings and raised $347,000 to fund refugee initiatives in Beirut. She also managed the international production and rollout of FIVE, a Mastercard-supported series spotlighting women entrepreneurs across five countries.