Daily Inspiration: Meet Mark Inglis

 

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Inglis

Hi Mark, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The first spark of an idea for One Planet Media came in September of 2019. I was following the Global Climate Strike in the news, and was astonished at the scale of the protests that were taking place in Europe and other parts of the world. Estimates included up to 7 million people across 4,500 locations in 150 countries. At that time, prominent voices in the U.S. were calling climate change a hoax, so seeing millions of young people throughout the world taking a stand on climate change gave me hope and encouragement. Greta Thunberg was scolding world leaders and challenging the world to do something about climate change. She may have only been 16 years old, but I could not deny the ring of truth in what she said. That was the moment when I felt a tug deep in my gut to be a part of the solution.

Before moving to Cleveland, OH to take on the role of V.P. of Marketing & Communications at the Cleveland Institute of Art, I worked as the Creative Director at The Earth Institute (EI) at Columbia University (Now The Climate School) where I first learned about climate change and long-term sustainability. The Earth Institute emphasized interdisciplinary scientific research through its research units, which was then applied to the real world by implementing public policy through global partners. Beyond the classrooms and laboratories, the Earth Institute was engaged in partnerships with the United Nations, the World Bank, civil society, the private sector and many governments throughout the world. EI’s advanced degree programs then incorporated those outcomes, and used them to educate and place new generations of leaders into the field. My work there significantly impacted my worldview, and how sustainability is interdisciplinary, and impacts virtually everything.

Fast forward to 2020, One Planet Media was launched during the COVID pandemic, which gave me cover to go underground and just get lost in research and the drafting of a business plan. The driving thesis behind the research was to create an independent media company that would connect the general public to the global sustainability movement. Distinguishing features of the company would include an emphasis on solutions journalism that is rooted in science and fact; an interdisciplinary approach to programming content that reflects the sciences, engineering, business, humanities and the arts; a spotlight on the circular economy that is forcing innovation across all sectors; a target audience that includes all generations, but primarily young adults age 18-40; and finally to be a company that celebrates the diversity and empowerment of all people, and the cultures and traditions that we share in our humanity.

In 2021 I visited other cities that I thought would be strong candidates for launching the company, but eventually came full circle back to Cleveland, which is after all the birthplace of the environmental movement. In the end, the most compelling reason to stay in Cleveland for me was the remarkable ecosystem of people, organizations and initiatives that were already here working in the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) space. Cleveland is also experiencing a new generation of leadership that supports sustainability initiatives in City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce, the Cleveland and Gund Foundations and the County Executive’s office to name a few. I believe these new leaders are leading the way for Cleveland to become a thriving and resilient city in the 21st century.

In 2022, we moved into our studio space in Hingetown, a cool-vibe neighborhood enclave of Ohio City on the west side of Cleveland. I was able to connect early with some talented young professionals who played key roles in helping me get everything up and running. With experience in acquisitions and production, Nick Royak came on board and facilitated partnerships with content partner Filmhub, and technology playout partner Amagi. Sarah Bene then joined the team as our producer, bringing a healthy dose of planning, marketing and outreach with a hands-on touch. We’ve since added other independent contractors who work as talent in front of the camera, video editors and production assistants to produce our original shows. We also formed an Advisory Board that includes a cross-section of career professionals working in the sustainability and entertainment space.

I learned through my research that there were some really impressive media outlets covering climate and long-term sustainability, but the content was typically limited to articles on websites. At a time when misinformation is common and the media landscape is fragmented, how could 1PM cut through all the noise and connect the mainstream public to the global sustainability movement? We decided to focus on television and video-based content that could be leveraged across streaming television, social media platforms and audio/podcasts and radio. We were lucky to catch an emerging trend within the entertainment industry called Free Ad-supported Streaming Television (FAST) channels. Companies like Roku, Pluto TV and Tubi were amassing hundreds of channels much like the traditional cable companies did, but were free with advertisements. Smart TV manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Vizio and Sony were also developing dedicated streaming platforms as part of their smart television offerings.

After acquiring the licensing rights to 150 film documentaries from our content partner Filmhub, we launched Eartho TV in the U.S. and Canadian markets. We also produced 2 original YouTube channels that we shot in our Cleveland studio. The first show we rolled out was called ‘All Things Green’, a talk show format with a host and broad range of experts that fall under the sustainability umbrella. The second show we launched was ‘1PM Weekly News’, a top-line sustainability news show that covered breaking news worldwide.

In addition to producing streaming tv channels, we’re also moving into products and services with our newly launched in-house agency called Chrysalis Studios (CS). Inspired by other in-house agencies like T-Brand Studios at the New York Times, and Courageous Studios at CNN, we see a special opportunity to showcase sustainability initiatives within organizations across the spectrum using film, video and animation-based content. In addition to video-based content that addresses ESG (Environment, Social & Governance), scope 3 emissions and other themes, we’re also offering services like public relations, social media, product marketing and search engine optimization (SEO).

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been a few challenges for sure, as it can be a real emotional rollercoaster ride as an entrepreneur. Finding the right strategic partnerships took much longer than we thought. We’ve had some speed bumps along the way getting up our streaming tv channel, and producing our YouTube channels.

It’s also been a tough environment to raise capital. A lot of technology and media companies are cutting jobs, and high interest rates are impacting venture capital deal flow. Technology companies that emphasize SaaS and AI are dominating the startup space. You’re just not seeing a lot of media companies coming up, but we think that is part of the opportunity.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My first love has always been art and design. After graduating from the Pratt Institute in New York City, I worked as a graphic designer at Pentagram among other design firms. Besides getting to work alongside some of my real-life design heroes, I also found a cohort of people who were equally obsessed with typography, corporate trademarks and beautiful layouts. I absolutely loved it. From that job, I went on to become the Cover Art Director at Newsweek Magazine, where I designed and art directed covers for all the international editions in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa. I was evolving as a creative professional, and wasn’t limited to just designing with my hands anymore, but with a bigger tool box that included scores of illustrators and photographers to bring new ideas to life. The job really opened my mind to the possibilities of collaboration with other creative artists working in different disciplines. I eventually went on to become the Creative Director at the Earth Institute at Columbia University, where I learned about long-term sustainability and how it impacted virtually everything.

At a certain point, I was determined not to spend the rest of my life in NYC, and brought my wife and 8 cats (all rescues) to Cleveland, where I worked at the V.P. of Marketing and Communications at the Cleveland Institute of Art for 11 years.

Launching One Planet Media gave me the opportunity to combine all of those experiences, while gaining new experience in the film and video space. From designing for print publications to working with video, animation and interactive content, it’s been a crazy cool ride so far. New projects on the horizon we’re looking at include virtual reality applications in the education space, and building 3D worlds in the metaverse.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
At this point in my life, success means making an impact in the world at a time when there is great urgency. It is my belief that media can play a far more critical role in how the mainstream public is informed, and how it can shape narratives and public perception of the challenges we face. On one hand, we are experiencing an age of remarkable innovation as we move towards a circular economy. On the other hand, most people have no idea that the earth’s wildlife population has plunged by 70% in the last 50 years, or that by 2050, the world will need to double it’s food production, or that our oceans have broken heat records for five consecutive years. Success for me is not just communicating about these issues, but also offering solutions that to these issues that are available now.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://oneplanetmedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneplanetmedia/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AllThingsGreenShow/videos
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@1pmweeklynews