Our Team
Decades of combined experience in digital media and episodic television production empower us to create and deliver original branded content that engages large audiences and keeps them coming back for more.
Decades of combined experience in digital media and episodic television production empower us to create and deliver original branded content that engages large audiences and keeps them coming back for more.
Lani Neumann
Founder & Executive Producer
Lani Neumann has been producing and directing television and digital content for major networks (MTV, TLC, OWN) and Fortune 500 brands (Budweiser, Almay, Swedish Fish) for over 15 years. She started Necessary Media to realize her commitment to creating dynamic, progressive, and inclusive content.
“When I was 10 years old, I saw the movie Rocky in the theater. I was forever changed. I felt I ‘knew’ that character when I left, and it blew my mind. ‘How did that happen? What magic was this?’ That was how it started — my dream to be a part of the creative process, crafting visual stories that connect deeply with their audiences.”
Rani Craft Robinson
Senior Supervising Producer
Rani brings 18+ years’ experience in the digital media space. As a visual storyteller, she uses her writing and her love for photography and video to bring the most exciting content to life. Rani’s work has taken her from Washington, DC and Los Angeles to Singapore, where she developed, produced, supervised and directed digital content in support of Travel Channel, TLC, HGTV, DIY Network, Discovery’s owned and operated show sites, YouTube, and app platforms like Instagram’s IGTV, HGTV GO, and TRVL GO.
In April 2018, Rani executive produced the short film One Last Goodbye with LMK Entertainment Group. The film received the following awards in the 2019-2020 film festival circuit: Best Duo, ONIROS (Italy) Film Awards; Best Actor, DC Black Film Festival; Best Short Film, OLA Film Festival; Best Short Film (Social Awareness), Queen Palm International Film Festival; Best Actor (Silver) and Best Female Director (Bronze), Independent Shorts Awards.
Geraldine L. Porras
Executive Producer
Geraldine is a 3x Emmy award-winning TV and Digital Media Producer with a passion for creating conscious content. As a child of immigrants from Nicaragua, she grew up with a strong desire to educate and uplift her community and found film as the medium to do so. She has worked on shows for networks like VH1, Bravo, TLC, MTV, and BET, and created content for brands like Billboard and Bleacher Report.
Geraldine produced 3 seasons of the Emmy Award-winning docu-series United Shades of America on CNN and served as Co-Executive Producer on the Emmy-nominated 4-part documentary We Need To Talk About Cosby for SHOWTIME, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. She is currently a Showrunner and Executive Producer on feature docs for HBO and Hulu. Geraldine is passionate about and committed to creating content that gives marginalized communities a platform to share their stories and voice.
Grace Porras
Creative Producer
Grace Porras is a seasoned TV Producer with experience working on shows like The Kardashians and Real Housewives. Grace started in the entertainment industry working with talent, and turned her knack for working with people into a career as a creative producer. She has produced segments in over seven countries, working with companies to create branded integration opportunities.
With a passion for storytelling and a duty to elevate her community’s stories, she uses her professional experience to increase the digital footprint of Latino businesses of all sizes. Grace enjoys trying chicken wings from all of the different locations she travels to for work and pleasure.
Lindsay Brill
Talent & Casting Director
Lindsay works both behind and in front of the scenes in theatre, film, and TV. She has worked for major networks and brands as a casting director and actor. She enjoys raw, risky, darkly funny, and inclusive storytelling. Lindsay also works as a teacher and acting coach and holds an MFA in acting from The Old Globe/University of San Diego.
Katie Wallace
Social Marketing & Brand Communications Director
Growing up alongside the rise of social media, it has always been a part of Katie’s personal life — now it’s her professional passion, too. She has managed digital presence for small businesses, digital publications, federal, state, and local political candidates, nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurs, and more.
Katie believes that the power of social media can bring folks together, teach us, and build incredible communities. She sees digital connection as a way to elevate not only your brand, but your core beliefs, too. Offline, you can find her watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and scrolling through Airbnb, planning her next vacation.
Chloe Olewitz
Lead Creative Copywriter
Chloe Olewitz is a freelance writer. She is passionate about the work words do in the world, and her collaborations are dedicated to demonstrating that the words you use matter. Chloe’s writing has been published in Forbes, Playboy, i-D, The New Humanitarian, and Roads & Kingdoms, among other publications, and her recent clients include Uber, Radisson, Accor, IHG, Microsoft, Salesforce, Squarespace, Source London, Devialet, and the American Heart Association.
