UnionDocs
Jesse Shapins is an accomplished urban strategist and media innovator with extensive experience in leading transformative projects and organizations. Currently serving as Director - Co-Head Neighborhood Investments at Urban Partners, Jesse is co-creating a new urban investment strategy focused on sustainable neighborhoods. As a founding partner of UnionDocs, Jesse has significantly influenced the documentary arts on a global scale. Previous roles include Head of Urban Strategy & Design at NREP, where Jesse advanced urban regeneration initiatives, and Senior Director at Sidewalk Labs, focusing on equitable development and community-building. Jesse's entrepreneurial spirit is further demonstrated through co-founding GoPop and Zeega, both recognized for their innovative media platforms. Academically, Jesse holds a PhD and AM in Architecture from Harvard University and a BA in Urban Studies from Columbia University.
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UnionDocs
Based in Ridgewood, Queens, UnionDocs is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, a Center for Documentary Art that presents, produces, publishes, and educates. We lead a diverse community on a search for urgent expressions of the human experience, spotlighting marginalized narratives and underrepresented visions. We believe that documentary art, when paired with thoughtful context and debate, is an invaluable tool for understanding the complexities of contemporary life and creating a more compassionate, engaged, and integrated society. Each year, we: Host 3 LABS for 36 artists-in-residence, preparing 24 features for production and 8+ shorts for distribution; Design 24+ WORKSHOPS for 400+ participants with 168 established guest/teaching artists; Program 60+ EVENTS by 100+ artists for a local audience of 3000+ and an international membership; Manage $500k+ in grants toward sponsored artist’s PRODUCTION; Fund a FELLOWSHIP that pairs 4 artists and 4 writers, each receiving $20k and publication support; Create groundbreaking doc projects, including the neighborhood history, Living Los Sures (2015) and the immersive performance, Say Something Bunny! (2017). Through this work, UnionDocs provides a vibrant space where storytelling, experimentation, journalism, politics, and poetry intersect and engage a multiplicity of audiences.