ABOUT

Matthew is the founder and CEO of both Buffalo 8 and BondIt Media Capital. With a background rooted in media production, finance and digital technology he leads the team of both businesses on a daily basis. Helderman is a regular speaker at international media and technology conferences. Helderman graduated from Lake Forest College with a B.A. in Philosophy.

Luke is the co-founder and COO of both Buffalo 8 and BondIt Media Capital. Taylor oversees the financing operations and client management of both businesses on a daily basis. Taylor graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Music Industry and Business.

Jonathan Sheldon has worked professionally in film and television for over 15 years. Starting in film development, Sheldon produced several well-regarded independent films and co-authored a seminal book on filmmaking titled “The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking”. As post production entrepreneur, Mr. Sheldon boot-strapped a post production company from a desk in Beverly Hills building it to contribute post production expertise and services to over 100 feature films and several network television shows.

Lee is head of B8 Branding Servicess at Buffalo 8. He has had extensive experience in creative projects ranging from feature film key art all the way to video game art direction. Lee is the producer, engineer and drummer of the alternative rock band Oddepoxy as well as the co-founder of Dyad Games who has produced successful titles such as the card game “Kamakura: A game of feudal Japanese warfare”.

Freewater Creative Development is led by Kyle Ryan, a veteran of both the media and development worlds. Kyle spent 20 years in the journalism one, much of it at Onion Inc., where he led The A.V. Club (the internet’s premier pop culture site) and served as managing editor of legendary satire site The Onion. He also worked at Entertainment Weekly before returning to Onion Inc. to build its development department from the ground up. He quickly established the company as a force in development and sold projects to Hulu, YouTube, AOL, Lionsgate, Fusion TV, Rooster Teeth, and more. He has drunk complimentary water during pitch meetings at just about every network, streaming service, and OTT in existence.

Robert Dean, a native to the sprawling landscape who has been working professionally in the NM film business for the past nine years doing everything from Directing to Production Manager (Dead of Night, Wander). Witnessing first-hand the many pitfalls that independent filmmakers face, Robert and Buffalo 8 joined forces to create Buffalo 8 New Mexico, a full-service division that will server producers, projects and companies looking to shoot within the state of New Mexico.

After working with BondIt part time in 2018, Tyler graduated in 2019 and joined BondIt as a full time team member. Now the VP of Finance and Development, Tyler is an integral member of the deal team, taking point in negotiating, structuring, and contracting deals in addition to risk analysis, business development, and other ongoing operations. Gould also oversees the internal development slate of projects by reviewing, developing, and packaging projects for original productions. Gould has a background in film production and finance, graduating with degrees in Radio/Television/Film and Economics from Northwestern University.

After selling the company that put him through college, Grady joined BondIt Media Capital in 2018 as the first employee in company history. Now, the VP of Business Development and Operations, Grady is responsible for investment structuring and analysis, business development, and supporting the company’s financing, accounting, operations, marketing, and administration. His versatility serves indie screenwriters, producers, and filmmakers alike, as he’s packaging and pitching a number of feature films and episodic series on his Executive Producing slate. He holds degrees in Economics and Film Studies, with a concentration in Entrepreneurship, from Boston College.

Nikki Schwarer assists within the Buffalo 8 service divisions (both B8 Studios and B8 Services) generating comprehensive client materials from budgets, schedules, creative overviews/decks, and content. Schwarer graduated from Clemson University with a B.S in Marketing and Film studies — and interned for Buffalo 8 / BondIt Media Capital in summer 2019 prior to joining the team.

Nikki Stier Justice is an independent producer and seasoned entertainment executive with a background in film production and distribution. In 2014, she moved to start-up production company Good Deed Entertainment (GDE), where she helped grow the company into a multi-million dollar studio. As Chief Operating Officer she oversaw development, financing, production, distribution, corporate branding and marketing on a slate of 7-10 releases a year. In addition to her role as Head of Distribution for Buffalo 8, Justice teaches at UConn in the Digital Media & Design Department as a Visiting Assistant Professor.

Genesis Jefferson is the Marketing and Services Coordinator for BondIt Media Capital and Buffalo 8. Daily, Genesis assists with overseeing and designing marketing content for BondIt and its Family of Companies. Additionally, she helps potential clients identify the best BondIt and Buffalo 8 services for their projects. Genesis has a background in film production and journalism and will be graduating from Loyola Marymount University in 2022 with a BA in both areas of study.

Ella is the Distribution and Acquisitions Coordinator for Buffalo 8. She manages and supports new distribution relationships and B8’s existing library of titles. Ella has written extensively about the independent film distribution landscape, including as part of her senior-year thesis, and is committed to making the distribution process transparent and accessible for independent filmmakers. She graduated from Babson College in 2021 with a B.S. in Business Administration.

Tims Johnson is a 25 year veteran post-production and digital technology specialist having worked on hundreds of titles ranging from studio content to micro-budget indies.

Grady Justice was born in San Fernando, Philippines and is a seasoned indie film producer, packager, and developer with 15 years of on set experience ranging from PA through Producer.