WE DON'T JUST EXECUTE, WE ELEVATE
We’re highly selective, producing a limited number of shows each year. This allows our leadership team to be deeply involved in every project, from concept to execution. We bring order to the chaos, fluent in five languages: leadership, collaboration, creative, production, and technical.
Leah Harper-Lane
Principal & Executive Producer
Leah is an Emmy award-winning producer with over twenty years of experience in award show, concert, unscripted, and multi-cam production.
A career in entertainment began early, starting with a Neville Brothers tour in high school, and working up to the Summer Olympics with NBC as a senior in college. Leah loved watching the pieces of a show come together, only to be topped by her love for the roar of a crowd. This kicked off a fan-first obsession she still carries, and why she will always measure success by how audiences connect with a live experience.
Leah continued her career as a Line Producer and EIC on high-profile productions, such as Super Bowl, Academy Awards, Showtime’s Inside the NFL, the NMAAHC Dedication Ceremony with President Obama, along with numerous MTV and VH1 tentpole events. A growing reputation for problem-solving and leadership made her one of the most sought-after EICs in live televised events. In 2015, she founded the production company Strong Brew, where she and her teams deliver complex live events for market leaders, such as Airbnb, Google, CBS Sports, MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Complex, and YouTube.
And, as a black woman working in production for decades, Leah is very familiar with the challenges facing her communities, and seeks to address systemic issues within the talent pipeline. Previously, she ran a non-profit, ColorsBar Network, a professional group for all people of color working in media, entertainment, and communication. Strong Brew now participates in Pledge 1% to open more doors for Women and BIPOC production professionals.
Matt Salerno
Head of Production & Live Experiences
With over 20 years of experience in live television, event production, and experiential marketing, Matt Salerno has built a career delivering some of the industry’s most high-profile and complex productions. His expertise spans tentpole events, fan activations, large-scale broadcast productions, and immersive live experiences for globally recognized brands, networks, and sports organizations.
Previously, Matt served as Director of Production at Viacom in New York and Vice President of Production at Joe Lewis Company in Los Angeles, where he worked closely with clients to develop and execute comprehensive event marketing strategies. His portfolio includes some of the world’s largest entertainment, sports, and cultural events, making him an ideal leader for productions of Olympic scale.
Matt’s career spans a diverse range of live broadcasts, large-scale events, and fan experiences, including: Super Bowl Halftime Show, FIFA Women’s World Cup, MTV Video Music Awards, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, NFL Pro Bowl Fan Fest & Super Bowl Fan Events, PAC-12 Championship Pre-Game & Halftime Shows, NCAA Final Four Fan Fest, CBS Sports Super Bowl City Fan Engagement Events, BET Awards, Red Bull Rampage & New Frontier World Record Jump and Live By Request.
He has also produced fan experiences, live broadcasts, and corporate events for Google, OpenAI, Wyndham and ESPN, among others. A deep understanding of live productions, global-scale logistics, and brand-driven experiential storytelling makes him a trusted leader in the industry. His work is driven by a passion for creating unforgettable moments that engage audiences worldwide.
James Lane
Strategy & Operations
James brings to Strong Brew almost thirty years of experience in marketing, design, branding, and customer experience. He is an award-winning strategist and has been named a CX Top 100 thought leader. His work spans several industries, from travel, auto, and financial services, to entertainment, technology, and consumer goods.
A passion for design and technology began in high school, building websites for local businesses. This led James to The School of Visual Arts in New York City, where only halfway through the program, he was overseeing direct response campaigns for US Airways, Buick, and Microsoft Xbox at one of the world's top marketing firms. After graduation, he took on studio operations for a boutique marketing firm, restructuring the function into a profit center, while servicing storied brands such as Johnnie Walker and Virgin Atlantic. James then joined Showtime Networks, just as hit shows like Dexter, Weeds, and The L Word sparked rapid growth, which James managed by automating and streamlining key production design processes.
A systems perspective, operational savvy, and an instinct for problem-solving led James to San Francisco in pursuit of an MBA in Design Strategy. After driving unprecedented results in digital marketing performance at AAA, James now consults independently and provides Strong Brew with a strategic design perspective. This ensures each production delivers a meaningful audience experience, while also being aligned with a client's larger business objectives.
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