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06Leadership

The peopleat the helm.

A flexible studio model, anchored by senior practitioners and backed by an extensive network of producers, strategists, trainers, and researchers — assembled brief by brief.

Kiran Maharaj
Founding Partner & Project Lead

Kiran Maharaj

25+ years across Caribbean media

A visionary media executive, strategist, and change-maker with more than 25 years of leadership across the Caribbean's media, entertainment, and business landscape.

Kiran brings a rare blend of editorial judgment, commercial acumen, event-production expertise, and film and television experience — positioning MIC Create as both a creative studio and a trusted development partner.

As Co-Founder and President of the Media Institute of the Caribbean, she has led initiatives serving 22 countries and convened regional dialogue on media viability, sustainability, and AI — work UNESCO has highlighted as a global case study for innovation in independent media. She is also Managing Director of Caribbean Lifestyle Communications, a network of three radio stations, a film and television production and distribution arm, and an events-management company, where she has driven sustained growth in a highly competitive market.

Her portfolio spans major regional events and productions — the Bollywood Music Awards and Bollywood Movie Awards in Trinidad and Tobago, the Plymouth Jazz Festival in Tobago, and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce's Champions of Business television series and gala. In film and television she has served as executive, line, and associate producer on projects including Secrets of the Shell, Caribbean's Next Top Model (Season 4), and the documentary Paradise in Peril, screened at the United Nations General Assembly and broadcast across the region.

As founding partner and project lead, she designs content, formats, and communication projects that are commercially sound, socially relevant, and globally credible — delivering measurable value to clients and the wider Caribbean region.

Governance & advocacy

  • Co-Founder & President, Media Institute of the Caribbean
  • Past lead, T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce
  • Past lead, T&T Publishers & Broadcasters Association

Education

  • MBA & BA, Literature and Political Science
  • Advanced marketing credentials
  • Executive education — Oxford, Harvard Business School, NYU
Brian Schmidt
Founding Partner & Project Lead

Brian Schmidt

30+ years in media & marketing

A veteran Caribbean media and marketing executive with more than three decades building influential brands, media platforms, and partnerships across the region.

Brian has led business growth, market positioning, and content innovation for several of Jamaica's most successful radio stations — including IRIE FM and Zip 103 FM — where he conceptualised formats, drove audience leadership, and shaped distinctive on-air identities.

He began his career in the advertising-agency world, managing major client accounts and in-house advertising operations, honing his skills in strategy, creative development, production, and budget management across sectors from retail to finance. His portfolio spans campaigns and content for film and television within an integrated practice that includes scriptwriting, campaign conceptualisation, and multi-platform storytelling.

He brings a strong research and policy lens to the work, having co-led UNESCO's Media Viability Indicators research study for Jamaica — a global pilot examining the resilience and sustainability of the Jamaican media sector. He was co-lead researcher, editor, and lead author of the 2025 UNDP-commissioned report A Media Analysis of the Coverage of Youth Involvement in Crime in the Caribbean, offering evidence-based insights for more responsible reporting on youth and crime.

His leadership in sector bodies such as the Media Association Jamaica and the Jamaica Debates Commission reflects his ability to navigate policy, regulation, and stakeholder engagement in complex media environments.

Research & sector leadership

  • Co-lead, UNESCO Media Viability Indicators (Jamaica)
  • Lead author, 2025 UNDP media-and-youth-crime report
  • Leadership roles, Media Association Jamaica & Jamaica Debates Commission

Education

  • MSc, Human Resource Management — Nova Southeastern University
  • BA (Hons), Mass Communication & Social Sciences (Television) — UWI
Let's make something that moves

Work withthe team.

Senior practitioners, on every brief. Let's talk about yours.