South Florida Tech HubSouth Florida Tech Hub

By Nikki Cabus

Nicole Oropesa named President of BrandStar Entertainment

Read Time 2 Minutes

BrandStar a solutions-driven, fully horizontally and vertically integrated production and strategic marketing company, has named Nicole Oropesa President of BrandStar Entertainment, its pioneering branded entertainment division.

BrandStar Entertainment is renowned for its award-winning television shows, offering companies of all sizes unparalleled opportunities to forge stronger connections with their audiences. Whether opting for our custom branded integrations on our national and local television shows, leveraging our digital services to deepen your connection with your audience, or partnering to build ‘something bigger’ together. Content is king at BrandStar Entertainment, no matter the platform.

Nicole Oropesa has been a driving force of BrandStar’s growth for the past 15 years and is an original producer of flagship show, The Balancing Act, which is the longest-running television show on Lifetime and hosted by Montel Williams.

“Nicole’s dedication, expertise, and journey with BrandStar exemplifies her exceptional leadership. Her vision and passion for the industry makes her an invaluable asset,” said Mark Alfieri, Founder & CEO of BrandStar.

“I’ve observed the leadership qualities she embodies through her previous role, along with a demonstrated track record of not only optimizing our shows’ potential but also dedicating herself to unlocking the full professional and personal capabilities of her team members. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

In her newly assumed position, she will leverage her extensive 25-year background in the branded entertainment industry to spearhead the division’s efforts in broadening BrandStar’s array of show properties. These properties encompass renowned programs such as Military Makeover with Montel, BELatina, Designing Spaces, Inside the Blueprint, and Access Health.

“As the newly appointed President of BrandStar Entertainment, I am deeply honored and enthusiastic about the journey ahead. With a dedicated team and exceptional show properties, I am committed to leading us to new heights of success,” adds Oropesa.

“Our focus will not only be on delivering outstanding programs, but also on nurturing the talents and potential of our team members. I look forward to the exciting collaborations and opportunities that lie ahead for our company.”

Prior to her new role, Oropesa was Executive Vice President of Programming with a focus on business development, company culture and marketing. One of the many impactful initiatives she has created is the company’s social responsibility and community engagement division, BrandStar Cares. Oropesa lives and breathes the culture of BrandStar which has an influence on the talented, high-performance, teams she builds.

To learn more about BrandStar, visit www.brandstar.com

By Nikki Cabus

BrandStar Studios takes home two prestigious awards at the 44th annual Telly Awards 2023

Read Time 4 Minutes

The Telly Awards has announced its 44th annual winners after a record-breaking year for entries. BrandStar Studios takes home not one, but two, awards this year!

The Telly Awards is the world’s largest honor for video and television across all screens. This year’s winners include some of the most prominent global brands and companies alongside smaller and independent production houses, including Cut+Run, Netflix, Disney Parks, Media.Monks, Paramount, National Geographic Society, and dynastic NBA team the Golden State Warriors.

Founded in 1979 to originally honor commercials made for cable and local TV, The Telly Awards has continually refreshed its categories to honor the evolving, broad range of work being made today – work that reflects the trends, issues, and topical matters of each year. This season, the Tellys unveiled categories to better recognize work across Pro Bono and CSR, video journalism, and those pushing boundaries across virtual production.

“The caliber of the work this season truly has reflected the theme of breaking out and standing out,” said The Telly Awards Executive Director Sabrina Dridje. “Our industry is experimenting with new technologies like never before, crafting truly compelling stories to draw attention to some of the world’s most pressing issues, and companies big and small are turning to more sustainable practices to break the cycle of past production processes.”

The Telly Awards’ 44th annual edition – “Break through the static” – boasted nearly 13,000 entries from across the globe, the most in a decade, with submissions flowing in from the US, Middle East, UK and Canada, as well as strong entries from Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and as widespread as Afghanistan, Sweden, New Zealand, Jamaica, and South Africa. 

BrandStar Entertainment and BrandStar Studios both shines bright with a double victory at the Telly Awards 2023 bringing home two bronze awards!

  • B2B Branded Content
    • Inside the Blueprint – Going Electric, Going Green: Forklifts for a Sustainable Planet
    • Senior Associate Producer, Robert Holodak, BrandStar
    • As the world’s largest supplier of forklifts and material handling equipment, Toyota Material Handling will help bring your company to the next level. For more than 50 years, this global market leader has successfully helped companies worldwide operate at their highest levels of efficiency and workloads.
  • Health & Safety Branded Content
    • Access Health – The Importance of Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease
    • Senior Producer/Writer, Amy Robinson, BrandStar
    • Join host Ereka Vetrini for an in-depth discussion on managing your brain health. Panelists will discuss the differences between healthy aging and Alzheimer’s, as well as reducing your risk of cognitive decline. Plus, we’ll also meet two very special advocates.

In the TV production business for close to 30 years, BrandStar’s founders made their mark through programs such as Access Health, Inside the Blueprint, The Balancing Act, Military Makeover, and Designing Spaces. Each show has a goal of helping people just be a little better at life.

Prominently displayed near the front entrance of BrandStar’s 43,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in Deerfield Beach, you will notice over 140 Telly Awards honoring the television and video production for multiple show airing on the Lifetime Television Network.

Along with the awards themselves, The Telly Awards continues to connect with its audience year round and provide a valuable platform for thought leadership and community. This season’s highlights included the expansion of The Telly Awards global screenings to include the production hub of Atlanta, and a packed panel with partner Green The Bid focused on sustainable production.

Meanwhile, season two of The Telly Awards Podcast made its triumphant return bringing together two leaders from the video and television community with similar expertise in different disciplines – including a candid conversation between Tribeca Enterprises and Alamo Drafthouse. The Telly Awards’ unfiltered, unrehearsed interview series “Hot Takes” also returned with industry experts on hot-button topics, with this year’s programming covering the impact of AI on the animation industry, how to stand out as a freelancer in a crowded market, and the critical work of partner We Are Parable in exhibiting Black Cinema.

The fan favorite, the “People’s Telly Awards”, which were chosen by the public, went to a diversified, solid roster of creative and production talent, from Netflix and MTV Entertainment Studios to Paramount Brand Studio and Sesame Workshop.

To learn more about BrandStar, visit https://brandstar.com/

Nicole Oropesa named President of BrandStar Entertainment
BrandStar Studios takes home two prestigious awards at the 44th annual Telly Awards 2023