Born and raised on the coast of California, T’Essence Minnitee knew from an early age that she wanted to be a storyteller. She understood the power of media and how it could either bridge or widen cultural gaps. After graduating Pepperdine University with a degree in International Studies and a minor in Film Studies, she decided to pursue Film/TV Development. She quickly realized the way to make the biggest impact was to not only be in the room where decisions were happening but to BE the person making the decisions.

Thus, her aspiration to become a Development Executive was born. Her first desk was at the production company, Secret Hideout, where she was introduced to the world of Star Trek. Though Minnitee always enjoyed the Sci Fi genre, having the opportunity to work on a beloved franchise and show with a Black female lead re sparked her love for the genre. She kept this in mind as she pursued her next Development desk at a small independent studio called Gunpowder and Sky, which not only focused on Sci Fi and Horror content but also had a mission of breaking underrepresented talent in front of and behind the camera.

Continuing her upward movement, Minnitee recently started as a Development & Current Programming Coordinator at OWN Network and is looking forward to creating premium content for Black women. Minnitee hopes to one day head a department as a Development Executive that focuses on multicultural stories and talent.