Evergrain

What Evergrain does

Evergrain Studios is an independent film and video production company founded in 2016 by Shaina Allen (Director, Director of Photography) and Mike Esposito (Director, Producer, Cinematographer), headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia with Mike Esposito based in San Francisco. The company produces documentary films, documentary series, branded short films, and commercial video content, with a thematic focus on adaptive sports, disability representation, mental wellness, and athletic achievement. Its core products include the award-winning 76-minute feature documentary The Rebound (about the Miami Heat Wheels wheelchair basketball team), the hybrid documentary Forged in the Fire about six-time Paralympic medalist Alana Nichols, the limited documentary series Moving Minds exploring mental skills training with NBA player Aaron Gordon and coach Graham Betchart, the short documentary PARA featuring Rose Hollermann, and the in-development Ézé short film about photojournalist Ézé Amos.

The company's filmmaking technology centers on cinema verite documentary production, a hybrid documentary format that combines live footage with archival material and 2D animation, and a partnership with Skywalker Sound for premium immersive audio post-production on Moving Minds. Underlying distribution and revenue mechanics span four streams: (1) documentary licensing and distribution through historical Netflix streaming, Delta Airlines in-flight entertainment, Vimeo OnDemand direct-to-consumer ($2.99 rent, $9.99 purchase), and FilmHUB multi-platform redistribution; (2) educational licensing to K-12 schools, colleges, and public libraries at tiered pricing of $175-$500 plus digital site licenses; (3) branded content production services for clients including PER4MAX Wheelchairs (multi-year), Toyota, and Heroic Voice Academy; and (4) branded merchandise (apparel at $25-$30) and physical media (DVD/Blu-ray at $20) through the Evergrain Shop. The company also runs crowdfunding campaigns with contributor tiers from $25 to $200,000 for early-stage project funding, and a Field Notes email newsletter for community engagement.

Customer segments include educational institutions (K-12 schools, colleges, universities, public libraries seeking diversity and inclusion programming), values-aligned brands focused on adaptive sports and inclusion, film festivals and distributors, and sports organizations and professional athletes. Distribution spans self-hosted e-commerce on evergrain.co, Vimeo OnDemand, historical Netflix, Delta in-flight, direct educational sales, and FilmHUB for multi-platform reach. The company operates with a very small core team (two founders plus collaborators and advisors) and has achieved 150+ community and educational screenings, 25+ film festival screenings, and academic use at James Madison University and through the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In 2020 the company regained distribution rights from a prior distributor whose royalty arrangement ended, shifting to an independent direct-to-consumer distribution model.

Name

Evergrain

Legal name

Evergrain Studios

Website

https://evergrain.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Evergrain Studios is an independent documentary and branded-content production company serving values-aligned brands, educational institutions, and sports organizations. Founded by Shaina Allen and Mike Esposito, it produces award-winning documentaries on adaptive sports and mental wellness, distributed via streaming, educational licensing, and branded partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Training, Safety & Compliance Video (MPADAEAM), Stop-Motion & Hybrid Animation (MPAHACAM)

Keywords

• Documentary film production
• Branded video content
• Independent film studio
• Video production services
• Educational film licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlottesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Documentary Licensing & Distribution: Revenue from streaming rights (Netflix, Vimeo OnDemand), airline distribution (Delta), and educational licensing. Film available for rent/purchase on Vimeo.
2. Branded Content Production: Production fees for branded short films, sponsored content, music videos, and promotional videos for brands such as PER4MAX, Toyota, and others.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, apparel, and DVD/Blu-ray copies of documentaries through the Evergrain Shop.
4. Crowdfunding & Early Support: Pre-sale funding for documentary projects through crowdfunding campaigns, with tiered supporter levels from $25 to $200,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Evergrain Studios is an independent film and video production company that creates award-winning documentaries, branded short films, and video content for film, TV, and digital channels. The company produces feature documentaries, short documentaries, and a documentary series focused on adaptive sports, disability representation, and mental skills training, complemented by educational screening licensing, branded content production services for corporate clients, branded merchandise sales, and direct-to-consumer streaming via Vimeo OnDemand.

Product overview

Evergrain Studios is an independent film and video production company offering a portfolio of documentary films, branded content, and freelance production services. The core product portfolio includes award-winning feature documentaries (The Rebound, Forged in the Fire), documentary series (Moving Minds), and short documentaries (PARA, Ézé). Supporting offerings include educational licensing packages for institutional screenings, physical media (DVD/Blu-ray), branded merchandise (apparel featuring documentary branding), streaming distribution via Vimeo OnDemand and FilmHUB, and a community newsletter (Field Notes). The company also provides commercial services including branded content production, recruitment videos, conference production, and music videos for brands and organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Rebound 76-minute award-winning feature documentary about the Miami Heat Wheels wheelchair basketball team pursuing their first national championship. The film has streamed on Netflix, played on Delta Airlines in-flight entertainment, and screened at 150+ community and educational venues worldwide.
• Moving Minds Limited documentary series exploring mental skills training, guided by mental performance coach Graham Betchart with featured athletes like Aaron Gordon. Production 80% complete with 130+ hours of footage logged.
• Forged in the Fire 90-minute hybrid documentary feature film in post-production about six-time Paralympic medalist Alana Nichols becoming a mother. Combines cinema verite footage with archival material and 2D animation.
• PARA featuring Rose Hollermann Short documentary following three-time Paralympian Rose Hollermann's journey through wheelchair basketball career and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic ambitions. Featured in NBC Tokyo 2020 Paralympics broadcast.
• Ézé Documentary short film about photojournalist Ézé Amos capturing a decade of work in Charlottesville, Virginia. Currently in fundraising stage with contributor perks ranging from $25 to $200,000.
• Branded Content Production Production services for branded short films, sponsored content, music videos, promotional videos, and recruitment videos for brands and organizations. Clients include PER4MAX Wheelchairs (multi-year partnership), Toyota, Heroic Voice Academy, Under30Experiences, and Flydog Yoga.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ community and educational screenings worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• FilmHUBcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Current distribution partner helping redistribute The Rebound across major platforms including Amazon, iTunes, and other streaming services.
• Skywalker SoundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021World class audio production partnership for original sonic experience in Moving Minds documentary series, providing professional audio post-production.
• NetflixflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Netflix acquired streaming rights for The Rebound documentary, premiering to millions of subscribers. This was a major distribution milestone for the independent documentary.
• Delta AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Delta Airlines includes The Rebound in their in-flight entertainment system, expanding reach to airline passengers.
• VimeocoreTechnology or IntegrationVimeo OnDemand platform for direct-to-consumer streaming sales and rentals of The Rebound documentary.
• Aaron GordonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBA athlete featured as talent in Moving Minds documentary series and credited as Executive Producer. Represents the intersection of professional sports and mental wellness content.
• Graham BetchartflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental skills coach and Executive Producer for Moving Minds. Author of Play Present mental skills training program. Has worked with NBA athletes including Aaron Gordon, Ben Simmons, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Andrew Wiggins.
• Alana NicholscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix-time Paralympic medalist and co-writer for Forged in the Fire documentary. Featured talent and creative collaborator.
• Per4max WheelchairscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-year branded content partnership. Sponsored Jeremie's 'Just Because' music video and The Wolfpack documentary short film.
• NBC SportscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPARA documentary feature was broadcast during NBC Tokyo 2020 Paralympics live coverage, reaching audiences through NBC Olympics website and YouTube channels.
• U.S. Department of StateflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Rebound documentary was piloted by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for international programming.
• James Madison UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAcademic research partnership using The Rebound documentary in university curriculum and research studies.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kartemquin Films: Independent Chicago-based documentary production studio producing award-winning non-fiction films with social impact themes. Highly comparable to Evergrain as a similarly-sized indie documentary studio focused on character-driven storytelling for educational and impact distribution.
• Roadside Attractions: Independent film distribution and production company focused on specialty theatrical and digital releases of distinctive films. Comparable as an indie distributor/producer counterpart that Evergrain could partner with or be benchmarked against for non-fiction releases.
• FilmRise: Independent film and television distribution company that acquires and distributes documentaries across streaming, AVOD, and FAST channels. Comparable as a documentary-focused distributor that Evergrain could partner with for streaming distribution of its catalog.

Broad incumbents

• Participant Media: Larger impact-driven media company producing documentary and narrative films designed to drive social change. Operates in the same documentary-and-impact-content space as Evergrain but at much greater scale, with broader distribution and capital resources.
• ESPN Films (30 for 30): Established documentary series focused on sports storytelling, including the 30 for 30 franchise covering athlete profiles and untold sports stories. Comparable as a sports-themed documentary producer with premium athlete access and broadcast-scale distribution.
• A24: Independent film and television production company known for distinctive, character-driven films with premium creative positioning. Comparable in operating model (indie filmmaker-led, prestige-focused content) but with substantially larger slate, capital, and theatrical reach.
• NEON: Independent film production and distribution company specializing in distinctive, often documentary-leaning films with festival credibility. Comparable as an indie film entity balancing owned production with third-party distribution, though at much larger scale than Evergrain.
• Hello Sunshine: Media company producing documentary, scripted, and branded content centered on storytelling with purpose and underrepresented voices. Comparable as a values-aligned branded-storytelling producer with both content production and consumer products, though operating at much larger scale.

Peers

• Vice Media: Global media company historically known for documentary-style storytelling, branded content, and coverage of underreported communities and subcultures. Comparable in branded-video production services and documentary aesthetic, though at vastly larger scale and now a much broader multi-platform media business.

Others

• Ozy Media: Media company focused on documentary-style video journalism and storytelling around diverse subjects and underrepresented communities. Adjacent comparator for documentary aesthetics and audience overlap, though business model and operational status differ.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGfSgyMgDA7fvLA29pSjUoA?sub_confirmation=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/reboundthefilm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/evergrainco
• Instagraminstagram.com/evergrainco
• Xx.com/reboundthefilm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Evergrain