Duluth, Minnesota, Nov 22, 2021 – The Catalyst Story Institute is excited to announce Anna Tanski (former CEO of Visit Duluth) as its new Head of Festivals & Events. Tanski will oversee the growth and execution of the annual Catalyst Content Festival in Duluth, which is the Institute’s pinnacle event of the year.
“The TV & film production arts industry spends $49billion-a-year producing the stories and content we all consume," says Philip Gilpin, Jr, CEO/Executive Director of Catalyst. "One of Catalyst’s main goals is to accelerate the growth of Duluth's production sector by connecting the global television industry with our local creative economy, and having Anna join our team in this leadership role accelerates that process. She is a well-known and trusted voice in our local community who can bring together the business, creative, and political sectors of our region to achieve Catalyst’s economic development and workforce development goals.”
“I’m thrilled to join this dynamic team of TV and film production visionaries,” said Tanski. “Our region’s emerging reputation as an ideal production location and the potential for significant economic and workforce growth made this opportunity tremendously appealing to me. I’m eager to roll up my sleeves and get started in the New Year.”
Tanski will report directly to CEO/Executive Director Philip Gilpin, Jr who will continue to oversee both the institute and the festival.
About Catalyst
Catalyst is a Duluth-based non-profit that discovers episodic storytelling artists, develops their creative skills, showcases their story ideas to the world, and advances their careers within the television industry. The institute’s year-round operations include seminars, workshops, networking events, and mentorship opportunities in partnership with organizations such as the National Academy of TV Arts & Sciences (aka, the Emmy Awards), the Korea Foundation, and UMD. While Catalyst maintains Duluth as its international hub, its other locations include Los Angeles, New York, and Savannah, GA, as well as an international presence in South Korea, Algeria, Nigeria, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico and Europe. By attracting the TV & film industry to Duluth, Catalyst puts the Northland on the map as a destination for future productions that can grow the local economy.