Jesse Uram has joined Ventureland, the creative studio behind “Bobi Wine: The People’s President” and “Beckham,” as vice president of strategic partnerships. He will be based in the company’s Los Angeles office, where he will work closely with CEO Kerstin Emhoff and managing director John Battsek on expanding the company’s relationships with partners across the financial, creative and distribution communities.
“Jesse has a wealth of knowledge, experience, and a strong reputation in this industry,” Emhoff said in a statement. “As Ventureland continues to grow exponentially, our ability to bring in the best partners and develop strong relationships across all entertainment platforms will support that growth. We are excited to have Jesse join this award-winning team!”
Battsek added: “We’re delighted to welcome Jesse to Ventureland. His experience in brand strategy is invaluable and I look forward to working with him on our growing documentary slate.”
Uram comes to Ventureland after five years at Westbrook Inc., the entertainment venture company founded by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. There, he served as vice president of business development before being promoted to senior vice president of growth in 2021. In this role, Uram played a pivotal part in Westbrook’s expansion into new areas such as documentaries, video games and audio, while also spearheading strategic multi-year partnerships with organizations including AEG, Tencent, Amazon and P&G. Notably, Uram facilitated the expansion of Westbrook’s relationship with Meta and played a key role in closing a three-year “Red Table Talk” deal with Facebook, which led to the creation of a companion podcast with iHeartMedia, as well as the inclusion of VR originals.
Ventureland was founded by Battsek, the Oscar-winning producer of “Searching for Sugar Man,” and Emhoff, Ali Brown and Paul Hunter. Its films have won Emmys and BAFTA Awards, as well as Oscar nominations. Among the company’s credits are “Wham!,” “The Rescue” and “The Deepest Breath.”
“The incredible leadership and creativity of Kerstin Emhoff, Ali Brown and Paul Hunter, mixed with the unparalleled track record of John Battsek, have already delivered culture defining results across nearly every facet of entertainment and advertising,” Uram said. “We’re building a home for the best creatives and I’m thrilled to be joining the team as we plot expansion across brand partnerships, scripted and more.”
Prior to Westbrook, Uram worked at CAA, where he served as an executive on the global client strategy team for nearly a decade. During this time, he played a pivotal role in establishing partnerships and strategies for a diverse array of clients, including Scooter Braun, Bad Robot, Daft Punk, Zillow, IMAX, Mayo Clinic and Mattel. Uram also worked with CAA’s digital teams, overseeing the packaging of original series for emerging platforms, representing digital-first creators, and supporting some of the first VR projects with talent such as Doug Liman.
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