VIVEK
J. TIWARY
President & CEO
As founder/CEO of Tiwary Entertainment Group and StarPolish, Vivek J. Tiwary is involved in production, management, marketing, and investment in film, theater, music, and television. Vivek is also an accomplished writer and director of music videos, short films, and commercials, as well as a record producer of musicians in all genres. Vivek is the writer and director of "The Fifth Beatle" (http://www.fifthbeatlemovie.com), a feature film currently in development and based on the life of Beatles' manager Brian Epstein. He is also a producer on "Down & Dirty Pictures," a narrative feature film adaptation of Peter Biskind's bestselling Hollywood expose. Vivek is currently lead producing a theatrical collaboration between avant-garde theatre collective The Wooster Group (founded by Willem Dafoe, Spalding Gray, and others) and electropop/performance artists Fischerspooner. He was a lead producer of the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of ?A Raisin In The Sun,? starring Sean Combs, and he is a Limited Partner in Mel Brooks' Tony Award-winning Broadway musical and touring show "The Producers" and Mel Brooks' new Broadway musical "Young Frankenstein." Vivek also serves as CEO of multi-faceted music company StarPolish, whose divisions include StarPolish Presents (a booking agency and event production company), Marketing, Music Production, and Online Education/Empowerment. Finally, Vivek has been a consultant for numerous arts, entertainment, and new media properties; current projects include Counts Media, a company that Vivek helped found which develops Immersive Entertainment Experiences. Prior to founding TEG and StarPolish, Vivek held a number of major label music-industry positions, including launching and running the Alternative Marketing Department at Mercury/PolyGram Records, and managing Video Promotion for Mercury/PolyGram, where he worked closely with MTV and VH1. Vivek has worked with artists covering the entire musical spectrum including Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain, Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam, Kiss, LL Cool J, John Mellencamp, Allen Ginsberg, Oasis, Hanson, and The Mighty Mighty BossTones to name but a few. Among many charitable pursuits, Vivek is the Co-Founder of Musicians On Call, a nonprofit organization that uses music and entertainment to complement the healing process. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of both the Wharton School of Business and the University of Pennsylvania's College of Arts and Sciences. Vivek holds a filmmaking certificate from The New York Film Academy and is an acting student of Susan Batson/Black Nexxus Acting Studio.
GARY
L. KAPLAN
Executive VP & General Counsel
Gary Kaplan is the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Tiwary Entertainment Group, a multi-faceted arts and entertainment venture involved in production, consultation, and investment, and StarPolish, a company dedicated to educating, empowering, and developing musical artists. At TEG, Gary is a Producer of the Brian Epstein biopic feature “The Fifth Beatle, and an Executive Producer of the high-profile independent film “Down & Dirty Pictures,” based on the bestselling Hollywood exposé. Gary is a producer of a new theatrical show/event by music and performance artists Fischerspooner, that will feature artistic collaboration and contribution from avant-garde theatre collective The Wooster Group. Gary was also a producer of the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of “A Raisin In The Sun,” starring Sean Combs, and is Limited Partner in Mel Brooks’ Tony Award-winning Broadway musical and touring show "The Producers," and current hit show "Young Frankenstein." Gary also manages a portfolio of synergistic entertainment investments for TEG. At StarPolish, Gary oversees operations of the company’s many divisions, including College Booking, Middle Agent Services, Marketing, Live Events, Music Production, and Online Education/Empowerment. Prior to joining both companies in January 2000, Gary spent three years at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, one of the world's preeminent law firms. Gary was a member of Skadden's Intellectual Property Department, focusing on patent litigation and working on copyright, trademark, trade secret, and new media law matters. Gary received a B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science and graduated Cum Laude from the Fordham School of Law.
Jonathan Leeder
Development/Production
Jonathan Leeder has been with Tiwary Entertainment Group and StarPolish since January of 2007. At StarPolish, Jonathan is an editor and contributing writer of interviews and features with musicians and industry professionals. At Tiwary Entertainment Group, Jonathan is constantly searching for and evaluating potential new projects for the company slate. Prior to joining both companies, Jonathan worked for a handful of film companies in Los Angeles. He began at Silver Pictures on the Warner Brothers Studios lot during "The Matrix" trilogy. He was a casting associate to Mali Finn, working on director Gus Van Sant's "Last Days" and "Elephant," "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" starring Sean Penn, director David Gordon Green's "Undertow," director Walter Salles' "Dark Water," and Warner Independent's first feature film "Around The Bend." Leaving casting behind to pursue a career in development, Leeder joined management/production company Evolution Entertainment and Twisted Pictures, working under producer Greg Hoffman on the "Saw" horror franchise. As Director of Development at start-up Remag Guerilla Films, Jonathan co-produced the documentary "Prison Ball" which focused on basketball playing inmates serving life sentences in the Louisiana State Penitentiary system. He also assisted the producers on Jason Reitman's feature debut "Thank You For Smoking." Jonathan holds a bachelors degree in the College of Arts and Sciences from the University of Vermont, where he majored in Film Studies under renowned historian Dr. Frank Manchel.
