Rod Piza
Rod is an award-winning creative and executive with over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, spanning distribution, financing, development, IP acquisition, and the management of TV networks and production companies. Through his work in media distribution, television programming, and original productions, he has helped shape audiences across multiple international markets.
His executive work has included the international licensing of established brands such as Strawberry Shortcake, Babar the Elephant, and Thomas & Friends. He also helped popularize Japanese anime and prime-time animation, including South Park, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akira, and Ghost in the Shell, in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal during his management and creative direction of The Locomotion Channel.
His creative work as a producer, director, and writer spans feature films, series creator, short films, network branding, music videos, and AI-driven media, earning multiple awards and international recognition throughout his career. As an early adopter of AI in art and creative media, his works have screened at international film festivals and been exhibited in art galleries internationally.
At Carnegie Mellon University, he is Professor of the Practice and the Founder/Director of the AI Film Lab, where, together with students, he develops and experiments with AI-driven creative workflows and storytelling authorship practices that anticipate the rapidly evolving trends shaping the future of visual media.
He’s previously served as:
CEO of Digital TV Group
Senior Vice President of Sales at Cookie Jar Entertainment.
Vice-President of Broadcast and Live Events of US Hispanic and Latin America at HIT Entertainment.
General Manager & Creative Director of The Locomotion Channel a partnership between Hearst Entertainment, Cisneros Television Group and Corus Entertainment.
He began his career at the Canadian animation studio Nelvana Limited where he served as Director of its London subsidiary, Nelvana Enterprises UK.
His photographic works have been exhibited in London, Rome and New York, has directed numerous branding and promo campaigns, a music video, 16mm short and a feature film. Co- Created the series “El Nuevo” winner of CNTV in Chile.
His relations extend to successful negotiations with media, advertisers, studios, co-producers, publishers and retailers such as Disney, HBO, Amazon Prime Video, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, MTV Networks, Netflix, Claro Video, Paramount Pictures, Comedy Central, Discovery Networks, Televisa , Canal Once, Azteca, TVN, Megavision, America TV from Peru, Albavision, BBC Kids, TV Ontario, Teletoon, CBC Radio Canada, Telequebec, Videotron, Spanish Television TVE, RAI, Qubit, Bandai, TV Tokyo, Tokyo Broadcasting System, Kodansha, Production IG, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Diageo, Red Bull, Samsung, LG, Sears and Walmart among others.