Ri-Karlo Handy
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Sunwise Media and Senior Vice President, Unscripted, Blink49 Studios
The Handy Foundation
Ri-Karlo Handy is a trailblazing entertainment executive with over 25 years of experience in editing, producing, and showrunning. He serves as Senior Vice President of Unscripted at Blink 49 and is the Founder and CEO of the Handy Foundation, championing content innovation and advancing underrepresented talent in Hollywood.
Ri-Karlo’s career spans collaborations with major networks such as MTV, OWN, BET, and STARZ. His accolades include a Daytime Emmy nomination for Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward, a PRISM Award, and an NAACP Image Award nomination. At Blink 49, he oversees creative development for unscripted hits like The Braxtons and Toya & Reginae. Previously, as VP of Original Programming at Bounce TV, he spearheaded the hit series Saints & Sinners, now streaming on Hulu.
As an independent producer, Ri-Karlo founded Sunwise Media, producing acclaimed projects like Hope Village and OWN Presents: Rebuilding Black Wall Street. Through the Handy Foundation, he has established groundbreaking partnerships with Netflix, Lionsgate, AMC, and others, training underrepresented talent and creating pathways for inclusion in over 115 productions.
His innovative leadership during the pandemic led to the creation of The Post House Collective, a virtual post-production facility supporting remote workflows. Recent honors include the Walter Kaitz Foundation Change Maker Award and the NATPE Honors "Cause + Action Award," which he will receive at the NATPE Honors Gala on February 5, 2025, in Miami.
Affiliated with Local 700, NATAS, PGA, and the Entertainment Equity Alliance, Ri-Karlo continues to drive industry transformation, fostering inclusion and sustainable growth in entertainment.
Speaking on: NATPE Honors VIP Award Gala