Spirit of Windrider
CEO & CO-FOUNDER, WINDRIDER INSTITUTE
Entrepreneur and Peabody award-winning film producer, John has produced numerous web series, short form content and along with his brother Ed, is an executive producer of multiple award winning feature documentaries. He is a co-founder of the Windrider Institute, a non-profit established in 2004 as a vehicle to promote the presentation and exploration of the human narrative through film and interactive media. Founded on the belief that stories are truly the “storehouses” of culture and that visual media, our culture’s principal form of storytelling, is the most critical, value-defining medium of our age, Windrider Forums are renowned for their ability to utilize the medium of film to create conversations around the most important topics of our time.
CHAIRMAN & CO-FOUNDER, WINDRIDER INSTITUTE
A successful entrepreneur and Peabody award winning film producer, Ed is a leader in the launching and development of entrepreneurial companies and has founded numerous private and non-profit enterprises. Along with his brother John, he was instrumental in launching the Windrider Forum at the Sundance Film Festival. He is an executive producer of award-winning documentaries including Hilla Medalia’s After The Storm, Medalia’s Peabody Award winning To Die in Jerusalem, Heather Rae’s Showtime feature, Family: The First Circle, Laura Waters-Hinson’s As We Forgive and Dog Days, Doug Block’s critically acclaimed 51 Birch Street and Dani Menkin’s Academy shortlisted 39 Pounds of Love. Other films include Craig Detweiler and John Marks’ cult hit, Purple State of Mind and Michael Hoffman’s Out of the Blue. A lifelong entrepreneur, Ed has a degree in finance from the University of Colorado and resides in Boise, Idaho.
CO-FOUNDER, WINDRIDER FORUM
Filmmaker and author Craig Detweiler, Ph.D., is President of The Wedgwood Circle. He wrote the screenplays for The Duke, the comedic road trip, Extreme Days and directed the award-winning documentary Remand, narrated by Angela Bassett. His award-winning books include iGods: How Technology Shapes Our Spiritual and Social Lives (2013), Selfies: Searching for the Image of God in a Digital Age (2018), and his latest, Deep Focus: Film and Theology in Dialogue, co-authored with Robert K. Johnston and Kutter Callaway. Craig’s cultural commentary has been featured on ABC’s Nightline, CNN, NPR, and in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Detweiler served as a professor at Fuller Seminary, Biola University, and Pepperdine University. Variety honored Detweiler as their 2016 Mentor of the Year.
CO-FOUNDER, WINDRIDER FORUM
Will was one of the co-founders of the Windrider Film Forum (along with John and Ed Priddy and Dr. Craig Detweiler). In 2004, the four co-founders visited the Sundance Film Festival and launched the one-of-a-kind immersive educational experience that is offered in Park City, UT. Prior to Windrider, Will worked for almost 35 years as an entrepreneurial leader in graduate theological education. From 1995-2019, he served as the director of Fuller Theological Seminary’s regional campus in Colorado Springs. Prior to that he worked for the Young Life Training Department.ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, WINDRIDER FORUM
Peggy Rupple’s early work in television and digital media production has fueled her passion to invest in the next generation of filmmakers. She has pioneered a world-class film internship program resulting in student hires at every major studio in Hollywood. From a 9-year film school adjunct and co-director of a national media conference at CBS Studios for Biola University’s School of Cinema and Media Arts, to her current role as Associate Director of the Windrider Forum at the Sundance Film Festival, Peggy continues to produce experiential learning environments that help shape craft and character in the lives of media makers. In 2019, she spoke at 10+ university film programs across the country towards that goal. Peggy is an ordained minister, frequent speaker, and serves the mainstream entertainment community through her partnership with husband Dan, CEO of Mastermedia International. Married for 40+ years, Dan and Peggy’s love has grown to include three children, their spouses, and seven grandchildren.
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS
With over 8 years of experience in the non-profit and social enterprise space, Michael brings extensive organizational and operational management to the Windrider Institute. Alongside the Windrider Productions team, Michael has led the completion of over 200 short films for various clients as a producer and director since 2015. Michael is passionate about working closely with clients in discovering their story and collaborating with production crews to bring those stories to life on screen. Michael graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2010 with a degree in Managerial and Organizational Communications and currently resides in Boise, Idaho.
DIRECTOR OF THE WINDRIDER FORUM // SENIOR PRODUCER
Marina has been in the film industry since 2013. She began her career working in digital marketing and new media in Los Angeles, having the opportunity to work with clients such as Disney, Fandango, and Warner Home Video. Looking for a change of pace and a new creative challenge, Marina found Windrider. She has been with the organization four years now and is constantly amazed by the quality of work that is being produced at Windrider, counting herself lucky to be part of the team. Marina has worked in many capacities with Windrider, including as a producer, director, and editor. She graduated from Vanguard University of Southern California with a degree in Communication and an emphasis in Cinema Arts.
OUTREACH COORDINATOR, WINDRIDER FORUM
With a passion for bringing people together around compelling stories, Mary brings her talent and energy to Windrider outreach programs and the development of new partnerships. She is a member of the International Focolare Movement. As a freelance writer, Mary writes regularly for the award-winning international publication: Living City Magazine. She was co-director of Cinema/TV for NetOne, the International Communications Center of the Focolare Movement, whose headquarters is in Rome, Italy. Mary has collaborated for 12 years with Windrider, and Family Theatre Productions and has been active in bringing the winners of Angelus Film Festival (WISFF) for screenings of their films to Rome, Florence, Milan, and Prague. Mary is a graduate of Simmons College, Boston, Ma. in Social Sciences, with graduate studies accomplished in Florence, Italy in Sociology, Philosophy, and Theology.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER // ACCOUNT MANAGER
Ryann is a recent graduate from Harding University. She believes film is transformative and wants to be a part of telling honest stories. She aspires to partner with people who have similar passions and values to help make their creative ideas come to life.
PR & MARKETING COORDINATOR // ACCOUNT MANAGER
Karli is a creative who believes deeply in the power of story. She is passionate about cultivating community through social media. She is always looking for beauty in the mundane and she loves the empathy that film evokes. Karli aspires to pursue creativity at every turn, and she loves being a part of the Windrider team and collaborating with other talented communicators.
DIRECTOR, WINDRIDER BAY AREA
Terri has been on the leadership team of Windrider Forum, Bay Area since its inception. She’s passionate about the arts as a powerful and creative vehicle to engage the community in exploring our common humanity through a lens of hope and resiliency. She served on the board of the Menlo Park Atherton Education Foundation and the Parents of Menlo School Alumni and presently serves on the Music@Menlo Board. Previously, she worked for twenty years in wholesale banking and finance for Wells Fargo Bank, Chase Manhattan Bank and The Savant Investment Group. She has a BA in English from the University of the Pacific, an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management, and is a Certified and Licensed Financial Planner.
DIRECTOR, WINDRIDER PRODUCTIONS
Jonathan is a documentary director who believes story has the power to change the world. He has worked with Windrider for the past 7 years, in addition to working on several feature and short form documentaries, including The Dating Project, PRAY: The Story of Patrick Peyton, and Abstraction. Jonathan has traveled around the world sharing the stories of others in hopes to impact and inspire.
EDITOR, WINDRIDER PRODUCTIONS
Having studied Electronic Media Communications in his hometown of Syracuse NY, John exercises his abilities not only in the edit bay, but also in the field working with sound design. His favorite Windrider projects to date have been the short documentary “Abstraction: The Dianne Collard Story” and the video series “Grace Changes Everything” for Trueface, both for their demonstrations of humanity and God’s hand at work in the world. John loves being a part of Windrider for the collaborative atmosphere and the team’s dedication to world-class filmmaking.
CINEMATOGRAPHER & EDITOR, WINDRIDER PRODUCTIONS
Stephen is always striving to reach out of his comfort zone to grow and develop as a filmmaker and storyteller. Stephen is an extremely passionate and dedicated filmmaker with a love for cinematography. His goal is to tell stories that transform people’s lives in a powerful way.
PRODUCER, WINDRIDER PRODUCTIONS
Bethany has worked in Media since 2016, beginning her career in Journalism. Now, she brings her intensity and passion for storytelling to the world of Documentary Filmmaking. With every project, Bethany seeks to help others find their creative voice and utilize Film as a transformative medium.
ASSISTANT EDITOR, WINDRIDER PRODUCTIONS
Rachael is a recent graduate from Gordon College. She is passionate about storytelling and the power film has to inspire and create change. Among her many aspirations, she strives to grow in varying areas of filmmaking and find her voice as a storyteller while collaborating with others to create thought-provoking content.