EXCLUSIVE: HeartRock Partners, the management and entertainment company set up by former Gersh head of alternative Alec Shankman, has made its first hires.
The company, which was established last month, has hired four people across its talent and brand representation business: Cole Childres, Olivia Zoratto, Morgan Schreiber and Caroline Welker.
Childres joins as a Talent and Brand Strategist from WME Group’s Talent Ventures, where he spent the last two and a half years. He will move from LA to Cleveland.
Zoratto was named Talent Strategist. She comes from Innovative Artists, where she spent the last seven years, most recently as a talent agent across unscripted and hosting. She is based in LA.
Schreiber has been appointed as a Brand Strategist. Based in the Cleveland office, she has worked across consumer product brands and has worked with the likes of BBDO New York and Wyse Advertising.
Finally, Welker has been hired as a Talent and Brand strategist. Based in LA, she previously worked with Shankman at Abrams/A3 and Gersh, where she left in December. She previously represented unscripted talent, digital creators, executive producers, directors and production companies.
HeartRock is primarily based in Cleveland with outposts in Los Angeles, New York and eventually Nashville.
Shankman said that HeartRock Partners will have three primary areas of focus: representing “entrepreneurial-minded” talent; representing and building consumer products brands (Shankman oversaw Gersh’s brand consulting business including clients such as mobile dating brand First Round’s On Me); and working with “storytellers and content owners to leverage new technology”. In terms of talent, HeartRock is a management company rather than an agency.
“I am beyond excited about Morgan, Caroline, Olivia and Cole joining the very quickly growing HeartRock family. These four individuals are all best-in-class professionals who embody the entrepreneurial spirit and forward-thinking vision that sets HeartRock apart,” said Shankman.
