The MEME Team
NICK C. GOINS JR
Executive Director & Founder
In addition to overseeing conception, planning, and execution of MEME programming, Nick is the president of Makeshift Film Group, owner of MMH, Ronin Computer Services, and founder of NOCOVA - a professional networking group for visual artists.
After creating his first feature at the age of 16, Nick has worked in various capacities in the industry, and often while also in leadership positions in the restaurant and professional consulting industries, ever since then.
He is an avid film nut, critic, writer, director, producer, graphic artist, chef, gourmet, and occasional gourmand.
AMBER MACPHERSON
Board Chair
Amber, our board president and admin, is also the VP of Makeshift Film Group.
She dove into the world of film and television while being a lab technician and lab manager in academic bioscience and the biopharma industry, and during a lateral move to data science.
Amber is also a screenwriter and has past experience volunteering with multiple nonprofits.
MATTHEW FORCELLA
Board member
Matt is a screenwriter, novelist, D&D Dungeonmaster, brewer, and creator of ONE DIE SHORT webcomic and webseries.
Matt lends his considerable creative talent, focus, grantwriting skills, and ideas to making sure the MEME mission is as effective as possible.
ADAM SMESTAD
Board member
Adam Smestad is the founder of production company Smoose Entertainment, a Writer, Director, and Producer.
After taking screenwriting classes at the famous Second City in Chicago, Adam found a talent for writing screenplays. He co-created two web series, "Chicago HR" and "The Quarantine Files", where he developed a love and skill for filmmaking. He has written, produced, and directed two short films, the award winning short "6 Months in 2063" and the audience favorite "Stairs".
In addition to pursuing a career in film, Adam serves as a successful commercial and personal injury litigator.
In his spare time, he enjoys playing guitar, hiking, the Cubs, the Hawkeyes, the Packers, and spending time with friends and family.
ANTONIO COLON
Board member
When Antonio Colon isn't striving to better than Steven Spielberg and hunkier than Chris Hemsworth, he is an actor, writer, and independent filmmaker with a background in game & interactive media and digital marketing.
Whether Antonio is working in front of the camera, behind the camera, or in pre-production, he strives to make everyone laugh, smile, and feel valued for their contribution towards creating great art.
Antonio brings a professional creative and technical skill set to the MEME organization.
In his free time, Antonio enjoys reading, playing his library of board games with friends, crafting D&D adventures, as well as watching and critiquing an obscene amount of television shows and films.