The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) has named its Showrunners Incubator class of 2025.
The #TakeTheLead diversity initiative is back for a second year. “Nancy Swift’s” executive producer and showrunner Melinda Hsu is acting as chair of the program. The incubator provides writers who are on the brink of showrunning with exclusive mentorship and real-world training and education.
“According to the WGA’s latest job statistics, there were over 1,300 TV writing jobs lost last season—nearly half of them at the co-executive producer to showrunner level,” said Rhian Moore, CAPE’s head of programs. “This sharp decline means even fewer opportunities for writers to gain the leadership experience they need, both in the writers’ room and on set. With alumni from our inaugural year already finding success as they step into showrunning roles, CAPE is excited to continue our work training the next generation of creative leaders.”
Kathryn Busby, President, original orogramming at Starz said, “We are proud to once again partner with CAPE for the Showrunner Incubator, a vital pipeline to elevate emerging voices and connect them with experienced TV executives and producers,.” Busby added, “This program offers established writers the guidance and access they need to advance their careers while giving Starz the opportunity to continue championing inclusive storytelling. We are excited to support this new cohort as they step into the next phase of their development.”
The 2025 class consists of experienced drama, comedy, and animation writers with imminent shows in development. The cohort is as follows:
Christina Strain was born and raised on an Army base in Seoul, South Korea and then moved to the U.S. at 18 to attend Louisiana State University. Graduating with a degree in graphic design, she started coloring for Marvel comics on titles like “Runaways”, “Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane”, “Thor”, and “World War Hulk”. After 10 years of coloring, she started her writing journey by creating the Shuster Award-winning webcomic “The Fox Sister”. Since then she’s attended the American Film Institute as a screenwriting fellow.
Eric Lu is a writer and producer, currently writing on “High Potential.” Previously, Lu wrote five seasons on “The Resident;” developed shows with CBS, Netflix, Janet Yang, 20K, and Wilmer Valderrama Entertainment; directed socially impactful documentary films; and co-created a popular Youtube channel that has garnered over a billion views. Lu was most recently a member of the inaugural cohort at Rideback Rise, where he wrote a sci-fi feature set in Taipei.
Freddie Gutierrez is a Chamorro storyteller who brings Pacific Island flavor to Hollywood, having written for the likes of Eddie Murphy, Kevin Hart, Snoop Dogg, and Method Man. From Guam to major networks—Nickelodeon, Disney, Cartoon Network—he’s written on “Liv and Maddie,” “Sonic Boom” and “That Girl Lay Lay.” He’s currently developing a Darryl “DMC” McDaniels bio-series and an animated fantasy hip-hop adventure that promises to break new ground.
Hillary Benefiel is originally from San Antonio, TX. Growing up as an Air Force brat, she spent most of her time doing cool social things like building computers and playing video games. Her credits include “Person of Interest” and “The Magicians.” Benefiel most recently was co-executive producer on Netflix’s “You.”
Kathryn Lyn is a two-time Hugo-nominated Filipino American writer from rural Michigan, often focusing on stories with diverse working-class characters finding their way. Lyn most recently served as co-executive poducer of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” for Paramount+ and co-executive producer of “The Bondsman” for Blumhouse/Amazon, along with series and pilots for Netflix, CBS, Freeform, A+E Studios, and Paramount Studios.
Melissa Rundle is a Canadian American screenwriter of mixed heritage based in LA. She is currently an executive producer on an upcoming pilot with Dimension Studios and Two Chairs Productions. She has also served as a co-producer on the CW’s “Kung Fu” and as an interactive writer for WB’s Advanced Narrative and Neurotechnology Department. She has an MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and a BA in Film Production and Women’s Studies from UBC.
Vidhya Iyer is a writer and director based in LA. She is currently developing a TV show with Oops Doughnuts starring Tara and Trisha Macaden that she will showrun. Iyer was born in Nigeria, moved to India at the age of 11 where she lived alone with no adult supervision before moving to LA to write for TV. Iyer is currently on Season 4 of Amazon Prime’s “Hazbin Hotel.” Her credits include “Harley Quinn” (HBO MAX), “Kiteman” (HBO MAX), “Solar Opposites”(Hulu) and “Little Voice” (Apple TV).
Yamara Taylor is an LA native, UCLA TV and Film School graduate, and Peabody Award Winning writer and executive producer with over two decades of experience. Her TV credits include shows such as “The Boondocks” (Adult Swim), “Black-ish” (ABC), “Dave” (FXX)” and “Saved by the Bell” (Peacock). Taylor is currently developing a half hour comedy at Hulu.
