Richard "RB" Botto is the Founder and CEO of Stage 32 (www.stage32.com), the world's largest social media site and educational hub for film, television and theater creatives.
Botto is a screenwriter (represented by David Greenblatt of Greenlit Creative), producer, actor and author. He served as associate producer on Sam Levinson’s debut Another Happy Day, which starred Ellen Barkin, Demi Moore, Thomas Hayden Church, Kate Bosworth and Ellen Burstyn and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, winning Best Screenplay. In 2014, Botto executive produced All Things Hidden. Botto’s own latest script, The End Game, is currently in development.
A pioneer of the early stages of the Internet boom, Botto developed Stage 32 so creatives across the globe would have a dedicated network to find work and representation, launch projects, secure funding, further their education and make life and career altering connections. In just over 3 years, Stage 32 has organically reached over 500,000 members from every country on the planet and has been described by Forbes Magazine as "Lynda meets LinkedIn meets Facebook for film, television and theater creatives."
Botto has spoken all over the world at industry conferences including American Film Market, SXSW, TriBeCa Film Festival, Entertainment Finance Forum by Winston Baker, Columba University, Cinequest, Screenwriters World West and East, Great American Pitchfest, STN Convention and many more.
Prior to creating Stage 32, Botto was the Founder, Publisher and Editor of RAZOR magazine, a national men’s lifestyle magazine which boasted a readership of 1.5 million at its peak. A former radio host on ESPN and FOX Sports affiliates, Botto has appeared on such networks as CNBC, MSNBC, NBC News, FOX News, CBS News and VH1, riffing about the entertainment business and social media.
In the 90’s, Botto was an integral part of the team responsible for creating the vendor tracking system used by many of today’s top e-commerce companies. Botto headed the development, design and commercial implementation for several of the top 50 most visited sites on the web during that period.
Botto also serves on the Advisory Board for Old Town Music Hall, a classic film theater in El Segundo, built in 1921.
Botto's book on crowdsourcing for film will be published by Focal Press in 2015.
Oh, and he was once named one of People Magazine's Most Eligible Bachelors (no lie).
Amanda ToneyManaging Director
Amanda is the Managing Director of Stage 32, the world's largest social media site and educational hub for film, television and theater creatives. As a seasoned business development and marketing executive, Amanda began her career in marketing with RAZOR Magazine, working on programs with brands including NBC, Touchstone, Disney and Jaguar. By the time she turned 30 she built The Taka Group from the ground up - her first million + dollar business, which worked on international marketing programs with some of the world's most recognized brands including Oakley, Guess?, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Ray Ban, Giorgio Armani, Nine West and more. After her exit from The Taka Group, she became a partner in Stage 32 and as it's Managing Director, oversees operations and business development for the global business. Amanda is inspired by innovation and companies that change industries, something Stage 32 is accomplishing daily. Amanda is a passionate entrepreneur, avid world traveler and lives by the motto "if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life."
