A veteran media executive and creative strategist, Juan Devis is a globally connected and locally rooted storyteller who has helped shape the cultural media landscape of Los Angeles. An ardent film lover, he is a fearless champion for artistic excellence, community voices and creating access because he believes that a healthy, inclusive and sustainable independent film community is essential for our culture.

Juan was Chief Creative Officer at the Public Media Group of Southern California (PBS SoCal | KCET), where he managed a team of over 50 creatives and an $8M production slate that garnered over 30 Emmy Awards. His work includes the iconic series Migrant Kitchen, Artbound, Broken Bread with Roy Choi and Art Happens Here with John Lithgow, among others. He oversaw partnerships and productions such as In Concert at the Hollywood Bowl and Variety’s Actors on Actors. More recently, Juan co-founded Ninety-Three Media with Jeff Berg; a cross-cultural production company dedicated to developing and producing independent film, documentary and emerging-media content.

His goal is to strengthen the film industry’s role as a critical driver of the creative economy in Los Angeles and to build a resilient, globally connected, multi-platform ecosystem that sustains and celebrates independent film and media worldwide. He carries a strong belief that there is an important role for nonprofits within the media landscape. Juan operates on the principle that storytelling itself can generate strategies for production, distribution, diversity, education and engagement. His understanding of how and why stories are made has allowed him to build teams where bold ideas can take root and flourish. He cultivates trust among artists, communities and partners to build a shared narrative – expressed outwardly through educational programs, television shows, documentaries, digital and new media, and inwardly through a creative, entrepreneurial culture where people thrive and take pride in their work. Juan also serves on the boards of the Snap Foundation and the California Cultural and Historical Endowment.

Originally from Colombia, Juan studied film at Emerson College, where two moments defined his path: launching a community film school in his Boston basement with neighborhood kids, and winning a production award from Arnon Milchan – an achievement that brought him to Los Angeles in 1993. After arriving, he earned an MFA in directing at CalArts, won the ABC/Disney Fellowship and later opened a media arts nonprofit in Echo Park. Those experiences cemented his lifelong commitment to using media as a tool for community building.

Juan lives in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles with his filmmaking gang (aka family): his partner, Laura Purdy, is an experimental film and television director and producer; his daughter, Eva Luna, graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts; and his son Simon is studying Media Arts at Emerson College.