BEL works with the entertainment industry to promote the creation of content that humanizes political tribes to one another, develops shared cultural spaces for Americans from across the political spectrum, and fosters the preconditions for productive dialogue and collaborative problem-solving across divides.

We have assembled an expert coalition of social scientists, bridging practitioners, and entertainment professionals from the areas of content creation, production, and distribution who are working together to:

• Elevate awareness within the entertainment industry about polarization as an urgent social impact issue. Through podcasts, conferences, events, and summits that bring together stakeholders across the political spectrum, we encourage the industry to wrestle with its role in our crisis of division;

• Equip the industry with research, data, and measurement tools to understand the relationship between entertainment media and social cohesion and translate social science insights into actionable strategies for content creators;

• Enlist a coalition of storytellers committed to promoting social cohesion through entertainment and empowering them to embrace their unique role in shaping a pluralist America.

Project Director Bio:

Steven Olikara is a nationally recognized changemaker, political commentator, and entrepreneur. He serves as the President of Bridge Entertainment Labs (BEL), dedicated to harnessing the power of culture-shifting entertainment media to transform the divisions in America and create a healthier democracy. He is also the Founder & Former CEO of Future Caucus (formerly Millennial Action Project), the largest nonpartisan organization of young elected leaders in the U.S. Steven’s political commentary and analysis have been featured on CNN, NBC News, Fox News, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, USA Today, and more. He recently made history as the first South Asian candidate for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin, garnering national attention for his debate performance and fresh approach to politics. Steven’s journey is featured in the documentary film, “The Reunited States,” on Amazon Prime, which was inspired by Mark Gerzon's book The Reunited States of America.