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Spring Storytelling Salon — April 2026 As America’s 250th anniversary approaches, we convened sixty storytelling creatives, executives, and educators to uncover how our craft can bridge the gap between a polarized country and an audience craving connection. Guests represented a … Continue reading
BEL honored in the lead up to Oscars at Lumen Awards This month, in the lead up to the Oscars, our founding CEO Steven Olikara was honored with a Lumen Award, recognizing leaders at the intersection of storytelling and changemaking! … Continue reading
The Chronicle of Philanthropy Features BEL The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently published an in-depth feature on the strategic bet behind our work: catalyzing the entertainment industry to create better Stories of Us. “This Nonprofit Whispers in Hollywood’s Ear About Polarization. … Continue reading
New Study Finds Storytelling Reduces Political Polarization A groundbreaking new study from the University of Oxford and The Ohio State University reveals compelling evidence that storytelling reduces polarization and measurably strengthens emotional connection, active citizenship and social cohesion among high … Continue reading
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Democracy 2076: The Power of Story to Grow Democracy Over the last two years, Democracy 2076 and Harmony Labs teamed up to understand how entertainment media shapes people’s understanding of democracy, and find ways to tell better stories about democracy. … Continue reading
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Storytelling Principles This document, “Storytelling Principles for Creating New American Stories of Us,” by Bridge Entertainment Labs, introduces “The 4 C’s” for storytellers to help bridge societal divides and foster a more resilient democracy. The authors argue that despite perceived … Continue reading
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An Evening of Ideas & Influence in partnership with Builders Movement and CAA Foundation Last week, Bridge Entertainment Labs gathered in partnership with the Builders Movement and the CAA Foundation. We convened a remarkable community of leaders from education, city … Continue reading
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New Op-Ed in USA Today: We’re thrilled to share that USA TODAY published an op-ed by our President, Steven Olikara, spotlighting the powerful work of Bridge Entertainment Labs and the Better Together Film Festival to bring to life New American … Continue reading
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BEL in the Field In addition to behind the scenes work we are doing across entertainment, here are some highlights from our efforts to engage the storytellers with resources and tools to role model bridging behavior in their content and … Continue reading
