Production Team
Diem Van Groth - Director, Producer, Writer
Diem Van Groth is a seasoned executive and trailblazer with twenty-plus years of global experience and expertise in corporate strategy, business development, enterprise sales, and project management. At sixteen, Diem started in the mailroom of Midwest Federal Bank and then interned in the Corporate Finance Department of investment bank Dain Bosworth, now Royal Bank of Canada, two years later. Diem has worked across the US and globally in Hungary, Vietnam, Namibia, and New Zealand.
Diem is the founder of GVBACK LLC, the creators of the first digital immersive and interactive college metaverse in the US, www.gvbackapp.com, and was the strategic advisor to organizations leading the creation of an African American Cultural Enterprise District connected to a land bridge in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Diem is the manager for the late blues legend, JJ Bad Boy Jones, www.jjbadboyjones.com, and is producing JJ's "Last Man Standing" album.
Diem and his son created www.gvback.com to promote one-hour service projects globally and highlight community organizations and people on the front of building communities where everyone can thrive. Diem is the executive producer for the independent feature film Trace The Line, shot in 2020 during the pandemic and social justice summer.
Executive Producers
Sarah Brokaw
Sarah Brokaw, Executive Producer, holds a master's in social work from New York University and is a licensed clinical social worker in New York and California. With eight years of specialized training in family and couple therapy at the Ackerman Institute, a two-year postgraduate program at Fielding University, and professional coaching certification, Sarah is well-versed in various therapeutic approaches.
Her extensive training includes completing the National Institute for Psychotherapy's psychoanalytic year-long program and three levels of Gottman Method Couples Therapy at the Gottman Institute. Sarah is also trained in the Trauma Resiliency Model and received instruction in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy under Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., ABPP.
Inspired by women she met while researching Fortitude, Sarah initiated the Wise Women of LA discussion series, fostering support among women of diverse backgrounds in achieving their professional and personal goals. She also launched Shared Secrets, a podcast highlighting the healing power of shared vulnerability.
In her volunteer work, Sarah has contributed to communities in Rwanda, Bosnia, and Haiti, enhancing her professional development by challenging herself in unfamiliar environments. Currently, she serves as a volunteer therapist for Homeboy Industries, offering support to formerly gang-involved and incarcerated individuals.
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Kokayi Ampah
Kokayi began his career at the Inner City Youth League in 1968, where, with Bobby Hickman and Mahmoud El Kati, he got a sense of community awareness and cultural heritage. That same year, he was introduced to the world of television at KTCA, a PBS affiliate in the Black Voices Training and Production Program.
Kokayi visited the film sets of Bobby's uncle Gordon Parks, Shaft's Big Score in 1972, and 1974 Leadbelly through Bobby Hickman.
In 1977, Kokayi moved to Los Angeles, and in 1978, Kokayi Ampah became the first African American union Location Manager in Los Angeles. His television credits include A-Team, Cagney & Lacey, Knight Rider, and Women Of Brewster Place.
His feature film credits include The Color Purple, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Poetic Justice, Space Cowboys, Mars Attacks, and 22 other feature films. He served as Associate Producer and Location Manager on the Five Heartbeats and Production Supervisor / Location Manager on Shawshank Redemption.
In 1995, he was awarded the Feature Location Manager of the Year award for the state of California. In 2015, the Location Managers Guild of America awarded him the Life Time Achievement Award. In 2016, Kokayi became the second Location Manager inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science.
In 2018, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the African American Film Market Place.
In the past ten years, Kokayi has written, directed, and produced three short films, co-produced two other shorts, and co-produced a feature film, Cliffs Of Freedom, released in 2019.
He is currently producing two documentaries, one feature-length, A Tale Of Two Cities, about his life at the Inner City Youth League in St. Paul and the Inner City Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The other is a short film titled "Poinsettia Park," where Black Hollywood networked in the 70s and 80s.
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Clint Schaff
Clint Schaff, Executive Producer, is a highly accomplished professional in audio, television, film, and live events, recognized by Adweek in 2020 as a Creative 100 honoree. Formerly Vice President of Strategy and Development at the Los Angeles Times, Clint oversaw developing and programming projects for L.A. Times Studios, including the acclaimed Dirty John podcast and T.V. series franchise.
His extensive portfolio includes successful podcasts like Man In the Window, Larger Than Life, Room 20, Chasing Cosby, It Was Simple: The Betty Broderick Murders, The Trials of Frank Carson, Asian Enough, and The Times: Daily News from the L.A. Times.
Before his role at the Los Angeles Times, Clint served as U.S. General Manager at Vision7. He held Vice President positions for digital at global agencies Edelman and Golin, earning awards for campaigns like Activision's Call of Duty. His accolades extend to collaborations with high-profile brands and organizations such as Procter & Gamble, Activision, Nintendo, Nestle, POM Wonderful, FIJI Water, Wonderful Pistachios, the Clinton-Gore White House, David Bowie, and the New York Yankees.
Clint holds a B.A. in Communications & Political Science from the University of Minnesota and an M.A. from the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism. After a decade of teaching as an adjunct instructor at USC Annenberg, he led communications for Chris Jones, the Democratic nominee for governor of Arkansas, in 2022. He is currently producing various T.V., film, and media projects.