Stephen Friedman

Stephen Friedman, a Peabody and Emmy award-winning creator of social-impact campaigns, is the Senior Advisor to the CEO of Showtime and Paramount Media Networks, where he also produces documentaries and advises their Social Impact department. He teaches “Storytelling and the Art of Creating Social Impact Campaigns” at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs.

Friedman serves on the Board of Directors for All Out, Genocide Survivors Foundation and More In Common. He advises SYPartners and Sidekicks, an AI social-impact business. 

Previously, Stephen was President of MTV for seven years. He spearheaded MTV’s transformation into the cultural home of the millennial generation with shows that included “Catfish,” “Teen Mom,” “Jersey Shore” and “Teen Wolf.”  During his 18 years at the network, he created MTV’s Social Impact Department, launched mtvU and led MTV2 and LOGO to record highs.

Friedman developed multiple “Choose or Lose” campaigns in partnership with Rock The Vote, and initiatives that addressed genocide in Darfur, as well as bias and stigma around mental health. He partnered with the Campaign to End Teen Pregnancy to ensure the shows “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” were cautionary tales. The National Bureau of Economic Research credited both series with driving one-third of the steep decline in the teen birth rate, which now stands at a record low.  Before joining MTV, Friedman served as a Director for the PEN American Center (the writers’ human rights organization). He holds a B.A. with Honors from Wesleyan University.