Alesia "Z" Glidewell

Alesia Toyoko Glidewell, or Z, is a Japanese-Brazilian American creator and writer-director shaped by her urban and international upbringing. Her passion for filmmaking sparked in high school during a videography class at the Boys and Girls Club in Boston, followed by an internship in educational television where she first explored bringing original formats to life.

After getting a degree in cultural anthropology followed by an audio production certificate, Z launched her filmmaking career in Seattle, becoming a semi-finalist on Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett's reality competition On the Lot with her supernatural shorts Hang on St. Christopher and First Date.  She made a significant impact during the rise of new media, creatively and financially steering successful YouTube channels for brands while collaborating with top influencers. Her expertise in this space earned her various EP and showrunner roles on short-form, Gen Z-focused series.

Z later shifted focus, establishing herself as a director for global brands like MLB, Ulta Beauty, Sprint, Neutrogena, Honda, and Estee Lauder, and working with studios like Disney on docu-series. As a passionate narrative storyteller, Z further refined her skills to become an actors' director, returning to writing and directing shorts and feature films.

In addition, Z has an extensive background as a voice-over and motion capture artist in games like Portal, Sly Cooper, Starfox, and F.E.A.R., which led to co-founding a software-based action figure company You Kick Ass. The company caught the attention of Shark Tank, securing a deal with Mark Cuban.