Saya April Hillman is an award-winning video producer and widely
recognized entrepreneur. Born and
raised in Evanston, IL, and currently residing in Chicago, Saya is a Boston
College graduate, who began her career working in the non-profit sector. In 2004, she took her creativity,
passion for connecting people, and love of challenging herself, and launched
her own digital media company, Mac Ôn Cheese
Productions. Her video work has been
recognized at film festivals across the world and taken her to Rwanda, Africa. More recently, Mac Ôn
Cheese expanded to include a linking strangers to strangers service, called Mac Ôn Cheese Minglers.
To date, her Minglers have attracted more than
400 people from around the Chicago area; people who want to expand their
networks - professional, social, romantic. As another avenue to connect people, she created Smatterings, a bi-monthly e-newsletter that ranges from grant
opportunities to job openings to service referrals to activity ideas. When she's not producing videos and
introducing strangers, Saya teaches media to at-risk youth, and takes guitar, improv, and yoga classes.
Highlights
á
Featured Presenter - Pecha Kucha Night, 2009
á
The Naturals:
ChicagoÕs Top Twenty Singles - Chicago
Magazine, 2008
á
Top Ten Finalist - Cinema Prosperite,
the SEVEN FUND, 2008
á
Leg Before
Wicket - International Documentary Festival, Amsterdam, 2008
á
The Power of
One: People who are making a difference in small but significant ways - Chicago Tribune, 2007
á
Singles Scoop:
What a Dish - Time Out Chicago
article on hostess events, 2007
á
Pursuing a Life
of Social Justice After College and Abroad - The Heights Newspaper, 2007
á
Boston College
Young Alumni Award of Excellence, 2007
á
If You had
Fifteen Seconds, What Would You Tell the World - video contest
winner; CBS-TV national broadcast, 2007
á
dating rubikÕs cube - Best Short Documentary, Illinois
International Film Festival, 2006
á
dating rubikÕs cube - Best Documentary nominee, Pumelo Film Festival, Mumbai, India, 2006
á
Creating a
Community of Service - Boston College
Magazine profile, 2005