For over 15 years, Lorne has harnessed the power of video to communicate social justice messages and move his audience to action. He first joined his experience with labor and community organizing with his passion for filmmaking working with Chicago public housing residents. Later, at Macalester College, he designed and ran a program teaching teenagers how to use video to explore such issues as racism, sexism, and economic justice.
While completing his M.A. at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School Lorne produced a documentary on Institutional Racism as well as one for the university maintenance workers union, S.E.I.U., which they used to put a human face on their struggle for decent wages and benefits.
Lorne went on to hone his expertise for over 10 years producing and associate producing critically acclaimed television programs for PBS Frontline, ABC Nightline, and History Channel, as well as developing the innovative community engagement campaigns that accompanied those projects.
After extensive experience working for and serving on the boards of non-profits, social justice groups, & educational organizations, Lorne sought to marry his film background with his deep personal understanding of the unique challenges those organizations face with funding, impact, reach, and awareness. He founded Plowshares Media with the singular vision of providing affordable access to high-quality media.
Lorne lives in Brooklyn with his wife Ally and their three children.
Articles/Awards:
Macalester College 2008 Young Alumni Award
New York Times: The Local profile
A half-Argentine calling both a small NJ town and the Manhattan skyline his childhood homes he studied a year in rural Japan at 16, did his undergraduate at George Washington in DC, worked in Tokyo, and then got his Executive MBA while studying in Beijing. These experiences taught Andres first-hand that a goal oriented, purpose driven, adventurous approach to any challenge yields powerful results.
After starting out his career as a Market Entry Consultant advising companies with 8 figure revenue streams he realized how unfulfilling a corporate environment could be. Deciding to capitalize on a long fascination with media and express himself more creatively he joined the Independent Production Fund, a storied documentary production non-profit. It was there that he experienced firsthand the profound, lasting impact video can have as well the tremendous possibilities posed by the increasing digitization, streaming, creation, consumption and sharing of video.
It was also at IPF that he developed a strong professional relationship with PSM Founder Lorne Lieb; and, eager to develop a cause-oriented, hands-on approach to video he agreed to help start Plowshares Media. Beginning in a Business Development role Andres soon moved into his true calling, Post-Production where he was finally able to combine his other professional skills with the formidable technical aptitudes he gained as a lifelong IT enthusiast. When not editing, Andres likes to cook, read non-fiction, and foster his growing obsession with the Bow Tie.
Alex’s background working with art and social justice based organizations has built the foundation for her place at Plowshares. Having worked as a Producer on large-scale performances and public art events with the Artist Network of Refuse and Resist!, and in theatrical and educational film distribution and bookings with First Run Features and Icarus Films, Alex fundamentally believes in the power of art and documentary storytelling to change social conditions.
Her call to advocacy and raising awareness in regards to issues of social justice, as well as her interest in the arts, drove her to get her J.D. focusing on equality and civil rights law. Her degree has brought immeasurable insight into the layers and challenges surrounding social justice work as well as its overall importance. In the years since, she has assisted numerous non-profits and art-based human rights organizations. This gave her still greater insight into both the needs and struggles of non-profits which ultimately provided her with the tools for creating effective non-profit partnerships in her work with Plowshares. When she isn’t working, Alex spends her time cooking, foraging through her local Asian food markets for new and unfamiliar ingredients, and working on her own art projects.