Our team is united by a love for purposeful work, authentic storytelling, and timeless art that inspires people around the world.
Our Team
Christiano Malik Terry
Christiano Malik Terry is the Founder & CEO of N LITE and Chairman of Studio N LITE in Tokyo.
Christiano is the Producer, Co-Creator, and Screenwriter for the highly anticipated anime film MFINDA, the first Black and Japanese co-produced anime theatrical film. He is also the writer of MFINDA: The Manga in collaboration with Kodansha (Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Attack on Titan), making the MFINDA manga the first foreign original IP to be serialized by a major Japanese publisher.
Through his leadership as an international business strategist, creator, writer, and producer, N LITE has developed a first of its kind anime slate in collaboration with top Japanese producers and talent to create anime based on untapped culture for a global audience.
Founder, CEO, Producer, Writer
Tony Abreu
Tony is a former senior consultant at Boston Consulting Group focusing on global media, gaming, and technology markets.
As Chief Operating Officer at N LITE, Tony focuses on building strategic partnerships, overseeing day-to-day operations, and driving business growth to bring untapped stories from the Black / African, Indigenous, and Latino imaginations to life through a unique blend of traditional Japanese 2D animation and rich cultural narratives.
COO
VP, Strategic PartnershipsIvy Simmons
Ivy Simmons is a collaborative bridge-builder whose strength lies in identifying and maximizing hidden opportunities, strategic planning, team building and relationship management/talent cultivation strategies.
As VP, Strategic Partnerships at N LITE, she focuses on high level community engagement, external strategic partnerships with private equity, brands, and talent that drives N LITE’s growth. As a former dancer and writer, art informs her life.
Senior Advisor, Licensing & AcquisitionsMary Gibson
Mary is the Founder of Retro Crush, an anime streaming platform bringing classic anime titles to fans around the world.
As the Senior Advisor of Licensing & Acquisitions at N LITE, she oversees anime licensing and acquisitions strategies, along with managing international and domestic partner relationships.
She is deeply passionate about serving fandoms in an authentic way that allows everyone (audiences, creators, and platforms) to grow and thrive.
Patience Lekien
Patience Lekien began his artistic journey at the age of four with pencil and paper. He developed his skill in illustration at a young age and that would set his interest in art for the rest of his life. Lekien was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lived there for the first six years of his life before relocating to the United States with his parents and two siblings.
Patience has an MFA from Minneapolis College of Art and began creating stories inspired by his ancestry and love for the African diaspora.
Art Director, Creator of MFINDA
Neea Pyne-Howard
Neea Pyne-Howard is en experienced music executive with previous experience working at major Hollywood studios on music licensing, music supervision and musical direction.
Neea has a strong sense for curating culture shaping musical experiences that aides visual storytelling.
Music Director & Supervisor
Chief of StoryDonald H. Hewitt
Donald H. Hewitt is a screenwriter with over 25 years of experience, a published author, a WGA member, and a screenwriting professor whose feature film credits include the English-language screenplay for the Oscar-winning film Spirited Away, as well as My Neighbor Totoro and the Oscar-nominated Howl's Moving Castle. Mr. Hewitt has written for Pixar, Working Title, Miramax, New Line, ABC Family, Disney, Riot Games, and Fox Animation.
Head of StoryVanessa Dos Santos
Vanessa Dos Santos is a writer and photographer based in Brooklyn, NY. She is Mozambican-born and was raised in multiple countries. Her nomadic upbringing has inspired her stories that explore themes around migration, cultural identity, and the meaning of home.
Masao Maruyama
Masao Maruyama is one of the most prolific anime producers of all time. As the Co-Founder of Madhouse and Co-Founder and Chairman of MAPPA, he has produced some of the most critically acclaimed anime of all time. These anime include Tokyo Godfathers, Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Vampire Hunter D, and Ninja Scroll.
Maruyama-san is producing the highly anticipated film MFINDA, which is the flagship film from Studio N LITE.
Producer, Studio N LITE
Harry Tanaka
Harry Tanaka is an entertainment/media business professional with in-depth experiences as general manager for entertainment media businesses including streaming, television, movie, home video and app businesses at a global company, in addition to current theme park business development and management responsibilities; especially strong with managing cross-border, brand-based businesses.
He holds a unique background with business development and legal expertise in the US and Japan.
Business Associate, Studio N LITE
Line Producer, Studio N LITEMichiko Takahisa
Michiko Takahisa is a line producer with several years of experience producing anime at top studios that include Toei, Studio Ghibli and Polygon Pictures.
Art Director, Studio N LITEHiroshi Takiguchi
Hiroshi Takiguchi is one of the most celebrated art directors of his generation. He has worked on acclaimed films that include Your Name, Weathering With You, Garden of Words and ChaO.
Tom Lintern
Tom Lintern is an art director, illustrator, manga artist and generational talent that helps drive the artistic vision of N LITE.
Art Director
Samantha Inoue-Harte
Samantha Inoue Harte is a Creator and Producer for Japanese anime and is U.S. Director of Animated Content for Japanese anime Studio, GONZO, which is best known for their work on Hellsing, Afro Samurai, Basilisk, Samurai7, Witchblade, Last Exile, and dozens of other titles.
Samantha is also the Head of Production at Studio N LITE, assisting in overseeing the production of original and legacy anime IP.
Producer
Senior Advisor, Executive ProducerAlexis Garcia
Alexis Garcia is an Emmy nominated Producer. Brass Knuckle Films Co-Founder with acclaimed director Robert Rodriguez.
Alexis is an entertainment executive with 20+ years of Hollywood and international deal making experience including roles as lawyer, agent, producer, financier, and founder.
Senior Advisor, Executive ProducerRob Pereyda
Rob Pereyda is an anime industry veteran with 20+ years of bringing anime to the world.
Rob created Crunchyroll’s subscription model and closed the first 60 IP licensing deals as employee #9 ($1.2B Sony exit). Led anime editorial at Netflix, grew viewing 50%+ in 2020.
His motto is “make anime bigger or go down trying”.
Elizabeth D. Nelson
Elizabeth D. Nelson builds and scales companies at inflection points. With more than 20 years leading global sales and operations, she specializes in transforming complex organizations into disciplined, revenue-generating ecosystems.
Elizabeth converts vision into execution through operational architecture, performance accountability, and strategic market expansion.
Senior Advisor