Atlanta, Georgia, April 11th, 2018: Serial entrepreneur, CorShonda “CoCo” Springer has inked an equity partnership deal with the international production and distribution company D Street Media Group, based in New York City, and with offices in Berlin, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ms. Springer is acquiring a 20% stake in the company and will be involved in all D Street’s activities as an executive producer, producer and company executive. D Street is setting up it’s new television division in Atlanta this fall, where Springer will be instrumental in developing content for the U.S. and international market.

“I have long wanted to become a player in the film and television business, not only as a creative, but also on the business side of the industry. This partnership allows me to spread my wings in a meaningful way and having ownership in businesses that I’m involved with is key to my personal and professional growth,” said Springer. She went on to say. “D Street has done a tremendous job of positioning itself as a global player, with offices around the world, a movie studio in the works in South Africa, and content development for the international market.  I feel we can move the needle and change the narrative with our projects that not only have African Americans at the helm, but very importantly with casting black folk in leading roles with other international stars.”

One of the five projects D Street is producing this year that exemplifies the model is ‘The Blue Mauritius,’ the $20M dollar heist film starring Anthony Mackie and a host of other actors from all over the world.  The film is slated to start production in late August in Cape Town, South Africa and will also be shot on location in Berlin, London, Paris and Acapulco Mexico. CoCo is executive producing alongside Hollywood super producer Michael Benaroya who’s responsible for such hits as ‘Lawless’ with Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain and Shia LaBeouf.  ‘The Words’ starring Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana  and ‘Queen of the Desert’ with Nicole Kidman, James Franco and Robert Pattinson to name but a few of his films. CoCo will executive produce the Atlanta based film ‘Team Joy,’ to be directed by Emmy Award winning director Joe Tripician and produced by Joe Newcomb of Truth Entertainment, the company behind the Oscar winning film ‘Dallas Buyers Club.’ She will also serve as an executive producer for the 1960’s period piece, ‘A Dangerous Road,’ directed by the incomparable Neema Barnette, who was Ava Duvernay’s “Secret weapon” on OWN’s smash hit ‘Queen Sugar.’

“With CoCo Springer, I could not have asked for a better business partner to help take D Street to the next level. She is a smart, creative, strategic and talented business person, period. She started CoCo Studios in 2013 in Atlanta and has seen it grow into an important venue for events, high-end music video production, reality television and a successful props business,” said Dexter Davis, CEO of D Street Media Group. “I know a little bit about hard work and perseverance and CoCo delivers on both fronts. I’ve position D Street as a global player and after 15 years of working internationally, I thought it was time for us to make a play for the domestic market here in the U.S.  I couldn’t be more pleased with our deal and look forward to expanding our presence to include the amazing city of Atlanta.”

The two met through Askia Innis of Luxe Concierge Connection in Atlanta, who thought they really should know each other. While running her studio and executive producing award shows for TLC, plus working with the Neighborhood Awards, Essence Festival and the Democratic National Convention, Springer also found time to develop a television pilot called ‘Greenwood Avenue,’ the story of “Black Wall Street,” an historic account of what happened in early 20th Century America when African Americans where successfully building businesses in Tulsa Oklahoma, before the race riot in 1921. The project caught the attention of Davis, who was impressed by CoCo’s relationship with William Morris Endeavor, who is packaging the series and Malcolm D. Lee, Director of the famed  ‘Girls Trip’, with whom she’s taking meetings with to set up the project in Hollywood.

CoCo Springer and Dexter Davis share a vision for a truly integrated black owned international media company that also includes music publishing, a sales agency and theatrical distribution. D Street’s distribution arm started in 2007 with the help of Volkswagen who in 2006 signed a “logo placement” deal to support P&A or the marketing cost for D Street’s specialized films in North America.  They plan to bring in other non-entertainment companies to support marketing campaigns geared towards building a wider domestic audience, while reducing the financial risk in a highly competitive industry.

“African Americans should definitely be looking globally to produce and distribute television and film content. Our stories travel, and we shouldn’t have to wait for others to give us permission to tell them or release them in the marketplace. D Street is serious about the business behind the entertainment industry and I’m ready to work hard to help it grow into a major force like a Lionsgate. Who knows, I might be buying into them one day,” said Ms. Springer.

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