By Catherine Woo
Welcome to NYWIFT, Hannah Niebielski!
Hannah is a former National Director for the Olympic Sport of Dressage, where she led 36 US Teams to earn the highest podium finish rate among Olympic medal nations at Championships and Games. She organized talent and teams for the 2016 Olympic Games, 2018 World Games, and 2019 North American Youth Championships. Now, she brings her skillset in managing talent, public relations, event operations, and hospitality to the world of film and TV.
Hannah tells us about the overlaps between Olympic sports and entertainment, her passion for connecting others, and the importance of talent support.

NYWIFT Member Hannah Niebielski
Describe yourself. Give us your elevator pitch!
I’ve been working in talent relations and high-profile event management for the past ten years. My career started out in sports, where I worked up through the ranks to become the National Director for the Olympic Sport of Dressage.
To succinctly describe my role, my work was all in efforts to “win a medal” for Team USA — whatever was needed both strategically or with physical resource. No duty was too small or too trivial and always connected back to the bigger picture of sport and entertainment success. I worked to support athletes at international events, create talent, and competitor development programs, organize operations of major live productions, and develop long-term strategy and regulations for the longevity of sport. I was an athlete, and after an injury, I pivoted into making a difference from outside of the arena.
After a fulfilling career in Equestrian Olympic Sport, I’m looking to transition my skillset to the entertainment industry. Why, you may ask? It’s simple. I love TV and film, and I love the communities and villages that rally to put them together. I have a passion for storytelling and connecting people. It’s what I have always cared about since a young age — connecting people through shared experiences in an appreciation of talent.

Hannah Niebielski with an athlete
What brings you to NYWIFT?
NYWIFT is an incredible organization that offers both educational and engagement opportunities. But more than just that – I love that the organization’s focus is to not only educate, but to connect and advocate for women to accelerate in media. Working in sports for so many years, I am no stranger in working to make a seat at the table, or in many cases, just bringing in your own table. The NYWIFT community is the perfect place for me to network with talented, creative, and inspirational people to develop my skills and create opportunity.
How do you apply your background as an equestrian director to your work as a talent relations and production management professional?
Olympics sports are a different world in many ways, but there is so much overlap to film and TV production with the focus on performance, art, and connection to unite both national and global communities. You need to focus on the details to configure a pipeline that will not only develop, support, and prepare talent for high-profile events, but also establish long-lasting partnerships that will make an impact on not just the artist or the company, but the consumer – the person who is watching to be entertained or to be informed.
I’m so grateful to have had some wondrous opportunities and experiences in my life – traveling and supporting teams that have been recorded in history. When you work alongside someone, encouraging and supporting to help them reach their dreams, you are a part of something bigger. That’s why we all are in this, I think, to connect with others on something grander than ourselves, even if just for a moment, and to inspire someone or the next generation to be something greater.

Niebielski congratulating junior athlete during Championship award ceremony (cred. US Equestrian)
On your LinkedIn, you ask people to connect with you on your favorite movie, show, incredible moment in sport, or outer space fun fact. What are your favorite movies, shows, sports moments and space fun facts?
Yes, of course! I’m originally from Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in an entertainment-focused family who had a love for all things science. I enthusiastically consume all forms of media and am always eager to connect and learn from others.
I recently had a colleague ask me what where my top four favorite movies. It seems like an impossible ask, which I know so many can relate to, but my top are Silence of the Lambs (1991, Dir. Jonathan Demme), My Cousin Vinny (1992, Dir. Jonathan Lynn), Spirited Away (2001, Dir. Hayao Miyazaki), and Soul (2020, Dir. Pete Doctor & Co. Kemp Powers).

Hannah Niebielski on-site at an olympic training venue
What is your dream creative role? What kind of work speaks to you?
I strive in roles that work to develop genuine relationships with people. I’ve always served as the connecting bridge between talent, organization, and the media, and my focus is always on cultivating partnerships, ensuring that they are mutually beneficial in terms of development, visibility, and/or positioning. I thrive in roles that are heavily involved in talent support, partnership developments, and on-camera event production — all in efforts to ensure a positive experience for both talent and company.
What’s next for you? Do you have any upcoming projects that you’re excited about?
This is a new start for me, and I’m looking forward to opportunity! We never know what is next, but I’m looking forward to new, exciting adventures on my horizon.
Connect with Hannah on LinkedIn.
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Stephanie Lynn Jones
Welcome to NYWIFT, Stephanie Lynn Jones! Stephanie is a filmmaker, TV writer, and multi-disciplinary creative with two decades in screen and stage storytelling. She directed the short doc memoir The Jones Twins: Bebop Souls in a Muzak™ World (BRIC TV) and launched her film career on Spike Lee’s production teams. An Emmy nominee for Nickelodeon’s Gullah Gullah Island, she has developed her own TV projects with Universal Kids, PBS Kids, and TIME Studios. With her twin, Suzanne, The Jones Twins’ performance work has appeared at major venues in NYC and beyond; they also lent their vocals to the Slamdance Festival award-winning film System Noise. Stephanie holds a B.A. from Howard University and an MFA from NYU Tisch. Read on to get to know Stephanie, learn about her roots in the industry, and get a preview of her short documentary film, The Jones Twins!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Elizabeth K. Budion
Welcome to NYWIFT, Elizabeth K. Budion! A member of SAG-AFTRA since 2014, Elizabeth got her taste of the film industry by doing background and stand-in work for notable shows such as Orange is the New Black, Broad City, How to Be Single, and The Path. After several years in that space, she dabbled in casting for shows such as Law & Order: SVU, before switching gears to join the Peace Corps in 2018. While living in The Gambia, she focused on elevating the societal status of women, expanding their horizons and potential through education. Elizabeth also built a library and wrote various water grants, while learning the local language of Wolof. Returning to the states in 2020, Elizabeth then received her Master's from New York University, in Global Affairs with a focus on international development and women’s rights. Returning to film, Elizabeth recently wrote, produced, and edited a short animated film titled You. Matter.. starring Tony Award winner Laura Benanti. In addition, Elizabeth is currently collaborating with her filmmaker husband to pen a feature titled RetroViewer. When not working on films, Elizabeth enjoys having new adventures with her adorable 16-month-old son Louis Joseph, or “LouJay!” Read on to learn more about Elizabeth, how she got started in the film industry, and her experience in the Peace Corps!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Lauren Hale-Rieckhoff
Welcome to NYWIFT, Lauren Hale-Rieckhoff! Lauren is a Strategic Advisor and Producer of feature films and documentaries. She began her career as a Casting Associate on HBO’s Sex and the City, then spent over ten years at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), where she represented talent across music, film, TV, and sports, facilitating over $200 million in deals for A-list clients like Ron Howard, Jamie Foxx, Hilary Swank, Eva Longoria, John Legend, Dwyane Wade, and Sarah Jessica Parker. In 2017, she co-founded WilyfoXX Collective, a boutique agency advising, among others, tech giants and legacy fashion brands, with a client portfolio exceeding $10 million. Now, as the founder of Andiamo Pictures, Lauren is producing The Florist, starring Carla Gugino as Vivien Leigh, and has upcoming projects including Savage House (Paramount, 2025) and a documentary on Dita Von Teese. Her film financing and production approach combines industry experience with a talent-first, future-focused philosophy. Lauren shares her journey in the film industry, beginning as a Casting Associate and progressing to producing her own films.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Catherine Craig
Welcome to NYWIFT, Catherine Craig! Catherine Craig was George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic's first animation FX camerawoman, later becoming a digital artist at ILM. A highly regarded film archivist, Craig designed the Coppola film archive and implemented Zoetrope's domestic and international film distribution. As an early female entrepreneur, Craig founded her own award-winning, union and guild-affiliated film company, specializing in high-end industrial and commercial productions. Her vast experience spans all aspects of filmmaking: she's worked as a director, producer, camera operator, concept artist, storyboard artist, special FX artist, sound recordist, and more. Her screenplay OddFX was accepted into the NYWIFT-affiliated The Writers Lab. The film follows a mother living in a women's shelter, battling a physically abusive husband and a broken support system, who enlists the help of a special FX film crew. Catherine discusses her groundbreaking work with ILM, her drive to tell her own stories, and her film currently in development, OddFX!
READ MORE
Comments are closed