NYWIFT Blog

By Katie Chambers

Welcome to NYWIFT, Guneet K. Singh!

Former NYWIFT intern Guneet K. Singh is a producer and writer with a passion for diverse storytelling. She was most recently the producer for the poignant play Irreparable, which premiered at the Act One One-Act Theater Festival.

She has worked in television development for NBC and Peacock, working on programs such as That’s My Jam, Password, Joyelle Nicole Johnson: Love Joy and 5 More Sleeps ‘Til Christmas. Her first producing role was as the Digital Producer for the Emmy nominated The Kids Tonight Show.

She began her career as an NBC Page, working on shows like Saturday Night Live and The TODAY Show. In our interview, Guneet discusses her exciting time in NBC’s legendary Page Program, the power of networking, and finding her calling as a writer and producer.

NYWIFT Member Guneet K. Singh

Describe yourself. Give us your elevator pitch!

As a Punjabi-American producer and writer, my passion for diverse storytelling drives my work in entertainment. From being an NBC Page to working in development at Jimmy Fallon’s production company Electric Hot Dog to producing digital content for Peacock’s The Kids Tonight Show, I’ve now expanded into theater and other forms of media. Currently, I’m on the producing team for Food Network’s The Kitchen. Ultimately, I’m dedicated to creating content that uplifts audiences and helps them feel seen and understood.

Working as an NBC page is a dream for so many people looking to break into the entertainment business. How did you land that position? And do you have any fun or wild stories to share from your time at 30 Rock?

Being an NBC Page was a truly life changing experience! As a Page, I worked on TODAY, Saturday Night Live, and The Tonight Show and also held full-time assignments with NBC’s cable and broadcast networks. I had wanted to be an NBC Page since I took an NBC studio tour when I was a sophomore in college and realized I felt most at home in a television studio.

I began networking and meeting people who had been Pages before and asked them for their advice (never underestimate the power of a coffee chat!) and did a lot of preparation for my interviews. I focused on my personal story through every stage of the process: an application (with a cover letter and potential essay questions), a video interview, and a three-hour panel interview with other potential applicants.

I loved being a Page! I started the program with a cohort of 23 other Pages and I still cherish those friendships to this day. We’ve motivated each other, lifted each other up and helped each other find new dreams. Most of my Page year happened during 2020. While I did have some incredible in-person experiences, from giving studio tours to working with celebrity guests at TODAY to doing audience services for SNL, my favorite experience happened remotely!

During my assignment with the Advertising & Program Standards department, I shadowed an NBC Standards executive who was covering a new comedy called Connecting, about a group of friends connecting on Zoom during the pandemic. The coolest part is that true to the show, they actually made it over Zoom! The actors filmed themselves in their own homes and essentially had to be their own crew while the rest of the team was connected remotely.

I was able to read all the scripts, assist with standards coverage, and attend all table reads and remote shoots with the cast. It showed me how it is possible to adapt our methods of making television which is reassuring in an evolving industry.

It was a dream come true and I couldn’t have asked for a better career beginning.

NYWIFT Member Guneet K. Singh as an NBC Page

How did you get involved as producer of Irreparable? I know you’re also a writer yourself, but what draws you to producing work?

Last summer, the unparalleled and amazing NYWIFT Board Member Okema T. Moore asked me to produce a play she was directing and it was an automatic “Yes!”

Okema and I met at the 2024 NYWIFT Muse Awards and she has since become a friend and mentor to me. I was at a career crossroads and reached out to her for advice. We had a really motivating conversation about the industry and I began sharing development notes on her projects. I was very flattered when she thought of me to produce the play. That was my first time producing theater and now I have two more plays in the works for this year!

I worked in development for a long time under executive producers and it taught me the art of elevating a project. As a producer, your responsibilities differ depending on the needs of the project and the structure of your team. It can be such a fluid role and that makes the creative process even more fulfilling. As a writer myself, when I approach producing work I often think back to my own experiences working with collaborators and the feedback that’s been most helpful to me. It’s always a fruitful collaboration when your team understands the core of your vision and can bring it to the next level.

What kinds of projects excite you?

I’m most excited by projects that are unlike anything I’ve seen before or have truths about life that audiences can find relatable. The sweet spot is when I find a project that hits on both!

There’s a comedy pilot I worked on last fall that explored deep themes of grief, familial trauma and toxic masculinity in a humorous way. Upon reading the script, I knew it was a project I needed to work on because of the way it resonated with me emotionally. It was voicing something I felt but didn’t have the words for. It’s so exhilarating to find projects like that!

NYWIFT Member Guneet K. Singh on set of the comedy pilot

We were so glad to have you intern with us at NYWIFT! What was your favorite thing about working here?

I was so happy to be a NYWIFT intern and connect further with our supportive, inspiring community. I joined the organization when I was feeling lost and wanted to learn more about different paths in the industry. My close friend and fellow NYWIFT Member, Taffy Lashley, did the internship program and recommended it to me.

My favorite thing about working here was all the people I got to meet whether it was through volunteering at events like panels and workshops or by interviewing new members for the blog (so this interview is very full circle for me!). I learned so much and everyone was always willing to share their insights. By the time I finished the internship program, I gained more clarity on what I wanted to do next.

NYWIFT Members Taffy Lashley and Guneet K. Singh at the 2024 Muse Awards

What’s the best advice you ever received? And the worst?

The best advice I’ve ever received was to keep expanding my network. Networking can be intimidating because it often has this transactional element to it but it’s best to approach it with genuine excitement, curiosity and no expectation but to learn. That openness can help you connect with people in a really organic way and you never know what can come from it. Sometimes all you need is one or two people to really believe in you and that can completely change the course of your life!

The worst advice I’ve ever received was to stop trying. If there’s a dream you have in your heart, that passion is there for a reason. It’s worse to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all. At NYWIFT’s 2025 Sundance Panel, one of our members said that in this industry if you keep going long enough, eventually you’ll make it. I wholeheartedly agree. Take breaks, pull back when you need to but don’t give up completely.

NYWIFT Member Guneet K. Singh on set of The Kids Tonight Show

What are three fun facts about you that might surprise us?

1. I love writing poetry and am finishing up my first poetry book now!
2. I briefly worked at a communications office in Florence, Italy where I wrote blog posts and filmed videos around the city.
3. I had a musical upbringing where I was trained in Indian classical music and grew up playing the piano and harmonium.

NYWIFT Member Guneet K. Singh on set of The Kitchen

What’s next for you?

I’m currently finishing up a new season of Food Network’s The Kitchen. When I’m not on the show, I’m writing and working on other producing projects. I began working with Binns Media Group last fall and have since collaborated with the team on a comedy pilot, Nore Davis’ new standup comedy album 40, and a play. We have other projects in the works that should be in production and rehearsals later this year.

I’m also very excited to be working with Okema again on her upcoming short film, Purses & Floors, which NYWIFT is fiscally sponsoring! I’m so grateful to be working with such passionate, talented people.

Connect with Guneet K. Singh on LinkedIn and on Instagram at @guneetksingh.

(All images courtesy of Guneet K. Singh)