Pouya Shahbazian is the CEO and Founder of Staircase Studios AI, a media and technology company launched in 2024 that explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and storytelling. Before founding Staircase Studios AI, he spent over a decade as Head of Film & Television at New Leaf Literary & Media, where he oversaw the adaptation of numerous bestselling books and original works for the screen.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Shahbazian led FinePrint Productions and co-founded ManDown Pictures & Management, where he developed and produced a range of film and television projects. He began his industry journey at the Broder Webb Chervin Silbermann Agency in Beverly Hills, assisting in the Motion Picture Literary Department. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Mr. Shahbazian brings more than two decades of creative and executive experience bridging literature, film, and emerging media technologies.
