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Benjamin Piner
Documentary Producer / Archivist
Professional Background
Benjamin Piner has carved out a distinguished career in the field of journalism and media production, marked by a dedication to storytelling and a passion for impactful narratives. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the esteemed University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he possesses a solid educational foundation that has served him well in his professional endeavors. Benjamin's career path is rich and diverse, including numerous roles that highlight his expertise in archival production, research, and organizational coordination.
In his earlier role as an Archival Producer for the critically acclaimed documentary series Flint Town produced by Anonymous Content, Benjamin played a crucial role in weaving together a compelling narrative that explored one of America’s most challenging water crises. His ability to source and curate archival materials showcased his meticulous attention to detail and his strong storytelling skills, contributing to the show's overall success and impact.
Following this project, Benjamin served as a Co-Producer for LA 92 at Lightbox Entertainment. This project revisited the events surrounding the 1992 Los Angeles riots, offering audiences a fresh perspective on the historical significance of these events. His contributions at Lightbox not only underscore his proficiency in production but also his commitment to addressing socially relevant themes through film.
Benjamin's extensive experience as an Archival Researcher on the documentary Eating Animals at Big Star Pictures further demonstrates his commitment to blending journalism with ethical, investigative storytelling. His work helped to bring attention to pressing issues within the food industry, underlining his belief in the power of film to incite change.
Earlier in his career, Benjamin took on the role of Producer at Daughter and Sons, where he honed his production skills and contributed to various innovative media projects. He also served as an Associate Producer on What Haunts Us at Tolmach Prods, a documentary that explores personal and societal trauma, a testament to his dedication to uncovering profound human experiences through visual storytelling.
In addition to his production work, Benjamin has a strong background in organizational roles that reflect his versatility and dedication to community service. He worked as a Consultant in Training, Marketing, and Human Resources at Summer Search, providing mentorship and support to young people in underprivileged communities. His role as a Program Coordinator at Summer Search and later at Brain Hurricane allowed him to impact the lives of many youth, focusing on empowerment through education and support.
Benjamin's journey also includes his early work as a Mechanic at Working Bikes Cooperative, where he acquired hands-on experience and a strong work ethic that informs his approach to all projects he takes on. This unique combination of technical skills and storytelling acumen allows him to bring a multifaceted perspective to the fields of journalism and media production.
Education and Achievements
Benjamin Piner's educational background is rooted in a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, one of the top institutions for aspiring journalists. His education provided him with a robust understanding of the principles of journalism and equipped him with the skills necessary to succeed in various facets of media. The rigorous curriculum at UNC helped Benjamin develop his analytical skills, critical thinking, and the importance of ethical storytelling, all of which are evident in his work.
Throughout his career, Benjamin has achieved recognition for his contributions to various projects, particularly in documentary filmmaking. The documentaries he has participated in have garnered attention for their storytelling and production quality, earning accolades that underscore his role in pushing creative boundaries. His commitment to social issues and compelling narratives has not only made significant cultural contributions but has also established him as a notable figure in the documentary film space.
Achievements
- Archival Producer for Flint Town - Contributed to the success of this acclaimed series, which addressed a critical social issue.
- Co-Producer for LA 92 - Helped encapsulate a pivotal moment in American history, demonstrating his ability to convey complex social themes through film.
- Archival Researcher for Eating Animals - Played a key investigative role in bringing important food industry issues to light.
- Consultant for Summer Search - Provided training and mentorship to assist the development of youth in underprivileged communities.
- Producer at Daughter and Sons and Associate Producer for What Haunts Us - Enhanced the documentary landscape with a focus on stories that matter, addressing significant cultural and personal narratives.
Benjamin Piner's diverse experiences, combined with his educational background and commitment to impactful storytelling, position him as a valuable asset in the fields of journalism and media production. His ability to navigate complex subjects and his dedication to serving communities through his work truly stand out, making him a noteworthy professional in today's media landscape.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.