I’m a theater producer, marketing expert, and philanthropist.

Theater hasn’t always been my “work,” but it’s always been my passion. I fell in love with the theater when I was ten years old when my mom took me to the 1st National Touring Company production of Annie in Boston circa 1980. That experience mesmerized me, stirring powerful emotions — laughter, sadness, joy. 

I remember whispering Mama, it’s so real! to my mom after “It’s A Hard Knock Life.” It was real. It was magic. I was hooked.

Of course, I was in the drama club in high school. And since, I have enjoyed so many great shows on Broadway, in the West End, and in regional companies across the US.

I made my Broadway debut in 2018 as a co-producer for The Prom (Drama Desk award for Best Musical, Tony nomination). My producer credits include: The Inheritance, Slave Play, Broadway Bounty Hunter, and The Prom. I’m also an investor in Moulin Rouge! and a member of the LCT3 Council at Lincoln Center Theater. I enjoy collaborating with the creative team and company to make live theater, and I love connecting audiences with new stories.

Before transitioning to producing theater full-time, I spent 20+ years as a marketing executive, building community around and within iconic global brands, including Instagram, Google, PayPal, AOL. What drove me wasn’t the technology; I was obsessed with storytelling, with building relationships. 

I am grateful that Business Insider recognized me as one of the top 50 most innovative CMOs in the world in 2017. And I’m honored that the Financial Times included me in great company among the top 100 LGBTQ+ executives in the world in 2017 and 2018. These nods affirm that community drives us. People come first.

Above everything else, wherever I get to do my work, I’m passionate about equality and standing up for people who’ve been pushed to the side - especially young people, people living with HIV/AIDS, and people of color. That’s why I serve on the board of directors of The Trevor Project and why I served on the board of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. I’m also a proud supporter of the Human Rights Campaign.

Let’s make something great together.

Cliff Hopkins