Writers
We are driven by a talent-first approach. NBCU LAUNCH aims to discover multidimensional, visionary creators and empower them to tell their authentic stories, providing them with the resources to enhance their craft and professional skills and supporting them throughout their careers.
Our writing program alumni, including those from the previous long-standing Writers on the Verge program, are currently staffed on critically acclaimed and top-rated series across our industry. Many have become sought-after showrunners and executive producers. They include Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier, Gina Monreal, Rick Muirragui, Felicia Pride, Rashad Raisani, Keto Shimizu, and Debby Wolfe.
NBC TV WRITERS PROGRAM 2023 - 24
Shani Am. Moore
Bernard Badion
Hernán Barangan
Cristina Boada
Rishi Chitkara
Bryce Cracknell
Andi Delott
Domonic Diaz-Smith
Shani Am. Moore
Bernard Badion
Hernán Barangan
Hernán Barangan was diagnosed with Leukemia as a teenager — and while undergoing radiation therapy, he mutated into an atomic beast — umm, no — he fell in love with movies as a way to escape. He graduated from high school and cancer the same year, and would discover in the following decade that storytelling is actually about turning and facing your fears. He went on to build a career that spans documentary, commercials and screenwriting. Returning to face those aforementioned fears, he directed and stars in CANCER REBELLION (Executive Produced by Roger Daltrey of The Who), for which he traveled to all 50 states to interview 100 young adult cancer patients. Over the course, he discovered the power of filmmaking as a form of narrative therapy. He also directed THE 100%, a fully-immersive 360° interactive experience to benefit StandUp2Cancer; it won the Tribeca X Award and was nominated for an EMMY. He’s a marathon hand-cycler, has rebuilt a VW from the ground up, makes a mean green smoothie and is proudly half Salvadoran, half Filipino, and all-guns blazing.
Cristina Boada
Cristina Boada was born and raised in South Florida in a blended Puerto Rican/Argentine, strict Catholic family. From a young age, Cristina was fascinated by Catholic lore, which touched less on religion but more on themes of love, war, family, violence, mortality, and power. While devils and angels filled her young mind, she also noticed something important missing from these stories... women. Strong women, like her mother and grandmother who raised her. So many of Cristina’s stories are inspired by women like them. Women whose lives were shaped by dominant forces like masculinity, religion, or societal norms. Women who found ways to break down these walls of oppression and resistance in order to thrive. Cristina graduated from UCF’s Film BFA program and is currently working as the Script Coordinator on Danny Strong’s DOPESICK in addition to being in the current class at NBC’s Writers on the Verge. She recently received her first TV writing credit on Nat Geo’s scripted series VALLEY OF THE BOOM, and just completed a feature for MarVista Entertainment. She’s also worked as a Writers’ Assistant on shows like THE MENTALIST, FOREVER, LOVE IS... and PATRIOT. In her free time, Cristina enjoys volunteering at Young Storytellers and raising her own little mythical being -- a 7 pound, hairless Chinese Crested.
Rishi Chitkara
Bryce Cracknell
North Carolina native Bryce Cracknell is a writer, producer and director based in Los Angeles. As a storyteller, Cracknell seeks to elevate narratives, histories and experiences that are often overlooked, cast aside or forgotten. He is currently in post-production on his directorial debut film, “Save Yourself,” a hybrid-documentary on climate justice produced by Effie T. Brown and Gamechanger Films. Cracknell is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Anthem Award-winning environmental justice publication The Margin. He has led social impact campaigns for narrative and documentary features and television shows including "Descendant,” “Flee,” “My Name Is Pauli Murray,” “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” “Just Mercy” and “When They See Us.” In 2023, Forbes named him as one of 68 climate leaders changing the film and TV industry. Cracknell is a Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Scholar and a graduate of Duke University, where he earned a B.A. in public policy. Cracknell is repped by Kronicle Media.
Andi Delott
Domonic Diaz-Smith
Domonic Diaz-Smith is a comedy and mystery writer who writes to make people laugh first and think second. After working as a producer at a creative agency and a live broadcast director for Black mega-churches, she decided to pursue a career as a screenwriter in 2018. Since then, Diaz-Smith has worked in TV development with Lily Singh’s Unicorn Island, served as a writer’s assistant for Emmy Award-winning producer Larry Wilmore and won the 2019 Warner Bros./TruTV Comedy Writer's Award. Born in Memphis and raised in Los Angeles, the USC film school graduate is passionate about creating universal content that centers the stories of unexpected underdogs and their quirky relationship dynamics with nuance and rapid-fire jokes. Diaz-Smith is currently seeking representation.
NBC TV WRITERS PROGRAM 2023 - 24
Shani Am. Moore
Bernard Badion
Hernán Barangan
Cristina Boada
Rishi Chitkara
Bryce Cracknell
Andi Delott
Domonic Diaz-Smith
Shani Am. Moore
Bernard Badion
Hernán Barangan
Hernán Barangan was diagnosed with Leukemia as a teenager — and while undergoing radiation therapy, he mutated into an atomic beast — umm, no — he fell in love with movies as a way to escape. He graduated from high school and cancer the same year, and would discover in the following decade that storytelling is actually about turning and facing your fears. He went on to build a career that spans documentary, commercials and screenwriting. Returning to face those aforementioned fears, he directed and stars in CANCER REBELLION (Executive Produced by Roger Daltrey of The Who), for which he traveled to all 50 states to interview 100 young adult cancer patients. Over the course, he discovered the power of filmmaking as a form of narrative therapy. He also directed THE 100%, a fully-immersive 360° interactive experience to benefit StandUp2Cancer; it won the Tribeca X Award and was nominated for an EMMY. He’s a marathon hand-cycler, has rebuilt a VW from the ground up, makes a mean green smoothie and is proudly half Salvadoran, half Filipino, and all-guns blazing.
Cristina Boada
Cristina Boada was born and raised in South Florida in a blended Puerto Rican/Argentine, strict Catholic family. From a young age, Cristina was fascinated by Catholic lore, which touched less on religion but more on themes of love, war, family, violence, mortality, and power. While devils and angels filled her young mind, she also noticed something important missing from these stories... women. Strong women, like her mother and grandmother who raised her. So many of Cristina’s stories are inspired by women like them. Women whose lives were shaped by dominant forces like masculinity, religion, or societal norms. Women who found ways to break down these walls of oppression and resistance in order to thrive. Cristina graduated from UCF’s Film BFA program and is currently working as the Script Coordinator on Danny Strong’s DOPESICK in addition to being in the current class at NBC’s Writers on the Verge. She recently received her first TV writing credit on Nat Geo’s scripted series VALLEY OF THE BOOM, and just completed a feature for MarVista Entertainment. She’s also worked as a Writers’ Assistant on shows like THE MENTALIST, FOREVER, LOVE IS... and PATRIOT. In her free time, Cristina enjoys volunteering at Young Storytellers and raising her own little mythical being -- a 7 pound, hairless Chinese Crested.
Rishi Chitkara
Bryce Cracknell
North Carolina native Bryce Cracknell is a writer, producer and director based in Los Angeles. As a storyteller, Cracknell seeks to elevate narratives, histories and experiences that are often overlooked, cast aside or forgotten. He is currently in post-production on his directorial debut film, “Save Yourself,” a hybrid-documentary on climate justice produced by Effie T. Brown and Gamechanger Films. Cracknell is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Anthem Award-winning environmental justice publication The Margin. He has led social impact campaigns for narrative and documentary features and television shows including "Descendant,” “Flee,” “My Name Is Pauli Murray,” “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” “Just Mercy” and “When They See Us.” In 2023, Forbes named him as one of 68 climate leaders changing the film and TV industry. Cracknell is a Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Scholar and a graduate of Duke University, where he earned a B.A. in public policy. Cracknell is repped by Kronicle Media.
Andi Delott
Domonic Diaz-Smith
Domonic Diaz-Smith is a comedy and mystery writer who writes to make people laugh first and think second. After working as a producer at a creative agency and a live broadcast director for Black mega-churches, she decided to pursue a career as a screenwriter in 2018. Since then, Diaz-Smith has worked in TV development with Lily Singh’s Unicorn Island, served as a writer’s assistant for Emmy Award-winning producer Larry Wilmore and won the 2019 Warner Bros./TruTV Comedy Writer's Award. Born in Memphis and raised in Los Angeles, the USC film school graduate is passionate about creating universal content that centers the stories of unexpected underdogs and their quirky relationship dynamics with nuance and rapid-fire jokes. Diaz-Smith is currently seeking representation.