Dina Gruenfeld

Dina Gruenfeld has worked in the creative field for about 30 years since starting in the early 1990s. She began her career at MTV from 1989 to 1995, initially as a writer-producer creating short-form video content before advancing to roles as a film director and creative director. After leaving MTV, she pursued freelance opportunities including work with ESPN on sports-related marketing content while still in New York, then relocated to Portland, Oregon in 1995. In Portland, her first full-time role was as an art director and director in Nike's film and video group, where she created projects involving top athletes, the Olympics, Nike Town, and a documentary on the company's history developed in collaboration with founder Phil Knight. She later became self-employed to accommodate family needs and has continued to evolve her skills in editing, shooting, website and print design, and editorial digital content creation for clients such as Alibaba and local Portland businesses including Bob's Red Mill. Gruenfeld has also directed longer-form documentaries, notably one focused on death and dying for which she received a Humanitarian Gold Award. A Cornell University psychology major, she is largely self-taught and attributes her success to her creativity and the support of smart, encouraging women at MTV who advocated for her opportunities. She advises trusting one's instincts to produce the most authentic work.