Before becoming a filmmaker, Serena Schuler worked in New York in the tech industry for start-ups as well as companies including IBM and Yahoo! But an after-hours interest in screenwriting and witnessing the questionable treatment of bright, ambitious women in the industry helped inspire her to move to San Francisco and join a film incubator.

These days, as an award-winning writer, director and creator, Serena's films have been screened at festivals internationally, winning multiple audience awards. Recently she has taken the insights from her previous work experiences into her newest project, Makeshift Society, an original TV comedy series about a rising star who’s been booted from the tech bro world.

In this episode, we not only discuss changing lanes from tech to filmmaking, but talk about carving out an innovative path as an independent creator. From building an audience to financing her own work, Serena has used some of the strategies of the tech industry to push her vision forward without waiting for a studio or network to give her the green light.