Creative Cypher enters new era with first woman president of the entertainment powerhouse company, Cindy Beasley

CHICAGO (WLS) — On the heels of two Emmy nominations, three Telly Awards and major festivals, Creative Cypher – the innovative content collective founded by visionary creative and producer Troy Pryor – is entering a bold new era. The company announced that Cindy Beasley has been appointed President, signaling a strategic expansion of the Cypher brand as it continues to elevate underrepresented voices in film and television.

“Cindy will be an exceptional leader, and I’m beyond grateful for this entire team,” said Pryor. “We’ve been building together for a while now, and it’s important that every contributor gets the recognition they deserve.”

In addition to leading projects across all of Cypher’s departments, Beasley is a lifelong Chicago creative, producing shows for some of the city’s most prolific talents, including former FOX Chicago News anchor, Robin Robinson and Emmy Award winning journalist, Samantha Chatman.

“I’ve been blessed to be a collaborative partner in something that the city and culture needs,” said Beasley. “Creative Cypher is building the next generation of creatives and entertainment thought leaders, and with structure and soul I look forward to leading the way. We will continue to set the bar higher as Chicago’s top entertainment ecosystem,” said Beasley.

Beasley’s career spans over a decade in TV and Media Production, and her executive leadership experience across companies including her own, Morally Cinful Productions, has proven her impactful capability to mold creative organizations by bridging the gap between logistics and the arts. Beasley steps into this role as the leader of a newly minted leadership team, as Pryor has also announced Kyle Marshall as Cypher’s new Chief Operations Officer, and Starr Gadson as Chief Marketing Officer. Both Marshall and Gadson are longtime contributors to Creative Cypher.

In its next chapter, Creative Cypher’s flagship initiative, XL Fest, will continue its growth through a key collaboration with TateMen Entertainment, further anchoring its presence in Chicago. The festival has attracted an abundance of media coverage, and hosted an array of entertainment giants including Robert Townsend, Larenz Tate, Vivica Fox, Malcolm D. Lee, and Louis Carr, recently appointed president of BET. Cypher will also continue making great headway with its budding leadership team and extend its footprint across the global festival circuit, aligning with entertainment heavyweights like Robert Townsend and Lil’ Rel Howery (Chicago), XPO (London), and Parkway Social (Chicago).

Pryor remains the Chairman of Creative Cypher and maintains a dynamic presence on several boards including Soho House, SAG-AFTRA Chicago, Definition Theater, and more. After building the Cypher enterprise from the ground up, he is expanding his executive producer catalog, returning to his on-camera roots, and currently co-hosting radio alongside Gadson on “Connect the Starrs” airing on Rejoice 102.3 FM.

“The goal has always been elevation and avoiding founder syndrome,” said Pryor. “I launched Creative Cypher, because I saw a lack of growth from other organizations so it’s important that we practice what we preach. This is a natural progression in the ecosystem.”