Shine Global, the non-profit media company that produces inspiring films and compelling content about underserved children and their families, announces a night of conversation with actor Kenan Thompson, star of Saturday Night Live (SNL), and producer Albie Hecht, who first worked with Kenan when he was a teenage cast member of the hit Nickelodeon series “All That”.

This free event will include an entertaining exploration of Kenan Thompson’s multi-decade career and will touch on his transition from child actor to the longest serving cast member of SNL. All participants will have the opportunity to join in this interactive forum and ask questions throughout.

To support Shine Global please join us by making a donation.

“Shine Global produces films like Liyana and Virtually Free that tell powerful stories, revealing hardship and strength, with the goal of protecting children from abuses globally,” said Thompson “The resilience that is celebrated in each film inspires us all to work together to improve the odds for children around the world.”

“We are very excited that Kenan Thompson will be joining us for a night of laughter and insightful conversation,” said Shine Global Co-Founder and Executive Director Susan MacLaury. “His talent and kindness have made him a beloved colleague on SNL and we share his commitment to promote action and inspire change.“

Shine Global gives voice to children and families by telling stories of their resilience to raise awareness, promote action, and inspire change. Since launching in 2005, Shine Global’s films have tackled child labor, child abuse, and child soldiering, shared moving stories about the effects of war, parental incarceration, undocumented immigration, and homelessness on children and highlighted the power of music, dance, and sports to heal.

Event Information

• November 16, 8-9pm ET
• To reserve a free ticket visit http://bit.ly/KenanNov16
• Donations requested

Kenan Thompson (Comedian and Actor)

Kenan Thompson returns for his 14th season on “Saturday Night Live.” Thompson has made numerous contributions to the show with his slew of hilarious impressions that include Rev. Al Sharpton, Charles Barkley, Steve Harvey and David Ortiz, and by playing memorable characters such as DJ Dynasty Handbag, the scathingly fierce co-host of “Deep House Dish,” boisterous second wife Virginiaca Hastings, and “Weekend Update” correspondent Jean K. Jean. Thompson has most recently garnered praise from audiences for playing characters Lorenzo McIntosh, a convict who uses “scare tactics” with delinquents, and D’Andre Cole, the disruptive singing talk show host on the wildly popular sketch, “What Up with That.”

A native of Atlanta, Thompson made his television debut as a member of Nickelodeon’s all-kid sketch comedy series “All That”. He and his partner Kel Mitchell debuted on a spin-off show, “Kenan and Kel,” in 1996. Thompson also had a recurring role on the WB’s “Felicity.”

Thompson showcased his voice talents as Greedy Smurf in the animated films “The Smurfs” and “The Smurfs 2.” His past projects include starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson in “Snakes on a Plane,” “Wieners” and “The Magic of Belle Isle” with Morgan Freeman. Thompson has also lent his voice to the animated comedy “Space Chimps,” the television series “Sit Down, Shut Up” and the Kobe/LeBron Nike puppet campaign during the 2009 NBA Playoffs. Other feature film credits include “Fat Albert,” “D2: The Mighty Ducks,” “Good Burger,” “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle,” “Heavyweights,” “My Boss’s Daughter,” “Barbershop 2,” and “They Came Together.” He was the voice of Austin “Impresario” Sullivan in the Hulu animated series “The Awesomes” and will also lend his voice to the upcoming film “Rock Dog.”

Thompson lives in Florida and New York City with his wife and daughter.

Albie Hecht (Shine Global Co-Founder/pocket.watch Chief Content Officer)

Albie Hecht is a Co-Founder of Shine Global and the Chief Content Officer of pocket.watch a kids and family brand. He was recently the head of the HLN Network and prior to that, he was the CEO of Worldwide Biggies, a digital studio creating transmedia content for film and TV. Before creating Biggies, Albie was President of Film and Television Entertainment at Nickelodeon, where he developed Spongebob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer and co-created and executive produced “The Kids Choice Awards.” As creator and President of Spike TV, Albie brought the UFC franchise to the channel. He won awards for his documentary “True Dads: the Story of American Fatherhood” with Bruce Willis. He produced the Oscar®-nominated animated feature Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Shine Global’s first film, the Oscar®-nominated feature documentary, War/Dance, the Oscar® winner Inocente, and 1 Way Up in 3D.

Shine Global is an award-winning non-profit media company that gives voice to children and their families by sharing their stories of resilience to raise awareness, promote action, and inspire change. We produce inspiring films and compelling content about at-risk children. Through tailored distribution and outreach, we connect with our audiences in communities, classrooms, museums, and on capitol hill as part of a powerful engagement campaign to encourage social change. Our films have won more than 80 major awards, including an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject for Inocente, an Academy Award®-nomination for War/Dance, and a Webby-nomination for The Election Effect digital series. Virtually Free is the 14th film by Shine Global. Learn More at www.shineglobal.org