Zoe Saldana is branching out in a big way. The “Star Trek” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” actress — who already has a number of producing credits under her belt — is launching her own digital media start-up focused on empowering Latinos, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Her company BeSe (pronounced “bee-say” — the name is a portmanteau of the verb “to be” in English and Spanish) is set to launch before the end of the year. Founder Saldana will serve as CEO, and the brand will focus on producing content aimed at millennial and Gen Z audiences. Its mission statement is “to amplify the voice and untold stories of cultural pioneers reflecting and shaping the collective American experience,” according to THR.
“Latinos are a growing community in America, but Latino stories have remained historically marginalized,” said Saldana. “I’m so excited to be leading BeSe, a truly uplifting brand that fills a niche for young audiences craving positive portrayals of the modern Latino experience in America.”
The project’s investors and advisers include Monica Lozano, editor, publisher, and CEO of Spanish-language daily newspaper La Opinión, and its parent company, ImpreMedia. Lozano will appear alongside Saldana and BeSe president and COO Daniel Batista at the 2017 edition of the Worldz cultural marketing summit on July 31 in support of the company’s launch. They will be taking part in the summit’s Town Hall discussion entitled “Empowering the Latino Voice in Media.”
