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PR Veteran Linda Guerrero Launches Cultural Agency, Shawn Finnie Joins as Executive VP (EXCLUS

Veteran PR executive Linda Guerrero has formed Cultural Agency, a multicultural agency that connects publicity, awards and marketing campaigns to what’s happening in culture and is specifically focused on Latino, Black, API, LGBTQ+, faith and accessibility audiences.

“Multicultural audiences are mainstream audiences, and we know that films with diversity drive bigger box office,” said Guerrero in a statement announcing the launch. “But connecting with these audiences takes much more than heritage months or once-a-year campaigns.”

Guerrero, whose resume includes terms at Netflix and 42 West, added: “I’ve spent most of my career helping brands and clients engage culture-defining communities with authenticity, purpose and a sophisticated understanding of their many nuances, and creating Cultural Agency is the next right step.”

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Joining Guerrero at Cultural Agency is Shawn Finnie, who will serve as executive vice president. Finnie joins the company after a lengthy tenure at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he most recently served as executive vice president, member relations, global outreach and awards. He exited the role last year.

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The company is already engaged with a number of streamers and theatrical companies, utilizing Guerrero and Finnie’s extensive experience working with multicultural audiences. Cultural Agency has also enlisted an advisory council, which includes Gold House CEO & founder Bing Chen, GLAAD CEO & president Sarah Kate Ellis. Elle editor-in-chief Nina Garcia, WIE Suite CEO & founder Dee Poku and Time CEO Jessica Sibley as of its launch.

Prior to creating Cultural Agency, Guerrero spent six years at Netflix — most recently serving as senior director, multicultural publicity, social and community at Netflix, where she led a team focused on strategy and outreach for Black, Latinx, API, LGBTQ+ and faith audiences across film and series. She also spent three years as director of publicity for Latin America.

Before joining Netflix, Guerrero spent a decade as a managing director at 42 West. In that role, she created and led the company’s multicultural practice with clients including Universal, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox and Netflix. Guerrero’s resume also includes a term as vice president at Terry Hines & Associates, where she helped launch their multicultural group, and roles on publicity teams at Paramount, Rogers & Cowan and 20th Century Fox.

Since 2016, Guerrero has been a marketing and public relations member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, serving as co-chair of the A2020 and A2025 initiatives since 2020 and the branch’s executive committee since 2019.

At the Academy, Finnie oversaw member engagement and global outreach for the organization’s membership of more than 11,000+ artists and executives; Academy Awards administration, rules and regulations, processes for submissions, rules, and voting; as well as industry engagement and film festivals strategy and outreach. Finnie launched Academy Affinity groups (member-led, staff-supported groups that amplify voices in the Black, Indigenous/Native American, Middle Eastern, West Asia, North African, LGBTQIA+, Asian, Latinx and accessibility communities) and co-created and produced the award-winning “Academy Dialogues: It Starts with Us” series. He was also instrumental in the Academy’s premiere events, including the Governors Awards, Women’s Luncheon and Oscars broadcasts.

In 2021, Finnie was featured on Variety’s New Leaders list and he also received the 2023 AdColor Advocate award. Since exiting his position at the Academy in 2023, Finnie hosts the Los Angeles Times’ digital series “The Envelope.”

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