Stephania Lipner, ICF Founder, has produced documentaries and TV commercials through her own production company, SL Productions. Originally from New York City, she was raised in a military family.

Her grandparents were Russian immigrants so it was no surprise that Stephania turned out to be a ballerina, and at the age of 15 she was discovered by Lucia Chase, ballet director and co-founder of American Ballet Theatre. Stephania became the youngest dancer ever to be accepted into the American Ballet Theatre.

Traveling the world with ABT and later the Joffrey Ballet, she advanced to principal roles. During hiatus Stephania appeared as a dancer in the films Bye Bye Birdie, starring Ann-Margret, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, starring Robert Morse, which is where she became interested in production.

Stephania moved into advertising, became a producer, and, at age 26, was promoted to Vice President, Head of Broadcast Production for McCann-Erickson, one of the world's premier advertising agencies, where she won Clio and Belding Awards for her work. She later produced an ABC-Television Network Special, The Mysterious Powers of Man, before becoming Vice President of Development for Telepictures. As a producer of live theatre in Los Angeles, Stephania worked with many Hollywood notables, including Jack Lemmon in David Mamet's Life in the Theater.

Since 1992, Stephania has shared the vision and worked tirelessly side-by-side with her husband, Fred Heinrich, to build Inner-City Filmmakers into the successful organization that it is today. Her motivation, determination and work ethics are infused in ICF students.

"Inner-City Filmmakers is not a job, it is our life."   Stephania Lipner