Pouya Shahbazian is the Founder & CEO of Staircase Studios AI and a BAFTA-nominated film and television producer known for his expertise in book-to-film adaptation and rights management. He was previously named to The Hollywood Reporter's Next Gen “35 Under 35” list and honored by Publishers Weekly as a Star Watch recipient, recognizing top emerging talent in publishing.

His producing credits include the global box-office hit Divergent franchise, the BAFTA-nominated indie drama American Honey, the groundbreaking LGBTQ+ studio film Love, Simon (Fox 2000), and the Netflix fantasy series Shadow and Bone.

At Staircase Studios AI, he is building a next-generation movie studio that merges traditional Hollywood storytelling with cutting-edge AI production techniques.