A Nigerian American Ada Chiaghana who cut her teeth working for HBO, where she has been a creative executive in the original programming department, working on half-hour series including Los Espookys and Silicon Valley, was recently hired by Higher Ground Productions, the banner production company founded by President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as VP Development and Production. Chiaghana, whose parents are from Nigeria and resides in Houston, Texas, had previous stints in comedy development at ABC Studios and at Bosch and The Killing producer Fabrik Entertainment. Chiaghana reports to Higher Ground co-heads Tonia Davis and Priya Swaminathan.
“Ada’s experience discovering and nurturing storytellers makes her a perfect fit for Higher Ground,” Davis and Swaminathan said in a release announcing the hire. “We are dedicated to seeking out new voices and telling powerful stories that entertain and inspire. Ada’s intelligence, creativity and proven track record will make her an integral part of our team.”
During her time at HBO, Chiaghana worked on titles that include Issa Rae’s Insecure, Los Espookys and Silicon Valley.
Higher Ground in April signed a multiyear deal with Netflix, which recently released the company’s first feature, the Sundance documentary American Factory. Higher Ground’s upcoming slate includes a feature film adaptation of author David W. Blight’s Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom and a scripted anthology TV series adapted from The New York Times’ ongoing obituary column, Overlooked.
American Factor, a Netflix original documentary, has been nominated for Academy Awards 2020 in the best documentary feature category.
