Leslie Greif

President
Thinkfactory Media

One of the most prolific figures in the entertainment industry, Leslie Greif (Founder & CEO of Thinkfactory Media) is a multi-Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominated producer, creator, writer and director.  Mr. Greif is well-known for three iconic television classics – as creator of the long-running series Walker Texas Ranger starring Chuck Norris, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, and the award-winning, critically acclaimed mini-series The Hatfields & The McCoys starring Kevin Costner.

Mr. Greif is a versatile talent responsible for hundreds of hours of quality scripted and unscripted entertainment which have aired on nearly every major television network. Thinkfactory Media’s projects have collectively earned 20 Emmy nominations (5 wins), 2 Golden Globe nominations (1 win), 23 Guild nominations (5 wins) and 2 Guinness World Records.

In the scripted realm, Mr. Greif most recently developed and currently executive produces the 1950s period drama Sun Records, spotlighting Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and record company pioneer Sam Phillips in CMT’s first original scripted drama show. Sun Records’ premiere became the most-watched night of CMT originals in the channel’s history.  

Mr. Greif is also the writer and executive producer of the upcoming movie thriller The Dating Game Killer for Investigation Discovery as well as Lifetime’s hit Gracie award-winning urban biopic Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel’le. Mr. Greif won kudos as writer and executive producer of the 10-hour television event Texas Rising for History, the true story behind the fabled Texas Rangers, which rustled up a trio of Emmy nominations and starred Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Bill Paxton, Ray Liotta and Kris Kristofferson.  

Mr. Greif’s multi-hyphenate work on other scripted projects includes a slate of independent films: as director and producer of the crime drama Keys to Tulsa, starring Eric Stoltz, James Spader and Cameron Diaz; writer, director and producer of the Chevy Chase comedy Funny Money; producer of the Rodney Dangerfield comedy Meet Wally Sparks; producer of the Alec Baldwin thriller Heaven’s Prisoners; and writer/director of the screwball sex comedy 10 Rules for Sleeping Around.

In the world of unscripted/reality programming, Mr. Greif currently executive produces Mama June: From Not to Hot, whichdelivered 2.3 million viewers in its premiere, WEtv’s highest debut in the channel’s history. Mr. Greif has several other enduring series including Marriage Boot Camp (in its 10th season on WEtv), R&B Divas (TV One), Married by Mom and Dad (TLC), Hollywood Divas (TV One), Preachers’ Daughters (Lifetime), Chasing Mummies (History), Sinbad: It’s Just Family (WEtv), Eddie Griffin: Going for Broke (VH1), and Battleground Earth starring Ludacris and Tommy Lee (Planet Green/Discovery).  

In the documentary arena, Thinkfactory Media is currently producing an independent feature on the 60th anniversary of the Rat Pack. Mr. Greif produced and directed Brando for TCM, which earned an Emmy nomination and starred Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Sean Penn, Johnny Depp and Martin Scorsese. Mr. Greif’s other docu-projects include Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool (TCM), multiple episodes of the A&E series Biography, NBC’s Headliners & Legends, nearly 50 episodes of the Lifetime bio-doc series Intimate Portrait, Opening the Tombs of the Golden Mummies: Live! which aired on Fox TV from deep in the Sahara Desert, and ABC’s first live fan sports awards show The All-Star Pro Sports Awards, featuring winning athletes Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.