Hot Snakes Media is responsible for some of the most watched and innovative content of the past decade. Based on both coasts and led by husband and wife team Shannon and Eric Evangelista the company has shattered viewership records on Discovery Channel, TLC and discovery+. They are responsible for the Critic’s Choice Award winning hit series DeafU now streaming on Netflix, this year’s most binged discovery+ show Pig Royalty as well as 11 ratings record setting seasons of the Breaking Amish franchise on TLC.
Before forming Hot Snakes Media Eric Evangelista spent 14 years as a broadcast news producer and newspaper journalist. Shannon Evangelista started her career as a Federal Criminal Defense attorney specializing in organized crime. Later Shannon served as Assistant District Attorney in Orange County, CA before moving to New York to serve as a prosecutor in the Special Narcotics Division of the District Attorney's Office in Manhattan.
Naimah Holmes serves as President of Hot Snakes Media, where she oversees all aspects of production for unscripted and scripted series, as well as internal and external development and acquisitions. Holmes most recently served as Vice President of Factual Content for Discovery Network during the transformational launch of discovery+ and through the merger with Warner Bros. She has excelled as a lead content developer with more than five freshman series in less than one year, including PIG ROYALTY, LOVE OFF THE GRID and MILLION DOLLAR WHEELS W/JAMIE FOXX. All have emerged as breakout hits, instrumental in driving strong subscriber growth at Discovery+.
Prior to Discovery, Holmes was as a sought-after development consultant, supervising producer and executive producer. She packaged, developed, sold to and produced projects for NETFLIX, AMAZON, HBO, DISCOVERY, MTV, HGTV, TLC, among others. As precursor to her formal leadership position with Hot Snakes, Holmes co-developed and produced the critically acclaimed and Emmy-nominated DEAF U, in partnership with Hot Snakes Media for Netflix. Her genre-pushing and groundbreaking initiatives have led to nominations and recognition throughout the unscripted industry.
Holmes also held senior development and executive positions at Esquire (NBCUniversal) and National Geographic. As Senior Director of Development for the then newly formed Esquire Network of NBC studios, Holmes spearheaded creative programming that proved vital in setting the network apart with shows such as FRIDAY NIGHT TYKES, FRIDAY NIGHT TYKES STEEL COUNTRY (Emmy Nominated),and AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR/ TEAM NINJA. As Director of Development for National Geographic, Naimah was part of a small start-up team that rebooted the network’s programming and created content that remains among the channel’s highest-rated shows to date. These include BRAIN GAMES (Emmy Nominated), LIFE BELOW ZERO (Emmy Winner), and COSMOS (Emmy Winner).
Holmes began her career as a Development Manager at Reveille Ent. Endemol Shine where she helped to develop and produce ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE (Lifetime), MASTER CHEF (FOX), THE BURIED LIFE (MTV) and played an integral role in relaunching THE BIGGEST LOSER (NBC). With her uniquely strong and versatile skill set, Holmes quickly became a pivotal asset in the pitch room, in the field, and at the edit bay.