- Veteran manager-producer Jennie Church-Cooper has launched Hello Sailor Media, a new management and production company for comedians, actors, writers, directors and multi-hyphenate creators.
- The move follows nearly two years as a lit and talent manager at Levity Entertainment Group (Levity Live), capping 18 years in the business.
- Church-Cooper previously exec produced the Peabody Award-winning Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj.
Jennie Church-Cooper has opened her own shop. The veteran manager-producer has launched Hello Sailor Media, a new management and production company representing comedians, actors, writers, directors, and multi-hyphenate creators across film, television, podcasts, and digital media, with a stated focus on underrepresented voices alongside established talent.
The launch caps 18 years in the industry for Church-Cooper, most recently as a lit and talent manager at Levity Entertainment Group for nearly two years. Before that, she spent eight years at Haven Entertainment and seven at Principato Young Entertainment, now known as Artists First.
Her production credits include exec producing the Peabody Award-winning Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, plus a string of comedy specials, and her client history includes names like Kulap Vilaysack, James Adomian, and Erin Gibson.
Church-Cooper said building careers is what drives her, noting many of her clients have stuck with her for well over a decade, and that Hello Sailor is meant to be a home for evolving storytellers.
She also serves on the leadership committee of the Yes, And Laughter Lab, a nonprofit incubator that has championed diverse comedic voices since 2019.
Hello Sailor arrives amid a broader wave of managers stepping out to build their own boutique shops in 2026. Nashville, for instance, saw former Apple Music country chief Michael Bryan launch Southern Drift, a management and media company built around musician Charlie Worsham and the podcast God’s Country.
On the film side, literary manager Raquelle David opened New Story this spring, a company built to champion global, filmmaker-driven storytelling.
Takeaways
Boutique, founder-led management shops keep popping up in 2026, and Hello Sailor Media is the latest sign that veteran managers increasingly want ownership over the companies built around their client relationships, not just a seat inside a bigger shingle.
For a comedy-focused roster that’s stuck with Church-Cooper across three prior companies, the loyalty clearly runs both ways.
Will Hello Sailor’s production arm compete for the same premium comedy-special and late-night deals as bigger shops? How will Hello Sailor balance representing underrepresented voices with producing its own slate?
