PEOPLE
Our team partners with academics, educational institutions, nonprofits and media outlets to make information accessible, relevant, and when appropriate, actionable.
Bridgett Ennis
FOUNDER
Bridgett is a producer with a bent toward business and finance whose love for nature and the environment has guided her career.
Erika Street Hopman
FOUNDER
Erika is a writer, producer and video director whose work reflects her passion for the environment and social justice.
CBDM has a national network of writers, audio engineers, voice talent, video editors, website developers and others who bring our projects to fruition.
Many years of friendship, collaboration, and inspiration have led us to where we are today.
HISTORY
Bridgett Ennis and Erika Street Hopman met while working together at Finger Lakes Productions International Inc. (FLPI), a radio production company best known for its short-form features about science and the environment. It was there that the two women discovered a shared passion for creating short-form media and effective outreach projects.
Bridgett started at FLPI IN 1998. During her time with the company, Bridgett became involved in every aspect of radio production and distribution. With guidance and friendship from her mentor, Paul Bartishevich, president of FLPI, Bridgett continued to expand her role and her horizons. Within five years, she had become the company VP, a role in which she helped establish and maintain relationships with leading environmental and scientific organizations.
In 2006, Erika joined FLPI as a project manager. She applied her background in biology, media production experience, and love of writing to programs like The EnvironMinute and Animal Instincts, along with other radio campaigns and educational podcasts. Erika eventually left FLPI to pursue a graduate degree in film production, but she and Bridgett kept in close touch.
When Paul tragically passed away in 2012, the women lost not only a boss, but a great friend as well. When Paul’s mentors, Howard "Chavo" Bell and David Bell, came into
town for his funeral, they encouraged Bridgett and Erika to pick up the torch. They assured them that Paul would have had confidence in their ability to continue on their own. The idea stuck, and the women became determined to carry on Paul’s passion for radio production and scientific communication.
After brainstorming and planning, Bridgett and Erika joined forces to create ChavoBart Digital Media in 2014. They named the new company in honor of Paul and Howard, their friends and mentors. At CBDM, they have expanded on Paul’s original vision to include more multimedia content. But their goal remains the same: to make complex information accessible and relevant to everyone.
PROJECT PARTNERS
CBDM is proud to partner with the following organizations in our quest to advance scientific and environmental literacy.