Our Story
Sunwise Media is a multi-platform media company focused on today’s diverse multicultural market. Through bold creative enterprises Sunwise bridges the intersection of content and branding in the ever-shifting distribution landscape. Launched in 2017 by Ri-Karlo Handy, Sunwise is positioned to capitalize on the explosive growth in media consumption by the ALM Market: African-America, Latino, and Multicultural consumers.
Sun Wise aims to be the leading content creator for the new majority multicultural market by funding and producing evergreen multi-generational content distributed across all platforms.
The Sunwise mission is to create entertainment that inspires and compels social and cultural change by combining the power of a good story well told with opportunities for real world impact and awareness around the most pressing issues we face today.
Ri-Karlo Handy
Founder
Oakland native Ri-Karlo Handy began working in the film industry at the very young age of 14. While still in high school, he collaborated with some of the bay area’s most popular artists including E-40, En Vogue, and Too Short. Starting off as a production assistant, he hustled his way up to director by the age of 18, helming music videos for Master P, Bone-Thugs and Harmony, Mack 10, and countless others.
He’s also directed commercials, films, and a collection of documentary projects including the underground hit “Unsigned” which he shot, produced, and edited.
In 2003, Ri-Karlo shifted his focus to television, editing such shows as Kitchen Nightmares for FOX, Pros Vs. Joes for SPIKE TV, and much more. Shortly after, he began show running unscripted programs for BET, MTV, TLC, and OWN, including serving as the executive producer for Keyshia Cole’s “The Way It Is” for BET and Nick Cannon’s “Son of A Gun” for MTV.
Ri-Karlo Handy most recently served as Senior Vice President of Original Programing for Bounce TV, where he participated in the creation and production of many of the network’s dramas, sitcoms, music specials, stand-up specials, and unscripted content. He served as an executive producer of the network’s hit drama “Saints & Sinners” and the popular sitcoms “Mann & Wife,” “Family Time,” and “In The Cut.”