Shelby Hadden is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, producer, and TEDx speaker with nearly ten years of experience creating compelling and impactful content for industry leaders such as Indeed, Apple, TikTok, and NBC Sports. Her passion for storytelling has led her to produce independent films showcased at prestigious festivals, including the New York Times Op-Doc, To Be Queen (Tribeca Film Festival 2019), Sister Aimee (Sundance Film Festival 2019), and Faders Up: The John Aielli Experience (Audience Award, SXSW 2024). She is currently producing Katherine Craft’s film, The Hog Queen, which is a recipient of the Inevitable Foundation’s Visionary Fellowship.
As a Senior Producer & Director at Blue Suitcase Productions, Shelby produced and directed over 370 corporate videos, podcasts, social media campaigns, branded documentaries, and more. Her role involved everything from brainstorming and collaborating with cross-functional teams and C-Suite executives to managing budgets up to $530K and leading teams of 30+ freelancers, artists, and agencies. Notably, she produced Indeed’s ​
bi-weekly podcast Here to Help, hosted by CEO Chris Hyams, delivering 132 episodes, trailers, and social media assets.
Beyond her accomplishments in film production, Shelby’s a trailblazer in raising awareness for pelvic floor disorders — from publishing essays in BUST Magazine and Refinery29, to producing her award-winning short animated film, Tightly Wound. Following a successful festival run, including screenings at Annecy International Animated Film Festival and DOC NYC in 2018, Tightly Wound was acquired by Condé Nast and has over 4 million views on YouTube. The film has garnered attention from prominent platforms such as CBS’s The Doctors, Variety, Cosmopolitan, and IndieWire. Shelby also delivered a TEDx talk titled "Why We All Lose When We Talk About Virginity” and organized TEDxKoenigLane in 2022, further highlighting her commitment to raising awareness on critical issues.
Shelby’s passionate about empowering young people and giving back to her community. She lectures at The University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University. She’s volunteered at the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference (HOBY) since 2008 and was a keynote speaker at the 2021 HOBY World Leadership Congress. Outside of filmmaking, Shelby shares her joy for dancing as an instructor at DivaDance Austin.