Maureen Fan

Maureen Fan

Maureen Fan is CEO and co-founder of Baobab Studios, the industry’s leading VR animation studio. Started in 2015, the company’s Emmy-award winning VR animation, “INVASION!,” starring Ethan Hawke, launched to substantial critical acclaim and became the top performing VR app. In a first, Hollywood is taking IP from VR to become a feature film. Roth Kirschenbaum Films (“Maleficent,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Snow White and the Huntsman”) has signed on to adapt “INVASION!” into a big screen feature film.

Right out of the gate, Baobab Studios garnered laurels from film festivals globally including the Tribeca Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and Cannes. “INVASION!” is currently a top ranking download on major VR platforms including Oculus, VIVE, PSVR, Samsung, Within, Hulu, and others. Baobab’s film, “ASTEROIDS!,” starring Elizabeth Banks, is an official 2017 Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival selection, and won Best VR Experience at the Unity Vision Conference.

The studio’s latest film, “Rainbow Crow,” starring John Legend, Diego Luna, and Constance Wu, premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and Cannes this year. Baobab has raised $31 million to date, making them one of the largest in independent VR studios today. Baobab’s vision is to create experiences with the empathy of film, the agency of games, and ultimately the motivation of real life.

Maureen has held leadership roles in film, gaming, and the consumer web. She was most recently vice president of games at Zynga, where she oversaw three game studios including the “FarmVille” sequel, which contributed to 40% of the company’s revenues. Previously, she worked on Pixar’s “Toy Story 3” film, and worked at eBay in product management and UI design. Her most recent collaboration, “The Dam Keeper,” directed by Dice Tsutsumi and Robert Kondo, was nominated for the 2015 Oscar Best Animated Short.

Maureen was also named one of “The Most Creative People of the Year” by Ad Age for 2016. She received her undergraduate degree in an interdisciplinary program in computer science, art, and psychology from Stanford University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and earned her master’s degree in business from Harvard University.