Ross Sheldon has an extensive background in high-level finance, including structuring deals, strategic marketing, public relations, building strategic worldwide business alliances, negotiating, and raising capital for multimillion-dollar companies in the entertainment, media, real estate and technology industries. He has created, developed, and produced content for the entertainment industry utilizing several forms of media communication.
Mr. Sheldon began his apprenticeship to high profile commodity traders, including the Becker Brothers, Joe Siegel and Louis Urban at the Mercantile Commodity Exchange in Chicago. After achieving significant success, Mr. Sheldon relocated to Monterey Bay, Jamaica to further his research into international strategic alliances and the importation of commodities into the US.
Upon his return in 1971, he co-produced Pink Floyd’s first live appearance, the Meddle Tour, in Chicago at the Auditorium Theater. In 1972, he co-produced the Grateful Dead’s live performance at Northwestern University.
In 1973, Mr. Sheldon began his career in the real estate industry where he was involved in all aspects of commercial and residential development, financing, and sales. He worked directly for the President of the Chicago Real Estate Board, later founding his own company, Avanti Properties. He was one of the original Chicago developers to convert vacant warehouses to commercial and residential loft space for lease and sale. Mr. Sheldon entered the motion picture industry in 1978 when his Uncle, Sidney Sheldon, provided him the opportunity to work on producing Sidney’s first novel, The Naked Face, into a motion picture. From there, Mr. Sheldon raised financing for producer Carlo Ponti’s film, The Squeeze.
As an unaccredited Associate Producer with Spiegel-Bergman Films (SBF), Mr. Sheldon worked on the film “Phobia,” directed by icon John Houston. As an investor and unaccredited Associate Producer his next project for SBF was "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins," distributed by Orion Pictures. In 1983, Mr. Sheldon was contracted by 20th Century Fox to write a story based on Jim Croce’s hit song “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.” Mr. Sheldon, as a client of William Morris, was contracted to write a TV story for Chi-Chi" Rodríguez and Jack Nicholas, “Hiding In The Light” that would assist in obtaining the State of Florida’s Board of Education’s approval for their unique, non-profit golf program supporting challenged children’s ability to learn school subjects.
Mr. Sheldon then went on to spend several years as a creative executive for several film companies, where his responsibilities ranged from writing concepts for television shows, film project development, finance, and marketing. Appointed Executive Vice President of Creative affairs at Glendale Studios, Mr. Sheldon traveled to Russia to acquire the worldwide rights to the “Leningrad Ballet On Ice.” Mr. Sheldon created Ross Sheldon Productions in 1988, where he co-created and executive produced environmentally focused videos and television programs including “What You Can Do To Save The Planet” with Bob Saget. and “Santa Barbara Earth Day 1990” featuring Kenny Loggins, Jackson Browne, Christopher Cross and Jim Messina.
In addition, in 1986 Ross obtained the Exclusive US Rights for the veterinarian application of the Acuscope and Myopluse healing technology, which are among the most effective early applications of electromagnetic acupuncture. His company, Equiscope, was dedicated to healing horses with a particular emphasis on performance horses. In 1992, after raising over $11,000,000, Mr. Sheldon became Chief Executive Officer and President of Synthetica Technologies, Inc., a steam reformation waste disposal technology company. He later licensed the technology to a subsidiary of Westinghouse for a value of $68,000,000. In 1994, Ross began consulting worldwide to successfully “brand” numerous high technology and entertainment companies, with an emphasis on day-to-day management, public relations, and marketing divisions. He was additionally involved in licensing, financing, product development, enhancing his client’s company value through public relations and media campaigns, acquiring strategic partners for all functions.
Successfully raising partial financing for the Academy Award Best Picture nominated film “The Thin Red Line” in 1998, Mr. Sheldon went on to create the business plan; engage commitments of some of the most successful stars, directors, and producers in the world; then secure financing of $600 million for the land acquisition and development; plus an additional $900 million combined in co-production and P&A funds from a major studio. Sheldon additionally assisted in acquiring the regulatory approval for, what was to be, one of the largest production and theme park facilities in Europe, Dragon International Studios. In partnership with Lord Richard Attenborough, he is one of the founders and shareholders in this partially developed film and television studio complex on 350 acres of land in Cardiff, Wales.
In late 2002, at Richard Branson’s request, Mr. Sheldon provided a comprehensive marketing strategy and insider access to launch Virgin’s new Virgin Mobile in worldwide markets. This resulted in expediently creating an enormous consumer base; massive cash flow; and cross-promotional branding.
In 2003, Mr. Sheldon was responsible for the strategy and introductions that lead to a $500,000,000 investment in motion pictures from a leading venture capital company in England.
In 2006, Mr. Sheldon was retained to raise $300 Million Dollars for the construction and initial operation of an Ethanol Plant located in Santa Maria, CA. Concurrently, Mr. Sheldon represented a company that provides continuous remote location status reporting and providing alerts in the most effective, economical, user-friendly manner available. In doing so, Mr. Sheldon arranged for the head of one of the key government agencies responsible for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill clean- up to personally receive his client’s’ proposal. His client’s company was subsequently sold for over $100 Million Dollars. Mr. Sheldon’s European company, Euroca Strategic Alliances, established offices in Madrid, Spain and China to provide services creating strategic relationships for companies, universities, and projects. As a result, Mr. Sheldon introduced a member of England’s royal family empowered to encourage industrialists, financiers, and government officials to consider taking successful companies in China public on the London Stock Exchange. This created a royal visit with all the appropriate pomp and ceremony through Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. In addition to media projects, he has created, financed and marketed several ventures including: Caribbean Cruise Gambling/Night Club Casino; a sixty-acre Vineyard; bottled drinking water; and Holistic Healing Technology. Currently, Mr. Sheldon is involved in:
i. Arranging the financing, distribution as well as, establishing alternative worldwide marketing and branding strategies for the production of a slate of film and television projects he has created and in the process of developing. ii. Executive Produced the reality TV Series “The Abolitionists”, which has filmed a movie/pilot and 3 seasons worth of episodes of actual sting operations resulting in the rescue of over 300 children being trafficked as sex slaves as well as creating and developing the scripted, dramatic, TV Series. iii. Establishing a foundation that will continuously fund child rescue, healing of the rescued children, and awareness throughout the world utilizing the most advanced social media technology and live entertainment events. iv. Completing his presentation video and deck for a TV and/or cable series he co-created that essentially brings humanity to the masses. v. Providing Introductions and Consulting services to a technology company for a $70 MM grant from one of the largest government agencies to deploy advanced electronic healing technologies on the battlefield. vi. Developing Concerts and viral media strategies to assist in the financing and awareness of rescuing enslaved children worldwide. vii. Chairman/CEO of an American company that, in cooperation with the Chinese Government, is developing a multi-billion dollar destination resort that will include a theme park, production studios, convention center as well as the “Mayo Clinic” of holistic healing. viii. Business Development Partner with ROKiT phones that provides the newest technology including 3D without glasses, quality of life bundle packages that include insurance and healthcare services all on the most affordable basis that has, to date, ever been offered. Provided introductions to over 500 million potential subscribers ix. Agent for M.L. Snowden - world-renowned sculptor. x. Marketing Consultant to companies that seek State permits, distribution & retail sales for their spirits, beer and/or wine throughout the US & Foreign Markets. xi. Consultant to a commodities bank; responsibilities include introducing where house capital up to $500 MM.
Over the past number of years, Mr. Sheldon has participated in sponsoring and mentoring students at UC Santa Barbara’s Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, as well as students pursuing careers in the entertainment industry. Mr. Sheldon was born and educated in Chicago. His passion, in addition to sailing includes horses, and has been involved for over forty years in equestrian sports. Mr. Sheldon is an experienced polo player - foxhunter, and cutting horse rider, and has bred racehorses.