Ellisa McKissic-Hagen

Chief Operating Officer • Producer

Ellisa McKissic-Hagen is the Chief Operating Officer and Producer at Palm Drive Productions, where she oversees the company’s operational framework, strategic partnerships, financing coordination, and the execution of its growing slate of film, television, and franchise-focused intellectual property.

Integral to Palm Drive’s continued evolution as a next-generation mini studio, Ellisa helps guide the company’s library of more than 30 original IP properties while also steering its expansion into multi-platform storytelling through the 2026 launch of Cadaver Comics.

A Los Angeles native, Ellisa began her academic studies in Journalism at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism before ultimately shifting her focus to filmmaking, earning degrees in both Film & Television and Pan African Studies. This interdisciplinary foundation provided not only a practical command of cinematic craft but also a nuanced understanding of media’s role in shaping cultural narratives, identity, and audience perception—a dual lens that continues to inform her thoughtful approach to development, producing, and audience-driven storytelling.

Ellisa’s early career spanned both major studio development and independent producing, cultivating a rare balance of executive oversight, creative instinct, and hands-on production leadership. Her formative studio experience included working under studio head Elizabeth Gabler at 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures Entertainment, followed by a tenure at Paramount Pictures under renowned producer Lynda Obst. During these formative years, she developed a strong instinct for commercially resonant storytelling, project packaging, and disciplined production strategy.

Today, Ellisa remains deeply involved in both the creative and logistical aspects of production, shepherding filmmaker-driven material from early development through final delivery while helping shape Palm Drive’s broader transmedia expansion.

With a keen eye for commercially viable storytelling and franchise-minded intellectual property, she combines studio-trained precision with entrepreneurial agility to identify, build, and position enduring entertainment assets designed to thrive across platforms and global markets.