The Producer Behind The Simpsons and Family Guy on How HEEBOO is Rebooting Entertainment

In this episode of Business Roundup, host Melissa Bill sits down with Emmy-winning producer Sherry Gunther Shugerman (The Simpsons, Family Guy) and Andrew Pelekis, co-CEO of HEEBOO, a new entertainment venture reimagining how content is built, funded, and sustained. Sherry reflects on her decades in traditional Hollywood, behind some of television’s most influential animated series of the past three decades, including The Simpsons, Family Guy, Rugrats, Dexter’s Laboratory, and The Powerpuff Girls. Andrew shares his vision for HEEBOO and his transition from finance to entertainment—and why the old model of producing content before building an audience is no longer enough. Together, they explain HEEBOO's fan-first approach, where creators build engaged communities before production begins, empowering fans to collaborate, invest, and share in a project’s success through tokenized ownership. The conversation explores: Why fan engagement matters more than ever in today’s noisy digital landscape How creators can build authentic, direct relationships with audiences The role of platforms like TikTok and YouTube in modern franchise building How tokenization is changing ownership, investment, and creative control Why HEEBOO aims to become a destination for creators seeking authenticity and sustainability This episode offers a forward-looking look at the future of entertainment, where community, transparency, and creator empowerment are at the center of franchise building.