Strategic Advisor
Richard Yelland
Founder & CEO of Curtis Birch, Inc. Emmy-nominated filmmaker and purpose-driven storyteller.

Biography
Richard is a writer, producer, and filmmaker who believes that being a good human being is good business. In 2000, he founded Curtis Birch, Inc. — a pioneering, mission-driven creative production house — to help conscious brands capture hearts and catalyze growth. By infusing cinematic, purpose-driven storytelling into communications, he helps companies turn their corporate missions into cultural movements.
His work has earned him two Emmy nominations, a Webby Award, and dozens of industry awards and film festival prizes. He remains deeply passionate about using the power of motion pictures and strategic communications to shift culture, drive real-world impact, and prove that purpose-led storytelling is a brand's ultimate growth engine.
The LOUPE Process
To help brands build sustainable campaigns with high ROI, Richard developed the LOUPE storytelling process — a turnkey story incubator that investigates, reveals, and magnifies the single most compelling impact story at the center of a brand's mission.
Key Partnerships
Richard has crafted high-impact campaigns for global and purpose-driven brands, including NIKE, Toyota, Bumble Bee, Sambazon, Surfrider, and Numi Organic Tea. These strategic projects consistently build deeply engaged, loyal audiences not just over years, but decades.
Featured Filmography
Richard's prominent documentaries and social-impact films include:
Birth of The Endless Summer
An Emmy-nominated documentary revealing the untold global journey of surf pioneer Dick Metz, whose adventures inspired the iconic film The Endless Summer.
Seeding Change: The Power of Conscious Commerce
A 12-time award-winning film on conscious commerce, featured on iTunes and screened at 1,000+ universities worldwide.
12 Miles North: The Nick Gabaldon Story
A Webby winner for Sports Film of the Year and ranked #34 on The Inertia's list of the greatest surf films of all time. This Nike documentary established Nick Gabaldon as America's first documented surfer of color.
Learn More About NileBuilt
A patented, non-combustible, net-zero building system replacing wood-frame construction.
