Founder Bio

Our CEO, Carrie-Lynn Neales was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. She began performing at an early age. First, as a tiny dancer, and then throughout adolescence CL moved towards theater, and eventually found film and television after graduating college. 

Although her primary focus has always been performing, Carrie-Lynn often found herself writing short stories, essays, and free-form journaling. Following a series of challenging relationships in her 20s and on the heels of a huge career achievement as the female lead in a comedy series, CL wrote several essays on love, heartbreak, and learning to love again. Finding the courage to send these essays to Ms. Ariana Huffington Carrie-Lynn was delighted and honored to receive a personal note in return, and an opportunity to continue writing and publishing through Huffington Post’s platform. 

From this, Carrie-Lynn branched out to writing short films, scenes, and finally her first feature film in 2022. Timing is everything, they say. And, the timing for CL’s first script wasn’t the best. Hollywood suffered under the pandemic of 2020, and then again throughout 18 months of contract negotiations and strikes across several unions in the industry. However, refusing to allow this to deter her, CL sought ways to self-produce and she was reunited with an old friend who breathed new producing life into this project and re-ignited her passion for collaborating. 

Iris Media Group is the brainchild of Carrie-Lynn and her loving and supportive (and very tech savvy) husband and partner, Steve. Together they have built IMG from the ground up - lifting up diverse, female, voices. Sharing stories is the deepest form of connection, and the lifeline for the future generations, which CL hopes to inspire through her stories, and those told with Iris Media Group.

“Tell your story with your whole heart”

- Brene Brown