“Todd has been a mentor to me since my first writing job many years ago, and I constantly find myself using his mentorship as my North Star. His kindness and patience, mixed with enthusiasm, honesty, and humor shaped the way I tell stories and the way I try to interact with my colleagues. Todd is an amazing storyteller with the heart of a teacher, and in this chaotic industry, that combination is a very rare find. I am so grateful I did.”

When I met Todd as an assistant on SMALLVILLE, I was a few years into my Hollywood journey and struggling to pull my screenwriting passions together into that most elusive of things… a career!  Now that I’m a showrunner, when I look back on what Todd gave me, I see his unique gift as a mentor.  He read my scripts and found a way to shape them so they reflected what I wanted to say as a writer, while also finding a place on the market.  The first script I worked on with Todd got me an agent that I still work with today.  The second script became a calling card that still gets me meetings almost twenty years after I wrote the first draft.  Todd gave challenging feedback that required me to step back and think — who am I writing this for?  What’s the best way for me to get my message across?  He was a critic and a cheerleader in equal measure, who always had my best interest at heart, and what that boiled down to was:  Todd wants people to read what I have to say!

“I met Todd when he hired me in my first staffed writer position on THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY. Todd empowered me to not just 'write for a show,' but take ownership over the material and pour yourself into it. He led by creating a safe, welcoming place where I always felt comfortable pitching any idea. As I moved up the ranks, Todd took personal interest in my continued development as a writer, offering me new responsibilities and opportunities to grow. Todd is all about lifting the veil to teach what it means to be a great showrunner, mentor, and person. He taught me to value and uplift the people you work with as much as you value the stories you tell-- if not more. Todd has set the tone for what I expect in a writers' room-- a positive, creative, respectful space that I hope to emulate when I become a showrunner.”

“I had the privilege of meeting Todd while interning in the writers' room of Defiance in 2012. Despite his busy schedule, Todd took the time to have lunch with me and offer invaluable advice. Over the years, he has imparted so much wisdom about the craft of writing, the dynamics of a writers' room, and what it takes to be an effective showrunner. He’s a true pitch master, and I’ve adopted his engaging, performative style with great success, selling both tv series and features.  He's been an incredible teacher and mentor, and I am grateful now to call him a friend.”

“I met Todd 20 years ago when I was an intern for Smallville, and I have grown immensely as both a writer and producer while working for — and with — him from show to show. Todd’s kind, wise and professional — and has the rare added bonus (that so few who teach the craft possess) of actual working knowledge of the business, where it’s been and where it may be headed.”

“Todd is a wonderful storyteller, but what makes him truly exceptional is his generosity as a mentor. I first met Todd when I was an assistant to the writers' room on Shadowhunters. Thanks in large part to his guidance as co-showrunner, I was eventually promoted to staff writer; not only penning my own episodes, but producing them on set! It's a rare and special thing to have a boss like Todd, who sincerely wants every writer (and support staff member) with whom he works to succeed.”