Maricarmen López (Mari) is a Showrunner, Executive Producer, and Media Strategist with over fifteen years shaping culture-driven storytelling across television, digital, and branded entertainment. Her work centers on talent, truth, and community, creating projects that resonate in both legacy media and the creator economy.

 

She began her career in music at Slip-N-Slide Records, rising from intern to managing artists such as Jagged Edge and later guiding the brand and advocacy work of Hip-Hop icon Slick Rick, including his successful U.S. citizenship campaign. That early foundation sharpened her instinct for discovering talent and understanding cultural moments.

 

In unscripted television, Mari became a key creative force behind the expansion of Love & Hip Hop, helping build the franchise into a global powerhouse. She cast and developed breakout stars including Cardi B and played a central role in launching Love & Hip Hop: Miami, introducing Afro-Latin narratives that broadened the franchise’s cultural impact. At Paramount Global, she led major franchise evolutions, including relaunching Black Ink Crew: LA (VH1) and guiding Caught in the Act: Unfaithful (MTV) through a network transition that resulted in its first spinoff.

 

Her recent work spans a new wave of creator-centered and digital-first storytelling. She produced Sebastian Telfair: Final Days of Freedom, a viral digital docu-series that surpassed one million views in its first month, and led Fat Joe Talks, STARZ’s first unscripted entry. She also produced The Fixer for FOX/Hulu/FOX Business, bringing brand-integrated storytelling to life alongside Marcus Lemonis, and continues to develop original IP that bridges entertainment, culture, and purpose.

 

Through her company, MCL Media, she partners with networks, studios, creators, and brands to build stories that merge creativity, commerce, and community. Her mission remains consistent across every chapter of her career: honor the people, tell the truth, and move culture forward.