Shape Advocacy Adds Veteran Public Affairs Strategist Greg Saphier

June 16, 2026 (Washington, DC) – Greg Saphier will depart the Motion Picture Association (MPA) after a 13-year run and join Shape Advocacy, the thriving issues and policy advocacy firm founded in 2019 by House Judiciary Committee veterans Ted Kalo and Sam Sokol and built with partner Casey Murray.

 

Saphier, who currently serves as MPA Senior Vice President, Head of Public Affairs, and previously as Senior Director, of State Government Affairs at NCTA—The Internet & Television Association, has played a significant role in major IP, tech, and telecom policy debates over the last 20 years. At the MPA, he established the association’s external and public affairs department– helping change the way the MPA approaches advocacy and playing an instrumental role in influencing some of the industry’s most important public policy debates pending in Washington, the states, and in the public square. 

 

As part of that work, Saphier pioneered and executed public affairs strategies, coalition campaigns, and advocacy tools that have become widely adopted as core elements of sophisticated policy advocacy in Washington. At the MPA, Saphier helped launch the Streaming Innovation Alliance (SIA) and shape the association’s approach to copyright and AI, among other priorities. He now brings that experience to Shape, adding to the firm’s policy, strategic communications, and coalition advocacy capabilities.

 

“My time at MPA has been career defining—and I couldn’t be more grateful to the friends and colleagues who made my experience there so worthwhile and memorable. Part of my decision to join Shape is that it allows me to keep doing the work I love with people and companies I know, respect and care about, while taking on new challenges and opportunities,” said Saphier, who will join Shape as Principal later this summer to ensure a smooth transition at the MPA

 

“It’s hard to fully describe Greg’s impact” said MPA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin. “Over more than a decade, he has built and developed our public affairs function from the ground up—establishing strong and lasting partnerships with third party organizations, industry stakeholders, coalition partners, policymakers, and key players from Capitol Hill to state capitals, to member companies and beyond. Greg’s sharp strategic instincts and deep policy expertise have helped us navigate complex questions related to copyright, streaming, innovation, artificial intelligence, production incentives, and so much more. He’s strengthened the MPA’s voice and influence on issues that matter to our studios and our industry. I am deeply grateful to him personally, for all he has done for the MPA and for our industry.” 

 

Since its founding in 2019, Shape has emerged as a sought-after public affairs firm for complex policy, reputational, and advocacy challenges, with particular depth at the intersection of copyright, IP, technology, and AI. The firm works with companies, associations, and coalitions across music, publishing, film, television, streaming, tech, telecom, and other sectors. Shape helped launch the Streaming Innovation Alliance and the Copyright Alliance’s Strong IP Strong AI campaign and currently staffs the 180+ member Human Artistry Campaign, a global coalition spanning 38 countries and organizing the creative community around core principles for responsible AI. 

 

As part of its work with HAC, Shape also helped develop and execute the Stealing Isn’t Innovation campaign, a high-profile integrated paid-media campaign, including print, digital, social, and out-of-home placements, opposing the use of unlicensed creative works to train AI systems. The firm is also providing public affairs support to the plaintiffs in connection with the pending $1.5 billion settlement of book piracy claims in Bartz v. Anthropic.

 

“Greg brings exactly the kind of versatility we value at Shape: the ability to move comfortably across policy, politics, communications, coalition-building, and business realities, and to turn those work streams into a coherent campaign,” said Shape Founding Partner Ted Kalo. “We have worked with Greg for years and know the respect he has earned across the policy and creative communities. We are lucky to have him as a colleague, and our clients will be better served because of it.”

 

About Greg Saphier

​

Before joining Shape Advocacy, Greg Saphier has served as Senior Vice President, Head of Public Affairs at the Motion Picture Association, where he oversees the association’s outreach to third-party stakeholders and strategic advocacy campaigns. In that role, he supports the association’s core strategic objectives and works to educate diverse communities about the creative industries and the policy frameworks that support storytellers. Greg also serves as chairman of the board of directors for the Copyright Alliance and as a board member for ALLvanza. He serves on the executive committee of the Media Coalition, the advisory board of the Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property, the steering committee of the Akron School of Law IP Policy Institute, and is an American Council of Young Political Leaders alumnus.

 

Before joining MPA, Greg served as Senior Director of State Government Affairs for NCTA, The Internet & Television Association, representing the cable industry before state intergovernmental organizations. He was also Manager of Government Affairs for the Maryland & DC Credit Union Association and began his Washington career as a legislative assistant for Congressman Nick Rahall.