EXCLUSIVE: Tonia Davis, Will Graham and Max Linsky are opening the doors to Invitation Media, a new multi-platform production company.
The group starts with a first-look TV deal at Amazon MGM Studios, and an upcoming film, the Vietnam War thriller Trust the Man, with Daniel Radcliffe and Lucas Hedges, as well as an audio partnership with The Washington Post. Graham is directing Trust the Man which they’re also producing with Davis and Linsky.
Under the Invitation Media banner, the partners are also executive producing the highly anticipated series Spy Coast, based on Tess Gerritsen’s novel, which is currently in development with Amazon MGM Studios.
Invitation Media will operate from Los Angeles and New York and is repped by UTA and Kaplan Perrone.
More projects and partnerships will be announced this summer.
“At an uncertain time for our industry, we wanted to team up and send a message of optimism,” said the founders of Invitation Media. “It’s a good time to offer new kinds of invitations to audiences and artists, and we’re excited to be a part of building that with our partners.”
“Combining our various industry experiences and production expertise, Invitation represents our shared vision to create meaningful, thought-provoking content that resonates across multiple platforms,” said Davis. “We’re building a home for our generation of creative talent, who are ready to do their best work across verticals; and we’re fortunate to build this with partners who are best in class when it comes to helping these stories find their audience.”
“The three of us have always admired each other’s work and approach to storytelling,” said Graham. “Coming together as Invitation Media allows us to combine our strengths and relationships in a way that amplifies what each of us can do individually.”
“There’s something fun about a moment where nobody is quite sure what the rules are anymore, and the three of us have learned over the years that there’s real opportunity in those moments too,” said Linsky. “I’m thrilled to get the chance to navigate this one with Tonia and Will.”
Davis previously launched Higher Ground, Barack and Michelle Obama’s media company, in 2018. While serving as co-head of the company, she led teams across film, TV, non-fiction, acquisitions, and children’s programming. Her producing credits include Oscar-winner American Factory, Peabody Award-winner Crip Camp, and NAACP and Emmy Award-winner Ada Twist: Scientist. Most recently, she produced Oscar-nominee Rustin and Leave The World Behind, currently ranked #7 on Netflix’s All-Time Most Popular Films List as well as the limited series Bodkin, starring Will Forte. Davis is currently an EP on the upcoming Netflix show The Altruists, created by Graham Moore and starring Julia Garner and Anthony Boyle. Prior to Higher Ground, Davis was SVP, Production at Chernin Entertainment, where she served as an executive producer on Snatched, The Greatest Showman, and Underwater. She came to Chernin from Walt Disney Studios after playing a key role in the production of their first set of live-action feature remakes, including The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast.
Graham is an acclaimed writer, director, producer, and showrunner with over fifteen years of industry experience. Their portfolio includes the Emmy Award-winning series Daisy Jones & The Six, which they executive produced and co-developed; the GLAAD and Human Rights Campaign change maker award-winning A League of Their Own, which they co-created and executive produced; and the Golden Globe and Emmy-winning Mozart in the Jungle, where they served as executive producer and showrunner. For their work on Daisy Jones & The Six, Graham has been nominated for an Emmy Award, a Producers Guild of America Award, and a Writers Guild of America Award. Their career began with the groundbreaking Onion News Network, for which they won a Peabody Award as director and executive producer.
Linsky previously co-founded Pineapple Street Studios, the podcast company responsible for groundbreaking hits including Wind of Change, Missing Richard Simmons, and 70 Over 70, which he created and hosted. Linsky has executive produced fifteen podcasts that have hit #1, including Hysterical, a 2025 Pulitzer Prize finalist and Apple’s Podcast of the Year for 2024. Linsky also co-created the website longform.org and co-hosted the critically acclaimed Longform Podcast, which concluded its twelve-year run in 2024 after more than 500 episodes featuring in-depth interviews with the world’s notable writers.
At Invitation Media, Linsky and Graham are developing The Listening Project, a podcast about how to become a better listener, in partnership with The Washington Post.
