Meet the innovation co-lead

Muki Kulhan, innovation co-lead, IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, reveals her love for all things media started at six years old, recording and performing ad jingles with her brother, and how that has developed into a passion for helping to shape innovation in the industry

By Jenny Priestley

Published: March 7, 2025 Updated: March 10, 2025

Muki Kulhan, innovation co-lead, IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, reveals her love for all things media started at six years old, recording and performing ad jingles with her brother, and how that has developed into a passion for helping to shape innovation in the industry

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Talk us through an average day in your role Well, an average day in my role is non-definable every day brings something new, especially with new innovation and new teams year on year! However, a typical week covers executive production/project management across several IBC Accelerator projects, especially those with a focus that is on the cusp of broadcast engineering and progressive, emerging media like XR, AI, VP, 3D assets and more. This also includes regular check-ins with the project champions (broadcasters, studios, academia), coordinating synergies with participants (vendors, solution providers) into workstreams, and management of the wider teams remotely and also on site, with hands-on R&D and team hackathons One of the best things about the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme is the sheer variety of projects and people I get to work with. Our programme brings together broadcasters, technology companies, and industry pioneers from around the world to solve real-world challenges through collaboration and experimentation in a super short, nerve-wracking sprint towards IBC in Amsterdam.

I work with a global mix of broadcasters, tech companies, and startups to develop groundbreaking proof-of-concept (PoC) projects that push the boundaries of media and entertainment. One day, I might be leading project calls across different time zones, deep-diving into AI-powered production workflows, or brainstorming with teams in our Slack channels. The next, I could be moderating a panel, hacking out new ideas at a real-world lab session, or meeting with tech pioneers to explore the next-gen tools shaping content creation. Beyond the logistics of keeping Accelerator teams on track, IBC is all about people-powered innovation getting diverse minds in a room (or a virtual call!) and saying, What if? That's where the magic happens.

And, as an awesome bonus, I'm constantly on the road, speaking at conferences and events to evangelise the programme and advocate for diversity in tech helping amplify new voices and championing positive change for the global media industry is something I love about my job.

How did you get started in the media industry? I have always loved media, from a very early age when everything was analogue! I reckon it all started when I was about six years old, recording and performing ad jingles with my brother in our living room! Fast forward a bit I was writing for my school newspaper, working at a student radio station, and absorbing everything I could about media production.

My professional career kicked off in broadcast journalism and digital production. I was one of the first hires for MTV Interactive in the UK back in the naughties, leading the launch of digital platforms for MTV Base, Dance, Hits, and MTV2, then launching artists and awards on interactive channels around the world. That experience gave me a front-row seat to the evolution of content in the early days of the internet, and from there, I moved into executive production, digital strategy, and immersive XR media. Over the years, I've worked on groundbreaking projects with clients like Marvel, Angry Birds, and the BBC where I served as executive digital producer for The Voice UK. But the common thread in my career has always been being super keen and curious to push the boundaries of how audiences engage with content. I've always been drawn to what's next, and create things no one has done before whether it's XR, AI, 5G, or real-time interactivity. I love being at the intersection of storytelling and technology, experimenting with new content formats and figuring out what really makes people tick.

Early on, I'd often be the only woman in a room full of male executives, engineers, or producers. Instead of feeling like an outsider, I saw it as an opportunity to spark change: How do we get more women in these spaces? How do we change the industry from within, and build our ship to help support the industry both internally and externally. Fast forward to today, and I love that the Accelerator programme represents that evolution in motion, with a constantly growing group of increasingly ethnically diverse, and women-led, innovation groups driving culture and technology change.

What training did you have before entering the industry? My background and degree is actually in broadcast journalism and media/theatre production, which gave me a great foundation in storytelling and end-to-end production across formats. But the best training has been hands-on experience rolling up my sleeves and learning by doing. Executive production is in my DNA.

I've always had a split-brain approach: the right side is all about creative storytelling and audience connection, while the left side is deep in workflows, engineering, and tech development. That blend helps when working with cross-discipline teams from engineers developing AI-powered newsrooms to production crews rethinking live events with 5G or XR. The industry is constantly evolving, so staying ahead means continuous learning which is one of the best parts of diving into no-wrong-answers', R&D sandbox projects

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