ABOUT DON SCHECHTER
Don Schechter is a filmmaker, entrepreneur, composer, educator, and author whose work explores how stories shape the ways people understand themselves, their institutions, and the future.
He is the Founder and CEO of Charles River Media, Inc. (CRMi), a Massachusetts-based production studio and creative agency founded in 2004. Through video production, live events, and strategic communications, CRMi helps corporate, nonprofit, political, and educational organizations tell stories that create emotional connection and lasting impact across media platforms. CRMi also includes LXD Research, a division dedicated to educational technology research and evaluation for organizations exploring the future of learning.
That fascination with storytelling as both a creative and cultural force carries into Schechter’s work as a novelist and filmmaker, where he frequently explores science fiction themes surrounding consciousness, technological evolution, and the future of human identity. His bestselling debut novel, Ascendants (2026), imagines a near-future society divided by genetic destiny after the discovery of proof of the afterlife. Inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil called the novel “a provocative thought experiment on the future of consciousness” that “underscores the moral imperative to guide our technological ingenuity toward the common good.” The Manhattan Book Review described it as “a high-concept Black Mirror episode stretched into a techno-thriller, maintaining a breakneck pace while forcing you to grapple with profound ethical questions. . . . If you’re a fan of cerebral science fiction, like the works of Philip K. Dick, or modern dystopian thrillers that blend fast action with deep moral complexity (think Altered Carbon), this book is a must-read.” Schechter also wrote and directed The Ascendants Anthology, a series of short films expanding the world of the novel. He also served as a producer and creative consultant on the thriller The Arborist. Schechter’s work has reached audiences across theaters, festivals, broadcast media, and streaming platforms worldwide.
His interest in how ideas move through audiences and communities has also shaped his collaborations with TEDx organizations including TEDxCambridge and TEDxNewEngland, where storytelling, technology, and public discourse intersect. In his TEDx talk, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Storytellers, Sci-Fi, & Unreliable Mirrors, Schechter explored the relationship between identity, perception, and the stories people construct about themselves and the world around them.
Schechter holds a B.A. in Media Arts and Technology and Music, and an M.A. in Music Composition and Theory, from Tufts University, where he studied under composer and Convisero member John McDonald. Since 2003, he has taught at Tufts University as a Part-Time Professor of the Practice in Film and Media Studies, where his courses — including Making Movies, From Script to Screen, and The Art and Business of Crafting Compelling Media Campaigns — bridge creative storytelling with professional strategy and communication.
Music remains another essential thread in his creative life and storytelling practice. He composed the scores for The Ascendants Anthology and the feature film Marranos, and has written music for film, live performance, and choral ensemble. He also co-hosts the podcast No Win Scenario, featuring conversations with writers, directors, actors, and producers about the creative realities of working in film and television.
Born in Queens, New York, Schechter lives outside Boston and continues to explore storytelling across fiction, film, music, and emerging media.
Follow Don
Charles River Media
The Ascendants Anthology
Charles River Media, Inc. is a Boston-based production studio and filmmaking collaborative.
The Ascendants is a science fiction multi-platform endeavor that includes a novel, anthology of short films, and pilot script.
Tune in as your hosts, Don and Trevor, engage with sci-fi industry experts to explore the day-to-day realities of production and the increasing prominence of mental health concerns in the film and television industry.
WATCH – About Charles River Media
THE ASCENDANTS
In the near future, proof of the afterlife creates a corrupt dystopia.
Ascendants is a multi-format project. We are garnering interest in selling a script as a pilot for a scripted series or trilogy of films by both creating an anthology of short films set in that world and a novelization of that script. Each short in the Ascendants Anthology explores a different aspect of the life created by the discovery of Ascension – and each film takes place at different key historical points.
Click on the press kit to see inside. –>
To learn more about The Ascendants, visit the official website here.
TEACHING
Since 2003. Don has been involved as a consultant, lecturer, and Part-Time Professor of the Practice for Tufts University , teaching classes and workshops for the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, the Experimental College, and the Film and Media Studies program.
Prior to Tufts, Don taught at the Conservatory Lab Charter School and was an instructor for the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra and assistant conductor for the Metrowest Youth Symphony Orchestra. He is often teaching “For Script to Screen” and “The Art and Business of Crafting Compelling Media Campaigns” at Tufts University.
LISTEN
Don scored the feature film Marranos. Listen to his favorite track from the score.