Juliana Sparks on Turning Curiosity Into Opportunity

As Alkemy X continues to invest in the future of its Visual Effects division, we're proud to welcome Juliana Sparks, Vice President of Strategic Growth. Bringing a relationship-first approach to business development and a passion for uncovering new opportunities, Juliana will help strengthen partnerships with studios, streamers, and production companies while expanding Alkemy X's integrated creative, production, editorial, and visual effects services into new industries and markets.

With a career defined by curiosity, strategic thinking, and a willingness to challenge conventional boundaries, Juliana has built lasting partnerships by asking one simple question: What else is possible? That mindset will help drive Alkemy X's long-term growth while reinforcing the company's reputation as the trusted creative partner organizations turn to when quality is non-negotiable.

In this Q&A, Juliana shares what drew her to Alkemy X, why she believes the biggest opportunities for creative studios extend beyond traditional entertainment, and how relationships remain at the heart of every successful partnership.

AX: Welcome to Alkemy X! What made this the right next step in your career?

JS: Honestly, it was the people. Tom Kendall and I had already spent the past year building something real together, real trust and a shorthand that comes from working side by side closely. When Alkemy X gave us the chance to bring that whole team over, it didn't feel like a fresh start; it felt like the next step in something we'd already built.

AX: You mentioned seeing a unique opportunity at Alkemy X. What stood out to you about the company's vision and capabilities?

JS: A lot of the industry is playing it safe right now, pulling back and consolidating. Alkemy X is doing the opposite. They're investing in people and growth at a time when most companies are hunkering down. That told me everything I needed to know about how they think.

AX: You've built a strong reputation for identifying opportunities beyond traditional VFX markets. What first inspired that approach?

JS: I just kept noticing that great creative work isn't only useful to entertainment companies. So many other industries need the same storytelling skill; they just never thought to look for it in a VFX studio. Once I saw that gap, I couldn't stop seeing it everywhere.

AX: As Vice President of Strategic Growth, what will your day-to-day focus look like?

JS: My day-to-day is built around relationships and opportunity, honestly. A big part of it is deepening our existing ties with studios, streamers, and production companies, while also opening doors into industries that have never worked with a studio like ours before. Some days that means client calls and strategy conversations. Other days it's identifying a completely new vertical worth chasing, or figuring out how to explain what we do in a way that actually clicks for someone outside the entertainment world. It's a mix of business development, relationship building, and creative problem solving.

AX: You've said you've spent your career asking, "What else is possible?" How has that mindset shaped your approach to business development?

JS: It keeps me from assuming anything is off the table. Instead of only looking at who our competitors are chasing, I ask who else might actually need this. That question has led me into rooms I never expected, and some of my best partnerships came out of exactly that kind of curiosity.

AX: Many studios focus primarily on entertainment clients. Why do you believe now is the right time to expand into industries like healthcare, aviation, defense, education, and experiential?

JS: Those industries have more complex storytelling and visual needs than people realize, and most of them don't have anyone in-house who can build that kind of thing well. Meanwhile, studios have never been better equipped to help them. The timing just makes sense.

AX: What excites you most about introducing Alkemy X's creative capabilities to organizations that may not have previously considered a studio like ours?

JS: That moment when someone realizes what's actually possible for them. A lot of these organizations have no idea this level of craft is even available to them. Watching that shift from "we didn't know we could do this" to "let's start now" never gets old.

AX: Can you share an example of how identifying an unexpected opportunity led to a meaningful partnership?

JS: One that stands out was a massive sports organization, the kind of brand everyone knows. I assumed they'd already have access to this level of creative and technical work, but they didn't, and they were genuinely blown away by the ideas and capabilities we could bring to the table. It took months of building that relationship, real conversations, real trust, before it turned into a fantastic partnership. That one taught me not to assume anything about who already knows what we can do. Even the biggest names out there can be surprised.

AX: You've emphasized that growth starts with relationships. What do you think makes a great client partnership?

JS: Trust and consistency. Showing up the same way on day one hundred as you did on day one. Every great partnership I've had was built slowly, not through one flashy pitch.

AX: When meeting a potential client for the first time, what do you hope they take away from the Alkemy X story?

JS: That we're not just some big studio with a lot of resources. We're a team that actually cares about the people we work with. I want them to feel that our history and our chemistry as a team is something they get to benefit from too.

AX: How do you translate highly creative services into value for clients outside of film and television?

JS: I focus on what they actually care about, not just VFX terminology. Whether that's clearer communication, better engagement, or a story that actually lands with their audience. Once you speak their language instead of ours, the value is obvious.

AX: What has impressed you most about the existing team and culture at Alkemy X since joining?

JS: How much pride people take in their work here. There's a real history of excellence, and you can feel that everyone here genuinely cares about protecting and building on it.

AX: Where do you see the greatest opportunities for Alkemy X over the next few years?

JS: Growing beyond entertainment while still strengthening our core relationships with studios and streamers. Those two things aren't competing with each other; they actually make each other stronger.

AX: What kinds of partnerships or industries are you most excited to explore next?

JS: Defense, gaming, and experiential work especially. Those industries have massive storytelling and visualization needs that haven't fully connected with what a studio like ours can offer yet.

AX: What qualities do you believe are essential for driving strategic growth in today's creative industry?

JS: Curiosity, patience, and a genuine interest in people. You have to look where others aren't looking, and you have to be willing to build trust long before it pays off.

AX: Outside of work, what inspires you creatively?

JS: My family, honestly, more than anything else. Traveling with my husband and kids and watching them experience new places with that wide-eyed curiosity reminds me why creativity matters in the first place. Fashion inspires me too, and seeing how different cultures express themselves visually always gives me new ideas. But it's really my kids who keep me looking at the world like everything is new and worth paying attention to.

AX: Is there a project or career milestone that has had a lasting impact on your professional philosophy?

JS: There's one project that really shaped how I think about all of this. I was chasing a massive opportunity, the kind of project a visual effects studio would traditionally never even bid on. It had everything: storytelling, creative direction, massive and highly technical visual effects work, and it was part of a much larger global proposal. I spent months drafting it, building it out, fighting for it. We ended up getting shortlisted alongside some of the biggest experiential companies in the world. Unfortunately, the studio I was at during that time shut down before we got to see it through. But it proved to me that my instincts were right, and that this kind of work was possible for a studio like ours. It's part of why I push so hard now, because I've seen firsthand what's possible when you go after something nobody expects you to chase.

AX: If you could describe the future of Alkemy X in one sentence, what would it be?

JS: A studio where entertainment-level craft meets a much bigger world, all built on the same foundation of trust.