Dina Pace fell in love with video production when she was 8 years old and watched her cousin shoot and edit videos on the VCR. After graduating from Marist College — where she studied film, radio, and television — she was hired as senior producer at SVS Television in Poughkeepsie. The opportunity set her on the path to national editing and production jobs for everyone from local brands like Williams Lumber to national commercials for ABC. Pace’s laundry list of clients is impressive — Condé Nast, Harney & Son’s Fine Teas, HealthQuest, and Laerdal Medical are a few – but even more so is her dedication to the Hudson Valley community. Since branching out on her own to form the only full service, woman-owned video company in the region in 1998, Pace has provided more than 100 internships for Marist students and created a rape crisis program at the college. The Cold Spring resident is now launching a new business: Rosillion, a storytelling platform that allows users to capture and archive stories and videos of loved ones. Balancing two companies, a family, and volunteer work, “is not easy,” she says, “but it helps to have been blessed for over 20 years with a business to call my own.”
What or who inspires you?
My supportive and loving husband, Matt, and my two adorable and precocious sons, Hudson and Asher. I love doing what I do but, at the end of the day, I live for my family and friends who are like family — some of them started as my clients.
How has social media impacted your career?
When I started, email wasn’t even a thing. With the advent of social media, the distribution or airtime became “free” to my clients, which increased my budgets because the cost of distribution was lower or no more. I was an early, early adopter – I knew video would be king one day and now it is.
What advice do you have for the next generation of female leaders?
Put your blinders on and keep walking forward. Put in your time so you can be an effective leader who understands every component of a great product. For women especially, learn how to say no. You will have those who will try to belittle you or give reason for your success because of your gender.
