Michaela Beardsley is an American documentary film producer and entrepreneur. She is the Executive Director of the What Works Media Project. This project aims to highlight successful initiatives and government leaders working to advance social mobility through character-driven documentaries. 

Beardsley has produced over a dozen nationally broadcast films, often working with renowned filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Alex Gibney. Her work is frequently distributed by PBS or HBO Documentary Films. Notable works include: 

• Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide: A global media project focusing on improving opportunities for women and girls in the developing world, based on the bestselling book by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Beardsley originated and executive produced this project, which had a significant impact, raising millions for programs and garnering over 2 billion media impressions.

• Reporter: An Emmy-nominated HBO documentary featuring journalist Nicholas D. Kristof.

• Makers: Women Who Make America: An Emmy-nominated series she produced. 

She graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a BA in Comparative Literature. At Princeton, she was a classmate of Ted Cruz and Craig Mazin. Beardsley's work has been recognized with awards and nominations, including a Jury Prize for "A Once and Future Peace". 

Michaela Beardsley uses the power of documentary film to raise awareness and drive positive social change.