The owner of the company, Jacob Gallagher has been a talent manager for the last 18 years. Having always been an independent-minded individual, he never assisted nor worked for anyone else in representation, but rather dove right into growing a roster of talent when he was 24. He started by repping a handful of developmental actors, as he worked side jobs to support his dream. Jacob’s efforts gathered steam over the years to become the successful company of which he is the CEO today.

He originally started Drexel Talent, part of Drexel Box Productions, then moved to Insomnia Media Group to co-head their talent management arm, and then started the company which is now HG5 with another fellow, Erik Heintz. About 11 years ago, Greg Strangis and Jacob started Calliope West Artist Management together, and Greg retired about 5 years back. Many of Jacob’s clients have been with him through the whole journey.

Calliope West has a nascent production arm, as Gallagher is a successful producer. He was a Sundance Screenwriters Lab and Sloan Commissioning Grant Finalist, and the recipient of the Montana Film Commission Big Sky Grant for Feature Film. Jacob has produced content for Fremantle Media, Current TV, Sun Microsystems and more, called “a kick to the gut” by SPIN Magazine and “breathtaking” by the Huffington Post.

Films produced by Gallagher have included high profile talent, and have won Directors’ Choice Award, Best Actress in a Sci Fi, Best Actress in a Drama, and Best Narrative Film awards, with films screening at HBO’s NY Latino Film Festival, HBO Women in Film Festival, the 22nd San Francisco Black Film Festival, and so many more.

Jacob is a retired, former actor, who worked under his creative moniker of Jayk Gallagher. He booked some great work in his twenties, such as The Social Network, Veep, CSI: NY, and more, but his passion for management led him to leave acting years back to triple down on his focus and commitment to Calliope West. Jacob’s experience as an actor greatly influences his work with his clients, allowing him to more deeply understand their concerns and struggles, as well as the preparation and work required for success in the career.

Along with his life-long excitement for representing artists, Gallagher has led a creative life, finding past success as a grunge musician, music promoter, radio host, playwright, rapper and rap battler, stand-up comedian, and more. But as he aged he decided to simplify and unify his efforts so that all his energies focus on only one thing: Helping people he cares about achieve their dreams. Jacob is deeply grateful to devote his life to growing Calliope West Artist Management, providing personal service to his clients with kindness, moral transparency, and a spirit of collaboration.