Following a distinguished career as a senior leader at ARCO and BP, Ivan transitioned to the entertainment industry in 2012 by co-founding Altar Identity Studios. At Altar Identity Studios, he served as an executive producer for several film projects, including the comedy fantasy film “Knights of Badassdom,” which starred Ryan Kwanten, Steve Zahn, Summer Glau, and Peter Dinklage. Additionally, he co-produced the romantic comedy film “Big Stone Gap,” which featured Ashley Judd, Whoopi Goldberg, and Patrick Wilson.

Beyond films, Ivan co-produced the Broadway musical “First Date,” which featured Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguez.

Since then, Ivan has been involved in various projects, including executive producing the hit comedy web series “Be Here Nowish” Season 2, co-producing the SXSW thriller “M.F.A.,” which starred Francesca Eastwood and Clifton Collins Jr., helping finance the acclaimed documentary “This Changes Everything,” executive produced by Geena Davis, and executive producing the documentary “Creating Woodstock,” which featured never-before-seen interviews with key figures who played a pivotal role in the legendary 1969 music festival.

Over the past few years, Ivan has made substantial contributions to the film industry. He released a New York City dramedy titled “Ramona at Midlife,” a Bermuda marine conservation short documentary titled “Heart of the Sea,” which received a well-received world premiere at Dubai’s UN COP28. He also released a German Academy Award-nominated period drama titled “Girl From Köln,” which narrates a female empowerment story centered around one of the most renowned jazz concerts in history. Additionally, he is currently executive producing a documentary titled “Coal Country,” which is collaborating with Coalfield Development to develop a pioneering approach to establishing an environmentally sustainable economy in West Virginia.

In 2025, his film “Secret Mall Apartment,” which he executive produced with Jesse Eisenberg, became one of the highest-grossing documentary theatrical films in the past two years. In 2026, it was released on Netflix and reached its peak popularity as the fourth most popular film in the United States, eventually ranking tenth globally.

Ivan, a distinguished veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserve, holds an MBA degree from the University of California, Irvine, and is a Dean’s Scholar. His extensive professional journey encompasses launching multiple startups, spearheading Project Winterland’s inaugural festival, and co-founding two ecologically-oriented, technology-enabled art nonprofits.

Throughout his career, Ivan has actively participated in the Producers Guild of America and served as a distinguished member of the New York City-based Creative Coalition arts advocacy organization.

Currently, Ivan is an adjunct professor at the University of California, Irvine, and serves on the advisory boards of several prominent firms. These include ScriptHop, a transformative tech-enabled Hollywood script presentation and review startup; reSpace, a proptech company that enables affordable home equity ownership; and Apples and Oranges Arts, a nonprofit Broadway theater development organization.

Ivan’s expertise has been embraced by many film competitions. He has served as a juror on esteemed events such as the Global Entertainment Awards, Annapolis Film Festival, Burbank International Film Festival, Oscar-qualifying Santa Fe International Film Festival, and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences News and Documentary Emmy Awards.