“Success comes from solving real problems, not just building flashy tools.”

– Talia Mashiach

Talia Mashiach, CEO, Founder and Product Architect of Eved, explains how identifying concrete operational needs guided her work in entertainment and events. Her perspective shows how financial systems shape production processes and decision-making. The interview below continues this discussion and outlines the path that informed her approach to building industry infrastructure.

Can you tell us about your background in TV and film production, and how you’ve established yourself as a leader in this industry?

My background in TV and film production is rooted in solving one of the most overlooked yet critical challenges in the industry: financial operations. Productions operate on tight, investor-backed budgets, and every dollar must be accounted for with precision. Without a robust financial infrastructure, it’s nearly impossible to attract investors, qualify for tax credits, or maintain compliance — all of which are essential to getting a film made.

I founded Eved to bring a digital payment solution to enterprise companies, and in 2020, we expanded directly into the production space. As the CEO, Founder, and Product Architect, I’ve led the development of a global AP and payments platform that simplifies supplier onboarding, automates payments, and provides complete visibility into spend. This gives studios the control and transparency they need to manage budgets, report accurately, and build investor confidence. We’ve invested $25M in software to ensure our tools are secure, scalable, and tailored to the entertainment industry’s needs. Today, Eved services some of the largest companies in the world, and our platform reduces cycle times by up to 80%, consolidates hundreds of payments into one, and ensures full compliance with tax and audit requirements. By aligning financial operations with creative production timelines, I’ve helped studios turn financial discipline into a strategic advantage — making Eved not just a payment processor, but a foundational partner in getting films made.

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What inspired you to become an entrepreneur in the entertainment technology sector, and how has your journey evolved over the years?

My journey into the entertainment technology sector began over 25 years ago when my husband was a musician performing at corporate events. I noticed that large contracts were often awarded based on relationships rather than merit or process. It struck me how major corporations were allocating significant budgets without the visibility or controls you’d expect in other parts of the business.

What I discovered was that live events operated outside traditional procurement systems like SAP — it was essentially the Wild West. Events needed to move fast and be flexible, but that agility came at the cost of compliance, security, and efficiency. I saw an opportunity to build a system that gave planners the speed they needed while still delivering the controls and transparency required by large enterprises.

That insight led me to launch Eved in 2010 with the mission to bring a digital payment solution to enterprise companies for categories that didn’t fit traditional systems. We started in live events and quickly became a trusted partner for Fortune 500 companies. In 2020, we expanded into the film and TV production space, where we saw similar challenges — productions operate on tight, investor-backed budgets and need to onboard vendors and make payments quickly, securely, and compliantly. As Eved’s CEO, Founder, and Product Architect, I’ve led the development of a global AP and payments platform that now serves the largest companies in the world. We’ve invested over $25M in software to ensure our tools are secure, scalable, and tailored to the entertainment industry’s needs. My journey has been about solving real problems with technology — bringing structure to chaos and helping creative industries operate with the financial discipline they need to thrive.

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As a woman in the tech and entertainment industries, what unique challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them?

As a woman in tech and entertainment, I’ve faced challenges that go beyond building a product; they’ve touched every part of the entrepreneurial journey. When I launched Eved in 2010, I needed to raise venture capital, and it was clear that being a woman and a mother of five made that path harder. Many investors questioned whether I could succeed in a space dominated by men, especially under the traditional tech playbook that equates long hours at the office with commitment and success.

But I knew that my strength wasn’t in following someone else’s playbook; it was in solving big, complex problems. I’ve always been drawn to the operational blind spots in Fortune 500 companies, especially in categories like live events and entertainment where traditional systems like SAP don’t work. These areas were chaotic, fast-moving, and lacked visibility, and I saw an opportunity to build a platform that delivered both flexibility and control.

As Eved’s CEO, Founder, and Product Architect, I’ve led the development of a global AP and payments platform that now serves some of the largest companies in the world. We’ve invested $25M in software to ensure our tools are secure, scalable, and tailored to the entertainment industry’s needs. One of my proudest achievements has been transforming our company culture. I rejected the idea that success requires sacrificing your personal life. At Eved, we don’t measure input; we measure output. Our culture is built around the idea that you should never apologize for living a life, but you should never make excuses for not delivering results. That mindset has attracted some of the smartest, most genuine people I’ve ever worked with — people who bring their whole selves to work and deliver exceptional outcomes.

Being a woman in tech has meant forging a new path, not just for myself, but for others who want to lead with vision, empathy, and innovation.

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Can you share a specific instance where your software solution significantly improved a live event or film production, and what lessons did you learn from that experience?

One of the most impactful examples of how Eved has transformed film production comes from our work eliminating the 1099 burden. In traditional workflows, each production is its own legal entity, which means vendors working with the same studio often receive multiple 1099s. Accounting teams spend hundreds of hours reconciling, preparing, and filing these forms — often over weekends, under pressure, and with high risk of error.

With Eved, productions no longer issue 1099s at all. We handle it directly, issuing a single, aggregated 1099 to each vendor across all productions. This saves studios tens of thousands of dollars per production and eliminates one of their biggest compliance headaches. More importantly, it gives production accountants their weekends back — freeing them from tedious, manual work and allowing them to focus on higher-value work.

Another example is our fraud prevention and secure vendor onboarding. Eved’s platform collects W-9 data and banking information securely, performs TIN checks, and ensures vendors are verified before any payments are made. This has prevented countless instances of fraud and identity theft, which are common risks in traditional workflows where sensitive data is often emailed or stored locally.

What I’ve learned from these experiences is that while we’re selling software to companies, it’s ultimately about helping people. Our mission is to be transformational, not just in how payments are processed, but in how people experience their work. Whether it’s giving planners and accountants their time back, reducing their stress, or helping them hit their company objectives with confidence, that human impact is what drives us.

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How do you approach mentorship in your field, and can you give an example of how you’ve helped someone grow in their career?

Mentorship is a core part of how I lead, both within my company and in the broader community. At Eved, many of my team members have been with me for over a decade. Some started with us in their first or second job and have grown into leadership and executive roles. I invest deeply in helping people reach their potential, not just by teaching skills, but by helping them see what’s possible for themselves.

Outside of Eved, I host a podcast called Inspired Lead, which features stories of Jewish women in leadership roles across business. It’s designed to inspire others by showing the range of opportunities available and the paths women have taken to get there. I also volunteer my time to mentor people outside the company; many reach out for guidance on leadership, entrepreneurship, or navigating challenges in tech and entertainment.

What I’ve learned is that mentorship isn’t just about giving advice; it’s about believing in someone’s potential and helping them build the confidence and skills to realize it.

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What’s the most exciting technological advancement you’ve seen in film and TV production recently, and how do you think it will shape the future of the industry?

One of the most exciting technological advancements in film and TV production is the automation of financial workflows, especially supplier onboarding, payments, and compliance. Behind every production, there are over 500 suppliers that need to be onboarded, verified, and paid. This includes collecting tax forms, performing TIN and sanction checks, managing banking information, and issuing payments across multiple currencies and timelines.

Eved’s platform has made this process incredibly simple and secure. Productions can outsource supplier management entirely, from onboarding and validation to payments and 1099 issuance. This has led to an 80% reduction in cycle times and eliminated tedious manual work that used to keep production accountants working through weekends.

What’s even more exciting is how AI is starting to enhance these workflows. As we look ahead to 2026, AI will play a significant role in predictive reconciliation, fraud detection, and intelligent approvals. It will allow productions to move faster, reduce risk, and make smarter financial decisions in real time.

The lesson I’ve learned is that while the technology is powerful, its true impact is on the people who use it. By simplifying complex financial tasks, we’re helping production teams focus on what matters — delivering great content — while ensuring they stay compliant, efficient, and investor-ready.

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Can you describe a leadership decision you made that was particularly difficult, and how did it impact your company and the projects you were working on?

One of the most difficult leadership decisions I’ve ever had to make came in early 2020 when COVID hit. At the time, Eved was focused entirely on meetings and events, and we had spent over a decade building the company to a point where we were finally scaling. Practically overnight, 80% of our clients and revenue were impacted. Most of our customers were Fortune 500 companies, and they began canceling contracts, unsure if or when they’d ever host live events again.

I had to make the painful decision to let go of a number of our team members in order to ensure the company could survive. It was heartbreaking, but it was also necessary. What followed was a moment of reckoning: we could have given up, but instead, we chose to rebuild. We pivoted into the film and TV production space, which in many ways felt like starting over. It was a new industry, with new challenges, and we had to reestablish ourselves from the ground up.

My executive team had to step back into hands-on roles, taking on work they hadn’t done in years, just to keep things moving. It was a humbling and intense period, but it also revealed the strength of our team and the resilience of our mission. We believed in our product, and we believed in the impact it could have.

Today, not only have meetings and events come back, but we’ve also become a leader in software for both the live events and film and TV production industries. That decision, as difficult as it was, ultimately reshaped our company and positioned us for even greater success.

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How do you balance the creative aspects of entertainment with the technical demands of software development in your business?

Eved balances the creative demands of entertainment with the technical rigor of software development by designing tools that are both intuitive and deeply secure. In the entertainment space, productions and planners need to move fast, stay nimble, and make decisions on the fly, but they also face high compliance risks, especially around fraud, tax reporting, and vendor payments.

To meet these needs, Eved invests heavily in user interface and experience. The platform is built to be aesthetically pleasing and easy to use, so users can onboard vendors, manage payments, and track invoices without needing extensive training. This is critical in creative environments where time is limited and workflows must be seamless.

At the same time, Eved enforces strict controls behind the scenes. Vendor screening, TIN verification, secure tax form collection, and multi-matrix approvals are all automated within the system. This ensures productions stay compliant while maintaining the flexibility they need to operate efficiently.

The result is a platform that empowers creative professionals to focus on their work, while giving finance teams the tools to manage risk, ensure accuracy, and deliver results.

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Looking ahead, what advice would you give to young entrepreneurs, especially women, who want to make their mark in the intersection of technology and entertainment?

My advice to young entrepreneurs, especially women, who want to make their mark in the intersection of technology and entertainment is to start by deeply understanding the business problems. Entertainment is a dynamic and exciting space, but behind the scenes, it’s driven by complex workflows and operational challenges. Success comes from solving real problems, not just building flashy tools.

This is an industry where purpose-built solutions matter. General software often falls short because entertainment has so many unique nuances. That’s why Eved was built as a vertical-specific platform, to meet the exact needs of productions and events with precision and control.

I also encourage women to lead boldly. Don’t be shy. Don’t wait for permission. Have the courage to step forward, speak up, and build what you believe in. Leadership isn’t about fitting into a mold; it’s about creating your own. And when you do, you’ll inspire others to do the same.

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Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I’d like to share that Eved now supports over 18,000 vendors globally and has successfully rolled out payments across more than 140 countries and currencies. That global scale is a major differentiator and reflects our deep experience in building infrastructure that works across productions, events, and geographies. We’ve designed our platform to be purpose-built for the entertainment industry, with the flexibility and speed that creative teams need, and the compliance and control that finance teams require. That combination is what makes Eved a trusted leader in entertainment payments.

“Leadership isn’t about fitting into a mold; it’s about creating your own.”

– Talia Mashiach

Links

• Website
• LinkedIn

Share Your Insights

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the insights shared in this interview. Join the conversation by adding your perspective in the comments:

• What challenges in your field need better systems or solutions?
• What part of Talia’s journey resonated with you?
• How do you see technology shaping production work ahead?

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