Karl Koelling

Karl founded Taproot Pictures in 2006 with a simple idea: film is one of the most powerful ways to share an idea that matters. Nearly two decades later, that belief still shapes the ethos of Taproot as we help people and brands share their meaningful ideas through film. As a director, Karl gravitates toward human-centric, documentary-style work. His early work producing Ed's Story, a seven-part documentary series that premiered at SXSW and went on to screen at Telluride and AFI Docs, set the tone for his directorial career.

His work spans brands including Chevrolet, GM, Coca-Cola, Little Caesars, and Autodesk, and has earned multiple Vimeo Staff Picks and a National Gold Addy. Among the most recognized is 1,000 Mile Dream, a short film made for REI following Michigan dog sledder Liza Dietzen in pursuit of the Iditarod.