CEO/Founder

Jermaine Hargrove is an animator, writer, producer, and director—and the visionary CEO/Founder of Small Town Animation Studios. A 2023 Viddy Award winner for an acclaimed animation pilot, Jermaine’s brilliance has captured the attention of industry titans like Pixar, Disney, and NASA, all eager to collaborate with his unmatched storytelling genius.
He’s the creative force behind groundbreaking original animation IPs, including Gumshe: The Type 1 Protector, The Sunday Schoolers, and The Astronaut Club—each one created with  innovation. His exceptional talent has placed him in conversations with the world’sleadingentertainmentpowerhouses, cementing his reputation as a trailblazer in modern animation..
Jermaine’s remarkable journey has been shaped by mentorship from Hollywood special effects legend Rick Sanders—the mastermind behind blockbusters like Percy Jackson, Titanic, Spider-Man 2, and Happy Feet. With such a formidable foundation, Jermaine has risen to prominence by fusing imagination, innovation, and purpose into every frame he creates.
But Jermaine’s work is more than entertainment, it’s a movement. His passion for education and empowerment shines through his partnership with Space Camp, where he’s spearheading scholarships inspired by The Astronaut Club’s cutting-edge VR educational curriculum, designed to ignite curiosity and expand access to STEM opportunities for the next generation of astronauts.
As if that weren’t enough, Jermaine and Small Town Animation Studios are teaming up with creative powerhouse Erik Hicks to co-direct the much-anticipated animated film The Evolving Gate: Origins of Entanglement—a bold new chapter in storytelling and visual artistry that promises to set an exhilarating new standard in the industry.

Jermaine Hargrove isn’t just shaping stories, he’s shaping the future of animation and inspiring the world, one visionary project at a time.