About Us
Winnie Media is a Black-owned, women-led, and LGBTQIA+ supportive production company based in Detroit. Founded in 2021 by mother-daughter content creation duo Patrice Cheesman and Paisley Sutton, Winnie Media seeks to create meaningful content with captivating visuals that spotlight and connect authentic and diverse voices.
So, Who Is Winnie?
Winnifred “Winnie” Louise Cheesman (1899–1988) immigrated to the United States from St. Michael Parish, Barbados at age 17, following her husband Allan, who had arrived earlier while working on the Panama Canal.
After facing limited opportunities in New York City, they settled in Detroit, where Allan worked on the Ford Motor Company assembly line and Winnie worked as a domestic worker. Known for being intuitively wise, humble, and purposeful, Winnie’s love for storytelling and resourcefulness was passed down to her granddaughter and great-granddaughter.
Paisley Sutton
Paisley Sutton is a Detroit-born director and producer. Her work centers stories of the African diaspora across time. Paisley is most known for directing the award winning short documentary Descendants, her work producing digital campaigns for high-profile brands like Prime Video and National Geographic, and for co-writing Anderson.Paak’s grammy nominated music video “Lockdown.”
Patrice Cheesman
Patrice Cheesman is a Detroit-based producer, entrepreneur and strategist with a background in cybersecurity and risk. She is passionate about preserving history and creating spaces for community growth within Detroit.