Launched by Portofino Partners Nick Weir and Jason Brett in 2011, this online network connecting young media artists with experienced professionals, has produced more than 50 hours of video segments featuring some of the most recognized names in entertainment.

Ever wonder what all those entertainment professionals with strange titles do, like "key grip" or "dance captain"? "Whatza" is an original video series produced by Portofino Partners Nick Weir and Jason Brett for MashPlant.com, that pulls back the curtain on the entertainment arts with profiles of the behind-the-scenes players who make the real magic happen.

Exclusive blue screen presentation developed exclusively for Apple In-Store Presentations, this fun, furistic school field trip was produced by Portofino Partners and MashPlant.com, and featured comic performers from Chicago's famed The Second City.

Peabody Award winning host Bill McLaughlin uses classical music as a magical gateway to learning about the life and times of the great composers. In partnership with Chicago's WFMT, Portofino Partners and MashPlant.com created a 50 episode audio series of excerpts from Exploring Music, which is made available FREE to more than 500 classrooms in the world.

T.J, Shanoff, Jeff-Award winning musical director of Chicago's famed comedy institution The Second City, talks about how to create scenes through improvisation in this series produced by Portofino Partners and MashPlant, available exclusively on MashPlant.com.

Home page of MashPlant.com, featuring links to two, "how to" video series made available FREE to schools, teachers & students: "Break it Down" - how to create a video, animation, song or performance poem, and "Cool Toolz" - tips & tricks that only the pros know.

Portofino Partner Jason Brett, representing MashPlant.com, serves as one of three celebrity judges in this recent televised search for Chicago's next singing sensation.

When the Chicago Tribune wanted to raise awareness about literacy, it turned to Portofino Partners and MashPlant.com to create the song that was used as the musical track for Chicago's biggest flash mob ever, featuring more than 225 choreographed dancers.

Renowned physician, author and media celebrity Dr. Lauren Streicher, enlisted Portofino Partners' expertise in media and digital platforms to create her DrStreicher.com online community.

In 2013, Portofino Partners launched MashPlant Studio, the digital classroom version of MashPlant.com, which blends the power of social media with the engagement of creative, project based learning. The platform is now used in more than 500 classrooms, worldwide and is the only digital classroom platform to be awarded the highest level of children's online privacy certification from TRUSTe.