BRC Imagination Arts completes ownership transition to longtime leaders

By AI, Created 7:26 AM UTC, June 04, 2026, /AGP/ – BRC Imagination Arts has completed a planned ownership transition that moves control to four longtime executives while founder Bob Rogers remains an active presence. The change is meant to preserve the company’s independent, story-driven model as new projects launch in the coming months.

Why it matters: - The ownership change keeps BRC Imagination Arts independently owned and operated after 45 years. - The transition is designed to preserve the company’s culture, leadership continuity and client-facing stability. - BRC is shifting control to an internal team rather than selling to an outside buyer.

What happened: - BRC Imagination Arts completed a long-planned ownership transition on June 4, 2026. - Founder Bob Rogers remains an active central presence inside the company and with outside audiences. - Ownership has transferred to Christian Lachel, Carmel Lewis, Matthew Solari and Brad Shelton. - Lachel is Chief Creative Officer. - Lewis is President. - Solari and Shelton are Vice Presidents of Story and Creative. - The new structure formalizes how BRC has been operating for some time.

The details: - Rogers developed the transition plan over the last 15 years. - BRC publicly committed in 2022 to evolve its leadership from within instead of selling to an outside entity. - Rogers founded BRC 45 years ago after working as a Disneyland magician and Imagineer. - His philosophy that great experiences begin in the heart of the audience has shaped hundreds of projects across more than four decades. - Rogers’ forthcoming book, Deep Story™, will be published on September 8, 2026. - The book is described as a formal codification of that philosophy for the wider industry. - Lachel has spent decades translating storymaking into a discipline rooted in craft and human understanding. - Lewis has been part of BRC’s leadership for more than 25 years. - Shelton and Solari have led major projects across brand, culture and entertainment.

Between the lines: - The transition signals continuity more than change, with the same leadership team that has already been running day-to-day operations now taking formal ownership. - BRC is using the handoff to reinforce its “Magic with Heart” philosophy, which ties imagination to measurable results. - The move also underscores the company’s preference for independence, which BRC says gives it room to make decisions based on the work and the audience rather than outside investors. - BRC’s recent recognition, including WXO’s Experience Team of the Year Award, suggests the company wants the market to read the transition as a strength, not a reset.

What’s next: - BRC plans to launch new experiences for Horse Soldier Farms and Hoover Presidential Museum in the coming months. - Rogers will continue advising BRC on story and creative philosophy. - Rogers also will keep speaking at industry conferences and writing about experience design. - The company’s next public marker is the September 8, 2026 publication of Deep Story™.

The bottom line: - BRC is locking in a leadership model that formalizes what was already in place: founder involvement, internal succession and an independent, story-first business built to stay steady.