Dorian Forbes is the visionary founder behind Make Believe Village — a vertically integrated ecosystem that merges AI, storytelling, infrastructure, and impact investing to reimagine how culture builds wealth. A native of Buffalo, NY and graduate of Clark Atlanta University, Forbes rose to become one of the most sought-after music video directors in the industry, working with artists including T.I., 2 Chainz, and Rick Ross before directing the BET premiere The Walk.
Through a portfolio spanning film production, real estate development, immersive resorts, and educational pipelines, Forbes built a model where creativity becomes currency and communities become shareholders in the industries they power. Under his leadership, Make Believe Village grew from a grassroots content studio into a cultural technology ecosystem — where every asset is powered by AI intelligence, proprietary IP, and a commitment to building generational wealth through innovation and impact.
MBV has produced acclaimed family entertainment including The Car Lot (streaming on Tubi), developed next-generation youth programs in partnership with the City of Atlanta, and launched initiatives connecting Hollywood, HBCUs, and tech innovators under one visionary banner.
We do not create just to entertain. We create to awaken memory, challenge silence, and build worlds where our people can see themselves not as side characters, but as the center of the story.
The name was never planned. As a boy, Dorian passed a strip near Niagara Falls called Maple Leaf Village — a mini Disney World on the Canadian border. He misread the sign. "Make Believe Village." The name stuck in his mind for decades before it became a company.
Make Believe Village was born from a simple but radical belief: that the stories told by and for underrepresented communities hold the power to shift culture, mobilize capital, and build generational wealth — if given the right platform and infrastructure to scale.
What started as a creative studio in Atlanta grew into something far larger. MBV Studios is a residency for aspiring creatives — providing the space, resources, and mentorship necessary for visionaries from diverse backgrounds to bring their stories to life.
Today, MBV operates as a cultural technology ecosystem. From film and podcasting to real estate development, smart infrastructure, and AI-powered content pipelines, every arm of the Village is built to convert creativity into scalable systems of value — while reinvesting directly into the communities that power it.
We believe storytelling is a tool for change. We believe everyone has a story to tell. We are here to build the village where those stories live.
1976 – 2021
Make Believe Village carries forward the spirit of a name many may not know — one that lives in every frame, every story, and every stage the Village stands on.
Long before Make Believe Village existed, Damon Thomas was an early collaborator with Dorian Forbes — the voice that helped shape the ideas and energy that would one day grow into MBV. He was the one who could walk into a room and make people believe in something that didn't yet exist. When Damon passed in 2021, Dorian carried that vision forward and built it into what it is today.
MBV Studios is developing Financial Ed — an original edutainment character born from a collaboration with John Hope Bryant, designed to bring financial literacy to communities through storytelling and culture.
