Shawn "Pip" Pipkin-West was born and raised in Houston, TX and got her start as a production assistant on commercials, music videos, and films before joining the Directors Guild-Producer Training Program. She has worked as a First AD on TV shows such as EXANT, THE CATCH, GREY’S ANATOMY, FOR THE PEOPLE, SHOTS FIRED, and BIG SHOT, among other series. Her directorial debut, MO, earned multiple awards at festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival, Women in Film Festival, and Santa Monica Film Festival.