For the modern media creator, the goal is no longer to choose one path over the other. The most resilient contemporary careers are built by balancing both: maintaining an active, highly engaging digital presence through popular videos while steadily building a prestigious, formal filmography.

Rae created, wrote, and starred in the popular YouTube web series Awkward Black Girl in 2011. The viral success of the digital series caught the attention of television executives, leading her to co-create and star in the hit HBO series Insecure . Her filmography now boasts multiple Emmy nominations, major studio film roles, and executive producer credits.