Apral Smith-Jefferson is an award-winning screenwriter, film producer, and the founder and CEO of the independent production company Love Star Entertainment, which has released more than 22 full-length feature films to the marketplace. She also serves as a Program Officer II at the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP), where she has worked for over 15 years on initiatives across Asia, Africa, North Carolina, and Maryland.

Her projects have focused on health literacy, family planning, breastfeeding, teen pregnancy prevention, and maternal and child health. Apral is deeply committed to advancing health and racial equity through community-led, participatory approaches, and she leads an anti-racism movement within CCP.