Noel Paynter, JD, CPA

Partner, CFO

Noel has brokered tax credits for hundreds of films, television shows and video games, and is a frequent lecturer on the topic of state film credits and related financing.  He's provided tax credit counsel for films and programming by Disney, ESPN, LionsGate, Sony, USA, A&E, CBS and many more. 

After serving corporate and individual clients as a full-time attorney (primarily state & federal tax law and business law); in 2005 Noel shifted his focus to the entertainment industry and the economic development it creates in state and local economies.  

Beginning in Arizona, Noel lobbied the legislature to protect and improve state tax credits and drafted much of the legislation behind the enacted program, eventually shifting his practice to focus full-time on tax credit funding.   Noel received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Kansas and his law degree from the University of Missouri-KC School of Law.  He lives in Atlanta with his wife and two children.

Cole Skinner

Partner, Operations

Cole started his entertainment industry career as a talent buyer and general manager of live music venues, growing audiences in Atlanta, New Orleans, and Lexington, KY, where he founded a successful 400 capacity venue.

Before co-founding Outrider, Cole assisted Atlanta and Los Angeles production and creative agencies as a director of business development, breaking new business with companies like Georgia Pacific, Lexis-Nexis, Coke, TNT, Nickelodeon, Fox Television, FUSE Network, Cox, WestRock, Napa, Zep, NBC and CBS.

At Outrider, Cole’s focus is administration, operations (including using automation to make the tax credit conversion process more efficient) and marketing. He has a degree in Economics from the University of Georgia and lives with his wife and daughter in the Atlanta area.