One Day Immersion in Media, Entertainment & Technology in partnership with Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, will be held online November 13, 2020.
You don’t want to miss this exclusive event.
From COVID-19 to calls for social change to dramatic changes in the media industry, the leaders of tomorrow need help from leaders of today.
Through keynote speakers, panel discussions, and one-on-one conversations, students from all around the country get savvy direction from industry leaders to build their careers in media. This year’s virtual conference taps into resilience to break through barriers in our disrupted world.
November 13, 2020
10 am - 3:30 pm ET
9 am - 2:30 pm CT
8 am - 1:30 pm MT
7 am - 12:30 pm PT
Virtual Live Stream
Access the event from anywhere in the world!
schedule subject to change
Event Schedule and Speakers
10:00 am – 10:05 am
(pre-recorded)
ODI Board of Directors and Programming Committee
Chairman of the Board, One Day Immersion, Inc.
Evan Shapiro is an Emmy and Peabody Award winner, having produced or created more than 150 television series, specials, documentaries and podcasts, including Portlandia, Comedy Bang Bang, Maron, National Lampoon Radio Hour Podcast, The Roast Of Your Teenage Self, Dinner For Five, Please Like Me, Take My Wife, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Shrink, Trapped In The Closet, Harmonquest, Laurie Kilmartin’s 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad, Doug Stanhope’s No Place Like Home, Jospeh Gordon Leavitt’s HitRecord, Fortitude, Carlos, My Brother My Brother & Me, Brick City, This Film Is Not Yet Rated, and Funny Women of A Certain Age.
He is a Professor for TV and Media at NYU/Stern School Of Business and for Media Studies at Fordham University, a sought-after guest speaker for conferences and universities, as well as a frequent guest writer for publishers such as Huffington Post, Deadline and The Wrap, where he has made some rather bold predictions about the future of the media and entertainment industry, many of which have come to fruition. He is also an in-demand lecturer for companies and government agencies about Generation Y and Generation Z.
President, One Day Immersion, Inc.
Dolly Wolf is an experienced program creator/director with outstanding program and project management track record. She is able to bridge diverse communities, resulting in high-impact collaboration and communication among all participants. She has proven success in all aspects of program development, including idea and strategy; project planning and execution; speaker recruitment; event management; promotion; and delivering on time and on budget.
After nearly 20 years in the cable telecommunications industry, Dolly founded Dolly Wolf Enterprises, LLC, with the mission of fostering relationships between executives and students. Dolly Wolf Enterprises strives to offer unprecedented access to top cable and digital TV executives for college students, and to create an authentic connection of media leaders, cable and beyond, with the best and brightest college students and recent graduates. The company produces forums where executives share their paths to their current positions, and provide insights and opportunities into the innovative and fast-moving industry. Dolly Wolf Enterprises fosters strategic relationships for students and executives, as they build mentorships, focused career plans, and ultimately, provide job placement.
Vice President, One Day Immersion Inc.
Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE/ISBE)
Zenita has a deep passion for technology and has over thirty years in the telecommunications industry starting with Toner Cable, Jerrold/General Instrument, Motorola Mobility (a Google Company), ARRIS and now as Vice President of marketing and business development, she is responsible for the largest cable telecommunications tradeshow in the Americas, Cable-Tec Expo® at the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers and its global arm International Society of Broadband Experts.
Zenita is an award-winning community and industry relations activist supporting education, arts, science, technology and math (STEM/STEAM) initiatives, healthcare, diversity and inclusion programs in the cable industry. In her spare time, Zenita puts her expert marketing and relationship building skills to work as a Board Member of several charitable organizations including Beachglow Concerts for Charity, Inc. and Executive Committee Member with One Day Immersion in Cable, TV and Digital Entertainment conference, designed to encourage college students to pursue creative and technical careers in the cable industry. She has served on the boards of the Montgomery County PA chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Greater Philadelphia & South Jersey chapter of Girls Inc.
In 2014, Zenita was inducted into the Cable TV Pioneers, and has been recognized multiple years as one of CableFax Most Powerful Women in Cable (2016, 2017, 2018) and Most Influential Minorities in Cable (2014, 2015, 2016,2017, 2018).
Treasurer, One Day Immersion Inc.
Craig Parks is the former GM of Brands at Jukin, responsible for the management and growth of five consumer brands. Prior to Jukin, Craig was the Vice President, Programming for Watchable, Comcast’s cross-platform video service that curated a selection of the best content from popular online video networks and shows.
Craig also helped launch the TV network Pivot (Participant Media), where he served as SVP of Live & Event programming. Before that, Craig worked at IFC as Senior Vice President of Digital Media & Alternative Content, where he led the charge in building the network’s online presence and growing fan base around its roster of original comedy series.
Prior to joining IFC in 2007, Craig held production and creative roles across various networks including AMC Networks, ABC Family, MTV and VH1. Craig is a graduate of University of Florida, where he did not play for the world-renowned Florida Gators.
Secretary, One Day Immersion Inc.
President, Miner & Co. Studio
At Miner & Co. Studio, Robert leads a team of strategic research, marketing and brand consultants with a proven track record in guiding brand positioning, brand experience, marketing communications, new product development, digital content development and TV programs and concepts.
With 20 plus years of experience at the helm of strategic research projects for leading brands across categories, Robert has now designed a practice where innovative and creative researchers and strategists can provide the highest level of service to clients.
Board Member, One Day Immersion Inc.
Strategy & Operations Manager, Global Business Development, Google
Leerone Anolik is a Strategy and Operations Manager at Google, providing thought leadership, insights, strategic and operational support to Google’s Global Business Development team.
Prior to Google, Leerone held a number of roles at iHeartMedia, where she oversaw the Digital Revenue Management practice and worked collaboratively with executives and key senior leaders to develop and successfully deliver on projects critical to the company’s short and long term growth. She also worked as a Media Planner for Universal McCann Israel, managed major advertisers’ media budgets and television advertising campaigns.
Leerone holds a BSc in Mathematics with extended study units in Economics and Psychology from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Board Member, One Day Immersion Inc.
Chief Marketing Officer, National Public Radio (NPR)
Michael Smith, NPR's Chief Marketing Officer, brings more than 30 years of experience in entertainment brand marketing, content, digital, and revenue generating brand extensions.
"It's essential to NPR's future that its content and audience reflect America's full diversity. As a Jamaican immigrant and avid NPR station and podcast listener, I've been personally engaged by the new and diverse voices in NPR's content," said Smith. "But NPR's overall audience is still not very diverse. I believe the content has broad appeal to the next generation of audiences, we just need to get our story out to more people. I'm so excited to join a team of talented marketing and communications pros committed to this effort."
As SVP, GM Digital Channels for Scripps Networks, Smith developed strategies to reach younger and more diverse audiences on new digital streaming platforms. Earlier, Smith was SVP, GM Cooking Channel and Food Category Brand Extensions. He oversaw marketing, brand strategy, and programming for the Cooking Channel, a network he helped create and launch. Before Cooking Channel, he was SVP Marketing, Creative and Brand Strategy for Food Network. Smith also worked in various marketing roles with Disney Channel both domestically and in Asia. He began his media career in Affiliate Relations with CBS, working to strengthen relationships between local stations and the national network. He served on the boards of Food Bank for New York and the International Radio and Television Society.
Smith earned his MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of California at Berkeley's Haas School of Business, and received his bachelor's degree in Science, Technology and Society from Stanford University.
Board Member, One Day Immersion Inc.
GVP, Audience & Content Strategy, Spectrum Networks/Charter Communications
Hellman’s team consists of over 200 full-time employees, and she is responsible for overall content strategy, national news, the Spectrum News mobile app, and collaboration across the Charter Communications organization with Government Affairs, Spectrum Reach, and other internal divisions.
Hellman joined Charter Communications in 2016 from The Madison Square Garden Company, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Promotion for MSG Networks Inc. At MSG Networks, Hellman also worked as Vice President of Distribution Marketing and Operations for MSG Media and Director of Marketing Solutions.
Hellman began her career at Rainbow Media in 2004 as a marketing coordinator. She earned her American Studies degree from George Washington University and lives with her family in Westchester, New York.
Programming Committee, One Day Immersion Inc.
Associate Professor and Area Chair: Communications and Media Management
Fordham University Gabelli School of Business
Bozena I. Mierzejewska is an associate professor of communications and media management at the Gabelli School of Business. She holds an MA in economics from Warsaw School of Economics in Poland and a PhD in management from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
Dr. Mierzejewska's research and teaching focuses on media management and digitization, and its impact on media organizations and media workers. She is a recipient of the 2010 Sherman Teaching Award and the post-doctoral Marie Curie Fellowship. She presently is the editor of JMM – The International Journal on Media Management, one of the leading academic publications in this area. She also serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Media Economics, the Central European Journal of Communication and The International Journal on the Book.
Prior to joining Fordham, Dr. Mierzejewska taught and researched at the Media Management and Transformation Center, Jönköping International Business School, Sweden; and the Institute for Media and Communications Management, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. She has been a guest speaker and visiting professor at various institutions including Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, and Zurich University, Switzerland. She is an accomplished speaker and conference host and a devoted educator.
Senior Press Manager, CBS Interactive
Rachel Zuckerman is a Senior Press Manager at CBS Interactive overseeing press strategy for CBS News Digital and CBSN, CBS News free 24/7 streaming news service.
Prior to joining the team at CBS Interactive, she was a Press Manager at NBC News working with Lester Holt and the team at “NBC Nightly News,” as well as the NBC News political unit and the NBC News Specials team. Zuckerman began her career in news communications on the MSNBC Media Relations team where she worked on the network’s 2017 rebrand, the 2016 election, as well as MSNBC’s primetime and dayside programs.
Before switching to a career in communications, she served as a production assistant at MSNBC after completing a year in the NBCUniversal Page Program.
Zuckerman attended Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA and is currently an MBA candidate at the NYU Leonard N. Stern School of Business.
Dean of the Gabelli School of Business
10:05 am – 10:10 am
(pre-recorded)
Dean of the Gabelli School of Business
Dr. Donna Rapaccioli is Dean of the Gabelli School of Business and holds the rank of University Professor.
Dr. Rapaccioli serves on the Board of Trustees of Emmanuel College in Boston and the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) Board and is a Director on the State Street Global Advisors Mutual Fund Board. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Fordham University's London Centre, and as the chair of Fordham University’s Social Innovation Collaboratory.
As an administrator, Dr. Rapaccioli has earned a reputation for creating academic programs that emphasize applied learning, a global perspective, interdisciplinary thinking, and strong ties with industry. Her philosophy centers on business with purpose, grounded in the Jesuit-influenced principle that commerce should advance society in a greater way.
Dr. Rapaccioli's research interests lie in the area of earnings management and international accounting; she has published articles in academic journals and practitioner outlets and is the co-author of several book chapters. In her role as professor, Dr. Rapaccioli was selected by students to receive the outstanding teacher award. She has consulted for and lectured on accounting and finance topics at numerous financial institutions in New York City.
She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business and her master's degree and Ph.D. in Accounting from New York University's Stern School of Business.
Dr. Rapaccioli was recognized as a 2018 Honoree by the Columbus Citizens Foundation and by the National Italian American Foundation in 2013 for Special Achievements in Education.
THE BRILLIANCE OF RESILIENCE
10:10 am – 10:25 am
(live)
Kicking off the show with an introspective around resilience is our favorite emcee, the super talented, Emmy award winning, risk-taking, bold and in your face, truthful, political, giving and kind hearted, Evan Shapiro.
Chairman of the Board, One Day Immersion, Inc.
Evan Shapiro is an Emmy and Peabody Award winner, having produced or created more than 150 television series, specials, documentaries and podcasts, including Portlandia, Comedy Bang Bang, Maron, National Lampoon Radio Hour Podcast, The Roast Of Your Teenage Self, Dinner For Five, Please Like Me, Take My Wife, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Shrink, Trapped In The Closet, Harmonquest, Laurie Kilmartin’s 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad, Doug Stanhope’s No Place Like Home, Jospeh Gordon Leavitt’s HitRecord, Fortitude, Carlos, My Brother My Brother & Me, Brick City, This Film Is Not Yet Rated, and Funny Women of A Certain Age.
He is a Professor for TV and Media at NYU/Stern School Of Business and for Media Studies at Fordham University, a sought-after guest speaker for conferences and universities, as well as a frequent guest writer for publishers such as Huffington Post, Deadline and The Wrap, where he has made some rather bold predictions about the future of the media and entertainment industry, many of which have come to fruition. He is also an in-demand lecturer for companies and government agencies about Generation Y and Generation Z.
10:30 am – 11:00 am
(live)
Local news is making a huge pivot towards a digital strategy and Spectrum Networks is taking the lead in building a young audience and adding the Gen Z perspective to their workforce. Find out what that means to you, and BTW, they're hiring!
Presented by Spectrum Networks - Sponsor
Alison Hellman is GVP, Audience & Content Strategy, Spectrum Networks/Charter Communications
Hellman’s team consists of over 200 full-time employees, and she is responsible for overall content strategy, national news, the Spectrum News mobile app, and collaboration across the Charter Communications organization with Government Affairs, Spectrum Reach, and other internal divisions.
Hellman joined Charter Communications in 2016 from The Madison Square Garden Company, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Promotion for MSG Networks Inc. At MSG Networks, Hellman also worked as Vice President of Distribution Marketing and Operations for MSG Media and Director of Marketing Solutions.
Hellman began her career at Rainbow Media in 2004 as a marketing coordinator. She earned her American Studies degree from George Washington University and lives with her family in Westchester, New York.
Samantha Greenberg is Senior Manager, Strategy & Partnerships at Spectrum Networks.
After graduating from Northwestern University in 2016 with a degree in Political Science and Legal Studies, Samantha began her career in Washington, D.C., as an assistant at The Glover Park Group, a public affairs and strategic communications firm.
She joined Spectrum Networks in 2017 as a research coordinator, advancing to her current position as Senior Manager, Strategy & Partnerships, where she assists in the development and execution of company-wide initiatives, including identifying and managing a dynamic portfolio of content alliances for the Spectrum News app and television networks.
Samantha sits on the Young Professionals Board for BoardAssist, a nonprofit that connects individuals to board opportunities across the tri-state area, as Co-Chair of the Social and Social Media Committees.
Tara Reilly is the Senior Director of Human Resources Spectrum Networks at Charter Communications.
Tara is recognized as a trustworthy business partner who is successful in building productive and meaningful business relationships. Recognized as a hands-on collaborator with strong internal consulting skills and proven ability to mitigate risk for the betterment of an organization. Currently leads employee engagement and talent initiatives for Spectrum Networks, responsible for creating and implementing programs and enhancements which positively impact culture within our 26 hyper-local news and regional sports networks across the country.
STRETCH + BREATHE PART 1
11:00 am – 11:05 am
(pre-recorded)
This simple breathing practice will give you energy for the day and help you focus.
Heidi is a Certified Yoga Teacher, Nutritionist, and Licensed Massage Therapist. She loves everything outdoors and is passionate about health and fitness (dogs too!). Heidi has been teaching various styles of yoga and meditation since 2015. She lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
11:05 am – 11:45 am
(live)
A panel of highly regarded media experts will discuss how they have managed their careers, dealt with challenges, and been resilient in impacting a comprehensive awareness of racial equity and inclusion within the media industry. They will also share the competencies needed to successfully launch your own media career amid the current social-political climate.
Moderated by Sandy Nunez, ESPN
Emory Walton, A+E Networks
Tamika Blockett, UM Studios
Uzo Ometu, Content and Technology Professional
Sandy Nunez is a Coordinating Producer overseeing all studio production personnel for ESPN Los Angeles. Sandy manages staffing for shows such as SportsCenter Los Angeles, The Jump, NBA Countdown, and Jalen and Jacoby.
Sandy joined ESPN in 2007 where she worked as a Coordinating Producer on SportsCenter in Bristol for two years before moving back to the west coast. In 2009, she spearheaded the launch of SportsCenter Los Angeles with Neil Everett and Stan Verrett at ESPN’s newly opened LA office. The debut of SCLA marked the first time ESPN's flagship show was broadcast outside of the company’s headquarter office in Bristol, CT.
Sandy came to ESPN from ABC News in Los Angeles where she covered domestic and international news for nine years. Her work was shown on World News Tonight, Good Morning America and Nightline. Assignments included Immigration Reform, Hurricane Katrina, Presidents Nixon and Reagan Funerals, the World Trade Center bombings and several political democratic and republican conventions. Internationally, she covered suicide bombings and violence in the occupied territories in Israel in 2002 and healthcare in Taiwan for Peter Jennings’ special series in 2003. She was also posted in Turkey and Qatar for several months during ABC’s 2003 war coverage
In 2001, Sandy was charged with opening the network’s Seattle office where she supervised all news coverage in the northwest region as well as daily production for all ABC show platforms.
Recent honors include:
-Named “2019 National Latino Leader Award Winner” by the National Diversity Council
-Awarded “Woman of Inspiration” by WISE Los Angeles
-Named one of “The 30 Most Influential Hispanics in Sports” by Sports Illustrated
-Named one of “Los Angeles Most Influential Latina Journalists” by the California Chicano News Media Association (CCNMA)
Sandy currently serves as President of NAMIC So Cal (National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Communications.) She is a founding member of both Chief and Allbright, professional career clubs for women in Los Angeles. Sandy is a member of several organizations representing women including WICT, WISE, and AWSM. Sandy lives in Los Angles with her husband, Chris Jolly, and their two golden retriever rescues, Nemo and Dory.
Emory Walton III is Vice President, Content Distribution at A+E Networks. With 20+ years of experience within the cable television and entertainment industry, Walton is one of A+E Network’s distribution team leaders, overseeing business strategy and relationships with U.S. and International based content distributors. He leads his team with a focus on communication, collaboration, accountability, and diversity.
His role involves negotiating long-term carriage agreements across an array of content platforms for A+E’s dynamic portfolio of television networks including A&E, History, Lifetime, and VICE TV. He’s also a member of A+E’s Multicultural Insights Team, which is responsible for advising on and promoting multicultural programming and consumer reach across each of the A+E brands.
Walton has a continued passion and dedication in advocating for diversity within the industry. He’s an elected member of NAMIC’s National Board, an organization whose mission is to educate, advocate and empower for multi-ethnic diversity in the communications industry. In this role, Emory participates on the organization’s Finance and Chapter Operations-Membership committees and is also responsible for advising the Southern California Chapter.
He has been recognized as one of the ‘Most Influential Executives for Diversity and Inclusion in Media’ and honored as a ‘NAMIC Luminary’ which recognizes business leaders in the media and entertainment industry for their career successes and commitment to fostering diversity in the workplace. He also is a recipient of the WICT (Women in Cable and Television) Advocate Leader Award.
Emory received a BA in Communications Studies with a specialization in Business from UCLA. He also received an MBA from LMU and was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma; the international honor society for business schools. In addition, he has completed Harvard University’s Cable Executive Management program and NAMIC’s Leadership Development program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
Tamika LaShay Blockett is VP, Content Director at UM Studios
Tamika better known as Mika, has an infectious love for innovating and telling stories that serves bottom-line results. As a seasoned Vice President, Content Director, she has shaped numerous award-winning campaigns spanning global Fortune 500 companies such Viacom, The Coca-Cola Company and HERSHEY’S to international brands such as Clio Awards and PBS. Her most recent award winning work includes leading the portfolio work across the Coca-Cola Connections Studio Content Management team for the past 3 and half years.
Mika recently transitioned to HERSHEY’S and USPS accounts sweetening the world with meaningful moments. Both teams oversee the media content that extends across general market to key multi-cultural audiences and under her leadership the team has reimagined engaging with more diverse audiences through various mediums to cultivate deeper connections.
Mika also serves on UM’s Diversity & Belong Council where she aims to inspire the UM community togetherness through cultural belonging. In her free time, her passion points include volunteering with The Gye Nyame Empowerment Project (GNEP), doodling fashion illustrations and trying new foods while jet setting. A couple of her favorite destinations include Maui, Bali and Tokyo.
Uzo Ometu is a Content and Technology Professional, formerly with Google and YouTube.
From writing for business magazines and freelancing for ESPN, to leading operations for a nationwide media sales effort and leading YouTube's venture into local news, Uzo's pathway from journalist to start-up founder has been up and down, roundabout and never easy to predict. He's learned a lot about how the business of media works, how technology has changed the industry, and most importantly, how things actually get done. He'll go over those lessons, important milestones in his career, and how he thinks his past has prepared him for his future in media entrepreneurship.
He'll share insights on how the business of media works, how technology has changed the industry, and most importantly, how things actually get done.
Get a glimpse into how his past has prepared him for his future in media entrepreneurship.
11:50 am – 12:20 pm
(pre-recorded)
In this fireside chat, Cable Center president and CEO, Jana Henthorn, and Liberty Global CEO, Mike Fries, discuss the challenges media and tech industry leaders have continued to face in the ongoing global pandemic and the importance of resilience and positive leadership in this unprecedented business paradigm.
Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of Liberty Global
Mike Fries is Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of Liberty Global, one of the world’s leading converged video, broadband and communications companies. With operations in seven European countries under the consumer brands Virgin Media, Telenet, UPC and VodafoneZiggo, Liberty Global has 27,000 employees, 46 million broadband, video, voice and mobile subscribers and generates annualized revenue of $16 billion.
Across its markets, Liberty Global is dedicated to building and investing in the products, platforms, and infrastructure that enable customers, businesses, and communities to make the most of the digital revolution – bringing the possibilities of the future to today. As a member of the management team that founded the Company 30 years ago, Fries launched the Company’s international expansion and has served in various strategic and operating capacities since that time. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company in 2005 and serves as a member of its two-person Executive Committee along with Chairman, John C. Malone.
Fries is also Executive Chairman of Liberty Latin America (LLA), a leading broadband and mobile operator in Chile, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and other parts of Latin America. LLA serves 9.7 million broadband, video, voice and mobile subscribers and generates $3.7 billion of annualized revenue. LLA was split off from Liberty Global to focus purely on organic and strategic growth in the region. Fries also serves on the corporate boards of Grupo Televisa and Lionsgate Entertainment.
Mike is an engaged industry and community leader. He serves as board member for Cable Labs and trustee for The Paley Center for Media, and he chairs the boards for the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver and the Biennial of the Americas. He is a Digital Communications Governor and Steering Committee Member of the World Economic Forum and a member of Young Presidents’ Organization. Recognition for his achievements includes EY Entrepreneur of the Year in Media, Entertainment and Communications, Industry Leader of the Year by Digital TV Europe, and inductions into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and the Cable Hall of Fame, which recognizes pioneers and leaders in the cable industry. Mike holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University, where he serves on the Board of Trustees, and an M.B.A. from Columbia University, where he is a member of the Board of Overseers for the Business School.
President and Chief Executive Officer, The Cable Center
Jana Henthorn is President and CEO of The Cable Center, an educational nonprofit that tells the story of the cable industry, highlighting for the global community the significant contribution made to technology, society, and culture. Jana leads The Cable Center’s mission to connect people and ideas to advance innovation.
Some of the programs that are driven by this mission include the Cable Hall of Fame, which honors industry pioneers and luminaries; C5 (The Cable Center Customer Centric Consortium), a global consortium of CX executives who share strategies, operations, and leadership to help cable operators build and deliver the best possible experience for subscribers; the Oral/Video History program and collection, which includes over 360 firsthand stories about the creation and expansion of the cable industry; and the Intrapreneurship Academy, which empowers rising industry leaders to become “intrapreneurs” and drive innovation and change within their organizations.
President and CEO of The Cable Center since January 2016, Jana brings more than 30 years of experience from all corners of the industry to her position. Prior to The Cable Center, she managed the network sales team for 16 states and two regional offices as Vice President of Affiliate Sales for A&E Television Networks. She also served as Vice President of Operations and Service Fulfillment for Jones Intercable, one of the top 10 cable distributors until its acquisition by Comcast in 1999. While at Jones, she managed local cable operations in Wisconsin and Florida. A champion of women in the cable industry, she served on the National Board and Executive Committee for Women in Cable and Telecommunications from 1995-2000 and is a charter fellow of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute. She currently serves on the board of directors of Hunger Free Colorado.
Jana is the recipient of numerous industry awards. She was named one of the Cablefax 100 (2019); Woman of the Year by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of WICT (2018); one of Cablefax’s Most Powerful Women in Cable (2016-2019); one of Multichannel News’ Women to Watch (2016); and the WICT National Chapter Advisor of the Year (2012). Jana also received the WICT Rocky Mountain Partner of the Industry award (2008), and she was inducted into the Cable TV Pioneers (2010).
Jana graduated from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and completed her MBA at the University of Denver. She is a volleyball enthusiast, avid reader, and long-distance tandem cyclist. Jana and her husband, Jim, are long-time Denverites and have two grown daughters.
ROAST OF YOUR COLLEGE SELF
12:20 pm - 12:50 pm
(pre-recorded)
The Roast of Your Teenage Self (formerly the Roast of Your 15-Year-Old Self) is a Brooklyn comedy staple wherein some of NYC's funniest comedians come together for one night only to roast the one person everybody loves to hate: themselves in high school. Creator, comic, comedy writer and 'Roastcoming Queen', Alise Morales has altered the roast to focus on college, and brings the funny to ODI with comic and actor, Al Madrigal. Started by Alise in 2015, the Roast has been featured in the New York Times, Time Out New York, Comedy Cake, and the New York Comedy Festival. The Roast became a podcast in 2019.
With over 18 years of experience in standup, Al Madrigal has parlayed his talents as a comedian into successful off-stage careers as an actor, correspondent, writer, speaker, and podcaster. For two seasons, he starred as “Edgar Martinez” on the Jim Carrey produced Showtime series I’m Dying Up Here, serving behind the camera as a writing producer. Since 2011, Madrigal has provided regular correspondent pieces for the Emmy Award-winning The Daily Show.
Madrigal was recently seen in Universal’s hit comedy Night School opposite Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, which follows Hart’s character’s ill-fated attempts to get his GED in order to keep his life – and his family – together. Madrigal is recently wrapped on the Warner Bros drama Torrance, which sets him opposite Ben Affleck in a tale about a basketball all-star-turned coach who loses his wife and family foundation in a struggle with addiction. He is currently filming Marvel/Sony’s Morbius opposite Jared Leto.
Madrigal has also starred NBC's About A Boy co-starring David Walton and Minnie Driver; Free Agents with Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn, Welcome to the Captain and Gary Unmarried for CBS; The Tax Men, opposite Martin Short; and The Ortegas, where he was the series lead.
In 2013, Madrigal starred in his first hour-long stand-up special Why Is the Rabbit Crying on Comedy Central. He has been seen on Conan, The Tonight Show, The Late, Late Show, @Midnight and Jimmy Kimmel Live. In 2015 Madrigal released his award winning and critically acclaimed docu-comedy Half Like Me. His newest standup special, Shrimpin’ Ain’t Easy premiered in 2017 on Showtime, and was deemed by Slate, “one of the best specials of 2017.”
On October 1, 2013, Madrigal and Bill Burr launched the All Things Comedy network (ATC), a podcast and video network founded, owned and operated entirely by comedians. The network currently has 6 million downloads per month.
Madrigal lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.
For more go to www.AlMadrigal.com and follow Al on Twitter - @AlMadrigal and on Facebook - www.facebook.com/almadrigal
Alise Morales is a comedy writer and performer based in Brooklyn, NY. Alise is currently the writer of the Betches Sup newsletter, and co-host of the Betches Sup podcast. Her writing has been featured in Flexx Mag, Reductress, Above Average, PureWoW, Betches and more. In 2012 she was a featured standup in MTVU's College Quickies series and was a member of the video sketch trio Horrible Insane Girl, which premiered on IFC's Comedy Crib in May 2015. In 2016, Alise was one of the winners of the NBC/UCB Diversity Scholarship Showcase, and her series Triffany & Briffney was an official comedy selection for 2016's New York TV Fest. Alise also performed on UCB's Lloyd Night from 2015-2018
Alise’s original show, The Roast of Your Teenage Self, has toured across the country and was featured in the 2017 New York Comedy Festival. She has appeared in Hulu's Difficult People, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Chris Gethard Show. You can catch her voicing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Showtime’s Our Cartoon President.
This year she hopes to start wearing more adventurous types of pants.
STRETCH + BREATHE PART 2
12:50 pm – 12:55 pm
(pre-recorded)
Sitting all morning at computer? The exercise I'm going to teach you helps with
eye strain. But first, letʼs stand up and stretch!
Heidi is a Certified Yoga Teacher, Nutritionist, and Licensed Massage Therapist. She loves everything outdoors and is passionate about health and fitness (dogs too!). Heidi has been teaching various styles of yoga and meditation since 2015. She lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
(live)
Life changing events and a career in journalism. Vlad Duthiers, Correspondent, CBS News, interviewed by Evan Shapiro, President, National Lampoon.
Vladimir Duthiers is a CBS News correspondent based in New York. Duthiers is part of the team delivering the first look at the day’s top stories for CBS THIS MORNING and also serves as anchor for CBSN, the network’s 24/7 digital streaming network from CBS News. His work has been featured on CBS THIS MORNING, the CBS EVENING NEWS, CBS SUNDAY MORNING, 48 HOURS, and all CBS News platforms.
The Peabody Award and Emmy Award-winning journalist has covered a wide-range of breaking and feature stories since joining CBS News in 2014. He spent a month covering the protests against police in the aftermath of a white police officer shooting an unarmed African-American man in Ferguson, Missouri and spent several weeks reporting on the police manhunt for Eric Matthew Frein, who allegedly killed a Pennsylvania State Police officer. He’s flown with the Navy’s Blue Angels, embedded with the USAF in South Korea and Guam, flew a training mission in the back seat of an F-16 Viper miles from the DMZ separating North Korea and South Korea, and interviewed the commander of US Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harrison. He also traveled to Brazil’s Amazon jungle to report on how deforestation contributes to climate change.
Duthiers’ reporting exploring the roots of Muslim extremism in the volatile suburbs of Paris and Brussels in the aftermath of the coordinated terrorist attacks in France that killed 130 people in November 2015 was the first documentary project for the CBSN Originals series. He was also nominated for an SPJ Sigma Delta Chi Award for his profile on Inside international basketball star Sebastien Bellin’s remarkable eight-month journey of recovery after being nearly killed in the attack in Brussels, Belgium in March of 2016.
In 2016, Duthiers anchored CBSN’s live coverage of the 2016 Republican and Democratic conventions and every debate between Former Secretary of State Hillary and Donald Trump.
Duthiers has interviewed several high profile politicians including Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the late Senator John McCain, Senator Bernie Sanders and former FBI Director James Comey. He has also interviewed business leaders including JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Duthiers has also interviewed basketball superstar Russell Westbrook as well as acclaimed celebrities and artists such as Oprah Winfrey, Harry Belafonte, Slash, Dave Grohl, Lin Manuel Miranda, Alicia Keys and Cher. He was part of CBS News’ special coverage of the Royal Wedding between Prince Harry & Meghan Markle.
Before CBS News, Duthiers was an international correspondent at CNN, based in Lagos, Nigeria. His work there was honored with a Peabody Award for his reporting on the more than 200 girls kidnapped from their school in Northeastern Nigeria by the Islamist terror group Boko Haram. During his assignment in Nigeria, Duthiers reported extensively on the terrorist activities of Boko Haram, covered the ongoing military intervention in Mali, the terrorist attack on the Amenas gas plant in Algeria, the trial and sentencing of the former Liberian warlord Charles Taylor at the ICC in Sierra Leone, the crash of Dana Air Flight 992, and President Barack Obama's visit to Senegal. He also reported from the Middle East on the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, from the streets of Bangkok during Thailand's political turmoil, and the birth of the royal baby Prince George in July 2013.
He began his career at CNN in 2009 as a production assistant on the news program “Amanpour” before going on to serve as an associate producer for “Anderson Cooper 360°.” He was among the first journalists to arrive in Haiti to cover the 2010 earthquake and was part of the team that won two Emmy Awards for their coverage.
Prior to his career in journalism, Duthiers spent 18 years in the investment management industry, most recently as a managing director at an investment company, where he led global investment initiatives for clients based in 21 countries.
Duthiers graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.A. in political science and from Columbia University with a M.S. in journalism. He is fluent in French and Haitian Creole and is learning Mandarin Chinese.
Chairman of the Board, One Day Immersion, Inc.
Evan Shapiro is an Emmy and Peabody Award winner, having produced or created more than 150 television series, specials, documentaries and podcasts, including Portlandia, Comedy Bang Bang, Maron, National Lampoon Radio Hour Podcast, The Roast Of Your Teenage Self, Dinner For Five, Please Like Me, Take My Wife, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Shrink, Trapped In The Closet, Harmonquest, Laurie Kilmartin’s 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad, Doug Stanhope’s No Place Like Home, Jospeh Gordon Leavitt’s HitRecord, Fortitude, Carlos, My Brother My Brother & Me, Brick City, This Film Is Not Yet Rated, and Funny Women of A Certain Age.
He is a Professor for TV and Media at NYU/Stern School Of Business and for Media Studies at Fordham University, a sought-after guest speaker for conferences and universities, as well as a frequent guest writer for publishers such as Huffington Post, Deadline and The Wrap, where he has made some rather bold predictions about the future of the media and entertainment industry, many of which have come to fruition. He is also an in-demand lecturer for companies and government agencies about Generation Y and Generation Z.
Endless Opportunities
1:35 pm – 2:05 pm
(live)
In a world of ad-free SVODs, advertising supported media is actually making a comeback. For good reason, too. Advertising has been powering media from the beginning, so it's no surprise that exciting technology developments have created new experiences and opportunities for advertisers and publishers alike. This diverse panel of experts will help demystify the world of advertising and ad tech in media. What it is and why it matters for an industry as a whole. Discover the key areas of the ad tech space. This just may be the right career fit for you.
Moderated by Mike Richter, Jukin Media
Director, Programmatic Partnerships at Jukin Media
Driven by his passion for strategy and innovation in media and ad tech, Mike Richter leads programmatic monetization & revenue operations at Jukin Media as the Director of Programmatic. Jukin Media is a global entertainment company built on the belief that the future of storytelling is user generated. Jukin produces original content for TV, the web, and emerging platforms, and is owner/ operator of a portfolio of social video properties that includes FailArmy, People Are Awesome, The Pet Collective, and JukinVideo; the properties combine for more than 100 million fans online and 3+ billion monthly video views. Along with revenue growth, Mike is dedicated to working with industry leaders to discover innovative and cohesive solutions as both media and ad tech evolve.
Prior to joining Jukin Media, he oversaw programmatic revenue growth at Newsy and before that he was on the founding team at Premion. Mike is an avid traveler, lover of arts & entertainment, always ready to try out the latest and greatest tech, and a proud dog dad to Finn!
Senior Manager, Marketing at Verywell
Hannah has nearly 8 years of strategic marketing experience in digital media at top publishers and led creative strategy for key accounts spanning tech, pharma, auto, CPG, and more. She has been recognized as Marketer of the Year twice in her career and worked hand-in-hand with the industry’s leading brands to create award-winning and innovative partnerships. Hannah received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Marymount Manhattan College.
Business Development Associate at Smaato
Masha Khazanova recently made a transition into the Mobile Ad Tech industry in Business Development, Supply for Smaato. In just a short time she has gained a wealth of knowledge and hands on experience talking to many publishers of all sizes. This has sparked her interest for the industry as a whole, where she hopes to grow and develop her career.
Her path to this role and industry was unique. Having grown up in Sydney, Australia, Masha graduated from The University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Commerce (Liberal Studies) and chose to pursue a professional ballroom dancing career, which led her to make a move to the US. After a successful dance career representing Australia at many world championships, she knew that she wanted to find other career paths and challenges and entered the corporate world at a boutique investment bank, helping early stage companies raise funds. All these experiences culminated in a more defined career path into business development, having made the move to join the Smaato team only 6 months ago.
Digital Ad Ops and Ad Tech Strategy in the TV-Sphere
STRETCH + BREATHE PART 3
2:10 pm – 2:15 pm
(pre-recorded)
This is a great way to end your day, my favorite yoga pose. It is great to do at the end of your work day, or before bed. I like to listen to a guided meditation or mantra while resting in this pose.
Heidi is a Certified Yoga Teacher, Nutritionist, and Licensed Massage Therapist. She loves everything outdoors and is passionate about health and fitness (dogs too!). Heidi has been teaching various styles of yoga and meditation since 2015. She lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
2:20 pm - 2:50 pm
(live)
Industry veteran and self-proclaimed 'mathlete', Wonya Lucas will share her amazing life story that let her into the media industry. Interviewed by the equally talented and revered Michael Smith, Chief Marketing Officer, NPR.
Wonya Lucas is president and CEO of Crown Media Family Networks is a subsidiary company of Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Lucas is charged with accelerating the mission and growth of the iconic television brand whose flagship channel is regularly ranked among the top 15 cable networks each year. She is responsible for the strategic direction, day-to-day management and successful growth of the three linear networks (Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama), its digital platforms as well as the company’s subscription streaming service, Hallmark Movies Now.
Lucas’s approach is informed by her passion for storytelling and leveraging and building brands. She is an accomplished, transformative executive who brings to Crown Media a depth of media experience leading a wide range of organizations and business operations at multiple news and entertainment companies including Discovery, TNT, NPR and the Weather Channel, among others. She is adept at building, growing and managing successful, collaborative teams and has the ability to rally people and lead with energy and compassion.
As an executive with extensive experience in media and entertainment, brand management and product development, Lucas most recently served as President and CEO of Public Broadcasting Atlanta, where she oversaw that city’s NPR and PBS stations. Previously, she was president and CEO of TV One.
Lucas held several positions at Discovery Communications, including executive vice president and chief operating officer for Discovery Channel and Science Channel, as well as global chief marketing officer with responsibility for developing audiences in 210 countries and over 130 networks. Lucas also served as general manager and executive vice president of The Weather Channel networks, where she was responsible for corporate strategy and development, in addition to strategic marketing for The Weather Channel, Weather Channel radio and weather.com. Prior to that, she held several positions at Turner Broadcasting System (Warner Media), including senior vice president of strategic marketing for CNN (CNN Networks Worldwide, cnn.com, and HLN); vice president of business operations and network development for TNT and TBS; and vice president of entertainment marketing for TNT Entertainment properties. Earlier in her career, Lucas spent several years in various brand management roles for the Coca-Cola Company and Clorox.
Wonya currently serves on the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors and is the former vice chair of the national NPR board.
Lucas earned a BS in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech and her MBA in finance and marketing from Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania.
Board Member, One Day Immersion Inc.
Chief Marketing Officer, National Public Radio (NPR)
Michael Smith, NPR's Chief Marketing Officer, brings more than 30 years of experience in entertainment brand marketing, content, digital, and revenue generating brand extensions.
"It's essential to NPR's future that its content and audience reflect America's full diversity. As a Jamaican immigrant and avid NPR station and podcast listener, I've been personally engaged by the new and diverse voices in NPR's content," said Smith. "But NPR's overall audience is still not very diverse. I believe the content has broad appeal to the next generation of audiences, we just need to get our story out to more people. I'm so excited to join a team of talented marketing and communications pros committed to this effort."
As SVP, GM Digital Channels for Scripps Networks, Smith developed strategies to reach younger and more diverse audiences on new digital streaming platforms. Earlier, Smith was SVP, GM Cooking Channel and Food Category Brand Extensions. He oversaw marketing, brand strategy, and programming for the Cooking Channel, a network he helped create and launch. Before Cooking Channel, he was SVP Marketing, Creative and Brand Strategy for Food Network. Smith also worked in various marketing roles with Disney Channel both domestically and in Asia. He began his media career in Affiliate Relations with CBS, working to strengthen relationships between local stations and the national network. He served on the boards of Food Bank for New York and the International Radio and Television Society.
Smith earned his MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of California at Berkeley's Haas School of Business, and received his bachelor's degree in Science, Technology and Society from Stanford University.
HOW THE WORLD BECOMES SMALLER
2:55 pm – 3:25 pm
(pre-recorded)
Want to see the world? As our connected world brings us all closer together, many media companies see huge growth and opportunity outside the US. This panel explores the overseas opportunities and challenges facing global companies, and helps you understand what you should be thinking about if you want to pursue a career with an international component.
Laurie Stewart, Mindless Academy and LEGO
Cameron Saless, Jukin
Irina Shames, 3BLACKDOT
Moderated by Ben Lister, Sinclair
Laurie Stewart, Mindless Academy & LEGO
Laurie Stewart is founder of Mindless, a brand committed to elevating consciousness through the art of storytelling. In partnership with universities worldwide, Mindless Academy offers a Digital Micro-Internship to provide emerging talent with the mindset, skills and experience they need for a digital future. The content produced as a result of this internship ends up at Mindless Mag; a storytelling platform dedicated to Fashion + Stuff That Matters. Here, we explore fashion's relationship with important social issues such as mental health, body image, feminism, sustainability and much more.
With over ten years' international experience at some of the world's leading consumer retail businesses, Laurie has a wealth of knowledge in product development, strategic sourcing, storytelling and digital transformation. She has recently relocated to Denmark to work as Senior Business Transfomation Manager at LEGO where she collaborates with global leaders to transform people, processes, data and technology. She'll be spending her first Danish winter completing her first book: All My Heroes Are Weirdos!
Cameron Saless, Chief Business Officer
Cameron Saless has over 20 years of experience in technology and media related startups. He is currently the Chief Business Officer at Jukin Media and has held senior business development roles at companies like Machinima, JibJab, and iFilm/MTV. Cameron currently advises seed stage companies including Stackin, Finli and Superpeer and has venture capital experience from the late nineties when he was an Associate for Comdisco Ventures on Sand Hill Road. Cameron graduated cum laude with an Industrial Operations Engineering degree from the University of Michigan. He now lives in Los Angeles with his husband and their two dogs. Cameron is a Liverpool & LAFC supporter.
SVP, Head of Strategy and Revenue, 3BLACKDOT
Irina Shames, MBA, is a multilingual Business Developer and Strategist who is on a mission to help businesses thrive.
Her work took her across continents (Europe, US, Asia), world’s largest media corporations (Viacom, WarnerMedia, WPP) and high-growth start ups. Throughout her career, she built successful go-to-market strategies, led teams, and turned around businesses. She has an impeccable track record of delivering significant organizational revenue growth.
Irina is an advisor to start-ups, a speaker at industry conferences, and an avid believer in the future of media. During her free time, you can find her traveling across the globe and seeking new adventures, which ultimately fuel her love of all things media and business.
Ben Lister, Director, Content Acquisition and Business Development
Ben has over 20 years’ experience in the evolution and commercial development of digital media business, deploying content and services across multiple platforms, categories and commercial models.
Ben currently leads Business Development and Content Acquisition for Sinclair Broadcast Group based in Los Angeles for the recently formed Platforms and National Networks Group, comprising of STIRR, TBD, Comet and Charge as well as the evolving role of Sports across the broader group that includes the RSN’s and Stadium.
Previously, Ben worked for a decade in digital video start-ups holding leadership roles at companies pioneering the growth of the YouTube platform including Brave Bison, Rightster, Base79, as well as brands, talent and traditional content owners throughout the world.
At Base79, Ben lead Int’l expansion opening offices in London, Paris, Berlin and Madrid, before moving to Los Angeles to lead USA growth and development in 2013 after a series B fund raise lead by The Chernin Group. Rightster then acquired Base79 in July 2014 for $85mn.
Ben has also previously held senior roles in the commercial functions of companies such as Warner Music Group, Viacom (MTV, Nickelodeon & Comedy Central) and Channel 4 launching and growing partnerships with companies such as Apple, Google, YouTube, Yahoo, Intel, Microsoft, Telefonica, Orange, Vodafone, Netflix, Hulu in partnership with many of the worlds leading content owners across Music, Film & TV, Sport and News categories.
Ben graduated with a BA (Hons) in Commercial Music from the University of Westminster in London, UK in 2000.
3:25 pm – 3:30 pm
(pre-recorded)
ODI Board of Directors and Programming Committee
Chairman of the Board, One Day Immersion, Inc.
Evan Shapiro is an Emmy and Peabody Award winner, having produced or created more than 150 television series, specials, documentaries and podcasts, including Portlandia, Comedy Bang Bang, Maron, National Lampoon Radio Hour Podcast, The Roast Of Your Teenage Self, Dinner For Five, Please Like Me, Take My Wife, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Shrink, Trapped In The Closet, Harmonquest, Laurie Kilmartin’s 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad, Doug Stanhope’s No Place Like Home, Jospeh Gordon Leavitt’s HitRecord, Fortitude, Carlos, My Brother My Brother & Me, Brick City, This Film Is Not Yet Rated, and Funny Women of A Certain Age.
He is a Professor for TV and Media at NYU/Stern School Of Business and for Media Studies at Fordham University, a sought-after guest speaker for conferences and universities, as well as a frequent guest writer for publishers such as Huffington Post, Deadline and The Wrap, where he has made some rather bold predictions about the future of the media and entertainment industry, many of which have come to fruition. He is also an in-demand lecturer for companies and government agencies about Generation Y and Generation Z.
President, One Day Immersion, Inc.
Dolly Wolf is an experienced program creator/director with outstanding program and project management track record. She is able to bridge diverse communities, resulting in high-impact collaboration and communication among all participants. She has proven success in all aspects of program development, including idea and strategy; project planning and execution; speaker recruitment; event management; promotion; and delivering on time and on budget.
After nearly 20 years in the cable telecommunications industry, Dolly founded Dolly Wolf Enterprises, LLC, with the mission of fostering relationships between executives and students. Dolly Wolf Enterprises strives to offer unprecedented access to top cable and digital TV executives for college students, and to create an authentic connection of media leaders, cable and beyond, with the best and brightest college students and recent graduates. The company produces forums where executives share their paths to their current positions, and provide insights and opportunities into the innovative and fast-moving industry. Dolly Wolf Enterprises fosters strategic relationships for students and executives, as they build mentorships, focused career plans, and ultimately, provide job placement.
Vice President, One Day Immersion Inc.
Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE/ISBE)
Zenita has a deep passion for technology and has over thirty years in the telecommunications industry starting with Toner Cable, Jerrold/General Instrument, Motorola Mobility (a Google Company), ARRIS and now as Vice President of marketing and business development, she is responsible for the largest cable telecommunications tradeshow in the Americas, Cable-Tec Expo® at the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers and its global arm International Society of Broadband Experts.
Zenita is an award-winning community and industry relations activist supporting education, arts, science, technology and math (STEM/STEAM) initiatives, healthcare, diversity and inclusion programs in the cable industry. In her spare time, Zenita puts her expert marketing and relationship building skills to work as a Board Member of several charitable organizations including Beachglow Concerts for Charity, Inc. and Executive Committee Member with One Day Immersion in Cable, TV and Digital Entertainment conference, designed to encourage college students to pursue creative and technical careers in the cable industry. She has served on the boards of the Montgomery County PA chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Greater Philadelphia & South Jersey chapter of Girls Inc.
In 2014, Zenita was inducted into the Cable TV Pioneers, and has been recognized multiple years as one of CableFax Most Powerful Women in Cable (2016, 2017, 2018) and Most Influential Minorities in Cable (2014, 2015, 2016,2017, 2018).
Treasurer, One Day Immersion Inc.
Craig Parks is the former GM of Brands at Jukin, responsible for the management and growth of five consumer brands. Prior to Jukin, Craig was the Vice President, Programming for Watchable, Comcast’s cross-platform video service that curated a selection of the best content from popular online video networks and shows.
Craig also helped launch the TV network Pivot (Participant Media), where he served as SVP of Live & Event programming. Before that, Craig worked at IFC as Senior Vice President of Digital Media & Alternative Content, where he led the charge in building the network’s online presence and growing fan base around its roster of original comedy series.
Prior to joining IFC in 2007, Craig held production and creative roles across various networks including AMC Networks, ABC Family, MTV and VH1. Craig is a graduate of University of Florida, where he did not play for the world-renowned Florida Gators.
Secretary, One Day Immersion Inc.
President, Miner & Co. Studio
At Miner & Co. Studio, Robert leads a team of strategic research, marketing and brand consultants with a proven track record in guiding brand positioning, brand experience, marketing communications, new product development, digital content development and TV programs and concepts.
With 20 plus years of experience at the helm of strategic research projects for leading brands across categories, Robert has now designed a practice where innovative and creative researchers and strategists can provide the highest level of service to clients.
Board Member, One Day Immersion Inc.
Strategy & Operations Manager, Global Business Development, Google
Leerone Anolik is a Strategy and Operations Manager at Google, providing thought leadership, insights, strategic and operational support to Google’s Global Business Development team.
Prior to Google, Leerone held a number of roles at iHeartMedia, where she oversaw the Digital Revenue Management practice and worked collaboratively with executives and key senior leaders to develop and successfully deliver on projects critical to the company’s short and long term growth. She also worked as a Media Planner for Universal McCann Israel, managed major advertisers’ media budgets and television advertising campaigns.
Leerone holds a BSc in Mathematics with extended study units in Economics and Psychology from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Board Member, One Day Immersion Inc.
Chief Marketing Officer, National Public Radio (NPR)
Michael Smith, NPR's Chief Marketing Officer, brings more than 30 years of experience in entertainment brand marketing, content, digital, and revenue generating brand extensions.
"It's essential to NPR's future that its content and audience reflect America's full diversity. As a Jamaican immigrant and avid NPR station and podcast listener, I've been personally engaged by the new and diverse voices in NPR's content," said Smith. "But NPR's overall audience is still not very diverse. I believe the content has broad appeal to the next generation of audiences, we just need to get our story out to more people. I'm so excited to join a team of talented marketing and communications pros committed to this effort."
As SVP, GM Digital Channels for Scripps Networks, Smith developed strategies to reach younger and more diverse audiences on new digital streaming platforms. Earlier, Smith was SVP, GM Cooking Channel and Food Category Brand Extensions. He oversaw marketing, brand strategy, and programming for the Cooking Channel, a network he helped create and launch. Before Cooking Channel, he was SVP Marketing, Creative and Brand Strategy for Food Network. Smith also worked in various marketing roles with Disney Channel both domestically and in Asia. He began his media career in Affiliate Relations with CBS, working to strengthen relationships between local stations and the national network. He served on the boards of Food Bank for New York and the International Radio and Television Society.
Smith earned his MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of California at Berkeley's Haas School of Business, and received his bachelor's degree in Science, Technology and Society from Stanford University.
Board Member, One Day Immersion Inc.
GVP, Audience & Content Strategy, Spectrum Networks/Charter Communications
Hellman’s team consists of over 200 full-time employees, and she is responsible for overall content strategy, national news, the Spectrum News mobile app, and collaboration across the Charter Communications organization with Government Affairs, Spectrum Reach, and other internal divisions.
Hellman joined Charter Communications in 2016 from The Madison Square Garden Company, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Promotion for MSG Networks Inc. At MSG Networks, Hellman also worked as Vice President of Distribution Marketing and Operations for MSG Media and Director of Marketing Solutions.
Hellman began her career at Rainbow Media in 2004 as a marketing coordinator. She earned her American Studies degree from George Washington University and lives with her family in Westchester, New York.
Programming Committee, One Day Immersion Inc.
Associate Professor and Area Chair: Communications and Media Management
Fordham University Gabelli School of Business
Bozena I. Mierzejewska is an associate professor of communications and media management at the Gabelli School of Business. She holds an MA in economics from Warsaw School of Economics in Poland and a PhD in management from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
Dr. Mierzejewska's research and teaching focuses on media management and digitization, and its impact on media organizations and media workers. She is a recipient of the 2010 Sherman Teaching Award and the post-doctoral Marie Curie Fellowship. She presently is the editor of JMM – The International Journal on Media Management, one of the leading academic publications in this area. She also serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Media Economics, the Central European Journal of Communication and The International Journal on the Book.
Prior to joining Fordham, Dr. Mierzejewska taught and researched at the Media Management and Transformation Center, Jönköping International Business School, Sweden; and the Institute for Media and Communications Management, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. She has been a guest speaker and visiting professor at various institutions including Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, and Zurich University, Switzerland. She is an accomplished speaker and conference host and a devoted educator.
Senior Press Manager, CBS Interactive
Rachel Zuckerman is a Senior Press Manager at CBS Interactive overseeing press strategy for CBS News Digital and CBSN, CBS News free 24/7 streaming news service.
Prior to joining the team at CBS Interactive, she was a Press Manager at NBC News working with Lester Holt and the team at “NBC Nightly News,” as well as the NBC News political unit and the NBC News Specials team. Zuckerman began her career in news communications on the MSNBC Media Relations team where she worked on the network’s 2017 rebrand, the 2016 election, as well as MSNBC’s primetime and dayside programs.
Before switching to a career in communications, she served as a production assistant at MSNBC after completing a year in the NBCUniversal Page Program.
Zuckerman attended Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA and is currently an MBA candidate at the NYU Leonard N. Stern School of Business.
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