Jacqui Canney is the newly appointed Chief People Officer for ServiceNow, the leading digital workflow company that makes work, work better for people.
In this role, she leads all aspects of talent strategy, including employee experience, rewards, attraction, retention, development, and diversity, inclusion, and belonging for ServiceNow’s rapidly growing global workforce of more than 14,000 employees.
Previously, Jacqui served as the Global Chief People Officer for WPP where she was responsible for the company’s global talent organization, making WPP the destination for the industry’s top talent and for leading all aspects of people strategy, rewards, talent management, recruiting, and leadership development and learning.
Prior to joining WPP, she was Walmart's Chief People Officer, where she was responsible for attracting, retaining, and developing talent for one of the world’s largest private employers.
As the primary designer of Walmart’s people strategy, Jacqui used her expertise in driving large-scale and complex change to help shape the future of retail. She led the seamless workforce integration of Walmart’s acquisitions of many partners, including Jet.com, Flipkart, DoorDash, Lord & Taylor, ModCloth, Moosejaw, and Bonobos, among others.
She served as the co-chair of the World Economic Forum “Future of Work” Task Force and a member of the Rework America Business Network, and Jacqui participated in the Council on Foreign Relations 2018 Future of Work Task Force.
Jacqui Canney is the newly appointed Chief People Officer for ServiceNow, the leading digital workflow company that makes work, work better for people.
In this role, she leads all aspects of talent strategy, including employee experience, rewards, attraction, retention, development, and diversity, inclusion, and belonging for ServiceNow’s rapidly growing global workforce of more than 14,000 employees.
Previously, Jacqui served as the Global Chief People Officer for WPP where she was responsible for the company’s global talent organization, making WPP the destination for the industry’s top talent and for leading all aspects of people strategy, rewards, talent management, recruiting, and leadership development and learning.
Prior to joining WPP, she was Walmart's Chief People Officer, where she was responsible for attracting, retaining, and developing talent for one of the world’s largest private employers.
As the primary designer of Walmart’s people strategy, Jacqui used her expertise in driving large-scale and complex change to help shape the future of retail. She led the seamless workforce integration of Walmart’s acquisitions of many partners, including Jet.com, Flipkart, DoorDash, Lord & Taylor, ModCloth, Moosejaw, and Bonobos, among others.
She served as the co-chair of the World Economic Forum “Future of Work” Task Force and a member of the Rework America Business Network, and Jacqui participated in the Council on Foreign Relations 2018 Future of Work Task Force.
Carson Daly is a pioneer of pop culture across a multitude of media, including network television, radio, the recording industry and digital.
Daly is currently hosting and producing the 20th season of the NBC hit series “The Voice.” The show has received nine consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Reality Competition Program and won in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Additionally, “The Voice” also received a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Competition TV Show for five years in a row as well as a Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television for seven years in a row.
Daly joined “TODAY” in 2013 and is the host of “TODAY’s” digital studio, PopStart. Daly’s exclusive interviews have made headlines, including his interviews with Kevin Love, Sean Combs and with Fleetwood Mac in March 2014, where the band announced their reunion.
In 2019, after an 18 season run, Daly wound down his long-running late night NBC series, “Last Call with Carson Daly.” For nearly 20 years and 2,000 episodes, “Last Call” garnered acclaim for its documentary style, emphasis on exceptional storytelling, and status as late-night TV’s unofficial music tastemaker.
From 2010-2017 Daly served as host of his top-rated morning-drive radio program on 97.1 AMP-FM Los Angeles. In July 2017 Daly announced he would be stepping down from his role on the morning show to focus on other areas of his expansive career. He continues to host a weekly syndicated radio program “The Daly Download” for Entercom.
Additionally, 2020 year marked the 19th year that Daly and Universal Media Studios have produced “NBC’s New Year’s Eve With Carson Daly.” Past musical performances have included Rihanna, Jay Z, Green Day, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Ludacris, Mary J. Blige, Avril Lavigne, Panic! at the Disco, the Ting Tings and Lenny Kravitz.
Daly began his career in radio in the early 1990s, quickly moving up the ranks as an on-air DJ in five cities within his first five years. He quickly landed one of the most coveted positions in the business — the early evening voice of L.A.’s influential and highly rated alternative rock station KROQ-FM. MTV soon recognized his talent and brought him to New York.
As host and executive producer of MTV’s “Total Request Live (TRL),” Daly transformed an afternoon music video program into a must-stop on the publicity circuit for musicians, movie stars and entertainers. It was Daly’s guy-next-door charm that made him so appealing as he entered living rooms daily to offer exactly what the audience desired.
Daly, his wife Siri and their four children live in the greater New York area.
Carson Daly is a pioneer of pop culture across a multitude of media, including network television, radio, the recording industry and digital.
Daly is currently hosting and producing the 20th season of the NBC hit series “The Voice.” The show has received nine consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Reality Competition Program and won in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Additionally, “The Voice” also received a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Competition TV Show for five years in a row as well as a Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television for seven years in a row.
Daly joined “TODAY” in 2013 and is the host of “TODAY’s” digital studio, PopStart. Daly’s exclusive interviews have made headlines, including his interviews with Kevin Love, Sean Combs and with Fleetwood Mac in March 2014, where the band announced their reunion.
In 2019, after an 18 season run, Daly wound down his long-running late night NBC series, “Last Call with Carson Daly.” For nearly 20 years and 2,000 episodes, “Last Call” garnered acclaim for its documentary style, emphasis on exceptional storytelling, and status as late-night TV’s unofficial music tastemaker.
From 2010-2017 Daly served as host of his top-rated morning-drive radio program on 97.1 AMP-FM Los Angeles. In July 2017 Daly announced he would be stepping down from his role on the morning show to focus on other areas of his expansive career. He continues to host a weekly syndicated radio program “The Daly Download” for Entercom.
Additionally, 2020 year marked the 19th year that Daly and Universal Media Studios have produced “NBC’s New Year’s Eve With Carson Daly.” Past musical performances have included Rihanna, Jay Z, Green Day, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Ludacris, Mary J. Blige, Avril Lavigne, Panic! at the Disco, the Ting Tings and Lenny Kravitz.
Daly began his career in radio in the early 1990s, quickly moving up the ranks as an on-air DJ in five cities within his first five years. He quickly landed one of the most coveted positions in the business — the early evening voice of L.A.’s influential and highly rated alternative rock station KROQ-FM. MTV soon recognized his talent and brought him to New York.
As host and executive producer of MTV’s “Total Request Live (TRL),” Daly transformed an afternoon music video program into a must-stop on the publicity circuit for musicians, movie stars and entertainers. It was Daly’s guy-next-door charm that made him so appealing as he entered living rooms daily to offer exactly what the audience desired.
Daly, his wife Siri and their four children live in the greater New York area.
Named a 2005 MacArthur Fellow, President Obama’s first appointment to the National Council on the Arts and Governor Snyder’s appointment to the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, Aaron P. Dworkin served as dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD), which is ranked among the top performing arts schools in the nation. He is currently a tenured full professor of arts leadership and entrepreneurship at SMTD as well as serving as a Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. In addition, Aaron is a successful social entrepreneur having founded The Sphinx Organization, the leading arts organization with the mission of transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. He is also co-founder of SonoGrub.com, a weekly blog pairing great food and music. As a successful writer, Aaron has authored The Entrepreneurial Artist: Lessons from Highly Successful Creatives published by Rowman & Littlefield, a science-fiction novel, Ethos: Rise of Malcolm published by MorganJames, as well as his memoir titled Uncommon Rhythm: A Black, White, Jewish, Jehovah's Witness, Irish Catholic Adoptee's Journey to Leadership released through Aquarius Press, a poetry collection, They Said I Wasn’t Really Black, and a children’s book The 1st Adventure of Chilli Pepperz. A lifelong musician, Aaron is a prominent spoken-word performing artist represented by Cadenza Artists with a current national tour of his American Rhapsody with a national consortium of orchestras and premiered with the Minnesota Orchestra and Maestro Osmo Vänskä. He has collaborated with a breadth of artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Damien Sneed, Anna Deveare Smith, Damian Woetzel, Lil Buck and others. His visual digital art project, Fractured History, has been exhibited at multiple galleries and museums to rave reviews. He recorded and produced two CDs, entitled Ebony Rhythm and Bar-Talk, in addition to writing, producing, and directing the independent film Deliberation.
A multi-media performing artist, author, social entrepreneur, artist-citizen, and educator, Aaron continually receives extensive national recognition for his leadership and service to communities. He has been featured in People Magazine, on NBC’s Today Show and Nightly News, CNN, NPR’s The Story and Performance Today. He has been the subject of articles in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Washington Post, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Emerge and Jet Magazines, and many other media outlets, and was named one of Newsweek’s “15 People Who Make America Great.” He is the recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Honorary Membership, Harvard University’s Vosgerchian Teaching Award, National Governors Association 2005 Distinguished Service to State Government Award, Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, Detroit News’s 2003 Michiganian of the Year Award, Crain’s 40 Under 40 and Who’s Who Awards, BET’s History Makers in the Making Award, AT&T Excellence in Education Award, and National Black MBA’s Entrepreneur of The Year.
As an artist curator, he has served as a juror for some of the most prestigious international competitions including the Menuhin Competition, London Music Masters Competition, Stulberg International Violin Competition and the Sphinx Competition. A sought-after global thought leader and a passionate advocate for excellence in arts education, entrepreneurship and leadership, as well as inclusion in the performing arts, Aaron is a frequent keynote speaker and lecturer at numerous national and global arts, creativity and technology conferences including the Aspen Ideas Conference, Independent Sector, Americans for the Arts, Dance USA, Leadership Africa Summit, The League of American Orchestras, National Association for Schools of Music, Merit Member Conference, Society for Music Teacher Education, National Guild for Community Schools of the Arts, National Association of Music Merchants, Chautauqua Institution, National Suzuki Association, American String Teachers Association, Ithaca College, and the National Association for Negro Musicians. He served as commencement speaker at the Curtis Institute of Music, University of Michigan, Longy Conservatory and twice for Bowling Green State University. In May of 2013, the renowned Curtis Institute of Music awarded Honorary Doctorates to Aaron and Sir Simon Rattle, longtime maestro of the Berlin Philharmonic. Aaron also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in violin performance from the University of Michigan.
Aaron personifies arts leadership, entrepreneurship and community commitment with an unwavering passion for the arts, diversity and their role in society. As dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance, he led a world-class faculty of 180 and a staff of 100 while administering a budget over $60 million, an endowment in excess of $140 million and successfully completing a capital campaign over $90 million. As founder of the Sphinx Organization, Aaron created an international organization with a staff and faculty of over 50 and a budget of $5 million that awards more than $1,000,000 in prizes and scholarships annually. The organization serves as the leading advocate for young people and diversity in the arts worldwide. Aaron also founded and served as publisher and editor-in-chief of The Bard, a literary magazine reaching over 60,000 readers.
Aaron serves regularly as a board or advisory member for numerous influential arts organizations including the National Council on the Arts, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, National Association of Performing Arts Presenters, the Avery Fisher Artist Program, Independent Sector’s Advisory Group, League of American Orchestras, National Society for the Gifted and Talented, Creative Many Michigan, the Knight Foundation, The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, The Michigan Theater, Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation, Editorial Board of Downtown New York Magazine and Chamber Music America. As the co-chair of the Arts and Cultural Education Task Force for the State of Michigan, Aaron designed the required arts curriculum for Michigan schools.
Aaron has strong interests in politics, innovation, creativity, human pair bonding and issues of economic and social justice. In addition to various genres of music and disciplines of the performing arts, he enjoys travel, movies, and the culinary arts. He is married to Afa Sadykhly Dworkin, a prominent international arts leader who serves as President and Artistic Director of the Sphinx Organization and has two awesome sons, Noah Still and Amani Jaise.
Named a 2005 MacArthur Fellow, President Obama’s first appointment to the National Council on the Arts and Governor Snyder’s appointment to the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, Aaron P. Dworkin served as dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD), which is ranked among the top performing arts schools in the nation. He is currently a tenured full professor of arts leadership and entrepreneurship at SMTD as well as serving as a Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. In addition, Aaron is a successful social entrepreneur having founded The Sphinx Organization, the leading arts organization with the mission of transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. He is also co-founder of SonoGrub.com, a weekly blog pairing great food and music. As a successful writer, Aaron has authored The Entrepreneurial Artist: Lessons from Highly Successful Creatives published by Rowman & Littlefield, a science-fiction novel, Ethos: Rise of Malcolm published by MorganJames, as well as his memoir titled Uncommon Rhythm: A Black, White, Jewish, Jehovah's Witness, Irish Catholic Adoptee's Journey to Leadership released through Aquarius Press, a poetry collection, They Said I Wasn’t Really Black, and a children’s book The 1st Adventure of Chilli Pepperz. A lifelong musician, Aaron is a prominent spoken-word performing artist represented by Cadenza Artists with a current national tour of his American Rhapsody with a national consortium of orchestras and premiered with the Minnesota Orchestra and Maestro Osmo Vänskä. He has collaborated with a breadth of artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Damien Sneed, Anna Deveare Smith, Damian Woetzel, Lil Buck and others. His visual digital art project, Fractured History, has been exhibited at multiple galleries and museums to rave reviews. He recorded and produced two CDs, entitled Ebony Rhythm and Bar-Talk, in addition to writing, producing, and directing the independent film Deliberation.
A multi-media performing artist, author, social entrepreneur, artist-citizen, and educator, Aaron continually receives extensive national recognition for his leadership and service to communities. He has been featured in People Magazine, on NBC’s Today Show and Nightly News, CNN, NPR’s The Story and Performance Today. He has been the subject of articles in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Washington Post, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Emerge and Jet Magazines, and many other media outlets, and was named one of Newsweek’s “15 People Who Make America Great.” He is the recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Honorary Membership, Harvard University’s Vosgerchian Teaching Award, National Governors Association 2005 Distinguished Service to State Government Award, Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, Detroit News’s 2003 Michiganian of the Year Award, Crain’s 40 Under 40 and Who’s Who Awards, BET’s History Makers in the Making Award, AT&T Excellence in Education Award, and National Black MBA’s Entrepreneur of The Year.
As an artist curator, he has served as a juror for some of the most prestigious international competitions including the Menuhin Competition, London Music Masters Competition, Stulberg International Violin Competition and the Sphinx Competition. A sought-after global thought leader and a passionate advocate for excellence in arts education, entrepreneurship and leadership, as well as inclusion in the performing arts, Aaron is a frequent keynote speaker and lecturer at numerous national and global arts, creativity and technology conferences including the Aspen Ideas Conference, Independent Sector, Americans for the Arts, Dance USA, Leadership Africa Summit, The League of American Orchestras, National Association for Schools of Music, Merit Member Conference, Society for Music Teacher Education, National Guild for Community Schools of the Arts, National Association of Music Merchants, Chautauqua Institution, National Suzuki Association, American String Teachers Association, Ithaca College, and the National Association for Negro Musicians. He served as commencement speaker at the Curtis Institute of Music, University of Michigan, Longy Conservatory and twice for Bowling Green State University. In May of 2013, the renowned Curtis Institute of Music awarded Honorary Doctorates to Aaron and Sir Simon Rattle, longtime maestro of the Berlin Philharmonic. Aaron also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in violin performance from the University of Michigan.
Aaron personifies arts leadership, entrepreneurship and community commitment with an unwavering passion for the arts, diversity and their role in society. As dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance, he led a world-class faculty of 180 and a staff of 100 while administering a budget over $60 million, an endowment in excess of $140 million and successfully completing a capital campaign over $90 million. As founder of the Sphinx Organization, Aaron created an international organization with a staff and faculty of over 50 and a budget of $5 million that awards more than $1,000,000 in prizes and scholarships annually. The organization serves as the leading advocate for young people and diversity in the arts worldwide. Aaron also founded and served as publisher and editor-in-chief of The Bard, a literary magazine reaching over 60,000 readers.
Aaron serves regularly as a board or advisory member for numerous influential arts organizations including the National Council on the Arts, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, National Association of Performing Arts Presenters, the Avery Fisher Artist Program, Independent Sector’s Advisory Group, League of American Orchestras, National Society for the Gifted and Talented, Creative Many Michigan, the Knight Foundation, The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, The Michigan Theater, Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation, Editorial Board of Downtown New York Magazine and Chamber Music America. As the co-chair of the Arts and Cultural Education Task Force for the State of Michigan, Aaron designed the required arts curriculum for Michigan schools.
Aaron has strong interests in politics, innovation, creativity, human pair bonding and issues of economic and social justice. In addition to various genres of music and disciplines of the performing arts, he enjoys travel, movies, and the culinary arts. He is married to Afa Sadykhly Dworkin, a prominent international arts leader who serves as President and Artistic Director of the Sphinx Organization and has two awesome sons, Noah Still and Amani Jaise.
Matt Fischer has been a leader at the intersection of media, entertainment, and technology for over 25 years. He spent 21 years at Apple (2003-2024), where he served as a Vice President overseeing Apple's global App Store business. His responsibilities included managing the App Stores for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, iMessage, Apple Vision Pro, and Mac, along with Apple’s game subscription service, Apple Arcade. Under Matt’s leadership, the App Store reached over one billion customers worldwide, with Apple developers generating over $1 trillion in total billings and sales in the App Store ecosystem annually.
In this role, Matt built and led a large, diverse, global team and oversaw all aspects of the App Store business, including revenue generation, customer acquisition, customer retention, editorial, marketing, and product strategy. He directly managed functions such as Business Management, Business Development, Business Operations, Consumer Marketing, Developer Marketing, Editorial & Production, Product Management, and Product Marketing, while providing strategic direction to shared services in Design, Engineering, Finance, Legal, and Operations. Before overseeing the App Store, Matt led U.S. marketing and business development for iTunes at Apple.
Prior to his tenure at Apple, Matt held marketing leadership roles with several media technology companies, including Napster, myplay, CDNOW, and N2K.
Matt earned a BA with Distinction from the University of Virginia in the Political and Social Thought Distinguished Majors Program.
Today, Matt and his wife, Renee, reside in the Bay Area with their teenage sons and their golden doodle, Finn. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, sports, and pursuing his love of music through piano, cello, and singing.
Matt Fischer has been a leader at the intersection of media, entertainment, and technology for over 25 years. He spent 21 years at Apple (2003-2024), where he served as a Vice President overseeing Apple's global App Store business. His responsibilities included managing the App Stores for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, iMessage, Apple Vision Pro, and Mac, along with Apple’s game subscription service, Apple Arcade. Under Matt’s leadership, the App Store reached over one billion customers worldwide, with Apple developers generating over $1 trillion in total billings and sales in the App Store ecosystem annually.
In this role, Matt built and led a large, diverse, global team and oversaw all aspects of the App Store business, including revenue generation, customer acquisition, customer retention, editorial, marketing, and product strategy. He directly managed functions such as Business Management, Business Development, Business Operations, Consumer Marketing, Developer Marketing, Editorial & Production, Product Management, and Product Marketing, while providing strategic direction to shared services in Design, Engineering, Finance, Legal, and Operations. Before overseeing the App Store, Matt led U.S. marketing and business development for iTunes at Apple.
Prior to his tenure at Apple, Matt held marketing leadership roles with several media technology companies, including Napster, myplay, CDNOW, and N2K.
Matt earned a BA with Distinction from the University of Virginia in the Political and Social Thought Distinguished Majors Program.
Today, Matt and his wife, Renee, reside in the Bay Area with their teenage sons and their golden doodle, Finn. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, sports, and pursuing his love of music through piano, cello, and singing.
Stan Galanski has spent nearly 40 years in the property/casualty insurance industry, beginning his career as an Underwriter Trainee with Chubb’s Pittsburgh office in 1980.
From 2003 until its May 2019 acquisition by The Hartford, he was President and CEO of The Navigators Group, Inc., a NASDAQ-listed global specialty insurer. During his tenure, Navigators grew from a $150 million premium insurer operating from four US offices and London to $2 billion in premium produced from 19 offices in the US; six in continental Europe; and three operations in Asia. During that time, he relocated the corporate headquarters from New York to Connecticut and created over 200 new jobs in the state.
Stan was previously President and CEO of Intercargo Corporation, a NASDAQ-listed specialty insurer with operations in the US, UK and Hong Kong, from 1997 until its sale to XL Capital in 1999. From 1995-1997, he was President of New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG subsidiary. He spent nearly 15 years at Chubb in various underwriting and management roles. He recently formed G58 Capital to provide advisory and consulting services to the insurance industry and to serve as a vehicle for equity investment.
From a community perspective, Stan is Vice-Chairman of Kids in Crisis, a Fairfield County non-profit focused on protecting children; a member of the Board of Overseers of the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management and Insurance of St. John’s University; a Director of Project Healthy Minds, a non-profit focused on mental health issues; an elected official, serving of the Board of Assessment Appeals of Ridgefield, Ct.; and an active member of St. Mary Catholic Church. He is a member of The University Club of New York and the City of London Club.
Stan is a cycling enthusiast, golfer, a Pittsburgh Steeler and New York Yankee fan and an avid music lover. He and his wife Susanne have three adult children and two grandchildren. He is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. dual degree in Political Science and Communication.
Stan Galanski has spent nearly 40 years in the property/casualty insurance industry, beginning his career as an Underwriter Trainee with Chubb’s Pittsburgh office in 1980.
From 2003 until its May 2019 acquisition by The Hartford, he was President and CEO of The Navigators Group, Inc., a NASDAQ-listed global specialty insurer. During his tenure, Navigators grew from a $150 million premium insurer operating from four US offices and London to $2 billion in premium produced from 19 offices in the US; six in continental Europe; and three operations in Asia. During that time, he relocated the corporate headquarters from New York to Connecticut and created over 200 new jobs in the state.
Stan was previously President and CEO of Intercargo Corporation, a NASDAQ-listed specialty insurer with operations in the US, UK and Hong Kong, from 1997 until its sale to XL Capital in 1999. From 1995-1997, he was President of New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG subsidiary. He spent nearly 15 years at Chubb in various underwriting and management roles. He recently formed G58 Capital to provide advisory and consulting services to the insurance industry and to serve as a vehicle for equity investment.
From a community perspective, Stan is Vice-Chairman of Kids in Crisis, a Fairfield County non-profit focused on protecting children; a member of the Board of Overseers of the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management and Insurance of St. John’s University; a Director of Project Healthy Minds, a non-profit focused on mental health issues; an elected official, serving of the Board of Assessment Appeals of Ridgefield, Ct.; and an active member of St. Mary Catholic Church. He is a member of The University Club of New York and the City of London Club.
Stan is a cycling enthusiast, golfer, a Pittsburgh Steeler and New York Yankee fan and an avid music lover. He and his wife Susanne have three adult children and two grandchildren. He is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. dual degree in Political Science and Communication.
Jody Gerson is Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group and a member of Universal Music Group’s Executive Management Board. One of the industry’s most respected and accomplished executives, Gerson made history as the first female chairman of a global music company and the first woman to be named CEO of a major music publisher.
Since joining UMPG in 2015, Gerson has transformed the company into a true music publisher and the industry’s best global home to songwriters. Under her leadership, UMPG has surpassed $2 billion dollars in business – tripling revenue and substantially increasing profit.
A respected creative authority, Gerson has signed and works with the world’s biggest superstars including Elton John, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Adele, SZA, Rosalia, Drake, Steve Lacy, Alicia Keys, Lana Del Rey, Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Post Malone, Ariana Grande, H.E.R., Maren Morris, the Bee Gees, Prince, and more. She also led UMPG’s historic catalog acquisitions of Bob Dylan, Sting, Neil Diamond and others.A champion for women in music and advocate for education, Gerson cofounded the global nonprofit She Is The Music. She also serves on Boards for the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the National Music Publishers Association and New Roads School.
In January 2020, Gerson made history as the first woman and first music publishing executive to be named Billboard’s ‘Executive of the Year’ for the most coveted Power 100 list. She has also been received numerous prestigious honors, including Billboard's Power 100 annually placing within the top ten; Billboard Power Players’ Choice Award; Variety’s Hitmakers Executive of the Year; Billboard's 2015 Executive of the Year for their Women In Music issue; Rolling Stone’s ‘Future 25’; Variety’s Power of Women L.A.; The 2016 March of Dimes Inspiring Woman of the Year; and more.
Additionally, Gerson jointly oversees Polygram Entertainment, a film and television development and production division of UMG which has produced award-winning projects including The Bee Gees: How to Mend a Broken Heart (HBO and HBO’s Music Box series – both of which Gerson executive produced – as well as Dear Mama (FX). Gerson also produced feature films ‘Drumline’ and ‘ATL.’
Jody Gerson is Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group and a member of Universal Music Group’s Executive Management Board. One of the industry’s most respected and accomplished executives, Gerson made history as the first female chairman of a global music company and the first woman to be named CEO of a major music publisher.
Since joining UMPG in 2015, Gerson has transformed the company into a true music publisher and the industry’s best global home to songwriters. Under her leadership, UMPG has surpassed $2 billion dollars in business – tripling revenue and substantially increasing profit.
A respected creative authority, Gerson has signed and works with the world’s biggest superstars including Elton John, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Adele, SZA, Rosalia, Drake, Steve Lacy, Alicia Keys, Lana Del Rey, Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Post Malone, Ariana Grande, H.E.R., Maren Morris, the Bee Gees, Prince, and more. She also led UMPG’s historic catalog acquisitions of Bob Dylan, Sting, Neil Diamond and others.A champion for women in music and advocate for education, Gerson cofounded the global nonprofit She Is The Music. She also serves on Boards for the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the National Music Publishers Association and New Roads School.
In January 2020, Gerson made history as the first woman and first music publishing executive to be named Billboard’s ‘Executive of the Year’ for the most coveted Power 100 list. She has also been received numerous prestigious honors, including Billboard's Power 100 annually placing within the top ten; Billboard Power Players’ Choice Award; Variety’s Hitmakers Executive of the Year; Billboard's 2015 Executive of the Year for their Women In Music issue; Rolling Stone’s ‘Future 25’; Variety’s Power of Women L.A.; The 2016 March of Dimes Inspiring Woman of the Year; and more.
Additionally, Gerson jointly oversees Polygram Entertainment, a film and television development and production division of UMG which has produced award-winning projects including The Bee Gees: How to Mend a Broken Heart (HBO and HBO’s Music Box series – both of which Gerson executive produced – as well as Dear Mama (FX). Gerson also produced feature films ‘Drumline’ and ‘ATL.’
Tera Hanks is President of Wayfarer Studios, an independent production studio co-founded by Justin Baldoni and Steve Sarowitz that develops, produces, and fully finances a diverse range of highly original content, including feature films, scripted and unscripted television, documentaries and podcasts. The work highlights the power of connection, debunking the typical studio model by championing inspirational stories which unite as true agents for social change.
Tera is focused on bolstering strategic relationships to facilitate continued growth and innovation for the studio. In her role she often teams with CEO, Jamey Heath to secure distribution and oversee the studio’s financial health and management. The current project slate includes projects such as IT ENDS WITH US, GARFIELD, EZRA, PAC-MAN, documentary feature, WILL & HARPER, and the highly successful podcast, THE MAN ENOUGH PODCAST.
Prior to Wayfarer Studios, Hanks served as President of Westbrook Inc, where she was a member of the founding leadership team for the entertainment and media company launched by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith in 2019. Hanks played a vital role in managing the team behind acclaimed and award-winning shows including Emmy-winning RED TABLE TALK, Oscar-winning film KING RICHARD, Peacock’s #1 original show BEL AIR and the Clio Awards-winning Post Malone ‘Twelve Carat Toothache’ VR concert.
Prior to WESTBROOK, Hanks was at entertainment powerhouse Creative Artist Agency for over a dozen years where she served as Head of Global Client Strategy leading business development and strategic diversification for the agency’s entrepreneurial clients.
In addition to Hanks’ work in the entertainment and music industry, she serves on the Board of Directors of PROJECT HEALTHY MINDS, a mental health tech non-profit focused on tackling one of the defining issues of our generation. Hanks also serves on the Board of Directors of WELLSPRING 88, a community hub for personal growth and spiritual evolution - serving their community with holistic classes, ceremonies, wisdom teachers, and integrated wellness sessions.
Hanks lives with her husband, 5 daughters and a “needy" Australian Shepard in the Los Angeles area.
Tera Hanks is President of Wayfarer Studios, an independent production studio co-founded by Justin Baldoni and Steve Sarowitz that develops, produces, and fully finances a diverse range of highly original content, including feature films, scripted and unscripted television, documentaries and podcasts. The work highlights the power of connection, debunking the typical studio model by championing inspirational stories which unite as true agents for social change.
Tera is focused on bolstering strategic relationships to facilitate continued growth and innovation for the studio. In her role she often teams with CEO, Jamey Heath to secure distribution and oversee the studio’s financial health and management. The current project slate includes projects such as IT ENDS WITH US, GARFIELD, EZRA, PAC-MAN, documentary feature, WILL & HARPER, and the highly successful podcast, THE MAN ENOUGH PODCAST.
Prior to Wayfarer Studios, Hanks served as President of Westbrook Inc, where she was a member of the founding leadership team for the entertainment and media company launched by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith in 2019. Hanks played a vital role in managing the team behind acclaimed and award-winning shows including Emmy-winning RED TABLE TALK, Oscar-winning film KING RICHARD, Peacock’s #1 original show BEL AIR and the Clio Awards-winning Post Malone ‘Twelve Carat Toothache’ VR concert.
Prior to WESTBROOK, Hanks was at entertainment powerhouse Creative Artist Agency for over a dozen years where she served as Head of Global Client Strategy leading business development and strategic diversification for the agency’s entrepreneurial clients.
In addition to Hanks’ work in the entertainment and music industry, she serves on the Board of Directors of PROJECT HEALTHY MINDS, a mental health tech non-profit focused on tackling one of the defining issues of our generation. Hanks also serves on the Board of Directors of WELLSPRING 88, a community hub for personal growth and spiritual evolution - serving their community with holistic classes, ceremonies, wisdom teachers, and integrated wellness sessions.
Hanks lives with her husband, 5 daughters and a “needy" Australian Shepard in the Los Angeles area.
Kalen Jackson is entering her tenth season as vice chair/owner.
Jackson joined the team in 2010 as vice president and, along with sisters Carlie Irsay-Gordon and Casey Foyt, represents the next generation of Colts ownership. Like her sisters, she grew up with the Colts organization as a significant part of her life since birth.
Jackson graduated with honors in 2010 from Indiana University’s School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and marketing. On a daily basis, she is involved in corporate sales and community outreach and currently serves on the board of the United Way of Central Indiana. Jackson coordinates the Irsay family’s philanthropic and charitable efforts, is president of the Indianapolis Colts Women’s Organization and represents the team at NFL Owners Meetings.
In 2016, the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell appointed her to the league’s Employee Benefits Committee. As the youngest member of the committee, Jackson is responsible for administering club and league benefit plans, including plan design and amendment, benefit and administrative expense payments and employee eligibility issues.
She was born and resides in Indianapolis with her husband, Boyd Jackson, and their two daughters.
Kalen Jackson is entering her tenth season as vice chair/owner.
Jackson joined the team in 2010 as vice president and, along with sisters Carlie Irsay-Gordon and Casey Foyt, represents the next generation of Colts ownership. Like her sisters, she grew up with the Colts organization as a significant part of her life since birth.
Jackson graduated with honors in 2010 from Indiana University’s School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and marketing. On a daily basis, she is involved in corporate sales and community outreach and currently serves on the board of the United Way of Central Indiana. Jackson coordinates the Irsay family’s philanthropic and charitable efforts, is president of the Indianapolis Colts Women’s Organization and represents the team at NFL Owners Meetings.
In 2016, the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell appointed her to the league’s Employee Benefits Committee. As the youngest member of the committee, Jackson is responsible for administering club and league benefit plans, including plan design and amendment, benefit and administrative expense payments and employee eligibility issues.
She was born and resides in Indianapolis with her husband, Boyd Jackson, and their two daughters.
Michael E. Kassan is the founder, Chairman and CEO of MediaLink, a leading strategic advisory firm. Described as the “ultimate power broker,” he is a trusted advisor to Fortune 100 chief marketing officers, media moguls, Hollywood visionaries, technology pioneers, advertising holding company heads and Wall Street investors. They seek his insights and instruction for solving their most complex business challenges. Kassan and his global team of more than 125 specialists provide counsel for navigating the age of digital disruption in areas including: marketplace development, talent and organization, brand transformations, data and technology, agency optimization and investor strategies.
Kassan is known for his uncanny ability to see – and seize – opportunities across complementary industries and is often called upon as a keynote speaker and media commentator on the most pressing and provocative topics impacting the future of marketing. He has also been instrumental in redefining major tentpole events like CES, Cannes Lions, and Mobile World Congress for the greater marketing landscape.
Prior to founding MediaLink in 2003, Kassan was President/COO and Vice-Chairman of Initiative Media Worldwide, growing billings from $1.5 billion to over $10 billion. Before that, he was President and COO of International Video Entertainment (Artisan Entertainment). In 2019, Kassan was inducted into the American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Fame, which is considered the highest honor in advertising. He has been named one of the top media executives in America by Ad Age and in 2018 was honored on Adweek’s “Power 100” list and on Variety’s index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global entertainment industry. Michael has also been named to The Hollywood Reporter’s “Silicon Beach 25” list of the most powerful digital players in L.A.
In addition, Kassan has served on the Board of the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, the Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy and the Cultural Affairs Commission – City of Los Angeles and has been Chairman of the State Senate Select Committee on the Entertainment Industry. Kassan is also a strong supporter of community and not-for-profit programs; he currently serves as Chair of the UJA-New York Marketing Communications Committee and is a Board member of the American Advertising Federation, the Ad Council and the Paley Center for Media.
Michael E. Kassan is the founder, Chairman and CEO of MediaLink, a leading strategic advisory firm. Described as the “ultimate power broker,” he is a trusted advisor to Fortune 100 chief marketing officers, media moguls, Hollywood visionaries, technology pioneers, advertising holding company heads and Wall Street investors. They seek his insights and instruction for solving their most complex business challenges. Kassan and his global team of more than 125 specialists provide counsel for navigating the age of digital disruption in areas including: marketplace development, talent and organization, brand transformations, data and technology, agency optimization and investor strategies.
Kassan is known for his uncanny ability to see – and seize – opportunities across complementary industries and is often called upon as a keynote speaker and media commentator on the most pressing and provocative topics impacting the future of marketing. He has also been instrumental in redefining major tentpole events like CES, Cannes Lions, and Mobile World Congress for the greater marketing landscape.
Prior to founding MediaLink in 2003, Kassan was President/COO and Vice-Chairman of Initiative Media Worldwide, growing billings from $1.5 billion to over $10 billion. Before that, he was President and COO of International Video Entertainment (Artisan Entertainment). In 2019, Kassan was inducted into the American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Fame, which is considered the highest honor in advertising. He has been named one of the top media executives in America by Ad Age and in 2018 was honored on Adweek’s “Power 100” list and on Variety’s index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global entertainment industry. Michael has also been named to The Hollywood Reporter’s “Silicon Beach 25” list of the most powerful digital players in L.A.
In addition, Kassan has served on the Board of the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, the Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy and the Cultural Affairs Commission – City of Los Angeles and has been Chairman of the State Senate Select Committee on the Entertainment Industry. Kassan is also a strong supporter of community and not-for-profit programs; he currently serves as Chair of the UJA-New York Marketing Communications Committee and is a Board member of the American Advertising Federation, the Ad Council and the Paley Center for Media.
Paul Knopp is Chair and Chief Executive Officer at KPMG LLP – one of the world’s leading professional services firms, providing innovative business solutions and audit, tax, and advisory services to many of the world’s largest and most prestigious organizations. He also serves as Chair of the Americas region and is a member of both KPMG’s Global Board and Executive Committee.
Leading more than 35,000 partners and professionals across the United States, Paul is further strengthening KPMG’s inclusive and values-driven culture. He has extensive experience serving large, multinational clients in a wide variety of complex industries and is recognized for his commitment to excellence and quality and for leading KPMG teams with ethics and integrity.
Paul joined KPMG’s San Antonio office in 1983. Paul has also served in KPMG’s New York, Norfolk, Stamford, Chicago, and St. Louis offices.
Prior to becoming Chair and CEO, Paul’s career as an audit partner focused on serving leading global companies in the manufacturing, life sciences, transportation, professional services, and technology industries. He served as the global lead audit engagement partner and Engagement Quality Control Review Partner for KPMG audits of numerous Fortune 500 companies.
He was elected to serve a five-year term on KPMG’s U.S. Board of Directors in 2012 and served as Lead Director of the Board of Directors.
In recognition of his professional accomplishments, Paul has received numerous accolades including Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People, the National Association of Corporate Directors’ 100 most influential leaders in the boardroom, and Glassdoor’s list of Top CEOs.
Additionally, he lends his time and expertise to many civic and charitable organizations. He is a governing board member of the Center for Audit Quality as well as a board member of Catalyst, Partnership for New York City and Project Healthy Minds.
He holds B.B.A. and M.B.A degrees from the University of Texas at Austin; is a licensed CPA in New York and Texas; and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Paul Knopp is Chair and Chief Executive Officer at KPMG LLP – one of the world’s leading professional services firms, providing innovative business solutions and audit, tax, and advisory services to many of the world’s largest and most prestigious organizations. He also serves as Chair of the Americas region and is a member of both KPMG’s Global Board and Executive Committee.
Leading more than 35,000 partners and professionals across the United States, Paul is further strengthening KPMG’s inclusive and values-driven culture. He has extensive experience serving large, multinational clients in a wide variety of complex industries and is recognized for his commitment to excellence and quality and for leading KPMG teams with ethics and integrity.
Paul joined KPMG’s San Antonio office in 1983. Paul has also served in KPMG’s New York, Norfolk, Stamford, Chicago, and St. Louis offices.
Prior to becoming Chair and CEO, Paul’s career as an audit partner focused on serving leading global companies in the manufacturing, life sciences, transportation, professional services, and technology industries. He served as the global lead audit engagement partner and Engagement Quality Control Review Partner for KPMG audits of numerous Fortune 500 companies.
He was elected to serve a five-year term on KPMG’s U.S. Board of Directors in 2012 and served as Lead Director of the Board of Directors.
In recognition of his professional accomplishments, Paul has received numerous accolades including Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People, the National Association of Corporate Directors’ 100 most influential leaders in the boardroom, and Glassdoor’s list of Top CEOs.
Additionally, he lends his time and expertise to many civic and charitable organizations. He is a governing board member of the Center for Audit Quality as well as a board member of Catalyst, Partnership for New York City and Project Healthy Minds.
He holds B.B.A. and M.B.A degrees from the University of Texas at Austin; is a licensed CPA in New York and Texas; and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Bill Kolb was named Chairman & CEO of McCann Worldgroup in October, 2020, and assumed his duties as leader of the network in January, 2021.
One of McCann Worldgroup’s most experienced multiplatform and global marketing executives, Bill has spent his career building brands and businesses from the ground up. Appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2020, Bill was responsible for overseeing business operations across McCann Worldgroup, including all agencies and markets.
In his previous role as Global President, Bill fostered overall growth and integration amongst all McCann Worldgroup diversified agencies – strengthening key practice areas and disciplines, including technology and innovation, health and data analytics. In addition, he continues to be a driving force for the network’s dedicated General Motors (GM) agency, Commonwealth//McCann, as the Chairman and CEO.
Bill’s long and successful history within McCann spans over two decades, where he worked across regions and agencies, including Momentum, MRM and McCann, holding many top-level roles from CFO to CEO. He has worked with both large and entrepreneurial companies, and with multinational clients including GM, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Merck and Anheuser-Busch. And his leadership has been integral to the continuing development and expansion of McCann Health.
His vision has led both Commonwealth//McCann and MRM to great success. In 2019, Commonwealth//McCann was named a Supplier of the Year by GM during its 27th annual Supplier of the Year Awards. And for three consecutive years, Commonwealth//McCann’s work on behalf of Chevrolet has earned the brand a spot on the Effie Effectiveness Index – currently Chevrolet is No. 6 on the Most Effective Brands list.
In 2020, for the first time, five MRM agencies were named in WARC’s top 40 effective digital agencies listing, as part of WARC’s global Effective 100 ranking. MRM has been recognized with some of the industry’s highest accolades, including being designated for four consecutive years (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) as a “Leader” in Gartner Inc.’s Magic Quadrant for Global Marketing Agencies. The agency was named Ad Age’s B-to-B Agency of the Year in 2018 and as the Top Large Agency of the Year at the Digital Analytics Association’s Quanties.
His career prior to McCann includes time spent in the publishing, finance, real estate and oil industries.
Bill’s success is driven by taking risks and breaking new ground that makes clients, competitors and the industry stand up and take notice. His vision is inspirational, and that inspiration is contagious. It’s why the agencies he leads have continued to flourish under his stewardship.
Bill Kolb was named Chairman & CEO of McCann Worldgroup in October, 2020, and assumed his duties as leader of the network in January, 2021.
One of McCann Worldgroup’s most experienced multiplatform and global marketing executives, Bill has spent his career building brands and businesses from the ground up. Appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2020, Bill was responsible for overseeing business operations across McCann Worldgroup, including all agencies and markets.
In his previous role as Global President, Bill fostered overall growth and integration amongst all McCann Worldgroup diversified agencies – strengthening key practice areas and disciplines, including technology and innovation, health and data analytics. In addition, he continues to be a driving force for the network’s dedicated General Motors (GM) agency, Commonwealth//McCann, as the Chairman and CEO.
Bill’s long and successful history within McCann spans over two decades, where he worked across regions and agencies, including Momentum, MRM and McCann, holding many top-level roles from CFO to CEO. He has worked with both large and entrepreneurial companies, and with multinational clients including GM, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Merck and Anheuser-Busch. And his leadership has been integral to the continuing development and expansion of McCann Health.
His vision has led both Commonwealth//McCann and MRM to great success. In 2019, Commonwealth//McCann was named a Supplier of the Year by GM during its 27th annual Supplier of the Year Awards. And for three consecutive years, Commonwealth//McCann’s work on behalf of Chevrolet has earned the brand a spot on the Effie Effectiveness Index – currently Chevrolet is No. 6 on the Most Effective Brands list.
In 2020, for the first time, five MRM agencies were named in WARC’s top 40 effective digital agencies listing, as part of WARC’s global Effective 100 ranking. MRM has been recognized with some of the industry’s highest accolades, including being designated for four consecutive years (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) as a “Leader” in Gartner Inc.’s Magic Quadrant for Global Marketing Agencies. The agency was named Ad Age’s B-to-B Agency of the Year in 2018 and as the Top Large Agency of the Year at the Digital Analytics Association’s Quanties.
His career prior to McCann includes time spent in the publishing, finance, real estate and oil industries.
Bill’s success is driven by taking risks and breaking new ground that makes clients, competitors and the industry stand up and take notice. His vision is inspirational, and that inspiration is contagious. It’s why the agencies he leads have continued to flourish under his stewardship.
With a reputation built on transforming businesses, creative innovation, and driving people culture, Lisa’s storied career has taken her from banking to Barbie, movies to music, Transformers to tech. While getting her Masters Degree in International Finance at Thunderbird, Lisa took a marketing class and became passionate about what drives consumers, switching her focus and leading her to become, at that time, the youngest marketing manager at Mattel, overseeing the Barbie brand internationally.
Parlaying her global marketing expertise, Lisa moved first to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, launching Titanic release to #1, then to 20th Century Fox Film as EVP of the global partnerships team, where her accolades included leading The Simpsons Movie's acclaimed marketing campaign, which won Ad Age's Creativity Award and Promotion of the Decade for its transformation of 7-Eleven locations around the country into Simpsons-branded Kwik-E-Marts. She then went to Hasbro to bring its stable of intellectual properties to film and television with the launch of Hasbro Studios. Lisa then went to Yahoo to learn all things digital as the SVP Platforms and Partnerships. Live Nation called and Lisa became the CMO Live Nation Concerts. Licht has spent the past 2+ years consulting for such companies as Microsoft, Illumination Animation, Exploding Kittens and Cameo.
Lisa spends much of her time mentoring people about careers and advising young founders such as Tara Raffi, DemiOBGYN and Christina Ramirez, Plus Ultra. She is also currently working on a book about her pioneering "fill your suitcase" career framework.
With a reputation built on transforming businesses, creative innovation, and driving people culture, Lisa’s storied career has taken her from banking to Barbie, movies to music, Transformers to tech. While getting her Masters Degree in International Finance at Thunderbird, Lisa took a marketing class and became passionate about what drives consumers, switching her focus and leading her to become, at that time, the youngest marketing manager at Mattel, overseeing the Barbie brand internationally.
Parlaying her global marketing expertise, Lisa moved first to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, launching Titanic release to #1, then to 20th Century Fox Film as EVP of the global partnerships team, where her accolades included leading The Simpsons Movie's acclaimed marketing campaign, which won Ad Age's Creativity Award and Promotion of the Decade for its transformation of 7-Eleven locations around the country into Simpsons-branded Kwik-E-Marts. She then went to Hasbro to bring its stable of intellectual properties to film and television with the launch of Hasbro Studios. Lisa then went to Yahoo to learn all things digital as the SVP Platforms and Partnerships. Live Nation called and Lisa became the CMO Live Nation Concerts. Licht has spent the past 2+ years consulting for such companies as Microsoft, Illumination Animation, Exploding Kittens and Cameo.
Lisa spends much of her time mentoring people about careers and advising young founders such as Tara Raffi, DemiOBGYN and Christina Ramirez, Plus Ultra. She is also currently working on a book about her pioneering "fill your suitcase" career framework.
Sukumar Nagendran, M.D., is the President and Head of R&D at Taysha Gene Therapies, Inc., a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing and commercializing AAV-based gene therapies for the treatment of monogenic rare diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). He is a physician leader with more than 30 years of experience in key functional areas, including gene therapy development, clinical development strategy, medical affairs and diagnostics of therapeutic products. Before joining Taysha, Dr. Nagendran served as Chief Medical Officer and President of R&D at Jaguar Gene Therapy. Prior to that, Dr. Nagendran served as Chief Medical Officer of AveXis, Inc. where he oversaw the development of Zolgensma for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, the first one-time systemic gene therapy approved in the U.S. Dr. Nagendran has also held key leadership positions at Quest Diagnostics, Pfizer, Novartis, Daiichi Sankyo, and Reata Pharmaceuticals.
Prior to transitioning to the biotech industry, Dr. Nagendran practiced internal medicine, with a focus on diabetes and cardiovascular disease. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of SalioGen Therapeutics, Solid Biosciences, Cove, Medocity, Project Healthy Minds, and Taysha Gene Therapies. He holds an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Rutgers University and earned his M.D. from Rutgers Medical School, and he trained in Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester.
Dr. Nagendran is a Mayo Alumni Laureate and founding member of the Robert Wood Johnson Legacy Society. He is also the sponsor for the Jerry Mendell award for Translational Science at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy which recognizes the extensive work required to bring gene and cell therapies to clinical trial, and the Fonseca-Nagendran Scholar award at the American Diabetes Association to enhance research in minority populations.
Sukumar Nagendran, M.D., is the President and Head of R&D at Taysha Gene Therapies, Inc., a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing and commercializing AAV-based gene therapies for the treatment of monogenic rare diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). He is a physician leader with more than 30 years of experience in key functional areas, including gene therapy development, clinical development strategy, medical affairs and diagnostics of therapeutic products. Before joining Taysha, Dr. Nagendran served as Chief Medical Officer and President of R&D at Jaguar Gene Therapy. Prior to that, Dr. Nagendran served as Chief Medical Officer of AveXis, Inc. where he oversaw the development of Zolgensma for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, the first one-time systemic gene therapy approved in the U.S. Dr. Nagendran has also held key leadership positions at Quest Diagnostics, Pfizer, Novartis, Daiichi Sankyo, and Reata Pharmaceuticals.
Prior to transitioning to the biotech industry, Dr. Nagendran practiced internal medicine, with a focus on diabetes and cardiovascular disease. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of SalioGen Therapeutics, Solid Biosciences, Cove, Medocity, Project Healthy Minds, and Taysha Gene Therapies. He holds an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Rutgers University and earned his M.D. from Rutgers Medical School, and he trained in Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester.
Dr. Nagendran is a Mayo Alumni Laureate and founding member of the Robert Wood Johnson Legacy Society. He is also the sponsor for the Jerry Mendell award for Translational Science at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy which recognizes the extensive work required to bring gene and cell therapies to clinical trial, and the Fonseca-Nagendran Scholar award at the American Diabetes Association to enhance research in minority populations.
Brian is the President of VLS.
Brian was formerly the Chief Workforce Innovation & Operations Officer at Weber Shandwick, a leading global communications network that delivers next-generation solutions to brands, businesses and organizations in major markets around the world. He focuses on shaping the future of the company's global workforce and workplace, assuring that innovation, agility, inclusivity and equity are at the core of how the agency operates.
Previously, Brian served as Managing Director at Medialink, overseeing the firm’s rapidly growing Talent Practice providing executive search and organizational strategy and design services to MediaLink’s clients. Brian also served as executive sponsor of MediaLink’s internal people programs, including staff development.
Brian received a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard. He previously served as President of the Board of Directors for The LGBT Community Center of New York City, and as a Board member for the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.
Brian is the President of VLS.
Brian was formerly the Chief Workforce Innovation & Operations Officer at Weber Shandwick, a leading global communications network that delivers next-generation solutions to brands, businesses and organizations in major markets around the world. He focuses on shaping the future of the company's global workforce and workplace, assuring that innovation, agility, inclusivity and equity are at the core of how the agency operates.
Previously, Brian served as Managing Director at Medialink, overseeing the firm’s rapidly growing Talent Practice providing executive search and organizational strategy and design services to MediaLink’s clients. Brian also served as executive sponsor of MediaLink’s internal people programs, including staff development.
Brian received a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard. He previously served as President of the Board of Directors for The LGBT Community Center of New York City, and as a Board member for the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.
Lisa Stone Pritzker is the founder and chair of the LSP Family Foundation, and an advocate for health, equity, and prosperity for all. Lisa started the Foundation to advance systems-changing organizations that address mental health and shape public consciousness about emotional wellbeing, advance Jewish engagement in humanitarian efforts, and high-impact initiatives that improve the quality of life for all. Her volunteer and philanthropic work focuses on children’s and women’s health, arts and civic life, and Jewish causes, nationally and internationally.
Lisa is an impact multiplier, connecting trailblazers with national resources and each other. She serves on the Board of Directors of The Jewish Funders Network, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, All Chicago Making Homelessness History, and on the advisory board for the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. Lisa recently served on the University of California San Francisco board of Directors, where she was instrumental in the creation of the UCSF Department of Psychiatry’s Child, Teen, and Family Center.
Lisa has been involved for decades with Jewish Vocational Services, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and its Foundation, as well as the Alonzo King LINES Ballet.
Lisa Stone Pritzker is the founder and chair of the LSP Family Foundation, and an advocate for health, equity, and prosperity for all. Lisa started the Foundation to advance systems-changing organizations that address mental health and shape public consciousness about emotional wellbeing, advance Jewish engagement in humanitarian efforts, and high-impact initiatives that improve the quality of life for all. Her volunteer and philanthropic work focuses on children’s and women’s health, arts and civic life, and Jewish causes, nationally and internationally.
Lisa is an impact multiplier, connecting trailblazers with national resources and each other. She serves on the Board of Directors of The Jewish Funders Network, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, All Chicago Making Homelessness History, and on the advisory board for the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. Lisa recently served on the University of California San Francisco board of Directors, where she was instrumental in the creation of the UCSF Department of Psychiatry’s Child, Teen, and Family Center.
Lisa has been involved for decades with Jewish Vocational Services, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and its Foundation, as well as the Alonzo King LINES Ballet.
Andy Clark Sekel, PhD is a senior health care executive and investor. He began his career as a practicing clinical psychologist and university professor. He subsequently became an entrepreneur, co-founding several behavioral health delivery companies that were acquired by Fortune 500 companies. His last company was acquired by Centene Corporation, and Andy transitioned to serve as an executive at Centene where he helped the company grow their specialty division. He subsequently joined the Optum Division of United Health Care and became the CEO of Optum Behavioral Health as well as the Specialty Division of Optum that included a variety of network businesses.
He is currently Managing Partner of Marketplace Funds, an early-stage venture firm and serves as chairman or board member of several companies in the health care arena. His interest has been companies that improve access and quality in behavioral health as well as substance use disorders. Over the last decade Andy has focused on leveraging digital capabilities to expand access and provide high quality care. He has been chairman of Happify Health as well as a strategic advisor to Talkspace. In addition, he is working with Kennedy Krieger Institute, affiliated with Johns Hopkins, to support building digital capabilities that commercialize their intellectual property to improve the lives of children and young adults.
Andy has also served as Chair of LifeWorks, a non-profit dedicated to youth and family advocacy and mental health, and a board member for Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Andy has been an avid outdoor enthusiast since he was an Outward Bound School instructor in his early years and is currently hiking and fly fishing in the southwest. He lives with his wife Diane in Santa Fe, NM and Austin, TX. His daughter is a social worker in Austin.
Andy Clark Sekel, PhD is a senior health care executive and investor. He began his career as a practicing clinical psychologist and university professor. He subsequently became an entrepreneur, co-founding several behavioral health delivery companies that were acquired by Fortune 500 companies. His last company was acquired by Centene Corporation, and Andy transitioned to serve as an executive at Centene where he helped the company grow their specialty division. He subsequently joined the Optum Division of United Health Care and became the CEO of Optum Behavioral Health as well as the Specialty Division of Optum that included a variety of network businesses.
He is currently Managing Partner of Marketplace Funds, an early-stage venture firm and serves as chairman or board member of several companies in the health care arena. His interest has been companies that improve access and quality in behavioral health as well as substance use disorders. Over the last decade Andy has focused on leveraging digital capabilities to expand access and provide high quality care. He has been chairman of Happify Health as well as a strategic advisor to Talkspace. In addition, he is working with Kennedy Krieger Institute, affiliated with Johns Hopkins, to support building digital capabilities that commercialize their intellectual property to improve the lives of children and young adults.
Andy has also served as Chair of LifeWorks, a non-profit dedicated to youth and family advocacy and mental health, and a board member for Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Andy has been an avid outdoor enthusiast since he was an Outward Bound School instructor in his early years and is currently hiking and fly fishing in the southwest. He lives with his wife Diane in Santa Fe, NM and Austin, TX. His daughter is a social worker in Austin.
Jeff Yabuki is the Chairman of Motive Partners, a specialist private equity firm at the forefront of global fintech transformation, where he brings renowned leadership experience and a track record of unlocking the best in companies — and people — to drive exceptional investor returns.
Jeff was CEO of Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) from 2005-2020, nearly tripling revenue and delivering an unprecedented shareholder return of 969%, by evolving the organization from a traditional holding company into a unified, global leader in financial services and innovative payments technology. Under his leadership, Fiserv was routinely named among the World’s Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® and the brand became a household name with the naming-rights of Fiserv Forum, the home of the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks. Jeff was also named Chairman of the Board in 2019 and served in that additional role until his departure at the end of 2020.
Jeff’s ability to align strategic vision and operational excellence is sought after around the world, serving as a member of the board for the Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY) and Sentinel One (NYSE: S), and as Chairman of Sportradar (NASDAQ: SRAD). He also Chairs the Milwaukee Art Museum Board of Trustees and is on the board of LACMA.
Jeff Yabuki is the Chairman of Motive Partners, a specialist private equity firm at the forefront of global fintech transformation, where he brings renowned leadership experience and a track record of unlocking the best in companies — and people — to drive exceptional investor returns.
Jeff was CEO of Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) from 2005-2020, nearly tripling revenue and delivering an unprecedented shareholder return of 969%, by evolving the organization from a traditional holding company into a unified, global leader in financial services and innovative payments technology. Under his leadership, Fiserv was routinely named among the World’s Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® and the brand became a household name with the naming-rights of Fiserv Forum, the home of the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks. Jeff was also named Chairman of the Board in 2019 and served in that additional role until his departure at the end of 2020.
Jeff’s ability to align strategic vision and operational excellence is sought after around the world, serving as a member of the board for the Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY) and Sentinel One (NYSE: S), and as Chairman of Sportradar (NASDAQ: SRAD). He also Chairs the Milwaukee Art Museum Board of Trustees and is on the board of LACMA.
Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates is a partner in King & Spalding’s Special Matters & Government Investigations practice. Sally’s deep experience, leadership and wide-ranging background provide clients with strong, independent judgment in difficult times.
As the second-highest ranking official at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and as Acting Attorney General, Sally was responsible for all of DOJ’s 113,000 employees including all prosecutorial, litigating, and national security components as well as all U.S. Attorney’s offices and law enforcement agencies and the Bureau of Prisons. Sally oversaw DOJ’s most significant matters and was instrumental in setting DOJ’s enforcement priorities and initiatives.
Known for her lifelong, nonpartisan focus on public corruption, Sally is recognized worldwide for her integrity and credibility. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, she specializes in independent investigations for public and private organizations and boards.
A 27-year veteran of DOJ, Sally rose through the ranks of Assistant United States Attorneys to become U.S. Attorney in Atlanta, Deputy Attorney General and Acting Attorney General. As Deputy Attorney General from 2015 through 2017, Sally was responsible for crafting and implementing initiatives focused on many of DOJ’s priorities, including corporate fraud, cybercrime, gang violence, civil rights, and financial crime. She led DOJ’s criminal justice reform efforts and implemented substantial prison reform measures.
Prior to becoming Deputy Attorney General, Sally was the first woman to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. During her five years as the chief federal law enforcement official for the district, she oversaw the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of civil matters and immediately became a leader in the Department as Vice Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), which guides DOJ’s strategies and policy decisions.
An accomplished trial lawyer, Sally has prosecuted a wide variety of complex cases specializing in white collar matters. She tried numerous high-profile public corruption cases, and she was the lead prosecutor of Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph.
Before entering government service, Sally practiced as a civil litigation associate at King & Spalding. She is a Visiting Distinguished Lecturer at Georgetown University Law Center and a frequent speaker on a variety of public policy issues.
Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates is a partner in King & Spalding’s Special Matters & Government Investigations practice. Sally’s deep experience, leadership and wide-ranging background provide clients with strong, independent judgment in difficult times.
As the second-highest ranking official at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and as Acting Attorney General, Sally was responsible for all of DOJ’s 113,000 employees including all prosecutorial, litigating, and national security components as well as all U.S. Attorney’s offices and law enforcement agencies and the Bureau of Prisons. Sally oversaw DOJ’s most significant matters and was instrumental in setting DOJ’s enforcement priorities and initiatives.
Known for her lifelong, nonpartisan focus on public corruption, Sally is recognized worldwide for her integrity and credibility. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, she specializes in independent investigations for public and private organizations and boards.
A 27-year veteran of DOJ, Sally rose through the ranks of Assistant United States Attorneys to become U.S. Attorney in Atlanta, Deputy Attorney General and Acting Attorney General. As Deputy Attorney General from 2015 through 2017, Sally was responsible for crafting and implementing initiatives focused on many of DOJ’s priorities, including corporate fraud, cybercrime, gang violence, civil rights, and financial crime. She led DOJ’s criminal justice reform efforts and implemented substantial prison reform measures.
Prior to becoming Deputy Attorney General, Sally was the first woman to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. During her five years as the chief federal law enforcement official for the district, she oversaw the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of civil matters and immediately became a leader in the Department as Vice Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), which guides DOJ’s strategies and policy decisions.
An accomplished trial lawyer, Sally has prosecuted a wide variety of complex cases specializing in white collar matters. She tried numerous high-profile public corruption cases, and she was the lead prosecutor of Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph.
Before entering government service, Sally practiced as a civil litigation associate at King & Spalding. She is a Visiting Distinguished Lecturer at Georgetown University Law Center and a frequent speaker on a variety of public policy issues.
Operating at the intersection of music and technology across both campaigns, Zarou oversees all aspects of his entire artist roster, and was recognized in the form of a Grand Clio for his work on Logic’s “1-800-273-8255.” The global hit record which had a pop culture moment at the 2017 VMAs, was a crucial chapter in the basement to MSG storyline for Logic. Jon Bellion, Quinn XCII, Chelsea Cutler, Jeremy Zucker, ayokay and 6ix complete the management roster. His most recent venture Visionary Records in conjunction with Sony Music is operating artist development in real time, in the rapidly evolving music industry.
Operating at the intersection of music and technology across both campaigns, Zarou oversees all aspects of his entire artist roster, and was recognized in the form of a Grand Clio for his work on Logic’s “1-800-273-8255.” The global hit record which had a pop culture moment at the 2017 VMAs, was a crucial chapter in the basement to MSG storyline for Logic. Jon Bellion, Quinn XCII, Chelsea Cutler, Jeremy Zucker, ayokay and 6ix complete the management roster. His most recent venture Visionary Records in conjunction with Sony Music is operating artist development in real time, in the rapidly evolving music industry.
Susie Arons is a strategic communications professional, working with some of the most recognized names in entertainment, lifestyle and media. Her current and past clients have included Netflix, Refinery29, HBO/HBO Sports, Gary Ross, AMC Networks, Color Force, AppleTV+, TBS/TNT, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Jimmy Iovine/Apple Music, NEXT for Autism, Amazon Studios, Focus Features, Jonah Hill, NBCUniversal, Skydance Media, Gilda’s Club NYC, Oliver Stone, SundanceTV, The Hunger Games film franchise, Marlo Thomas, MRC and MGM.
Susie has served on the Board of Directors for the REED Foundation for Autism since 2003, the Advisory Board of Project Healthy Minds, is an advisor to SimpleBet, is a member of CHIEF, and is active in local and national politics. In October, 2020 she published her first book, BILLIONS OF BESTIES (Tiller Press/Simon and Schuster) about the magic of friendship.
Peter Benedek is a Founding Partner and Board Member of leading talent and literary agency United Talent Agency. Benedek has helped steer UTA’s growth over two decades into a premier global talent and literary agency with a reputation for creating unsurpassed creative opportunities for artists, creators and brands. Based in Beverly Hills and New York, with offices in London, Nashville, Miami, and Washington D.C., UTA represents many of the world's most widely known figures in every current and emerging area of entertainment, including motion pictures, television, digital media, books, theatre physical production, music, touring and live entertainment. The agency is also globally recognized in the areas of film finance, corporate consulting, branding, licensing, and commercial endorsements.
Benedek is known as one of entertainment’s top representatives of television writers and creators, with a reputation for packaging many critically acclaimed and beloved television series. Benedek was the agent behind client David Chase’s seminal series The Sopranos and also set up client Lena Dunham’s critically-acclaimed series Girls. Benedek established the unique international financing structure for client Tom Fontana’s series Borgia and Copper, and was also involved with the financing for the The Young Pope on behalf of Paolo Sorrentino and Lorenzo Mieli. Benedek was also principally involved in NBC’s Law & Order franchise, which eventually spanned four series across multiple television platforms.
He represents Peter Morgan who created The Crown. Benedek’s clients also include Michael J. Fox, Anya Epstein, Danny Futterman, Jonathan Lisco, Alan Ball, Neil Cross, Blake Masters, Josh Brand, and production companies such as Parkes/McDonald, Heyday, Random House Studios, and Working Title Television.
Benedek has also overseen UTA’s successful expansion into corporate representation. He was the architect of UTA’s joint venture company United Entertainment Group, a NY and LA-based branded entertainment firm that creates original content and other marketing solutions for Fortune 500 companies, including Procter & Gamble, Frito-Lay, Samsung, AT&T, Starbucks, Nestle, Quaker and others. In addition Benedek has represented corporate giants such as Amazon.com and American Eagle Outfitters, providing strategic entertainment marketing services.
Benedek sits on the Boards of the Hammer Museum and the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles. He additionally is on the Board of Governors of the L.A. Saban Free Clinic, and also sits on the Board of the UTA Foundation. He is head of the L.A. council for the Bicentennial 2017 Fundraising Campaign for the University of Michigan, and is the winner of the David Hermelin Award for his activities on behalf of the university. He also sits on the Board of the University of Michigan Museum of Art. Benedek is an active supporter of other L.A.-based organizations including the Rape Treatment Center at UCLA and the Motion Picture Television Fund.
Benedek earned undergraduate degrees from the University of Michigan and the London School of Economics. He earned his law degree from Columbia Law School, where he graduated with distinction in 1973. He began practicing law at the Beverly Hills law firm of Kaplan, Livingston, Goodwin, Berkowitz & Selvin, and was named a Partner in 1979. In 1981, he left to found the law firm of Weissman, Wolff, Bergman, Coleman & Schulman. In 1984, he left the practice of law to form the Bauer-Benedek Agency, which in 1991 merged with Leading Artists Agency to form United Talent Agency. In 1998, Benedek received the Arthur B. Krim Award from Columbia Law School in recognition of his outstanding achievement in the entertainment industry.
Michele Bernstein is the Founder of Michi B, a boutique music marketing consultancy firm that provides a broad array of services to both artists and companies alike. As a partner at WME, Michele Bernstein oversaw the growth of the Music Marketing group and oversaw some agencies' largest global tour launches and maintains those clients in her venture, including WME.
Whether as a CFO or advisor, Glenn is a true business partner who deeply understands the vital intersection of business strategy, human capital and operational efficiency. During his career, he has built teams, implemented systems and developed processes that have allowed companies to scale and grow effectively.
As a CFO, Glenn began his career at Viacom where he spent 18 years in a variety of domestic and international roles overseeing multiple cable channels, websites and consumer product lines. He then joined (RED), founded by U2’s Bono, helping it accelerate its mission which to date has raised more than $600mm for The United Nations Global Fund. After stints with leading event marketing firms he joined strategic advisory firm Medialink where he oversaw a period of rapid growth and helped spearhead the strategic sale of the company. As a business advisor, Glenn has brought financial and operational oversight to companies at various stages of development.
Glenn lives in West Windsor, NJ with his wife and three children.
Peggy Burns is the Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She joyfully accepted this position in January 2020. Prior to that she served as the Executive Director for Corporate and Foundation Development and Engagement working in the Office of the Provost at Harvard University. She joined Harvard in April of 2018.
Before moving to Harvard, Peggy served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Henry Ford Health System, a $6B health system that serves 2M patients across southeast Michigan. She joined Henry Ford in November of 2014. In her 3.5 years there, she doubled gift revenue by engaging donors in partnerships designed to improve the human condition. Peggy believes that a powerful narrative is key to good fundraising and with this expertise delivered two record-breaking $20M gifts to HFHS.
Prior to joining Henry Ford, Peggy spent 14 years at the University of Michigan, where she was the Assistant Dean for Advancement in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA). In that role, she led the office of Development, Marketing, and Communications (a staff of 90). Under her leadership, LSA raised close to $1B and increased the endowment three-fold, also reaching close to $1B.
Peggy delivered some of the largest gifts in U-M history including $56M for the Helen Zell Writers’ Program, $25M for the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies, and $15M for the Kessler Presidential Scholars Program. In addition, she raised dozens of eight-figure gifts for named centers and institutes including the Nam Center for Korean Studies, the Newnan Center of Academic Advising, The Eisenberg History Institute, and the Weinberg Institute for Cognitive Sciences.
Peggy spent 15 years with the Xerox Corporation, where she held numerous sales and marketing positions in Denver, CO, and in Hartford, CT. She was the Marketing Director for the Mountain States Region and Marketing Director for the Graphic Arts, the largest national revenue-producing segment for the company. Peggy achieved 10 President’s Club recognition awards for her sales and marketing efforts.
Peggy has served on numerous boards and currently serves on the Museum of the American Indian Board (Smithsonian), the Prison Creative Arts Project Board, University of Michigan, and the Youth Justice Fund, Ann Arbor, MI.
Will Cady’s purpose is to repair broken systems through strategies & storytelling informed by a view unconstrained by the present paradigm.
Prior to taking on his role as Reddit’s Global Brand Ambassador, Will launched, hired, and managed Reddit’s Los Angeles brand partnerships office and the KarmaLab creative strategy team; tapping years of experience architecting revenue-driving programs that connect brands with fast-growing pockets of music, art, and experience just as they reach their tipping points. Will’s brand strategy work covers a major portion of Fortune 100 brands.
He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, recipient of an Emmy Award (New England Regional) for Best Musical Composition/Arrangement, and has been featured as a member of the 2020 AdWeek Top 50 for Tech, Media, and Marketing. His original music has amassed ~3M+ streams on Spotify and counting.
Will is also a meditation teacher and tarot card reader in many forums and is available for intuitive readings specializing at Mystic Journey Bookstore and SoHo Warehouse in Los Angeles. His debut book, Which Way Is North: A Creative Compass for Makers, Marketers, and Mystics released on October 10th, 2023 (and on audio April 9th, 2024).
In all areas, Will endeavors to listen deeply, speak thoughtfully, and to measure success through the lens of healing.
Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator with one foot in the world of practice—serving as the Head of Planning at Wieden+Kennedy New York—and one foot in the world of academia—as a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.
His deep understanding of brand strategy and consumer behavior has helped him bridge the academic-practitioner gap for blue-chip brands and startups alike. He is a recipient of Advertising Age's 40 Under 40 award and Crain's Business' 40 Under 40 award, and a recent inductee into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement. Before joining Wieden+Kennedy, he served as the Chief Consumer Connections Officer at Doner Advertising and led Social Engagement at Steve Stoute’s advertising agency, Translation. Over the course of his career, Marcus has developed a practice for creating culturally contagious ideas that inspire people to take action. His strategies and creative contributions have led to the launch and success of Budweiser’s “Made In America” music festival, the launch of Bud Light Platinum, the Brooklyn Nets (Hello Brooklyn!), and State Farm’s “Cliff Paul” campaign – among others.
Prior to his advertising tenure, Marcus began his career in music and tech with a startup he co-founded before working on iTunes + Nike sport music initiatives at Apple and running digital strategy for Beyoncé.
Marcus holds a doctorate in marketing from Temple University where he studied cultural contagion and meaning-making. He received an MBA with an emphasis on strategic brand marketing from the University of Michigan, where he also earned his undergraduate degree in Material Science Engineering. He is a proud Detroit native, a devoted husband, and a loving father to Georgia and Ivy.
J. Raymond DePaulo, Jr., M.D. is a University Distinguished Service Professor and Co-Director of the Mood Disorder Center in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has been an active clinician, teacher, researcher throughout his 43 years on the Johns Hopkins faculty. He founded the Hopkins Affective Disorders Clinic in 1977 and grew it into a multifaceted program that led patient care, teaching and research on depression and bipolar disorder at Johns Hopkins. Dr. DePaulo was the Henry Phipps Professor and Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Psychiatrist in Chief at the Johns Hopkins Hospital from 2002 until 2016. Dr. DePaulo’s research interests focus on clinical assessment, diagnosis, causes and treatments of mood disorders. His research group led several early genetic studies of bipolar disorder and unipolar depression. He has authored over 160 peer-reviewed scientific articles and mentored outstanding clinician scientists. Dr. DePaulo worked with Dr. Karen Swartz who leads the Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP), which developed, teaches and studies a model curriculum on depression for high schools. He has partnered with Dr. Kay Jamison in research, education and advocacy efforts for patients and families. Dr. DePaulo is now the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC.org). He has served on several foundation boards of directors and scientific advisory boards related to mood disorders. Dr. DePaulo has authored two books on depressive illnesses for patients and families (Understanding Depression and How to Cope with Depression). He has won a number of national awards for clinical leadership, teaching, and research in depression and bipolar disorder. He has twice been named a Forum Fellow at the World Economic Forum held annually in Davos, Switzerland.
Alim Dhanji is chief human resources officer of TD SYNNEX, leading the strategic direction and operations of global human resources, including talent management, co-worker experience, DE&I, compensation and benefits, regional and corporate strategic HR business partners across the 100+ countries the company serves. In addition, he sits on a variety of company committees, including Global Ethics and Compliance, Corporate Social Responsibility, Global Crisis Management, and Investment. Prior to joining TD SYNNEX in 2024, Dhanji was Chief People Officer and EVP for the Equinox Group and previously served as President, adidas Canada. He brings more than 25 years of global leadership experience in HR, M&A, Sales and Operations across multiple industries. Dhanji holds an MBA from Royal Roads University and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. His advocacy and commitment to building inclusive cultures has been recognized by Yahoo Finance and Financial Times as among the Top 10 LGBTQ+ Leaders in the World in 2021. He has also served on numerous boards and advisory councils, including committee chair roles for human resources and compensation. Dhanji also is currently an advisor to Project Healthy Minds in support of improving access to mental health services.
Andy Dunn is an entrepreneur, author, and investor.
Dunn co-founded the menswear ecommerce brand Bonobos in 2007, and served as the company’s CEO for its first ten years, pioneering the digitally native brand movement. Bonobos was the first American brand launched to scale using e-commerce. The company’s inventory-free store model, called guideshops, redefined what an offline retail experience can be in the digital era. A decade after its founding, Bonobos was acquired for $310 million.
In 2022, Dunn published a memoir. In it, he lifts the veil on the mental health demons he’d been privately battling as he built Bonobos. Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind chronicles his journey at the intersection of entrepreneurship and bipolar disorder. Published by Penguin Random House, the book was named one of the most anticipated books of the year by Forbes and was an Amazon Editor’s Choice in 2022.
Dunn’s latest venture is called Pie. Currently in beta, the mantra of the company is “more social, less media.”
As an angel investor and a founder of Red Swan, a seed stage venture capital fund, Dunn has backed over 100 startups, including Warby Parker, Coinbase and Hinge. Dunn chairs the board of Monica + Andy, an organic baby apparel brand, and serves on the board of RaisedBy.Us, a social giving not-for-profit.
Dunn received his B.A. at Northwestern University and M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He lives between Chicago and Rio de Janeiro with his wife and their son. He is a Cubs fan.
Dr. Helen Egger MD is a child psychiatrist and researcher in the developmental epidemiology of early childhood mental health and digital health. With her daughter, Rebecca Egger, she co-founded Little Otter, an early childhood digital mental health company that provides mental health care for children ages 0-14 and their families. After 30+ years in academic medicine, Dr. Egger recently joined Little Otter as Chief Medical and Scientific Officer.
Prior to joining Little Otter, Dr. Egger was Chair of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health (NYULH), the Arnold Simons Professor, and Director of the NYU Langone Child Study Center. She also founded and led the WonderLab, a digital child mental health research lab that created digital products for early childhood mental health research.
Before moving to NYU Langone, Dr. Egger was a tenured faculty member at Duke Health where she founded the Early Childhood Mental Health Lab within the Center for Developmental Epidemiology. As the author of the first interview to assess preschool mental health and NIMH-funded longitudinal studies of young children, Dr. Egger has contributed to the science and clinical practice of toddler/preschool mental health. At Duke, Dr. Egger also served as Vice-Chair and Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Dr. Egger was a member of the Board of Zero to Three (ZTT) for 13 years and is very proud to have been a member of the ZTT Diagnostic Classification: 0-3R and Diagnostic Classification: 0-5 Workgroups.
Dr. Egger attended Yale College and Yale School of Medicine. She completed her adult, child, and post-doctoral training at Duke University School of Medicine.
Trevor's work has been recognized by all of the top design and advertising award shows, including Cannes Lions, D&AD Awards and Clio Awards. His most notable projects include Rihanna's “ANTIdiaRy” to promote her 3x Platinum album, "ANTI" and the design and branding of HBO GO.
Formerly the Chief Creative Officer of The FADER, Trevor now serves as Principal Creative Director at Amazon Music, where he leads a global team for GTM campaigns.
Tim was one of the first 40 Droga5 NYC employees and has now been with the agency for more than a decade. Starting as a writer back in 2008, Tim helped grow the agency during its formative years; his work for PUMA After Hours Athlete and Vesta garnered a Grand Prix at Cannes and One Show’s inaugural Green Pencil respectively. Shortly thereafter Campaign Magazine/Yahoo named Tim Creative of the Year.
Since then, Tim has worked on most everything that has come through Droga5’s door: Coke Zero, American Express Travel, Clearasil, AirWick, Motorola, Harry’s Under Armour, Chase, and The New York Times. Over the years, Tim’s work has been recognized by every major industry organization; notably Under Armour’s Michael Phelps film earned a second Grand Prix at Cannes and was named Ad of the year by Adweek.
Now Co-Chief Creative Officer, Tim is not only charged with producing award winning work but also creating influence and effectiveness for iconic brands. Tim was the driving force behind The New York Times’ buzzworthy campaign, “The Truth is Hard.,” which placed the Times at the center of the conversation about the importance of a free press with a goal to reaffirm its role in today’s political climate. His efforts led to several Gold Lions at Cannes and a Webby, as well as The New York Times recording its best subscriber growth to date during Q1 this year – topping more than 4 million subscriptions. These achievements earned Tim a nomination for AdAge's Creative Director of the year.
When not at work, Tim enjoys running marathons and spending time with his wife, daughter and two dogs.
Dr. John F. Greden is the Rachel Upjohn Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences in the Department of Psychiatry, Founder and Executive Director of the University of Michigan Depression Center, Founding Chair, National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC), and Research Professor in the Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute. He joined the faculty at the University of Michigan Medical School in 1974 and served as Chair of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatry from 1985 to 2007 when he stepped down to focus on directing the Depression Center and developing the NNDC.
Dr. Greden earned his B.S. and M.D. at the University of Minnesota, completed his internship at Harbor/UCLA, and his psychiatry residency at the University of Minnesota Hospitals and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. He has authored or co-authored more than 400 articles, refereed abstracts, books, book chapters, and presented approximately 335 invited lectures. He has almost three decades of NIH funding as investigator, co-investigator and consultant. Major research themes have focused upon studying biomarkers and developing treatment strategies to prevent recurrences of depression and bipolar disorders. He has served as mentor for more than a dozen NIH or Veterans Administration “K” awardees and young investigators, and presented 10 keynote addresses for the American Psychiatric Association’s “Psychiatry Young Investigators’ Colloquium.”
To address the huge health burdens, disabilities and costs associated with clinical depressions, bipolar disorders, and related conditions, Dr. Greden proposed establishment of the country’s inaugural comprehensive Depression Center at the University of Michigan. Approved by the Regents in 2001, a new Depression Center-Ambulatory Psychiatry facility opened in 2006. The Center integrates research, clinical, educational and public policy efforts of more than 300 members from 13 University Schools and Colleges and 33 different University departments. Dr. Greden subsequently led efforts to establish similar centers throughout the country and integrate them into a National Network of Depression Centers patterned after the National Cancer Center Network. 16 eminent universities signed an NNDC Charter in a ceremony in Ann Arbor in October, 2008 and the NNDC has now grown to 21. Dr. Greden served as the Chair of the National Network of Depression Centers.
Dr. Greden is past-President of the Society of Biological Psychiatry; the Psychiatric Research Society; the American Association of Chairs of Departments of Psychiatry (AACDP); the Academic Psychiatry Consortium; and the Board of Directors of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. He edited the Journal of Psychiatric Research for seven years, chaired the Council on Research for the American Psychiatric Association for five years, served as Council Member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), Co-Chair of the National Psychiatry Training Council established by NIMH, and was selected as the 2005 recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award of the University of Minnesota Medical School. In 2013, the University of Michigan’s Council for Disability Concerns awarded Dr. Greden the James T. Neubacher Award.
Brad Haugen is the President of Westbrook Media, where he oversees all aspects of the content studio and its focus on FLiP (Fast Lane iP) development, digital brand management, and best-in-class production. Under his leadership, Westbrook Media has worked with major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms including Netflix, Universal, Hulu, Warner Bros., Sony, and Paramount, as well as brands ranging from Target and Moncler to Fabletics, Nike, and JUST Water, on content campaigns surrounding film releases and product launches. During his time at Westbrook Media, Haugen and his team have worked with world-class artists and creators, launching everything from Snapchat series (Will From Home S1&2, Ryan Doesn't Know, The Solution Committee) to culture leading Specials (Fresh Prince Reunion Special, Facebook Vote-A-Thon). As Westbrook Media grows, Brad and his team continue to push boundaries and reinvent the way talent, platforms, creators, and brands can work alongside one another to tell stories to their audiences in a rapidly changing content environment.
Brad started his career at BBH, where he helped bring in more than $80 million in billings with brands ranging from Unilever and Diageo to Miller Lite and Ally Bank. Brad was also the founding Chairman of Pencils of Promise, a nonprofit that has built more than 500 schools around the world with the ultimate goal to solve the global education crisis. While working with Pencils of Promise founder Adam Braun, Haugen caught the eye of acclaimed talent manager Scooter Braun.
As the second full time employee of Scooter Braun Projects, Brad began running marketing for one of SB’s new clients Justin Bieber, who had just released his first single. As SB Project’s founding CMO, Brad helped build the business from nothing, leading the marketing efforts for all of Justin Bieber’s projects including music, merch, touring, his concert documentary “Never Say Never” and his best-selling fragrances. Brad also ran marketing for other marquee clients, including Ariana Grande, Tori Kelly, PSY, Martin Garrix and Carly Rae Jepsen.
In early 2015, Brad joined ATTN: Co-Founders Matthew Segal and Jarrett Moreno as a founding partner to help build the media company which now reaches nearly 1BN people monthly with socially conscious, entertaining content designed to make the world a better place. Brad built the brand partnerships and revenue operation at ATTN:, growing it from zero to more than $25M in under four years, brokering partnerships with some of the world’s biggest brands such as Spotify, Netflix, HBO, Microsoft, GE, Adobe, T-Mobile and REI, to name a few.
Amy Koppelman is the author of three critically acclaimed novels: A Mouthful of Air,I Smile Back and Hesitation Wounds. She produced and co-wrote the film adaptation of “I Smile Back,” starring Sarah Silverman, who received a SAG award nomination for the role. The film premiered at the Sundance, Toronto, and Deauville film festivals. Her latest film, “A Mouthful of Air,” is her first undertaking as a screenwriter, director, producer and illustrator. Amy lives in New York City with her family, and is an outspoken advocate for women’s mental health.
Rich Kleiman is co-founder and CEO of Boardroom, a sports and entertainment company that includes the flagship media network, Boardroom.TV. Founded in 2019 by Kleiman and Kevin Durant, Boardroom covers the business of sports and entertainment, with a special focus on the ways that athletes, executives, musicians, and creators are moving the business world forward. Other projects under the Boardroom umbrella include the critically acclaimed scripted series SWAGGER in partnership with Imagine Entertainment and Apple TV+, the Academy-Award-winning short film Two Distant Strangers (Netflix), and Emmy-nominated documentary NYC Point Gods (Showtime).
Kleiman and Durant are majority owners of Major League Pickleball’s Brooklyn Aces and have made minority investments in Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union, National Women’s Soccer League’s Gotham FC, Premier Lacrosse League, Athletes Unlimited, League One Volleyball, and TMRW Sports.
Kleiman has been Kevin Durant’s manager since 2013, as well as co-founder in 35V, which houses over 100 early stage investments across sports, technology, finance, media, and more.
Kleiman serves as the Executive Director of the Durant Family Foundation (fka Kevin Durant Charity Foundation), helping underserved and low-income families and youth across the globe. He also sits on the Board of Directors at New Heights Youth, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to sports-based youth development and education in New York City.
Previously, Kleiman helped launch Roc Nation Sports, where he served as Vice President of the agency founded by Jay-Z. Kleiman started with Roc Nation in 2008 as a music manager representing Mark Ronson, Solange, Meek Mill, Wale, and many others.
Stephanie Kramer is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of L’Oréal USA, author of Carry Strong: An Empowered Approach to Navigating Pregnancy and Work (Penguin Life, 2023), and the mother of two young sons.
As a tenured beauty industry executive with 20 years of experience on three continents, Stephanie brings dynamic leadership expertise with a dedicated people-first approach to the company’s overall HR strategy in the U.S. including talent, learning, rewards, and people experience. She has served as an adjunct professor of management communication in the graduate business program at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) where she is also a member of the program’s Industry Advisory Board. Stephanie also serves as an advisor to MasterClass, and is a founding Chair for HR Innovators, an organization dedicated to connecting and activating HR leaders.
Stephanie has been a featured speaker at several institutions and leadership summits across the country including The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard Business School, New York University, the Forbes Future of Work Summit and the Yale Ventures Health of Women Summit. Stephanie and her writing have been featured in Fast Company, Fortune, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and the Wall Street Journal.
Andrew Kronfeld is Executive Vice President, Marketing for Universal Music Group. In this role, Kronfeld works directly with UMG’s labels in managing the interaction and coordination of artist repertoire across the new regional hub structure, ensuring that artists are receiving the ideal marketing and creative development resources to grow their careers. He is based in the company’s Santa Monica Headquarters.
Previously, Kronfeld served as President of Global Marketing for UMG’s international division in London. He was responsible for developing and driving unified, global marketing strategies to support and advance the success of UMG’s world-class roster of artists. This included coordinating releases, promotion and marketing of all UMG’s international frontline and catalog priority releases. Kronfeld first joined UMG in 1991 at Island Records.
In 1999, he joined Universal Music International as VP of International Marketing. He later segued over to Universal Motown as Senior Vice President of International and was subsequently appointed General Manager of the label group before becoming Executive Vice President, Universal Music Group International in 2010.
David Lang is an Emmy award-winning television producer who has brought his talents to the marketing world as Chief Content Officer at Mindshare, one of the world’s largest media agencies. Widely regarded as a pioneer in branded content, Lang currently oversees all creative development, production & execution, strategic marketing, partnerships, sponsorships and experiential in the entertainment marketing arena, as well as focusing on the creation of new economic models. He also chairs the GroupM Center of Excellence on Content.
Lang has won virtually every industry award, from Cannes and Effies to being honored as an Adweek Media All-Star, an Ad Age Media Maven, an Internationalist, Ad Age’s Entertainment A-List and “Content Innovator of the Year” by the Content Council.
Co-Founder of New Leaf Climate Partners, a climate finance firm specializing in natural capital solutions. Greg works to leverage mission-first capital for social benefit - something he’s been privileged to do at both foundations and social enterprises.
At Pursuit, Greg raised and leveraged innovative blended finance models to increase life-changing employment opportunities for high need and high potential low income adults. At BlackRock, Greg was a Director and founding member of the Social Impact team, where he built the firm’s first philanthropic strategy and designed and led a national $50M impact-first initiative. At The Robin Hood Foundation, Greg served as Chief of Staff to the President of New York City's largest poverty fighting organization. Early career work included renewable energy enterprises in Haiti and India, and private sector work in South Africa and Germany.
Greg has a Masters from Columbia University, a BS from the University of Oregon and is a proud Board member of The Hebrew Free Loan Society. A native of Arizona who misses the desert but loves New York’s trees, Greg lives in Westchester with his wife and daughters, in whom he is devoted to instilling his love for books, hikes, snacks and basketball.
In October 2020, Alex & his co-founder (Austin Rief) sold a majority stake of Morning Brew to Business Insider for a reported $75 million.
Today, Morning Brew provides quick and digestible business content to more than 3 million users, successfully changing the way young professionals engage with the business world. The company’s offerings include a daily newsletter, a bi-weekly lifestyle newsletter, three industry-specific newsletters (in Emerging Technology, Retail & Marketing), a tri-weekly narrative-style podcast (hosted by Alex) and a bi-weekly interview podcast (hosted by Alex).
Alex is a 2020 AdAge 40 Under 40 award recipient, 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 award recipient, UJA Global Marketing Industry Visionary award recipient and has been featured in publications ranging from Business Insider to the TODAY Show to Digiday. Alex is also the host of a custom branded podcast for Fidelity Investments, and is a regular speaker at major industry conferences like AdWorld, Advertising Week, SXSW, and ASCENT.
Patrick D. McGorry is Professor of Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and Director of Orygen Youth Health and Orygen Youth Health Research Centre in Victoria, Australia. Professor McGorry received his medical degree from the University of Sydney and his doctorates from Monash University and the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. He is a world-leading clinician, researcher, and reformer in the areas of early psychosis, early intervention and youth mental health. Professor McGorry’s work has played an integral role in the development of safe, effective treatments and innovative research involving the needs of young people with emerging mental disorders, notably psychotic and severe mood disorders. The result has been the creation, evaluation and upscaling of stigma-free, holistic and recovery-oriented models of care for young people and their families. The work of Professor McGorry and key research colleagues at EPPIC and Orygen has influenced health policy in Australia and many other countries and he has advised governments and health systems in many jurisdictions. Professor McGorry has published over 400 peer-reviewed papers and reviews, over 50 book chapters, and has edited 6 books. He is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Australian Government Centenary Medal in 2003, the Founders’ Medal of the Australian Society for Psychiatric Research in 2001 and he was the 2010 Australian of the Year. Professor McGorry serves as Editor-in-Chief of Early Intervention in Psychiatry and is a founding board member of the Australian National Youth Mental Health Foundation: headspace, of Headstrong; the National Youth Mental Health Foundation of Ireland, and past-president and treasurer of the International Early Psychosis Association. He has been a member of the National Advisory Group on Mental Health Reform for the Federal Government and of the Victorian Mental Health Reform Council. As well as his contributions to the field of early psychosis and youth mental health, Professor McGorry has interests in refugee mental health, youth suicide, youth substance use and the treatment of emerging personality disorder.
Norman Ornstein is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he studies politics, elections, and the US Congress. He is a cohost of AEI’s Election Watch series, a contributing editor and columnist for National Journal and The Atlantic, a BBC News election analyst, and the chairman of the Campaign Legal Center.
Dr. Ornstein previously served as codirector of the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project and senior counselor to the Continuity of Government Commission. A longtime observer and analyst of American politics and the US Congress, he has been involved in political reform for decades, particularly campaign finance reform and the reform of Senate committees. He has also played a part in creating the Congressional Office of Compliance and the House Office of Congressional Ethics.
Dr. Ornstein was elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004.
His many interviews have been aired on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal,” CBS, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, NPR, and “PBS NewsHour,” among others. His articles and opinion pieces have been published widely, including in Politico, The New York Times, NY Daily News, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.
Dr. Ornstein’s books include the bestsellers “One Nation After Trump: A Guide for the Perplexed, the Disillusioned, the Desperate, and the Not-Yet Deported,” with E. J. Dionne and Thomas E. Mann (St. Martin’s Press, 2017); and “It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided with the New Politics of Extremism;” “The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track,” with Thomas E. Mann (Oxford University Press, 2006); and “The Permanent Campaign and Its Future” (AEI Press, 2000).
Dr. Ornstein has a PhD and a master’s in political science from the University of Michigan and a BA from the University of Minnesota.
Bernice Pescosolido is Distinguished and Chancellor’s Professor of Sociology at Indiana University and Founding Director of the Indiana Consortium for Mental Health Services Research (ICMHSR) and the Indiana University Network Science Institute (IUNI).
Her research focuses on four areas – stigma, health care use, suicide, and social networks – primarily looking at mental illness and substance abuse and the role that social and organizational networks play in people’s responses to problems.
Trained as a medical sociologist at Yale, her research has been published in sociology, anthropology, public health, and psychiatric journals and has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Fogarty International Center, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the MacArthur Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the National Science Foundation, among others.
She has served as the Vice President of the American Sociological Association, received several career, teaching, and mentoring awards in sociology and public health and, in 2016, was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
Jon Posen is a speechwriter, communications consultant, and sustainability expert. He was speechwriter to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, and later served as BlackRock’s Head of Strategy for Sustainable Investing. At BlackRock, Jon co-authored Larry’s landmark annual letters to CEOs, including his messages on climate change and corporate purpose.
His writing has been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and numerous other publications. He began his career on the 2008 Obama presidential campaign. Jon was a Jeopardy contestant in 2020 and will talk your ear off about seltzer.
NYC based Visionary Music Group (VMG) – home to Grammy nominated hip hop artist Logic, and multi-platinum singer/producer/songwriter Jon Bellion, as well as Quinn XCII, Chelsea Cutler, Jeremy Zucker, ayokay and 6ix – has emerged as one of the most innovative and impressive companies in the music business.
VMG was one of the first artist management companies to translate free music into business verticals across live, recorded music, merchandise and branding. Remler oversees all activity for the company across creative, touring, live production and more. Recent successes include execution of artist’s vision on live tv performances such as the 2017 VMAs (Logic), 2018 VMAs (Logic) and Logic’s arena/amphitheater tour.
Dr. Riba is fellowship director of the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry fellowship and is Chair of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Guidelines. She is past President of the American Psychiatric Association, the Association for Academic Psychiatry, and the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and Past Secretary for Scientific Publications, World Psychiatric Association. As director of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center Psych Oncology Program, Dr. Riba leads a multidisciplinary group of clinicians who care for the emotional needs of cancer patients and their families. Through numerous scientific papers, APA courses, books, and presentations at scientific meetings, she continues to advance the dialogue and research in this important clinical area nationally and internationally.
J.T. Rogan was an All-American football player while at the University of San Diego where he graduated with a Bachelor's in Business Administration. He coached football at Stanford in 2010 with Jim Harbaugh and most recently served as Harbaugh's Director of Operations and Communications at Michigan from August 2016 - July 2018.
Rogan has worked for Time Warner Cable, Fox Sports San Diego, and PAC-12 Networks doing play-by-play, color commentary, sideline reporting and analyst work. Rogan also hosted the "Attack Each Day" podcast featuring both Jim Harbaugh and his father, Jack.
Currently, Rogan works at QB Collective in coaching agency representation and football learning for high school, collegiate and professional football coaches.
Dr. Rosof is CEO of Quality in HealthCare Advisory Group, LLC, (QHC). Dr Rosof is at the forefront of national initiatives in the areas of quality and performance improvement. Following completion of a fellowship in gastroenterology at Yale University School of Medicine, Dr. Rosof practiced Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology for 29 years. He is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors of Huntington Hospital (Northwell Health) and a current member of the Board of Trustees of the Health System. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the National Quality Forum, and served as Co-Chair of the National Priorities Partnership convened by the NQF to set national priorities and goals to transform America’s healthcare. The NPP was advisory to Secretary Sebelius in the development of the National Quality Strategy. Dr. Rosof is the immediate past Chair of the Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement convened by the AMA to lead efforts in developing, testing and implementing evidence-based performance measures for use at the point of care. He was a member of the Clinical Performance Measurement Committee of the NCQA, and the Chair of the Physician Advisory Committee for UnitedHealth Group. He has chaired committees for the New York State Department of Health and the Institute of Medicine (IOM), and is currently serving as Chair of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's Roundtable on Health Literacy and as Chair of the NYS Department of Health Committee on Quality in Office-Based Surgery.
Dr. Rosof is on the editorial board of the “American Journal of Medical Quality” and “The Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation.” In addition, he has authored many articles which have been published in the peer reviewed literature.
Dr. Rosof gave a keynote address on June 9, 2016 to the W.H.O. 24th International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services at Yale University entitled, “Health Literate Healthcare Organizations: The Role of Participation.”
Dr. Rosof was a co-founder of the Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism and Related Developmental Disorders and continues to serve on the board of several philanthropic organizations, including Project Sunshine and Partners Health Plan.
Dr. Rosof is Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine. He is a Master of the American College of Physicians and Chair Emeritus of the Board of Regents of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Rosof is the recipient of the Laureate Award from the American College of Physicians and the Theodore Roosevelt Award for Distinguished Community Service. He has also received the 2011 Founders Award presented by the American College of Medical Quality in recognition of his long-standing national leadership and exceptional ability to foster and support healthcare quality improvement. Dr. Rosof is also the recipient of the 2012 Stengel Award from the American College of Physicians for outstanding service to the ACP and for his influence in maintaining and advancing the best standards of medical education, medical practice and clinical research. Dr. Rosof also received the New York University School of Medicine Alumni Leadership Award in February 2016.
David Roter is the VP, Global Solutions at Snap. His team is responsible for helping advertising and agency customers to grow their businesses through Snap's offerings. Prior to joining Snap, Roter spent time overseeing global revenue and partnerships for The Players' Tribune, working to establish strategic relationships and expand TPT’s offerings. Before that, he was the Director of Global Video & Agency Strategy at Twitter and previously, worked on the Digital Sales & Strategy team at ESPN.
Roter also serves on the Board of Directors for Active Minds, a leading Mental Health nonprofit organization.
With over 20 years of marketing and strategy experience in building brands and creating customer relationships. She is a nine-year veteran of Digitas, Alyse leads Digitas’ Atlanta region, with clients that include Delta and FIS. Alyse held roles at Moxie and BBDO before Digitas.
Chelsey Ziegler is currently an Associate General Counsel at the Heising-Simons Foundation, where she works primarily with the Foundation’s Climate Solutions, Science and Journalism grant making programs.
Prior to Heising-Simons, Chelsey was in-house counsel at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for 8 years working on a range of issues, including their robust impact investment portfolio.
Chelsey began her legal career in the Business and Finance group at the Chicago-based law firm, Horwood, Marcus & Berk where she advised private equity and venture capital funds. While there, she also helped grow the Firm’s Social Impact and Philanthropy Subgroup.
In addition, Chelsey is the co-founder of Rooted Beings, which is nature-based Meditation Collective & Community. She is a writer on mindful motherhood and has a book coming out in Fall 2024 on meditation and breathwork practices that aid in the transition of matrescence (becoming a mother).
Chelsey holds a JD from University of Miami School of Law and a BA in Finance from Michigan State University.
Dietram A. Scheufele is the John E. Ross Professor in Science Communication and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in the Morgridge Institute for Research.
His research focuses on public attitudes and policy dynamics surrounding emerging science. He is an elected member of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Communication Association, and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters.
Scheufele has been a tenured faculty member at Cornell University, and held visiting positions at Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich. His consulting experience includes work for the Public Broadcasting System, Porter Novelli, the World Health Organization, and the World Bank.
Jason Schulweis is the Chief Commercial Officer of The Female Quotient, where he focuses on driving and growing The FQ’s brand partnership offerings, building a go-to-market strategy, and further building FQ’s media and content business. Previously, he was Chief Revenue Officer at mindbodygreen, a well-being content, commerce, and education brand, where he oversaw all sales and brand strategy functions. Prior to that, Schulweis was the EVP, Brand Partnerships & Creative Studio at Morning Brew, growing revenue and headcount 20x and helping enable a sale of the company in late 2020. Before that, he held senior roles at MediaLink, Live Nation, Thrillist, and Yahoo!.
David Spingarn currently serves as an Executive Advisor with Investcorp, a private equity firm with $7B of assets under management. Previously, Spingarn was a Partner at United Talent Agency, serving as its Chief Strategy Officer and Global Head of Corporate Development from 2010 through 2021. Spingarn has worked in the media & entertainment industry for over 20 years and has prior experience working in management consulting and investment banking.
With UTA, Spingarn led strategic planning, M&A, and corporate development, and assisted with corporate finance and investment activities. He led 14 acquisitions, expanding UTA into sports, music, news & broadcasting, speaking, esports, investment banking, and marketing services. Spingarn also led the agency’s private equity capital raises by Investcorp and PSP in 2018 and by Jeffrey Ubben of Value Act in 2015. Additionally, Spingarn led the company’s minority investment in production company, Industrial Media, where he serves as a board member. He also advised on M&A and financings of UTA clients, Vidcon, Awesomeness TV, Big Huge Games, Jax Media, Point Grey, and Jigsaw Productions, and was a member of the UTA’s venture investment committee, completing nearly 50 digital media investments.
Prior to UTA, Spingarn worked with Disney, Fox, and Universal Music. Spingarn joined Disney in 2000, working in the Corporate Strategic Planning Group on M&A, strategic planning and corporate development activities, including the $5.2 billion acquisition of Fox Family, the sale of DIC Entertainment to Bain Capital, and the acquisition of the Muppets franchise from The Jim Henson Company. Following Disney, Spingarn joined Fox, leading business development initiatives for Fox Interactive Media, which included the initial formation of HULU. In 2006, Spingarn moved to Universal Music Group, overseeing new ventures & strategic investments for Interscope Geffen A&M. With Interscope, Spingarn helped launch the Beats by Dr. Dre, which subsequently sold to Apple for $3 billion.
Spingarn earned his MBA with Distinction from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Palmer Scholar, and received a BBA with High Distinction from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. In addition to serving on the Advisory Council of Project Healthy Minds, Spingarn serves as a Board & Executive Committee Member for Tower Cancer Research Foundation.
Sabrina Spitaletta is a senior director with the Center for Public Health at the Milken Institute. Spitaletta oversees the Center’s program operations for the priorities of mental health, prevention and chronic disease and health equity. She leads the Center’s efforts focused on the role of employers in prioritizing whole-person health and develops collaborations across sectors and stakeholders. Before joining the Institute, Spitaletta was head of corporate relations and engagement at Children’s Health Fund. Her responsibilities focused on building the framework for organizational strategic goal setting, cultivating thought leadership, and creating opportunities to broaden the corporate community’s awareness of the fund’s access to quality care, policy, and advocacy work for children living in under-resourced communities in the US.
Over the course of her nearly 15 years at Sanofi US, Spitaletta held leadership roles with expanded scope in corporate affairs and human resources. The roles included overseeing corporate responsibility programs, and leading US philanthropic foundation social investments to advance prevention and comprehensive health. Additionally, she managed employee-facing efforts involving wellness engagement, employee political action and grassroots civic engagement, and organizational performance management and development. She started her career at Lehman Brothers and was a part of the Analyst Investment Banking program management and recruitment team. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and organizations, behavior and management from Brown University and a master’s degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University. She is a member of the President’s Strategic Advisory Council for the Brown University School of Public Health and HOSA’s Future Health Professionals National Advisory Council. Spitaletta also serves on the advisory council for Creating Healthier Communities, an organization focused on good health and equity to create resilient communities working with employers. She is a member of the Advisory Council for Project Healthy Minds.
Lenny started his career in the competitive, zero-sum world of politics. As one of the co-founders and CEO of SS+K, as well as co-chair of M&C Saatchi New York, his passion is developing creative solutions to guide organizations through moments of change and challenge.
Lenny leads SS+K’s efforts to help CBA earn back trust, strengthen its reputation, and inspire customers, employees, and communities with a positive vision for the future.
Lenny has guided relaunches of brands like Delta, Wells Fargo, Pfizer, Time Warner Cable, Travelers, Samsung, Comcast, and GM, while his work creating new brands for TiVO, Chevy Volt, Fresh Direct, Honest Tea, Kraft MiO, and Jet.com has helped numerous ‘Davids’ go up against category ‘Goliaths’ in tough competitive markets.
Lenny has a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, has been a visiting professor at Yale School of Management, a frequent lecturer at the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently a visiting Professor at Duke University.
John Lloyd Taylor is an entertainment industry executive with over two decades of diverse experience. He hails from State College, PA, and is an alumnus of Berklee College of Music. John is renowned for his role as the lead guitarist and musical director for the Jonas Brothers, contributing to their rise to fame from 2005 to 2013.
In addition to his music career, John has directed the acclaimed 2019 Amazon Prime documentary "Chasing Happiness" and executive produced the Amazon Prime series "Regular Heroes" and more. His versatility extends to musical performances with notable artists like Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley and appearances on major platforms such as the Grammy Awards and Saturday Night Live.
Currently an agent at United Talent Agency (UTA), John leverages his extensive network and industry insight to guide both established and emerging talent.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, John is deeply committed to mental health advocacy. Celebrating 13 years of sobriety, he passionately supports mental health and recovery initiatives, aligning with Project Healthy Minds' mission to destigmatize and address mental health challenges.
John’s blend of professional success and personal dedication to mental health makes him an invaluable addition to the Project Healthy Minds advisory board. His unique perspective and commitment to fostering mental well-being will greatly benefit the organization's efforts to support those in need.
Dr. Toups is a board-certified psychiatrist who attended Tulane Medical School and completed psychiatry residency and a fellowship in clinical research at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Her academic work focused on the impact of immunity on depression presentation and outcomes, improving the assessment and treatment of patients with medical illness and comorbid depression, as well as the use of exercise as a depression treatment. She has developed curricula for scientific literacy, evidence-based medicine, and journal clubs for psychiatrists, and gives talks on the evidence base for traditional and alternative depression treatments. Recently she founded Singularity Psychiatry and Mental Health, a practice serving adults with complex or treatment resistant depression in Austin, TX. She continues to contribute to evidence based medicine education with a faculty affiliation with UT Southwestern, and you can hear her geeking out over clinical trial design on the podcast Yeah, No Journal Club.
Peter Tunney brings art and life to everything and everyone he encounters. His work probes our culture by mining images from newspapers, magazines, and art books and reinterpreting them through his own unique perspective. His recent works, where refreshingly optimistic phrases and quotes are colorfully painted over collaged headlines, serve as a subtle attack on our culture of fear and ennui. As our media sources relay stories of death, destruction, hysteria and greed, Peter whimsically overpowers them with his own headlines, such as “DON’T PANIC”, “BELIEVE”, “GRATITUDE” and “CHANGE THE WAY YOU SEE EVERYTHING”.
After having a career on Wall Street, Peter turned to art and opened his first gallery in New York in 1991. In 2010, he became the Wynwood Walls first tenant when he opened the Peter Tunney Experience gallery inside the Walls.
Zak Williams is passionate about developing best-in-class products and experiences to provide effective, sustainable products for supporting optimal mental wellness and alleviating anxiety. As a mental health advocate, he focuses his time and effort on sharing his story and sharing his experiences to support initiatives and campaigns seeking to remove the stigma and address the challenges associated with mental health topics. Zak is CEO and founder of anxiety relief company PYM and is an investor in technology and consumer packaged goods companies. Formerly, Zak was COO of the recommendation platform Crossing Minds, the Director of Business Development for media company Condé Nast, and the marketing lead for gaming and media platform N3TWORK.
Zak is a US trustee of United for Global Mental Health and board member of mental health awareness non-profit Bring Change 2 Mind and the Yerba Buena Center of the Arts where he focuses on guiding the organizations' strategy and business development initiatives. He received an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in Linguistics & Literature from New York University.
Jesse H, Wright, M.D., Ph.D. is a Professor, Kolb Endowed Chair in Outpatient Psychiatry, and Director of the Depression Center at the University of Louisville. He is the principal author of eight medical or self-help books and the first multimedia computer program for treatment of depression.
Dr. Wright’s research is focused on developing and testing computer-assisted psychotherapy methods for improving the efficiency of treatment and enhancing the psychotherapeutic experience. His investigations have been funded by multiple grants from the National Institute of Health.
Dr. Wright was the Founding President of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and the President of the Kentucky Psychiatric Association. He is a Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists. Dr. Wright has received the Distinguished Educator of the Year Award from the University of Louisville among other awards. He lectures widely on mood disorders, cognitive-behavior therapy, psychopharmacology, and computer-aided psychotherapy.
Phillip Schermer is the Founder and CEO of Project Healthy Minds, a millennial/Gen Z-driven non-profit startup focused on tackling one of the defining issues of our generation: the growing mental health crisis. Project Healthy Minds is building the world’s first digital mental health marketplace to democratize access to life-changing services, partnering with public figures to de-stigmatize mental health, and creating the first national standards for businesses to better support employee mental health.
Project Healthy Minds has been spotlighted in numerous national media outlets such as Axios, NBC’s The TODAY Show, The Hollywood Reporter, PEOPLE Magazine, CNN Business, Variety, The Atlantic, WWD, AdAge, Yahoo!, and Morning Brew, among others.
Phillip has been a featured speaker at leading public health conferences, industry summits, and universities, including the National Academy of Sciences Annual Colloquium, Milken Institute, Billboard Music Summit, Kennedy Forum, the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Duke Fuqua School of Business, Jewish Funders Network, NICSA (leading investment management industry trade association), PRWeek’s “PRDecoded” conference, and more. Phil also sits on a National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative, and is an advisor to stigma researchers at Columbia University and Yale University.
Prior to his current role, Phil worked at BlackRock -- as the Chief of Staff to the Vice Chairman and then as Chief of Staff to the Global Chief Marketing Officer.
During his time as Chief of Staff to the CMO, Phil focused on a range of initiatives relating to the future of stakeholder capitalism and purpose-driven business, digital product development and fintech investments, and various strategic growth priorities for BlackRock.
As Chief of Staff to the Vice Chairman, Phil worked on BlackRock's long-term growth strategy and evolving the firm’s advisory capabilities. In that role, he was part of a working group that created a new business unit that is now one of the fastest-growing businesses at BlackRock. During this time, he also invented a consumer technology product that won the firm’s global hackathon and became the technology basis of a joint venture with Microsoft.
Before joining BlackRock, Phil worked in the Obama White House as an intern for the National Economic Council, for Warner Brothers Entertainment on the movie set of The Dark Knight Rises, for Summit Entertainment on the movie set of Perks of Being a Wallflower, and for Live Nation on U2’s 360 tour.
While in college, Phil founded MUSIC Matters, a student-run non-profit at the University of Michigan that built one of the first social impact lifestyle festivals in the US. Today, Phil serves on the MUSIC Matters Board of Advisors.
Phil graduated from the University of Michigan’s Honors Program with a B.A. in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE).
Robb Chen-Ware serves as the VP of Product for Project Healthy Minds, where he spearheads the planning, delivery, and continuous improvement of Project Healthy Minds' digital presence. With over 12 years of diverse experience in the tech industry, Robb has demonstrated expertise across various domains, including technical project management, product development, growth marketing, design, and operations. He's collaborated with numerous startups and Fortune 500 companies, featuring award-winning work for notable brands such as Bookshop.org, Twitter, and Gatorade.
Prior to joining Project Healthy Minds, Robb was COO at HappyFunCorp, a product engineering firm, where he was instrumental in developing the company's product development service before its acquisition. Robb has also previously partnered with the City of New York on developing technology solutions to support the local homeless community.
Robb holds a Bachelor of Music from SUNY Purchase and has studied Product Design at NYU. He is co-founder of the AI business intelligence platform Dispatch AI. Robb lives with his wife Guyang Chen-Ware and their two sons in Brooklyn. Outside of work, he enjoys running, cooking, film, hiking, record collecting, and playing music.
Mel is Head of Strategy & Operations at Project Healthy Minds. She began volunteering with the organization in September 2020 before joining full-time in April 2023.
In her current role, Mel oversees the operational and administrative functions of Project Healthy Minds. She drives strategic projects, spearheads planning processes, supports key development efforts, and manages stakeholder relations.
Mel began her career in consulting—first at Oracle NetSuite and then at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Most recently, Mel worked in the Workforce Transformation practice at PwC, where she specialized in organizational change management, culture, and ESG. Mel helped clients navigate digital and cultural transformations on a global scale. She also helped implement new service offerings and business development efforts in the ESG space.
During her time at NetSuite, Mel partnered with cross-functional teams and strategic partners to win new business in target markets. She served as an advisor to the sales and technical teams, as well as to prospective customers.
Mel graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Organizational Studies. Born and raised outside of New York City, Mel currently resides in Chicago.
Nathan serves as the Vice President of Development at Project Healthy Minds, bringing over two decades of leadership experience from prestigious organizations, including key positions at the NY Philharmonic and as the Interim Chief Advancement Officer at the New York Botanical Garden. Over the course of his career, he has consistently advanced the objectives of the organizations he has served by fostering a culture of collaboration and innovative leadership.
In his most recent position as Managing Director at Creative Fundraising Advisors, Nathan partnered with the Entertainment Community Fund and the Garden Conservancy. Earlier in his career he also served as Executive Director at CCS Fundraising, collaborating with notable organizations such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Westport Library, Film at Lincoln Center, and the Akilah Institute, a nonprofit college for women located in Kigali, Rwanda.
Nathan began his career in the artistic department at the New York City Opera before moving across the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts campus to manage the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.
Nathan has also contributed as a guest speaker at prestigious institutions like Opera America, the League of American Orchestras, and New York University's School of Professional Studies. He actively serves as a Trustee at Old Westbury Gardens as well as a Non-Trustee Advisor for Glimmerglass Opera. Nathan is celebrated as a distinguished alumnus of the Crane School of Music.
Dan is the Vice President of Brand Partnerships at Project Healthy Minds. Utilizing 15+ years in event sponsorship sales and marketing, he works closely with PHM’s brand partners to demonstrate their commitment to the organization’s mission through thoughtful promotions and inspired activations.
Prior to PHM, Dan worked at a variety of media and entertainment properties in sponsorship sales and marketing roles, including Global Citizen, New York Magazine, Madison Square Garden, IMG and Clear Channel.
In these roles, Dan has developed and executed a wide range of sponsorships with well-known brands including Anheuser-Busch, AOL, AT&T, Caesars Entertainment, Casper, Citibank, Diageo, DirecTV, Heineken, Hulu, Jetblue, MolsonCoors, Pernod, SiriusXM, Starbucks and Toyota.
Dan holds an MBA from Rutgers University and a B.A. from James Madison University.
Will is the Director of Corporate Advocacy at Project Healthy Minds. He is responsible for building the Project Healthy Minds' Corporate Coalition, a community of forward-thinking companies revolutionizing workforce mental health. He is also responsible for Project Healthy Minds' employee engagement programs and corporate consulting practice.
Prior to Project Healthy Minds, he held various roles at Global Citizen - eventually focusing on the development of impactful partnerships and advocacy programs with numerous Fortune 500 companies.
Beyond access to mental health tools, Will has a passion for music. He has worked on the production of major festivals across six continents, with headliners like Usher, Metallica, Mariah Carey and Ms. Lauryn Hill. He is an adjunct professor at Truman State University, lecturing about the music business to future industry professionals.
Will holds a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. from Villanova University. He spent time in the M&A group at Weil, Gotshal & Manges before transitioning to the world of advocacy.
Alli is a heart-driven Creative Director working with mission focused brands and organizations. She has built numerous brands from the inside out, and ground up. She infuses her emotional quality and deep rooted care into every thing she creates, from professional to personal.
She has lead creative efforts at companies such as Bumble, Robin Hood Foundation and David Stark Design Experiential Agency. She has worked with brands like Uber, Snapchat, Talkspace, Target, Kiehl’s, Harper’s Bazaar, Warby Parker, and more.
She studied Communication + Graphic Design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), The Royal Academy of Art in the Netherlands, and Social Psychology at Brown University.
Originally from the greater NYC area but currently resides in Austin, Texas y’all!
Vince is the Major Gifts Officer at Project Healthy Minds. He brings a unique blend of expertise in philanthropy, public health, and entrepreneurship. Before joining Project Healthy Minds, Vince spent 5 years at Teach For America, most recently as the Director of Individual Giving, spearheading initiatives that deepened connections and expanded community impact.
Vince spent his early career at Denver Health, where he served as a Research Assistant leading data collection cycles for the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance study, identifying critical behaviors for at-risk populations -- forging valuable partnerships with community outreach centers to further prevention and health education.
Beyond the nonprofit sector, Vince co-founded Colorado Beverage Company, a thriving business where he oversaw daily operations and formulated revenue growth strategies.
Vince holds a Certificate in Technology Project Management from the University of California, Berkeley, and earned a B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Berkelee is an Associate in the Office of the CEO at Project Healthy Minds. In her role, Berkelee directly supports the Founder and CEO, Phil Schermer. She serves as the glue between Phil and the whole team’s work as Project Healthy Minds enters a new phase of growth and scale.
Prior to her role at Project Healthy Minds, Berkelee sat within the iShares division at BlackRock. In this role, she engaged institutional and wealth clients with intra-day insights and tactical opportunities in the ETF market to promote the vehicle and drive transparency into the trading ecosystem. Berkelee was also a summer intern at BlackRock in 2021 and was selected as a BlackRock Founders Scholar.
Berkelee graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of San Francisco with a B.S. in Economics. During her time there, she sat on the university’s Board of Trustees as a student representative and was on the student government’s executive board.
Prior to attending college, Berkelee raced NASCAR Late Model Stock cars. Being a woman in a male-dominated sport made her passionate about increasing inclusivity in the fitness industry, and today, she enjoys her role as a spin instructor in her free time.
With experience in the arts, design, and PR, Julia enjoys working at the intersection of culture, innovation, and communication.
She previously worked at 42West, where she collaborated with clients including Apple TV+, HBO, and Netflix to organize events and execute marketing campaigns -- including her work on the awards team for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of The Flower Moon, which eventually garnered 10 Academy Award nominations.
Julia was awarded a merit scholarship while attending Parsons School of Design and earned a BFA in Photography with a minor in Journalism.
She currently resides in Greenwich Village, New York City.
Alexandra Carvajal is a Corporate Advocacy Associate at Project Healthy Minds, where she drives strategic partnerships with leading companies to elevate mental health as a corporate priority. Her work includes developing campaigns, initiatives, and long-term strategies that empower businesses to take action on mental health both within their organizations and across society. Prior to joining PHM, Alexandra was a Project Manager at Third Bridge, a global investment research firm. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Michigan.
As a seasoned fundraiser, Tamar launched a fundraising consulting practice effective July 2020. Based on years of fundraising success, Tamar offers expertise and counsel to a variety of nonprofit organizations. In her role as Senior Advisor for Development at Project Healthy Minds, Tamar provides strategic counsel regarding all development priorities -- including overall strategy, individual giving, corporate partnerships, foundation relations, special events, development communications, and planned giving. Tamar serves as a thought partner and advisor to both the CEO and the development team. Her other clients have included Lincoln Center, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Central Park Conservancy, New York Botanical Garden, ABT, Los Angeles Music Center, The Kaufman Music Center, Lincoln Center Theatre, Early Starters International, The Garden Conservancy, Jacques Pepin Foundation, Symphony Space, and the National Black Theatre.
Prior to launching her own firm, Tamar led Lincoln Center’s fundraising staff for 19 years. She was responsible for managing all annual fundraising for the institution, coordinating the capital campaign, and managing government relations. This included overseeing a staff of 42 specialized in Institutional Giving, Planned Giving, Major and Individual Gifts, Special Events, Patron Services, Membership, Corporate Partnerships, and management of Lincoln Center’s Consolidated Corporate Fund. On an annual basis, over $50 million was raised in contributed income for the leading performing arts complex. Tamar worked closely with the Lincoln Center Board of Directors on all strategy and engagement. She also staffed the Development Committee and Nominating & Governance Committee of the Board of Directors.
Tamar has a broad range of experience managing multi-million dollar annual and capital campaigns. While at Lincoln Center she was an integral part of the $1.2 billion Bravo Campaign to transform the 16-acre campus, as well as the $550 million Geffen Campaign. Prior to joining Lincoln Center, Inc., Tamar was Director of Development at the 92nd Street Y, Vice President of Development for the Central Park Conservancy, and held senior fundraising positions with The New York Botanical Garden, The American Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and the American Jewish Committee. A graduate of Clark University, Tamar holds a master’s degree in Social Service Administration from Columbia University and graduated from Harvard University’s Kennedy School Program on Exponential Fundraising.
Greycen is a San Diego-based web designer helping companies elevate their digital experiences. Her passion for mental health advocacy drew her to PHM’s mission to help provide resources for all.
She has spent the majority of the last 7 years working on brand and product teams in the startup world, with a focus on the creator economy. Her love for connecting vision and strategy drives her desire to help companies craft brands that stand out, design experiences that resonate, and create connections that last.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling, snowboarding, reading at the beach, and playing with her pup.
Malia joined the Project Healthy Minds team in March 2023 as a development communications writer. Malia believes that everyone should be able to easily access mental health resources and that no one should feel stigmatized for seeking what they need to help them feel their healthiest. Malia is also an incoming Master's student in Media, Medicine, and Health at Harvard Medical School.
Most recently, Malia was an associate at Global Health Strategies, a global advocacy and communications firm, where she worked on issues like universal health coverage. Prior to that, she studied Psychology and French at Harvard. There, as a research assistant with the Harvard Lab for Youth Mental Health, she co-authored a paper examining how decisions are made in youth psychotherapy.
Originally from northern Idaho, Malia has also served as a shelter advocate for Safe Passage, a domestic violence prevention center in her hometown. There, she connected women fleeing domestic violence to community resources, gave presentations on healthy relationships to middle and high school students, and served as a crisis response advocate in emergency room settings.
In her free time, Malia's (mis)adventures traveling across the U.S. often inspire writing experiments in creative nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting.
Alex is the Chief Financial Officer of Project Healthy Minds and is an Associate Director at LGT Capital Partners on the private equity team. LGT is a global alternative investment firm owned by the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. Prior to joining LGT, Alex was an investment banking analyst at Wells Fargo Securities in the Industrials group. While at Wells Fargo, Alex focused on a broad range of advisory assignments across the chemicals and metals spaces.
Alex graduated with High Distinction with a Bachelor's in Business Administration from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. In his free time, Alex enjoys skydiving, scuba diving, skiing, exercising and attending concerts.
Sabrina is the Chief Strategy Officer of Project Healthy Minds and a Strategist at Google. She manages a portfolio of over $30 Million annually, where she consults with companies on their marketing and advertising strategies with Google. At Google, she also leads the startup initiative for the North American sales teams and sits on the VC & Startup Partnerships Go-to-market project team. Previously, she served as the Investor Relations Manager at Jump Start Health Investors, a healthcare venture firm in Nashville, TN. In this role, she was responsible for creating & building a modern Investor Relations practice leveraging data, digital tools and marketing strategies in combination with traditional Investor Relations practices. Prior to that, she served as the Strategic Sales Lead, in which she was tasked with developing strategic partnerships, including the launch and alignment of high-growth initiatives across Jumpstart Health Investors’ three (3) business units.
In college, Sabrina was the President of MUSIC Matters, a student-run non-profit at the University of Michigan. During her leadership, Sabrina helped scale MUSIC Matters’ annual festival, SpringFest, through an innovative joint venture with Universal Music Group. Finding herself in the intersection of healthcare and innovation, Sabrina is passionate about social impact projects, and bringing big ideas to life.
Sabrina was a Jean Fairfax Scholar at the University of Michigan, graduating with honors with a B.A. in Art & Design, Entrepreneurship, and pre-medical studies. Sabrina originally hails from New York, and now resides in Ann Arbor, MI.
Dan is a communications strategist who helps companies, causes, and campaigns solve high-stakes public affairs and business challenges. He has managed nearly $1 billion in paid media investments over the last decade, and helped pioneer the adoption of paid media and measurement within the field of reputation marketing.
Dan is a founding member of Project Healthy Minds. As Head of Marketing Strategy, he advises the organization's leadership on marketing, communications, and research.
He currently serves as the U.S. Media Lead, Reputation Marketing & Insights, within Amazon's Communications & Corporate Responsibility organization.
Prior to Amazon, Dan served as a Senior Director at Bully Pulpit Interactive (now Bully Pulpit International) where he helped clients change public opinion, win elections, and raise funds. Dan led the digital advertising effort for Mike Bloomberg’s Independence USA PAC during the 2018 election cycle, scaling the program to 27 districts with an 85% win rate. Bloomberg called these expenditures, which helped Democrats secure a House majority, "some of the best investments he has ever made". After the 2016 election, he helped guide the ACLU through unprecedented growth via record-breaking digital fundraising and membership engagement.
His work in education and public health has resulted in legislative and electoral victories nationwide and has been recognized by the American Association of Political Consultants.
He holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Ralph Benarrosh is a Director in the BlackRock AI Lab. The AI Labs is an interdisciplinary team headed by academic and industry leaders that leverages data science and artificial intelligence techniques to tackle strategic projects across the firm. Prior to joining the AI Labs in 2018, Ralph worked in a variety of software engineering and analytics roles at BlackRock, most recently in the Financial Modeling Group. Outside of his day to day responsibilities, Ralph was part of an ensemble team that created a digital product that won the BlackRock firm-wide hackathon in 2017. Prior to joining BlackRock, Ralph co-founded a venture-backed startup with several of his classmates focused on CRM analytics. Ralph graduated with a BSE from the UPenn School of Engineering in 2014, having double majored in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.
In his free time, Ralph enjoys keeping up with emerging trends in the tech world and dreaming up new ways to use technology to solve big problems. He loves discussing the philosophical implications of technology, and how technology and sociological trends can influence one another. He also enjoys meeting new people and hosts people frequently.
Jess works as the Business Development Analyst at Project Healthy Minds, focusing on both fundraising and brand research. Jess is responsible for researching potential brands and keeping tabs on potential and current relationships.
Jess graduated from New York University in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Business. She currently works as a Legal Assistant at a transactional music law firm and on the legal/accounting team for Thai artist ‘kessari’.
Mental health awareness and destigmatization have always been important to Jess. In her senior year of college she researched the impact musicians and celebrities can have on their fans mental health and what they can do to help bridge the gap between accepting mental illness and destigmatizing mental illness.
In her free time, Jess is either embroidering, baking, reading, or picking up a new craft that she will probably forget about next week.
Taylor is currently a Director of Investments for global real estate organization AJ Capital, where she supports the organization's investment activity and growth initiatives. Prior to joining AJ Capital, Taylor previously held positions working for the Chief Operating Officer of Oxford Properties and at RXR on their Investments team.
Taylor started her career in consulting, working in Ernst & Young's Financial Services Advisory practice for three years before transitioning to the real estate industry. She received her Masters in Real Estate Development from Columbia University and holds a BA in Psychology from Wash U in St. Louis.
Originally from Westchester, Taylor currently resides in Nashville, TN. She is passionate about mental health and previously served as Co-Founder & Co-Chair of Minds Ahead, a junior board in support of Vibrant Emotional Health. In her free time, Taylor enjoys attending concerts, running and trying new restaurants.
Nina joined the PHM team in November 2021 as a Copywriter at Project Healthy Minds, focusing mainly on social and the occasional special project.
Nina graduated from Syracuse University in May 2018 where she studied Newspaper and Online Journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She currently works at theSkimm on the Client Services team supporting sales.
In her free time, Nina can likely be caught exploring new neighborhoods in the city with a coffee in hand, trying new restaurants, listening to music, or strolling through a farmers market.
Camille Bernier-Green is the Director of Documentaries for Disney's Onyx Collective who has developed and produced projects for Bravo, HBO, Facebook and Disney. Passionate about mental health, reproductive rights and all things social justice, Camille aims to create and be part of socially-impactful initiatives that bring the world closer together. She is thrilled to be joining the Project Healthy Minds team where she'll be focusing on Community Outreach.
Camille is a proud alumna of Barnard College, and is currently based in Los Angeles.
Brad Frost is a web designer, consultant, speaker, and writer located in beautiful Pittsburgh, PA. He is the author of the book Atomic Design, which introduces a methodology to create and maintain effective design systems.
In addition to working with clients such as Pfizer, United Airlines, Nasdaq, Marriott, and others, he has co-hosted the Style Guides Podcast and has also helped create several tools and resources for web designers, including Pattern Lab, Styleguides.io, This Is Responsive, Death to Bullshit, and more.
Emma Kessler is currently pursuing an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Her background spans digital, marketing, and business development across the entertainment and technology industries. Most recently, Emma was a Senior Manager at Live Nation Entertainment where she worked on the company’s livestreaming and digital distribution products.
Prior to Live Nation she worked at a venture-backed Silicon Valley startup called Avegant. Emma holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
In her free time, she loves to cook, climb the Peloton leaderboard, and spend time outside where she currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, California.
AJ Malhotra is currently a Vice President at Insight Partners, a $20bn+ technology-focused investor based in New York City. Since joining the firm in 2014, AJ has worked across multiple verticals, including food, hospitality, real estate, energy and entertainment, as well as multiple investment structures, including minority growth equity investments and leveraged buyouts. Prior to joining Insight, AJ had roles at Viacom and a startup in the financial media space. AJ graduated with High Distinction with a Bachelor's in Business Administration from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Laura is the Product Lead at Included Health, a NYC-based startup focused on raising care equality and creating a better healthcare experience for the LGBTQ+ community. On the side, she also helms the product team at Project Healthy Minds.
Previously, Laura was a Senior Product Manager at IBM Watson Health where she led the first AI-enabled software-as-a-medical-device product in the Watson Health Imaging portfolio. Laura started her career at IBM as part of Watson’s Leadership Development program and in Watson Health’s sales organization; she also completed product rotations in the Life Sciences and Oncology segments of IBM Watson Health.
Prior to joining IBM, Laura worked in Kaiser Permanente’s Innovation and Advanced Technology lab developing Kaiser Permanente’s digital care delivery strategy. When she is not at work, Laura can be found pursuing her passion for dancing, cooking, or reading one of the many books she’s partway through. Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and a Bachelor of Engineering, Engineering Sciences from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College where she currently sits on the Thayer School Dean’s Council.
Michael is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan, with degrees in Economics and Philosophy. After a brief stint in Global Marketing for Burger King Corporation in Miami, he returned to his native Chicago to pursue a career in healthcare consulting. He spent 3 years in Chicago with ZS Associates before moving to NYC and teaming up with the PHM team. From there, he went on to pursue his MBA at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, where he is specializing in Health Sector Management. Michael is deeply passionate about healthcare, and is working to understand how corporations are supporting their employees’ mental health during the many crises our country is experiencing.
Carolina is a Senior Field Marketing Manager for IBM Security in New York City. Since 2014, she has held roles in social and digital marketing, event marketing, campaign management, and field/portfolio marketing. Through these roles Carolina has led the strategy and execution for lead generation campaigns for IBM’s cybersecurity business in North America. Carolina also co-leads the global Board of Advisors program – a client advisory board of top Chief Information Security Officers.
Carolina is originally from Philadelphia and graduated from Elon University in North Carolina with a B.A. in Communication Science and Business Administration. Carolina is currently pursuing her MBA in NYU’s part time Langone MBA program.
Taylor is a Product Designer at Morgan Stanley in the Wealth Management division. She is currently focused on building and revamping internal platforms for financial advisors.
Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Taylor was a UX/UI Design consultant at American Express in Global Commercial and Consumer products. During her time there, she led the design and user research efforts for the Card Member experience and successfully integrated new personalization features. She also was involved in the redesign of multiple international markets.
Taylor graduated with honors from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience.
She is originally from Michigan and now resides in New York City. In her free time, Taylor enjoys exercising, playing guitar, attending concerts, and writing for her UX blog.
Neil is a freelance Product Designer interested in design and technology that makes a positive impact on society. He has recently worked with a variety of clients including start-ups specialising in social care, mental health and legal advice, as well as a national insurance provider focused on promoting positive lifestyle choices.
Before going freelance, Neil was Head of Design at Nourish Care Systems, an award winning tech start-up in the social care sector. Being an early-stage hire, he helped design and shape the core idea and brand experience from initial concept to a market-leading product.
Neil was also Creative Director for a boutique creative agency, which boasted international clients such as SwissQual AG, and US event giants, GES and Freeman. He also spent several years in senior design roles, delivering a multitude of campaigns and creative projects for Toshiba, Sony, HP, and Swisscom, as well as many UK national companies and charities.
He holds a BA(Hons) in Graphic Design and Illustration from The Glasgow School of Art. Originally from Edinburgh, he currently resides in Bournemouth, UK.
Kevin currently works in the Customer and Digital Experience group for Stantt, a NYC-based startup in the men’s custom apparel space. Prior to joining Stantt, Kevin worked for the NBA and Ralph Lauren, where he created and published brand content across all digital and social media platforms in the fast-paced industries of professional sports and luxury fashion.
Deeply passionate about destigmatizing mental health and assisting those in need, Kevin seeks to bring PHM’s mission to life through social media.
Kevin graduated Cum Laude from Villanova University, majoring in Communications and minoring in English. He currently resides in New York City and is originally from Mendham, New Jersey. In his free time, Kevin enjoys watching and attending games of his favorite professional sports teams (Giants, Yankees, Knicks) and exploring the city with a camera in hand.
Ellie is a writer, content creator and producer based in Chicago, IL. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune and more. Currently, she works at TikTok where she develops branded content campaigns for today’s most relevant brands. Her passion for mental health and wellness stems from battling burnout in her early 20s, and she’s excited to bring her creative skill set to the PHM team. For fun, she enjoys going to concerts (hopefully again one day soon), thrifting, traveling and hanging out with her pup Leo.
