Summer Series Speakers

Michael is a pioneering marketing manager strategically developing entertainment + media partnerships. His professional career spans across the broader media and entertainment industry, including the Creative Artists Agency, Calvin Klein, NBCUniversal, Live Nation Entertainment, and, most recently, Facebook. Michael has always had a genuine interest in impactful storytelling, global brands, and people; his cultural experiences have fueled his hunger and passion for continuing to thrive in the industry and, in turn, pay his good fortune forward.

Rachel heads the day-to-day buying across national and local video. She leads a team of 60+ buyers working across a range of businesses including, Safelite, ThirdLove, United HealthCare, and Sling.  Rachel’s background across strategy and investment contributes to a powerful buy rooted in collaboration and accountability.

Prior to joining Horizon, Rachel was Director of Client Investments at Assembly, leading investment and strategy.

Rachel is a born and raised Jersey girl, currently residing in Springfield NJ with her husband and 2 daughters. She hold a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University.

Dominique Batiste is a strategic visionary and communications strategist with a passion for data storytelling and relationship building. Getting to the bottom of the WHY consumers make the decisions they do is her passion. Connecting the dots and providing those insights is her purpose. She possesses 10 years of Qualitative and Quantitative Media Research experience at brands such as WeTv, AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Starz Entertainment. In addition, Dominique is an active member of various industry organizations such as the ARF, NAMIC, WICT and Media Insights.

Foladé Bell has worked extensively with brand and content strategy in the book and magazine publishing industry. She has generated brand awareness and community engagement for authors and a variety of media professionals. Before joining the Center, Foladé has worked for The Association of Magazine Media, Serendipity Literary Agency, Business Wire, and Radio & Records.

Jaime began her career at Horizon as an Assistant Video Investor in August of 2016 on the GEICO team and has been fortunate enough to rise the ranks first as as a Video Investor, and now as a Senior Investor while staying on the same account. In May of 2016, Jaime graduated from Villanova University where she studied Political Science.

Fun facts: Jaime has been to the final four twice and her dream vacation would be going to the Olympics.

Dylan is an Assistant Video Investor for Horizon Next. He studied Economics and the Business of Television at the University of Miami (and minored in getting sunburned). Something Dylan decided that he wanted to value coming out of college was access to different types of media and media professionals, which was a big reason why he applied to Horizon.

Fun fact: Dylan recently began learning how to play the guitar.

Bintou was born in West Africa and grew up in New York. She is a first-generation student and recent graduate from The Fashion Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Advertising & Marketing Communications and a minor in International Relations. In the fall of 2020, she will attend the University of Southern California for her master’s degree in Communication Management, focusing on Media & Entertainment Management and International & Intercultural Communications. Her ultimate career goal is to obtain a role in which she can contribute to diversifying the Media, Tech and Fashion industries. This summer, in addition to working at Gucci, she is participating in the Hearst Associate Program.

Glorie Chiza is currently the Director of External Affairs for New York Department of Financial Services. Prior to joining New York state government, Glorie served as the Chief of Staff to the CFO/ COO at Vice Media LLC- the world’s preeminent youth media company and content creation studio. Prior to this role, Glorie served as an Associate at Blackrock- the world’s number one investment firm. Prior to moving to New York, Glorie served as the White House’s primary manager of strategic partnerships with the creative community, entertainment industry, and celebrities, where he was responsible for championing creative collaborations between President Barack Obama or the Administration and prominent influencers in pop culture. Glorie also served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of International Trade Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

A proud Congolese- American from Georgia, Glorie received his Bachelors of Science in Political Science from Fort Valley State University. Glorie has been selected as one of HBCU Buzz’s Top 30 under 30 and The Next Big Thing Movement 2017 Top 35 Millennial Influencers.

Stephanie is a news producer at WPTZ, an NBC affiliate in South Burlington, Vermont. Stephanie graduated from the Craig Newmark School of Journalism in December and then moved to Cincinnati, Ohio weeks later to complete the Fred Young Hearst Television Producer Fellowship at WLWT. She worked there for 5 months and then started her full-time position at WPTZ just a few weeks ago where she is training to be the early morning weekend producer.

Noah Cooper is a Senior Content Recruiter specializing in hiring producer candidates for TEGNA newsrooms.

Prior to his corporate role, he served as Executive News Director for more than 14 years at KREM/KSKN in Spokane, WA.

Noah graduated with an undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Notre Dame. He went on to earn a Master’s degree in Communications from Washington State University before starting his producing career at KREM in 1995.

Noah really can’t swim, but still enjoys finishing near the back of the pack in Ironman triathlons when he’s not spending time with his wife and three children.

Kimberly B. Cummings is a career + leadership expert whose mission is to help women and people of color navigate the workplace, make more money and become industry leaders. Her personal and professional development company, Manifest Yourself, LLC, provides in-person and virtual workshops, training, and consulting to organizations looking to empower and educate their workforce. Her work has been featured on Forbes, MONEY Magazine, TeenVogue, Glassdoor, CNBC, Fox 5, and more. Kimberly is a graduate of Long Island University and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Science in Counseling.

Niko Dahilig is a lead creative for the iCrossing Chicago office, partnering with clients such as Toyota and Bridgestone Retail, Tires and FSIP. Niko specializes in working with UX and Tech teams to find the connection between creative and tech. Niko is skilled in Vector Illustration, Logo Design, Typography, User Interface Design, and Adobe Creative Suite.

Prior to iCrossing, Niko advanced through the creative department at Agency ETA where he led strategic vision, management, and execution for overall design. He earned a BA in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of California – San Diego.

With over 14 years of experience, Steven has been a committed leader in the media & entertainment industry. Currently an Account Manager at Showtime, Steven is responsible for driving Showtime subscriptions and revenue for Verizon FiOS and Oculus VR platforms. Prior to joining Showtime, Steven worked in AD Sales at Viacom and in radio marketing/promotions in Atlanta, GA. In addition, Steven serves as proud alum, mentor and avid supporter of the T. Howard Foundation. For his continued efforts, he was awarded the “Rising Star” Alumni award in 2014 and the “Outstanding Achievement” award in 2018. Steven holds a B.A in Broadcast Journalism from Delaware State University and recently re-located to Los Angeles with his wife Jennifer and daughter Maxwell.

The Seattle Mariners drafted Royce out of high school in the 27th round of the 2002 MLB Draft. He went on to start for the Western Michigan Broncos baseball team for four years. He played a year of professional baseball before beginning his sports television career in 2008. Royce began his career with ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball, where he produced shows for the MLB All-Star game and World Series for ESPN’s Baseball Tonight. He later helped launch ESPN’s SportsNation. At FOX Sports, Royce developed and produced nightly news and highlights show, FOX Sports Live, as part of FS1’s launch. He also won three Sports Emmys for his work on the MLB on FOX postseason. In 2018, Royce co-developed, launched and produced FS1’s groundbreaking sports Gambling Show, Lock It In. Royce currently has daily oversight of Lock It In where he is responsible for the content and execution of the show.

Rosalyn Durant is senior vice president of Operations for Walt Disney World Resort, overseeing the Disney Springs shopping, dining and entertainment district; Disney water parks, and the resort’s sports operations, including ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Roz was previously senior vice president at ESPN, where she oversaw college networks. Her numerous honors include inclusion in Sports Business Journal’s “2019 Power Player” list, and Savoy Magazine’s “2020 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America.” Roz received her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the T. Howard Foundation.

Richard J. Dyer is the President and General Manager of WUSA9, the CBS affiliate, TEGNA owned, Washington, D.C. station.

Previously, Richard was the President and General Manager of WLWT-TV, a Hearst Television NBC affiliate. Prior to WLWT, Dyer was President and General Manager of Hearst’s ABC affiliate, KETV.

Before Hearst, Dyer served as Corporate Vice President of Television Sales at Gannett Television; now TEGNA Media.  Previously, he served as Vice President and Station Manager at WUSA9 and Vice President, Broadcast at KSDK-TV.

Dyer holds a Masters’ Degree in Marketing from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Communications from Boston College.

Dyer is a Board Member for the United Way of the National Capital Area, The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington and the Maryland/DC/Delaware Broadcasters Association.

Richard and his wife reside in Maryland and have two adult children.

Kierra Elfalan joined KING 5 Mornings as a reporter in June 2019. It was during Kierra’s internship at KING 5 Mornings and Evening in 2014 where she worked alongside amazing storytellers and fell in love with the industry. Kierra graduated from the University of Washington (Seattle) in 2015. Soon after, she joined KAPP-KVEW Local News in Kennewick, Washington where she was a one-woman band, serving as reporter and anchor for two years, before joining the KREM 2 News family in Spokane, Washington in 2017.

If you have a story ideas for Kierra, you can send them to kelfalan@king5.com. You can also find Kierra on Twitter and Facebook @KierraElfalanTV.

Marta Elena Esquilin is the Associate Dean of the Honors Living-Learning Community and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the American Studies Program within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers-Newark. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Vermont in 1999, and her Master’s Degree in 2003 from Teachers College, Columbia University in Higher Education Administration. In 2005, under the leadership of Dr. Derald Wing Sue within the Counseling & Psychology department at Teachers College, she was a co-author of the seminal article, “Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice”.  American Psychologist, 62(4), 271-286.  From 2005 to 2015, Marta served as the Director of Social Justice and Intercultural Programs at Columbia University.  Prior to her role at Columbia, she worked at The Posse Foundation and in a variety of community based organizations focused on youth development, college access & equity, and community building.  She has also served as the Board chair of CLAGS (Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies), the oldest LGBTQ research center in the country, and National Lead Consultant for the BOLD Women’s Leadership Network.  She works as a diversity expert and consultant within various settings including secondary schools, non-profit organizations, social service agencies, corporations, and higher education institutions around the United States.

Verónica started at Horizon as an Assistant Video Investor in July 2019 after graduating from Marist College (May 2019) where she studied Business Marketing.

Fun facts: Verónica has a twin sister and her latest guilty pleasure is watching “90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days.”

Cherie oversees all day-to-day operations in the bureau, as well as the politics unit. Grzech has been with the network for more than 20 years, joining as a field producer in FNC’s Chicago bureau in 1999 and most recently acting as the Senior Director of News and Politics. Prior to joining FNC, Grzech was a news director for WILX-TV (NBC) in Lansing, Michigan, the Managing Editor for KATU-TV (ABC) in Portland, Oregon and the Assistant News Director at WRAL-TV (CBS) in Raleigh, NC. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/Political Science from Michigan State University, and a Master of Arts degree in New Media from American University.

Dr. Vincent T. Harris serves as Cal State Fullerton’s inaugural Director of the Male Success Initiative as of Fall 2016. He manages the comprehensive retention services of increasing access and persistence of men of color, through academic guidance, student leadership development, social engagement, and pre-graduation support for men of color. He is an experienced higher education administrator-scholar whose professional and research track record restores and explores the lived experiences of undergraduate and graduate students as it relates to the intersection of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith and culture.

In 2015, Dr. Harris completed his post-doc employment at Harvard University as an Administrative Fellow in the Harvard College Women’s Center, through the Harvard University Office of Institutional Diversity & Equity. Also in 2015 He earned his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University, in Educational Leadership & Research Program focusing on Higher Education, with a minor in Women & Gender Studies.

In 2012 he received a M.Ed. in College Student Personnel from Ohio University, and a B.A. in Mass Communication with a minor in Marketing from Auburn University in 2006. He is also a Teach For America ‘07 Houston alumni corps member. He is a Native of Birmingham, Alabama.

Nina is an international in-house corporate, entertainment and media attorney at ViacomCBS Networks Americas specializing in global television distribution and acquisition for Latin America and Canada.

Nina began her legal career interning at Bad Boy Entertainment, focusing on marketing and branding for Ciroc vodka.

After law school, Nina landed her dream job at Viacom Media Networks in business and legal affairs supporting the Content Distribution and Marketing teams. Nina transferred to the Miami-based headquarters of ViacomCBS Networks Americas, to oversee music licensing for original television productions (MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central).

Nina also chairs of one of ViacomCBS’s global employee resource groups, spearheading diversity and inclusion initiatives in the corporate workforce.

Nina has a Bachelor’s in Criminology from Florida State University and a Juris Doctorate from Florida Coastal School of Law.

Marsheila J. Hayes currently serves as the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for FOX Corporation. In this role, she leads the company’s inclusion initiatives and develops recruiting, retention, and engagement strategies for diverse talent. In addition to providing governance to the company’s eight employee resource groups, Marsheila manages FOX’s external partnerships with diverse journalism associations and talent partners. Outside of FOX, Marsheila serves on the Morgan State University School of Global Journalism and Communication Board of Visitors, and the Florida International University Kopenhaver Center Leadership Council Board. She is an alum of both Georgetown University and Tennessee State University.

Ty is Global Lead at The B2B Institute @LinkedIn, former President of LinkedIn’s Black Inclusion Group and Co-Founder of TransformHER. Ty is passionate about connecting people with information and delivering content to help marketers stay on top of the latest in digital marketing strategy.

With an MBA in Marketing and Operations Management from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and an International Economics degree from Georgetown University, Ty is author of “Marketers of Tomorrow: A Step by Step Toolkit for Inbound Marketing”.

Ty serves on the Digital Marketing Institute’s Global Advisory Council and the Diversity and Inclusion Council for Adweek.

For almost two decades, Sequinta Hill has worked with young adults through corporate leaders providing personal and professional development solutions that range from becoming dynamic presenters and creating professional brands, to culture setting and conflict resolution. She is the Founder of Ellis Elliott, a personal, professional, and workforce development consulting practice, where she serves as the Chief Change Officer. Her priority is ensuring the fostering of the positive self-concepts, interpersonal skills, and leadership acumen of young people of color. She also specializes in coaching new leaders and executives toward becoming self-aware, authentic, and people-focused leaders who appreciate, welcome, and intentionally cultivate cultures of appreciation, not the typical tolerance and acceptance.

Alexis serves as Speakeasy’s Director of Faculty Operations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from the University of Georgia and a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from the University of Memphis. As a fully qualified Speech-Language Pathologist, she’s found her purpose in her profession and says, “I love facilitating getting people from point A to point B – knowing that I’ve helped someone and seeing the impact of that.” Alexis fulfills her philanthropic passion by serving her culture and community through her sorority’s global initiatives, and also providing local youth a platform from which to explore sustainable living.

Brandon Jones joined KREM as a multi-skilled journalis in July 2019. He graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. Brandon was born and raised in Orlando and loves the art of storytelling through videography and reporting. He enjoys traveling, fishing, and is an avid supporter of all Miami sports teams.

You can follow him on all social media platforms and send your ideas to @BrandonTJones_

Erin is a Senior Manager in the Corporate Social Responsibility division at Paramount Pictures; responsible for the implementation of the studio’s philanthropic efforts including pro-social employee engagement, volunteerism, and charitable giving.

Prior to Paramount, Erin served as Special Assistant to Senior Management Executives at the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative supporting strategic planning and budget alignment processes, program development, grant writing and reporting.

Previously, Erin served as Volunteer Programs Manager for the Merrill Lynch Global Philanthropy Division, focusing on recruitment, planning and management of team volunteer events.

Erin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Media Arts from Clark Atlanta University with a concentration in Public Relations.

Peggy is the Founder and President of iSTAND Media, LLC and iSTANDtv, a content studio and creative incubator promoting stories of hope and authenticity.

In 2017, Peggy created and produced the FUTURE NOW Media & Entertainment Conference. Later she established the FUTURE NOW Media Foundation, Inc., whose mission is to build a strong, vibrant, diverse and inclusive community of future media leaders.

Previously, Peggy was VP of Programming & Production at Alloy Media & Marketing, served as Director of Programming and Executive Producer at The History Channel, and served on the board of Women in Cable Telecommunications New York.

Peggy is an adjunct professor at Pace University, a founding board member of Asian Americans in Media.

Peggy earned her Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Williams College.

Alexandria is the Research Manager at TV One, responsible for understanding the African American audience and informing on strategies for success. It is her job to be aware of current and emerging platforms, shows and trends and the impact of those on the African American audience. Prior to TV One, Alexandria was the Assistant Director of Research at PBS.

Alexandria has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications from Virginia State University and Master of Science degree in TV Management from Drexel University. She is also a member of the illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Alexandria currently serves as President of the Capital Area chapter of NAMIC.

Growing up in NYC, Brandon Lewis always enjoyed writing stories and poems as a way to express himself and channel his creativity. That kicked into high gear at Boston University when he took his first broadcast journalism class and realized he found his career path. He interned at TV stations in Boston, New York, and Sydney, Australia and landed his first TV job in Parkersburg, WV. During his time there, he got his feet wet as a reporter, producer, and anchor. He’s won 3 Associated Press Awards for his reporting on the drug epidemic in West Virginia and Ohio.

Jessica Ma is an associate producer for the CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell, where she started as an intern in the Research Department. In her role at CBS, Jessica produces the headlines for each night’s broadcast and oversees updates for CBS markets in the Midwest and West Coast. She graduated from Hofstra University with a major in Journalism and minors in Creative Writing and French.

Catalina Mejia is a trilingual journalist. Her work has been showcased through opportunities with NBCUniversal and Telemundo, Facebook, The World Bank and Lulofilms in Bogotá, Colombia among many others. She is currently a radio show host for #DecisiónLatina, focusing on issues that impact the Latinx community in Nevada and is also a Digital Journalist, Researcher, Social Media Manager and Graphic Designer for the company #NewsNotNoise, where she reports on key news topics on social media platforms at an international level, with a focus on delivering information in a substantive, smart and succinct way for all audience levels to easily digest.

Catherine Mevs is a VP, Strategy with experience in branding, traditional and digital advertising. Since joining iCrossing in 2015, Catherine has spearheaded the development of digital advertising and website strategies for brands like Amazon, Bayer Aspirin, Aleve, Avon, L’Oréal Paris, Microsoft, and Urban Decay. She also has expertise in crafting website redesigns, social campaigns, and content marketing campaigns.

Previously, Catherine spent several years at BBDO NY where she conducted consumer research and wrote strategies for clients like GE, Bank of America, HBO, and Exxon Mobil. Catherine has an A.B. in English and Creative Writing from Princeton University and a Master’s in Strategic Communications from Columbia University.

Margenett leads the Office of Business Relevance, Inclusion & Equity (OBRIE) for CMG.

As Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer for Golin, Margenett has championed efforts to embed inclusion and diversity into the agency’s brand positioning, leadership and engagement.

Prior to joining the Marketing Services industry, Margenett spent 6 years at Yahoo building the company’s first ever video advertising and video syndication networks. During the second half of her tenure at Yahoo, Margenett became the company’s first Global Head of Inclusion & Diversity.

Margenett sits on the Board of Directors for the T. Howard Foundation, and holds Advisory positions with OpenSlate and Custom Collaborative. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Otterbein College.

Mary Noonan is the Vice President of Talent Strategy & Development at ABC News where she works to identify and recruit on- and off- air talent, and develop ABC News employees’ talents and careers.

Prior to joining ABC News in 2014, Noonan was a senior producer at CNBC where she oversaw and produced documentaries for primetime.

Before leaving in 2011, Noonan served as the Director of Talent Development at CBS News.

Before transitioning into talent development, Noonan was a producer at 48 HOURS. She also served as the senior producer for several special projects, including co-creating a pilot for the network.

Noonan began her career as an assistant at 60 MINUTES and WEST 57^TH after interning in the CBS News Washington DC bureau.

She is the recipient of two news Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award.

Joong Won Pyo currently works as Distribution Operations Coordinator at ViacomCBS. Prior to his current role he held internships with NCTA – The Internet & Television Association and Discovery Communications through the T. Howard Foundation. Outside of his business career, Joong Won works on independent films as a writer, director, and fight choreographer. He looks forward to joining the Korean Army in October 2020 and will finish his training in April 2022 to return to the entertainment industry.

Emma graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and a minor in Film Studies. After completing her undergraduate degree she started a Master of Communication Management Program at the University of Southern California. Simultaneously she interned for Creative Services Group, a department at FOX Entertainment focusing on events and design. Upon graduating from her master’s program at USC she started working at Twentieth Century Fox Television as an Assistant in Publicity, Talent Relations, and Special Events and eventually transitioned to a full time position with Creative Services Group. Emma has been with Creative Services Group for about six years executing events including show premiere parties, award show post parties, Fox Sports hospitality programs, and sales presentations.

Patricio is a media strategist and storyteller. Born in Miami and raised in Texas, he is a first-generation Mexican-American and a 2018 T. Howard Foundation alumni. He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Advertising, Business, and Digital Arts & Media, and is currently a Junior Media Strategist at Ad Age’s 2019 A-List agency – Giant Spoon. Overall, he is passionate about representation in the media industry, and is a strong champion for diversity and inclusion.

Whil leads a team of technologist across Architecture & Development, Engineering & DevOps, Media & Content Operations, and User Experience & Design. Whil is currently responsible for the acquisition, ingestion, transformation, archive and delivery of high-resolution master assets during pre-production, production, and post-production for linear and non-linear distribution.

Luke graduated from Elon University in 2017 with a major in Strategic Communications and a minor in Sport and Event Management. He began his career at Horizon just a few months later in July of 2017 as an Assistant Video Investor on the Sports team. Luke is now settled into his role as a Video Investor while working across several accounts (GEICO, Sleep Number, DISH/Sling to name a few) helping to manage their National Sports media and marketing budgets.

Prior to Horizon, Luke interned at Wieden + Kennedy, an independent advertising agency in NYC.

Dr. David P. Rivera is an associate professor of counselor education at Queens College-City University of New York (CUNY) and founding director of CUNY’s LGBTQI+ Student Leadership Program. He received his doctorate in counseling psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dr. Rivera’s research focuses on cultural competency development and issues impacting the marginalization and wellbeing of people of color and oppressed sexual orientation and gender identity groups, with a focus on microaggressions. His co-edited book, Microaggression Theory: Influence and Implications, was released 2019.

Dr. Rivera is adviser to The Steve Fund, faculty with the Council for Opportunity in Education, board member of CLAGS: Center for LGBTQ Studies, and holds leadership roles in the American Psychological Association.

Daré is a Talent Development Director at Hearst, one of the nation’s largest diversified media, information and services companies. He joined the company in March 2020.

He has held HR positions at leading organizations including Affinity Health Plan, EngenderHealth and Allergan Pharmaceutical. He also served as the HR Communication and Diplomatic Liaison Officer with the Nigerian National Assembly.

Daré holds a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Rutgers University and a Master of Science degree in Management and Leadership from the University of Lagos, where he also obtained his Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management and Labor Relations.

Sabella’s first job in the industry was with KBAK Bakersfield Now as a nightside producer. After a year and a half, she was promoted to executive producer. Through her roles as producer and executive producer, she has polished her skills in the oversight of newscasts and copy-editing rundowns. Sabella also produces in-depth content for newscast specials. Her most proud achievement in her career thus far was winning an Emmy for her 10 P.M. newscast in 2019.

She received a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from California State University – Northridge and a master’s degree in Mass Communication from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Malik is the Senior Director of Human Resources for the Nickelodeon group at ViacomCBS. He is responsible for creating and executing strategic HR initiatives and driving people operations.

Prior to Nickelodeon, Malik was Manager of Human Resources at VH1. There he managed programs for the network’s diversity initiatives, employee engagement and mentoring.

Malik graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Professional and Technical Communications, and a master’s degree in Career and Human Resources Management.

Malik is an Executive Board member of The BEAT (Black Employees Affinity Team) at ViacomCBS. Additionally, he is Education Chair of the Wall Street Alphas Charitable Foundation High School mentoring program.

In her role at Comcast, LaShaun is responsible for the development and execution of sales effectiveness initiatives. These initiatives include product and tools training, and go-to-market solutions. Prior to Comcast, LaShaun was a Sales Development Executive at HBO, where she supported 20+ MSO and call centers across a ten-state territory.

Previously, LaShaun was a Marketing Coordinator at Cox Communications, developing direct marketing campaigns focused on acquisition, loyalty, and retention.

LaShaun has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and an MBA from Kennesaw State University. LaShaun was elected Executive Marketing and Social Media Leader of the Technology Association of Georgia, Diversity & Inclusion Society. LaShaun recently served as President of the Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) Southeast chapter.

Christopher Taylor is an internationally-renowned ‘Job Hunt Strategist’ and the Founder of the Occupation Optimist, a company dedicated to modernizing the job hunt. He believes in empowering clients by maximizing their personal strengths. A former headhunter, Christopher shares industry secrets with clients focusing on their resume, LinkedIn, and networking strategy.

Christopher’s approach to the job hunt has been featured in esteemed publications such as: The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business Insider, Time, Fast Company, Black Enterprise, and The Muse.

Off the clock, Christopher can be found volunteering with refugees, reading, enjoying classic films, and spending time with his new wife.

Jaia is a Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment attorney. She represents film producers, television writers, and various industry talent. Jaia is also an adjunct professor at UCLA, teaching “Copyright Law and the Entertainment Industry” and “The Nuts and Bolts of Starting a Law Practice.” Prior to UCLA, she was an adjunct professor at American University.

Jaia recently launched Diverse Representation, a platform aimed at increasing the exposure and hiring of African-American agents, attorneys, managers and publicists in the sports and entertainment industries.

Jaia is a graduate of Colgate University and The George Washington University Law School. She holds a Certificate in Television, Film and New Media Production from UCLA.

Garth helps to lead a team of 100+ specialized national video investors in the Horizon New York office overseeing more than $4B in national media spend. His expertise spans all major video genres across traditional and digital formats, and encompasses a wide variety of brand categories.

Prior to joining Horizon in 2009, Garth worked in a similar client capacity at Anheuser-Busch and General Motors, and has had other agency stints at IPG and WPP.

He is originally from Lansing, Michigan, holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Cornell University, and is married with two children.

Cornell Verdeja-Woodson is the founder and CEO of Brave Trainings LLC. He earned his B.S. in Communication Management and Design from Ithaca College in 2009. Cornell went on to earn his masters in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration with an emphasis on Social Justice from the University of Vermont in 2013.

In 2015 Cornell founded Brave Trainings, a social justice consulting firm. Cornell believes that authentic dialogue, an understanding of our history, and direct and consistent action are key to creating a more inclusive environment.

Cornell currently serves as the Chief Diversity Officer for Looker for Google.

Audrey graduated from UCLA with a major in Environmental Science and Engineering and a minor in Film & Television.

After working as an air quality engineer for three years, Audrey blended her two passions at CBS. She built the CBS Eye on the Environment green supply chain program from scratch; to reduce the carbon footprint of CBS television productions and company operations.

At ViacomCBS, Audrey continues to focus on green production practices, renewable energy procurement, employee engagement, and sustainable supply chain.

Audrey was recognized on the 2018 Green Biz 30 Under 30 list and has been both a mentor and mentee through UCLA Corporate Partners, Women In Green, Young Professionals in Energy, and UCSB Bren School.

Matthew began his time at Horizon as an Assistant Video Investor in May 2019, only a couple of days after graduating from Penn State where he studied Communications and Business.

Fun facts: Matthew grew up in New York and cannot wait for sports to come back.

Gerald is the Art Director, Adults & Super Fan Licensing at ViacomCBS Consumer Products.

He is an award-winning Creative Strategist with extensive experience in film, television and kids’ consumer brands. Highly recognized leader with a history of developing and executing creative campaigns for Nickelodeon, BET Networks, Comedy Central, MTV and Paramount Studios.

As the Chair of Social responsibility for the BEAT of ViacomCBS and serving on the Board of numerous nonprofits like REELWORKS and Children Health Fund working to close the gap and eliminate disparities plaguing underserved groups while building diversity and inclusion in media. He holds BFA in Design and Advertising from St. John’s University.