MUSIC BOB POWER Grammy and Multi-platinum Producer/Mixer "Do you want to get rich and famous, or do you want a career? (We will work toward the latter, which can also get you the first!). Rather than “waiting for something to happen,” work to establish your trajectory as a professional in the music industry. Emphasis will be placed on developing a compelling image, expanding your catalog, getting traction for yourself through digital communications, positioning yourself as a working professional, and developing a broad-based technical, professional, and interpersonal skillset beyond simply I’m an artist." Grammy and Multi-platinum Producer/Mixer Bob Power possesses a wide and diverse range of musical talents: producer, engineer, composer, arranger, performer, and educator. In the recording world, Power has produced, recorded, or mixed hundreds of pop and jazz recordings for such artists and groups as Erykah Badu (produced and mixed 1998 Grammy “Best Female R&B Vocal”, tracks on “Best Female R&B Album”), A Tribe Called Quest, D'Angelo, Bobby Mc Ferrin, Chaka Khan, Ozomatli (produced and mixed 2002 Grammy “Best Alternative Latin Album”), De La Soul, Meshell Ndegeocello, Common, Miles Davis, the Roots, J Dilla, Curtis Mayfield, David Byrne, Spike Lee, Citizen Cope, Run DMC, and virtually every major record label. A 1997 Grammy Award nominee himself for mixing, Bob Power has had scores of charting records, and has received more than 20 gold or platinum records. His work as a recordist and mixer is enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame and the United States National Recording Registry. In the broadcast advertising world, Bob Power has written and produced music for The Super Bowl, Coca-Cola, Ragu, A & W, L'Oreal, Sharp Electronics, Chef Boy-ar-dee, Intel, Elizabeth Arden, Warner-Lambert, Purina, Jello, the American Cancer Society (EMMY Award winner), Chesebrough-Ponds, Cutex, and the Sun Company. In addition to ongoing professional work, he is currently an arts professor at The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU. VIEW ALL MENTORS

JOURNALISM JOHN HEILEMANN Host | Creator | Executive Producer The Circus "If you're an aspiring journalist or content-merchant of any stripe (reporter/correspondent, documentarian, author, publisher/entrepreneur) in any quadrant of the business (tv, digital, print, hybrid) with most any topical focus (politics, culture, business, tech) at one time or another over the past 30-plus years, I've been there and done that — sometimes even successfully! I can't promise you a rose garden, a magic bullet, or an easy glide path, none of which exists any more in the journalism racket (if they ever did). But I can help you comprehend, navigate, and chart a path through the fast-shifting/challenging/maddening/exhilarating landscape that we call 21st Century media." John Heilemann is a host, creator, and executive producer of Showtime’s Emmy-nominated political documentary series The Circus , national affairs analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and host of the Hell & High Water podcast. Earlier this year, he launched Hat Size 3 Media, in partnership with acclaimed TV production company Left/Right ( The Circus, This American Life, The New York Times Presents ), to develop unscripted/documentary projects at the intersection of politics, culture, history, and current affairs. Heilemann is the co-author of Game Change and Double Down, about the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, and author of Pride Before The Fall , about the Microsoft antitrust case. All three books were New York Times bestsellers; Game Change held the No. 1 spot for 11 weeks and was adapted into an HBO feature film that won five Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, and a Peabody Award. From 2019 to 2023, he was the co-founder and executive editor of The Recount , a pioneering digital news start-up producing short-form video for platforms such as Instagarm and Twitter. During the 2016 election season, he was a co-host of the daily MSNBC and Bloomberg TV show With All Due Respect and managing editor of Bloomberg Politics. Before that, he was a staff writer for New York, The New Yorker, Wired, and The Economist . Educated at Northwestern University, Oxford, and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, John grew up in Los Angeles and now lives in Manhattan … where he principally serves as valet for his Great Dane, DZA. VIEW ALL MENTORS

PUBLISHING, C-SUITE ELYSE CHENEY Founder | Agent The Cheney Agency "I can help you put forward your best self when it comes to the publishing arena. We can discuss the set of skills you will need to advance in a variety of positions in the industry from agent, editor, and publicist to writer. I can help identify the spots where you might need work and we can talk about how you might build your strength in that area or reroute so that you are playing to your strengths. I can give you a birds eye view of the industry, how it works behind the scenes, what sells, what doesn’t and why. We can shape your path forward together." Born in Brooklyn, Elyse Cheney attended the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in English with an additional focus on art history. She has been a literary agent since 1996 when she began at Sanford J. Greenburger Literary Associates. While there, she represented groundbreaking titles like A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers and The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah. In early 2006, she opened The Cheney Agency, known for serious nonfiction including such notable titles as The World as It Is and After the Fall by Ben Rhodes, She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, A Very Stable Genius and I Alone Can Fix It by Carol Leonnig and Phil Rucker, Doing Justice by Preet Bharara, Zero Fail by Carol Leonnig, National Book Award winner The Future Is History by Masha Gessen, New York Times bestseller Zealot by Reza Aslan, Pulitzer Prize winning biography Malcolm X by Manning Marable, and more. In 2013, she was named one of the most powerful women in New York by the New York Daily News . VIEW ALL MENTORS

FILM/TV, C-SUITE MICHELLE RAIMO KOUYATE Former President Sony Pictures Animation "As a mentor I can help you understand the perspective of both the producer and studio buyer, how to put a project together and move it forward and how to advocate for yourself and know your true worth." Michelle Raimo Kouyate is a producer with over two decades of experience producing and developing for film and TV. Formerly President of Production at Sony Pictures Animation, she has the rare distinction of success in the live action and animation spheres, both as a producer and top-level executive at companies such as Nickelodeon, and Miramax Films. The films she has been involved with, which range from CHOCOLAT and SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK to PUSS IN BOOTS and HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 1 & 2, have grossed over $3 billion worldwide. Michelle currently has a deal with Sony Pictures Animation where she is producing a slate of movies and is running LENS: Sony Pictures Empowerment and Leadership for New Storytellers which seeks to develop filmmaking leadership from underrepresented communities in an effort to allow them to create the content that reflects their worlds and perspectives. She is deeply committed to creating space that includes more marginalized voices and viewpoints. She also serves on the board of A Place Called Home, which offers services to the youth of South Central Los Angeles. "My mentor's name is Michelle Raimo Kouyate and from our 1st call where I admitted to being nervous and she replied “don’t be” I instantly felt that I was in good hands. She is a role model for how to “wear” your success while creating a space for others to also be successful. When I explained to her that I wanted to move from being a “corporate creative” to a creative in my own right as a writer/producer I felt that she totally supported me and would be invaluable on my journey. On her advice I have taken classes which have already strengthened my ability to tell the stories that I want to tell with more clarity and confidence. It’s incredible what I have learned through her insights and our mutual passion for storytelling. I am amazed at how much I have grown in just 4 sessions and excited to meet myself at the end of this year. I am also grateful to her and Unlock Her Potential for giving me this awesome chance and opportunity." — Nicole VIEW ALL MENTORS

JOURNALISM BILL ADDISON Restaurant Critic | Writer Los Angeles Times Bill Addison is the James Beard Award-winning restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times. Previously he was national critic for Eater, for which he traveled constantly to document every facet of America’s ever-evolving dining culture. He has also been a food critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, restaurant critic at the Dallas Morning News, and food editor at Atlanta magazine. He grew up in Maryland (making it home every summer for a crab feast is still a priority) and went to college for acting and singing in Boston. INSTAGRAM TWITTER VIEW ALL MENTORS

PUBLISHING STEPHANIE FRERICH Vice President and Executive Editor Simon & Schuster Book Publisher "If you love books—whether they spark your imagination through the ideas they offer or the escape and magic they provide—I can help explain book publishing. You can pursue a job through this field, working behind-the-scenes to help bring a book to life. Or I can help demystify the publishing process if you're interested in writing, from idea phase to finding a book agent, how to write a nonfiction manuscript, how to pitch your book idea, and more." Stephanie Frerich is an executive editor at Simon & Schuster where she works with nonfiction books and authors, on a variety of topics, from current events, history, biography, business and economics, and psychology. S Some of her bestselling and award-winning books include Just Pursuit by Laura Coates, Amazon Unbound by Brad Stone, I Would Leave Me If I Could by Halsey, Measure What Matters by John Doerr, No Filter by Sarah Frier, How to Invest by David Rubenstein, Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley by Emily Chang, and The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo. Other of her forthcoming and published authors include Kara Swisher, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Gretchen Morgenson, WNYC Death, Sex & Money host Anna Sale, Congressman Ro Khanna, Washington Post technology reporter Taylor Lorenz, neuroscientist Heather Berlin, Wall Street Journalist relationship columnist Elizabeth Bernstein, and more. Stephanie also oversees the Stephen R. Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People library. Hailing from Minnesota, she studied James Joyce while pursuing a master’s degree at Trinity College in Ireland, learned how to run a small publishing company at Ivan R. Dee in Chicago, and briefly left publishing for a jaunt in the startup world at Skillshare. VIEW ALL MENTORS

SOCIAL IMPACT & ADVOCACY SUSAN JIN DAVIS Social Impact Officer Susan Jin Davis has 30 years of experience in the communications and technology industry. As the first Chief Sustainability Officer of Comcast NBCUniversal, she was responsible for identifying sustainable strategies and priorities, and for implementing Comcast NBCUniversal's Sustainability Program across all of the Company's business units and functions. Previously, Susan served as Senior Vice President of Operations Compliance where she was responsible for implementing product policies, operationalizing regulatory and legal requirements, reducing costs to the cable business, and managing business compliance. In 2011, Susan negotiated an historic Memorandum of Understanding between Comcast and the Asian American community as part of the Company’s merger with NBCUniversal which created ground-breaking commitments in the areas of programming, supplier and employment diversity, and community investment. She serves on Comcast’s Internal Diversity Council and is a Company liaison to the Comcast NBCUniversal Joint Diversity Council. She is an executive sponsor of Asian Pacific Americans at Comcast, a Company Employee Resource Group. Susan completed the Women in Cable Telecommunications Senior Executive Summit at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and the Women’s Executive Leadership Program at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Susan was named a Fellow in the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute of the Women in Cable Telecommunications, and she’s been recognized on the “Most Powerful Women in Cable” and the “Most Influential Minorities in Cable” lists by Cablefax, for many years. Susan serves as the Chair of the Board for the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies and is a director on the Boards of the Asian Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship, and the Juvenile Law Center. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of Bryn Mawr College. LINKEDIN VIEW ALL MENTORS

SOCIAL IMPACT & ADVOCACY, C-SUITE ELLA GUDWIN CEO VisionSpring As a mentor, I can help you Lead a purpose-driven organization Navigate a career in the non-profit and social enterprise sectors Shift from doing to managing to leading Serve low-income customers and stakeholders Create a strategic plan Build and develop your team Measure and evaluate impact Develop fundraising plans and manage grants Succeed as a single, working mom Ella Gudwin is the CEO of the pioneering social enterprise VisionSpring . Under Ella’s leadership, VisionSpring has corrected the vision of 10 million adults and children with eyeglasses, unlocking $2.16 billion in income earning potential for households living on less than $4 per day. Why eyeglasses? They are a powerful tool for social and economic development, enabling low-income consumers to earn a living, achieve in school, drive safely, and improve well-being. Since Ella joined VisionSpring in 2015, the organization has: Grown its impact 5x to correct the vision of almost 2 million people annually Expanded from two to nine countries with 300 people in Bangladesh, India, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Vietnam and the US; and Raised more than $60 million. With 25 years of experience, Ella has led strategy and program development, emergency response, and Asia and Eurasia partnerships at AmeriCares ; foreign government and board relations at the Population Council ; and member convenings at the Council on Foreign Relations . Her passions for social justice and economic development took root when she lived and worked in Indonesia during the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the ensuing people power revolution. Ella earned a masters degree with distinction from the School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and a bachelors with honors from Vassar College. Ella is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Her work has been covered by the BBC , Financial Times , The Guardian , NPR/PRI , Forbes , Fortune , among other media and she has lectured at leading universities including Dartmouth, Duke, MIT, Stanford, Princeton and Yale. LINKEDIN “Ella is beyond patient, supportive and kind, while also fiercely direct, focused and strategic. Working with Ella has taught me how to effectively evaluate the operating landscape, including identifying both potential collaborators and competitors, and how to successfully create an immediate impact that positively influences achieving my goals. I couldn’t have matched with a better mentor than Ella.” — Kia VIEW ALL MENTORS

FILM/TV JEREMIAH SMITH Cinematographer Hello, I’m Jeremiah Smith and a Local 600 Director of Photography. I’ve worked in the industry as a DP/Camera Operator for almost 20 years. The very first show I was a DP on was Pimp My Ride. From there I’ve gone to work on a vast number of different reality shows and scripted shows, the most recent being Abbott Elementary. Through the years of working in the industry, I’ve had to overcome many obstacles and challenges in my line of work. Those lessons have ultimately helped me to be a better DP/operator and learn many things about myself personally. I have a passion for photography and a keen interest to make ideas and concepts into a reality. VIEW ALL MENTORS

STEM, C-SUITE RENATE NYBORG Founder & CEO Amorai "I am looking for passion, a hidden gem, someone who is ready to change lives. If you have a BIG idea and don’t know how to bring it to life, I can probably be a sounding board. I can teach you how to use Tech for Good, about building a rocket ship / global business, products that change the world, and subscriptions (my favourite business model) and the member economy. If you’re technical, I can teach you how to work with business/marketing/policy teams. If you’ve never written a line of code, I can teach you how to talk to technical/product/engineering teams. We could talk about. how to turn what makes you different into what makes you successful, get a start when you don’t have the right connections, degree or CV, or navigate being the only person in the room of a different gender, country or continent." From a gadget obsessed teen to founding her own company, Renate has spent decades immersing herself in every aspect of mobile and consumer technology. Renate Nyborg is the former Chief Executive Officer of Tinder, the world’s most popular app for meeting new people. Prior to her appointment as CEO, Renate was leading Tinder's European business. Her career has spanned the creation and leadership of the International Product & Marketing group at meditation app Headspace, as well as leading the app store subscription business in Europe for Apple. In her twenties she founded an app development company named Pleo and also ran Mobile globally for Edelman. Renate is of Norwegian and Dutch origin and has worked in London, Silicon Valley, Stockholm, Paris and Switzerland. She is a Philosophy graduate of Cambridge University. She loves her piano and music, as well as hiking or skiing around the Alps. VIEW ALL MENTORS

JUST BLAZE Director of Music & Culture Brass Lion Entertainment Just Blaze is a legendary hip hop producer who has been a household name in the music industry for the past 20 years. He’s worked on classic albums such as Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint” and “The Black Album,” Drake’s “Take Care,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” and Beyonce’s “Lemonade”. He’s won multiple Grammy awards and has worked with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Usher, Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Rick Ross, Diddy & Christina Aguilera, Eminem, TI & Rihanna, and many more. In addition to his record production projects, he’s scored various video games for EA Sports, Capcom and Midway, including game-changing projects like Def Jam Vendetta and NBA Street, Volume 2. Just has also toured extensively worldwide as a festival and club DJ. He recently released the smash hit single “We Win” featuring Lil Baby and Kirk Franklin as the lead single off of the Space Jam 2 Soundtrack. Just was a star of the Netflix documentary series “Rapture,” which tells the story of his musical journey. He executive produces and hosts the upcoming series “Fresh Pair” for Uproxx, and is currently serving as the Director of Music & Culture for Brass Lion Entertainment, a AAA video game studio focused on telling diverse stories in interactive mediums. MUSIC VIEW ALL MENTORS

MARKETING, C-SUITE MELISSA ROSENFIELD Founder IFP Communications "I'm the social director, the party planner, the camp counselor all rolled into one.” -Cosmopolitan Magazine As a born and bred New Yorker (by way of Brooklyn, to be exact), Melissa Rosenfield has always been a connector. Her affinity for the most cutting-edge, unique, and thoughtful cultural experiences and things has led her to a life defined by well-seeded relationships with movers and shakers (attaining her a certain level of notoriety at a young age) in a variety of lifestyle verticals, including but not limited to hospitality, fashion, art, music, and food. Being around trailblazers throughout her life, Melissa naturally decided to forge for herself a new and unknown path. As the world’s one and only “Director of Vibe,” she is a lifestyle innovator, luxury travel expert and social director all rolled into one. She connects brands with the right people, in the right places, at the right times, establishes authentic partnerships, and most importantly, alignments that drive business and yield a strong ROI. In 2010, Melissa made her role as Director of Vibe official and put the concept into the world by way of her work as a consultant with the Viceroy Hotel Group. By 2015, Melissa’s consulting role had landed her collaborations with GM, Samsung, and 1Hotels, putting her on a fast track to conquering the lifestyle space in both New York, LA, and beyond. Later in 2015, she took it one step further and launched IFP Communications, a New York-based agency that focused on creative brand strategy, marketing, and public relations. Since its launch, IFP has worked with true indie brands and notable brands, including Girlfriend Collective, Little Spoon, Soozy’s Grain-Free, Momotaro Apotheca, Supernow, GREATS, Wandering Bear Coffee, and more, taking them from obscurity to household names. Her most recent accomplishments perfectly represent her ability to challenge conventional business models; she was instrumental in launching multiple indie beauty and food brands into major retailers in 2021 and 2022, including Target, Sprouts, Ulta, and Walmart – including a sexual wellness brand that may have once been considered taboo. Melissa is incredibly active in her spare time – both figuratively and literally. She is an engaged mother of Sidney, aka This Vibe Baby. She believes No Kid Hungry is a major cause everyone should be paying attention to and often partakes in workout sessions with Peloton and Mirror at home. She loves spending weekends outside (weather permitting) and hanging with friends. And she believes in the power of doing things with a swagger and a smile. VIEW ALL MENTORS

FILM/TV KEITH ANTONE Actor | Comedian | Writer | Producer Keith Antone is an actor, comedian, writer, and producer. As an actor, he has had success in theatre, in over 30 shows, even working for Nickelodeon and Tarell Alvin McCraney in CHOIR BOY. His television and commercial credits include CRIMINAL MINDS, TRAINING DAY and iPhone. As a producer, he created a short film, THEY GO. with his writing partner. Antone has also seen success as a writer, staffing on Netflix's hit show GENTEFIED. "My mentor is Keith Antone and I've had really great meetings with him throughout the year. Every meeting I learn something new. He is a multihyphenate like myself and it has been so helpful hearing his insight on the writing process, acting process, and balancing both. He has also recommended me for a writing competition and invited me to come to audit his audition class. He has been such a great resource for all my questions that come up and is very supportive." — Paige VIEW ALL MENTORS

JOEY BADA$$ Rapper | Actor | Philanthropist Pro Era Records, Badmind Records Joey Bada$$ is a rapper and actor born and raised in Brooklyn. At 17 years old, he and his Pro Era crew took the rap world by storm with the release of his first mixtape, “1999,” which is now considered a classic. His two subsequent studio albums, “B4.DA.$$” and “All-Amerikkkan Badass,” helped elevate him to become one of the hottest names in music. His standout role in the hit TV show MR. ROBOT put his acting talents on display for the world for the first time and has led to multiple roles since. 2019 saw him expand his acting career with a role as Inspectah Deck in HULU’s WU-TANG: AN AMERICAN SAGA, as well as recurring appearances in BET sitcoms BOOMERANG and GROWN-ISH. He recently starred in the 2021 Academy Award-winning Netflix short film TWO DISTANT STRANGERS, where he played protagonist Carter James. He also appears as Unique in the upcoming STARZ original series POWER BOOK III: RAISING KANAN. WEBSITE INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK TWITTER SOUNDCLOUD SPOTIFY APPLE MUSIC MUSIC VIEW ALL MENTORS

FILM/TV KELVIN HARRISON JR. Actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. is an award-winning screen actor who recently made waves as the titular star of dir. Stephen Williams’s “Chevalier,” a biographical drama about French-Caribbean conductor and composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. In their review of the 2023 film, The A.V Club called Harrison “one of the most exciting actors of his generation.” Harrison worked on AMC’s “Into the Badlands,” Crackle’s “StartUp,” and WGN’s “Underground” before taking the role of ‘Winslow’ in the History Channel’s “Roots” mini-series. In 2016, Harrison landed the role of ‘Simon’ in FOX Searchlight’s “The Birth of a Nation,” which won the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. In 2017 Harrison’s performance in “It Comes at Night” earned him a 2017 Gotham Independent Film Award nomination for “Breakthrough Actor.” After first taking on leading roles in 2018’s “Monster” and “Monsters and Men,” Harrison has become one of the most recognizable faces in independent film. He has since had starring roles in films including “Jinn,” which won a Special Jury Award at the SXSW Film Festival, “JT Leroy” opposite Kristen Stewart, “Luce” opposite Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts, and “The Wolf Hour,” also starring Naomi Watts. Harrison was also applauded for his performance in A24’s “Waves,” in which he starred opposite Lucas Hedges and Sterling K. Brown. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Harrison was exposed to the performing arts at an early age, growing up in a family of musicians. After learning to play the piano and trumpet as a child, Harrison moved on to study jazz at the New Orleans Center for Creative Art. It was at the prestigious art school that Harrison developed his passion for performing. He began performing in local theater shows and musicals before enrolling at the University of New Orleans to study film. Early into his undergraduate career, Harrison booked a small role in “Ender’s Game,” an experience that empowered him to further pursue his passion for acting. The young actor loves his craft and enjoys researching and preparing for characters he plays. He is most inspired by the work of actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and director Mike Nichols. Outside of acting, Harrison is also a black belt in Korean martial arts and enjoys playing music. When not working, Harrison enjoys hanging out with friends and painting. VIEW ALL MENTORS

FILM/TV FRANCIE CALFO Producer Undisputed Cinema Francie Calfo currently oversees development and production for UNDISPUTED CINEMA, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood’s production company. Together, they are currently producing the fourth season of GENIUS – a dual biography of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. She also continues as Executive Producer of Marc Cherry’s Why Women Kill /Paramount +, Alex Tse and The RZA’s WuTang: An American Saga /Hulu, Reggie Bythewood’s Swagger /Apple and Jordan Cooper and Ms. Pat’s The Ms. Pat Show /BET. Calfo oversaw Imagine Television development and production for ten years, joining partners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard in 2010. During her tenure, she developed and produced numerous series, including mega-hit Empire on FOX and Emmy-nominated Genius on NatGeo. In 2017, she was elevated to Chairwoman of Imagine TV, where she guided the TV division’s transition from POD (production overall deal) to fully independent studio. In 2019, she led Imagine to its most prolific year ever, landing six new series orders. Prior to joining Imagine, Calfo was an ABC Television Studios-based independent producer, where she sold and executive-produced numerous network comedies and dramas. From 2004-2008, she served as Executive VP of ABC Network, overseeing all scripted development and current programs. In that time, she developed and shepherded some of primetime’s biggest hits, including Desperate Housewives, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, and Ugly Betty. Calfo had her first successful stint as a producer in 2003-2004, during which she executive- produced ABC’s Life As We Know It. This followed her work as a studio executive for Touchstone TV, where she oversaw all drama development, including CSI and J.J. Abrams’ Alias, as well as current series, including Home Improvement, Felicity, The PJs, and Sports Night with Aaron Sorkin. VIEW ALL MENTORS

FILM/TV LISA CHURGIN Editor Lisa Zeno Churgin is an editor based in Los Angeles. She began her career working as an assistant on the cult classic, THE WARRIORS, which brought her to LA from New York City. She assisted on 2 more Walter Hill films before leaving the film business to pursue an MBA at Columbia University. But ultimately choosing her love of film over the pursuit of money, Lisa returned to LA and editing. While working her way up, she had the opportunity to work on RAGING BULL, MASK, THREE AMIGOS and THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST. As an editor, Lisa has worked on a wide range of films, refusing to be pigeon-holed into one genre. Highlights include BOB ROBERTS, REALITY BITES, DEAD MAN WALKING, GATTACA, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES (Oscar nominated as Film Editor), THE WEDDING PLANNER, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG, PITCH PERFECT and AN AMERICAN PICKLE. She is particularly proud of her 3 films done with Director David Lowery, PETE’S DRAGON, THE OLD MAN; THE GUN (Robert Redford’s last starring role) and PETER PAN; WENDY. VIEW ALL MENTORS

FILM/TV CHRISTINA VOROS Cinematographer | Director | Producer | Screenwriter Voros came to cinematography through directing and shooting her own award-winning documentaries, later pivoting to the narrative space on films lensed for Tate Taylor, Theresa Rebeck, James Franco and Tim Blake Nelson. In 2018, Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey tapped her to direct an episode of their series Queen Sugar, opening the door to narrative directing. She since helmed episodes for Tate Taylor (Filthy Rich) and David E Kelly (Big Sky), while primarily teaming with Taylor Sheridan with whom she collaborates on Yellowstone and 1883, serving as Director, DP and Executive Producer. She was recently nominated for an Emmy for Best Cinematography for a limited series on 1883 for her episode "Lightning Yellow Hair" She is currently in development on her feature film, Valentine, which she will write and direct, inspired by stories of the people and land of West Texas, where she resides. The only daughter of Hungarian refugees, Christina Voros was raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she later attended Harvard University. She was granted the Dean’s Fellowship at NYU’s Tisch School of the Art’s Graduate Department of Film and Television where she studied under Spike Lee and Sandi Sissel, receiving her MFA in directing and cinematography. VIEW ALL MENTORS

MUSIC, C-SUITE PAUL BROUCEK President of Music Warner Bros. Pictures Paul Broucek began his film career as an assistant engineer on the mix of APOCALYPSE NOW. In the 1980s, Broucek went on to join the music engineering staff at the legendary Record Plant. By the end of the decade Broucek moved to music supervision, overseeing a mix of feature films and television projects. He joined the New Line Cinema music department in 1996 and was named President in 2001. During Broucek’s tenure at New Line, he oversaw the music for projects as diverse as AUSTIN POWERS, the RUSH HOUR series, AMERICAN HISTORY X and the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. Broucek was named President, of Music at WB in 2009. On top of his administrative duties, he continues to serve as the creative music executive on a full slate of films annually including THE HOBBIT trilogy, INCEPTION, GRAVITY, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, THE GREAT GATSBY, WONDER WOMAN, JOKER, TENET, JUDAS & THE BLACK MESSIAH, KING RICHARD and ELVIS. IMDB VIEW ALL MENTORS

FILM/TV LENNON PARHAM Actor, Writer & Director "I will be a sounding board, a cheerleader, and brainstorm collaborator for the direction you would like to head in your career. I can help you set goals and get specific about where it is you’d like to go. My expertise is in entertainment, specifically being a writer-actor-director mostly in the comedy world. Can’t wait to get started!" Lennon Parham is an actor, writer and director based in Los Angeles. As an actor, she just completed filming on “Holland, Michigan” a thriller directed by Mimi Cave and starring Nicole Kidman and Matthew Macfadyen. And the new season of Minx (a comedy set in the world of 70’s erotic magazines) airs late this summer on STARZ. She directed two episodes of HBO’s acclaimed series “Somebody Somewhere” which just aired. Prior to that, she was a series regular on FOX's BLESS THIS MESS, for which she also directed two episodes. She co-created and starred in her own ½ hour USA series, PLAYING HOUSE, for 3 critically acclaimed seasons, also directing a HOOSIERS-inspired episode in Season 3. From TV, you may recognize her as Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ incompetent Senior Advisor, “Karen Collins” on HBO’s VEEP. Additionally, Lennon has made a number of memorable appearances on television including CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, Netflix’s LADY DYNAMITE, AMC’s MAD MEN, ABC’s SCHOOLED, NBC’s PARKS AND RECREATION and more recently BETTER THINGS. On the feature side, she also had flashy supporting roles in THE HOUSE, HORRIBLE BOSSES 2, CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC and OTHER PEOPLE. She has written a comedy feature for UNIVERSAL and is currently writing another with her long-time collaborator Jessica St. Clair. She is a proud alumnus of the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater and the University of Evansville. VIEW ALL MENTORS

CULINARY, C-SUITE JIM LAHEY Artisan Baker | Owner | Founder Sullivan Street Bakery "I can provide guidance on how to start a food-centered business, and insights into the entire spectrum on the food industry, ranging from retail to wholesale. I can also provide support in identifying what you need to do to be recognized, and to build a food brand. I will not teach you bread-making. I will not hire you or find you a job." Jim Lahey is an artisan baker, owner and founder of the Sullivan Street Bakery, in NYC and Miami. He is the creator of the no-knead baking method and author of “My Bread”, “My Pizza”and “The Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook”. Jim has received two James Beard awards, for outstanding baker and “who’s who“ in food and wine in America. He lives in NYC with his wife Maya, his children, and his rescue dog Polly. VIEW ALL MENTORS

SOCIAL IMPACT & ADVOCACY, C-SUITE HEATHER ANDERSON Chief Executive Officer Global Health Corps As GHC’s CEO, Heather provides leadership, management, and vision to drive GHC’s mission to mobilize a global community of health equity leaders. Since 2012, she has overseen GHC’s leadership development programming and training curriculum, partner recruitment and selection, and impact measurement activities in her roles as Senior Vice President of Programs and Chief Impact Officer. Prior to joining GHC, Heather was Vice President at Global Health Strategies, an international advocacy and communications consulting firm. She managed a portfolio of public and private sector clients, including The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Women Deliver and GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines. Heather previously served as a Senior Program Officer at Planned Parenthood Global in Washington D.C. Additionally, she spent time in Ethiopia establishing a youth program for EngenderHealth. Before joining the global health community, Heather spent six years at Accenture, a management consulting firm. She holds a Master of Public Health from Columbia University and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan. Heather lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children. Fun Fact: If she could travel anywhere in the world tomorrow, Heather would be on a plane to France. She is a lover of warm weather and would be extremely content with a croissant in hand while on a long walk through the French countryside. VIEW ALL MENTORS

FILM/TV JACQUE COFER Executive Producer Jacque Edmonds Cofer attended Princeton University, graduating with an A.B. in Politics. She also earned an M.B.A. at the Harvard Business School. Cofer left corporate life to become a television writer and producer. After completing the Walt Disney Fellowship program, her first network television-writing job was on MARTIN. Within two years, she had risen to supervising producer. Cofer has been the co-executive producer of six network comedies, most recently THE UNICORN, starring Walton Goggins on CBS and “DAD, STOP EMBARRASSING ME, starring Jamie Foxx on Netflix. She has also been the showrunner of four series including LET’S STAY TOGETHER, BET’s first original scripted comedy. Since 2016 Cofer has been a faculty member of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she is also on the admissions committee. She is a lecturer and thesis advisor in the John Wells Division of Writing for Screen & Television and teaches Advanced Half-Hour Comedy writing in the MFA program. Cofer has frequent speaking engagements and has won the following awards: NAACP Image Award, Outstanding Comedy Program, MARTIN PRISM Award, from the National Institutes of Health and the Entertainment Industries Council, for accurate depiction of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and addiction, MOESHA SHINE Award (2), from The Media Project and the Kaiser Foundation for accurate and honest portrayals of adolescent sexual health issues, MOESHA President’s Award, from the Alliance of Black Entertainment Technicians Founder’s Award, from the Black Women Film Preservation Project "Jacque’s guidance has been instrumental in shaping the writer I aspire to be. My background is in advertising, so her depth of knowledge and years of experience in the entertainment industry has been invaluable in helping me navigate a new field. Throughout our mentorship, I've learned so much about the intricacies of TV writing, from crafting compelling narratives to understanding the nuances of character development. Her willingness to share her insights has given me a solid foundation to build upon as I continue on this journey. I am so grateful for the lessons she’s provided, and look forward to learning more from her in the months to come." — Nannette E. VIEW ALL MENTORS

KIM WILLIAMS Casting Executive | Casting Director | Producer "Casting is key to bringing stories to life and reflecting real-world diversity. Your unique perspectives can shape authentic and powerful narratives. Casting is not just about finding the right actor for a role, but about shaping the way stories are told and who gets to tell them. By learning about casting, you help ensure diverse voices are represented on screen. As a mentor with extensive experience in the casting process, I can guide you through the intricacies of this vital role. My commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in storytelling, coupled with my industry knowledge, equips me to support and inspire you on this exciting journey." Kim most recently served as Vice President, Casting at Disney Television Studios, a post she held from October 2019 - April 2023. Kim served as casting director for season 4 the critically acclaimed series Genius, this iteration, Genius: MLK/X, exploring the lives of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. She cast the lead in Lee Daniels’ upcoming limited series for Hulu, Sammy Davis Jr. She also cast the teen leads in the Disney+ series The Crossover as well as the pilot and first season of Freeform's hit series Single Drunk Female. She oversaw the casting for Onyx's new series Deli Boys, Lee Daniels' The Spook Who Sat by the Door for FX, Showtime'sThe Chi. She was instrumental in shaping the casts and overseeing and the FX series The Old Man starring Jeff Bridges and the Emmy-nominated season 3 Genius: Aretha. Kim joined ABC as director of casting in early 2019, working on projects for the network, Disney+ and ABC Studios, including the critically acclaimed For Life. Kim is passionate about diversity, belonging, inclusion and equity and was actively involved in several projects and initiatives across The Walt Disney Company. As an independent casting director, Kim worked on Greg Berlanti’s All American, Narcos, The Bernie Mac Show and Martin, and several Tyler Perry movies and series including Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and feature films including My Little One and Payment Received. Williams worked on The HBO Access Project, allowing her to guide casting while mentoring creative minds from diverse backgrounds over eight projects. Previously, at Paramount Pictures and Television, Williams oversaw the casting for Annihilation, Looking for Alaska, Jack Reacher: Never Look Back, Baywatch starring Zac Efron and Dwayne Johnson, Shooter, The Alienist and Grease: Live! While at Fox, Williams served as director of casting on shows including Prison Break, Glee, and Sarah Conner Chronicles. Prior to that, Williams spent close to a decade at HBO as a director of casting. FILM/TV VIEW ALL MENTORS

FILM/TV GBENGA AKINNAGBE Activist | Actor | Entrepreneur Liberated People "From activism to entrepreneurship, storytelling is our greatest tool. Communicating a message to humans is an endeavor as old as humanity itself. Whether it's an audience of one or a million, together we'll learn to identify whom we're connecting with, how they may receive information that penetrates their hearts and minds, and how we can best become those storytelling vessels." Activist, actor and entrepreneur are just a few traits to describe the multi-faceted rising star Gbenga Akinnagbe. Perhaps best known for his career defining turn as “Chris Partlow” in “The Wire,” Gbenga can currently be seen in the FX drama series THE OLD MAN from Fox 21 Television Studios in association with The Littlefield Company. He plays the series regular role of ‘Julian,' a highly trained special ops contractor sent to hunt down Chase, portrayed by Jeff Bridges. Written by Jon Steinberg & Robert Levine, the series also stars John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman, Alia Shawkat. He will next be seen in the features THE THICKET opposite Juliette Lewis and Peter Dinklage based on the critically acclaimed novel from Joe R. Lansdale, FAST CHARLIE from director Phillip Noyce, and BLACK FLIES opposite Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan, heading to Cannes this year. Gbenga’s most recent TV credits saw him in a major arc on season 3 of Starz’s hit series POWER BOOK II: GHOST as ‘Ron Samuel Jenkins,’ and recurring on Hulu’s WU-TANG: AN AMERICAN SAGA as ‘Mook.’ He was also seen in Amazon’s anthology series MODERN LOVE opposite Zoe Chao. Gbenga previously reunited with “The Wire” creator David Simon as a series regular in the HBO series “The Deuce” opposite James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Set in NYC during the 1970s and 1980s porn and prostitution scene, Gbenga played “Larry Brown,” an intense and demanding pimp who physically intimidates his stable of women but also has moments that betray a conflicted, underlying humanity. On the big screen, Gbenga’s recent credits include MGM’s THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR opposite Yara Shahini based on the NY Times bestselling novel; STARBRIGHT with Elisabeth Rohm and John Rhys-Davies; ALL THE DEVIL’S MEN opposite Milo Gibson and William Fichtner; HEART BABY with Jackson Rathbone; the comedy EGG opposite Christina Hendricks, Anna Camp, and Alysia Reiner; Kathryn Bigelow’s crime drama DETROIT with John Boyega; and Amazon Studios’ CROWN HEIGHTS, which premiered at Sundance. The son of two Nigerian parents, Gbenga Akinnagbe (pronounced Ben-gah Ah-kin-nah begh) was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland and after a rough upbringing, credits his love of wrestling to help carve his path as an actor. Wrestling got him to Bucknell University where he graduated with a double major of English and Political Science and then worked for the federal government. Gbenga soon became curious about acting and started researching the craft and then landed a job as an extra on the HBO series “The Wire.” That extra gig led to Gbenga later being cast in the recurring role of “Chris Partlow” where he ultimately became a series regular for the last two seasons. Soon after “The Wire,” Gbenga landed starring and recurring roles on such hit shows as “24: Live Another Day,” “Barbershop,” “The Following,” “Nurse Jackie,” and “The Good Wife.” No stranger to the stage, Gbenga performed in The Public Theatre’s Merry Wives, which aired on PBS, The Oedipus Plays at the Shakespeare Theatre and Romeo & Juliet in Washington DC, View From 151st Street for Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s Labryinth Theater Company off-Broadway, and earned acclaim for his turn in the one man show The Thin Place. His recent Broadway debut in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, adapted by Aaron Sorkin and produced by Lincoln Center and legendary producer Scott Rudin, earned him rave reviews and won a Theatre World Award for his performance as the accused ‘Tom Robinson’ opposite Jeff Daniels, directed by Bartlett Sher, in this re-imagined adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic novel. Gbenga has appeared in numerous films including THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123, LOTTERY TICKET, HEART, BABY!, INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE and as the producer and lead of KNUCKLEHEAD, which went on to win numerous awards in the film festival circuit. He also produced the indie film NEWLYWEEDS, which was sold at Sundance 2013. Off screen, Gbenga has numerous projects in development as a writer and director. He made his directorial debut with the independent pilot DC NOIR based on material from George Pellecanos (The Wire, The Deuce). The pilot premiered at the 2019 TriBeCa Film Festival. Gbenga was also a writer on the popular Crackle series, THE UNKNOWN. He is currently at work on a memoir, and has multiple projects as a producer. Gbenga has his own lifestyle brand, Liberated People, which has created powerful online movements like #OurSonTrayvon with various celebrities wearing hoodies and a percentage of sales going to the Trayvon Martin Foundation, an organization to end gun violence, and #PatriarchyIsABitch , where they donate a portion of sales to Black Women’s Blueprint, which recognizes the contributions of feminist freedom fighters. In addition, Gbenga can add interior designer to his credits as the founder of Enitan Vintage where he redesigns vintage and antique furniture in the same Dutch wax-resist fabrics that are a fashion staple in West Africa, which allows the consumer to “sit on a story.” Follow Gbenga Akinnagbe: Instagram: @GbengaAkinnagbe Twitter: @GbengaAkinnagbe Follow Liberated People: Instagram: @liberatedpeople Twitter: @WeAreLiberated Facebook: @LiberatedPeople Follow Enitan Vintage: Instagram: @enitan_vintage Facebook: @enitanvintage VIEW ALL MENTORS