PARTIAL LIST OF EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS:
1) Arthur Matthews, Esq., Matthews and Matthews- Career Development and Career Transition (see: http://www.diversityofficers.com)
2) Dr. Maria Nemeth- Life Coach
(see: http://www.academyforcoachingexcellence.com/?mvcTask=maria)
3) Lee E. Miller, Esq.- The Art of Getting What You Want and Interviewing
(see: http://www.negotiationplus.com)
4) Shem Cohen, M.S.O.D.- Organization Development Consultant (see: http://www.changeevents.com)
5) Sharon Rich, ACC, CPBA, and Transition Specialist
(see: http://www.layoffbounceback.com)
ADVISORY BOARD
Ryan Adams: Ryan Adams is a junior studying English and Theology/Religious Studies at Fordham University. He is a two-time National Essay winner and founded the Theatrical Outreach Program (TOP) at Fordham University: Rose Hill campus. TOP abridges classic works of theater and performs them in community centers and schools in The Bronx. The performance is then followed by a theater workshop where the students who have just seen the play get to be a part of it, by acting and directing themselves in scenes from the show. Ryan is currently a resident assistant, IT technician/computer specialist, and tutor for Fordham University. He has no specific career path chosen, but is looking at professions in the arts, law, education/teaching, and journalism. He is, however, very open to suggestion and direction.
Kathleen Alfiero: Kathleen Alfiero’s passion for the well-being of young people has been the foundation of her professional life. She worked for over 25 years in public education as a teacher and substance abuse counselor, has hosted a television program featuring the stories of extraordinary ordinary people that has aired on PBS and worked in live shows in theatres throughout Maine. In 1996, Kathleen was the Executive Director of Maine Communities Face Alcohol, a nationally recognized statewide substance abuse prevention effort summarized in Voices of Hope, a report recognized by the PEW Center with the Batton Award for Civic Journalism. As founder of Appreciation Unlimited, Kathleen explores and shares the talents, gifts, and contributions of people of all ages through multimedia to a global audience. Celebrate ME, a non-profit arm, produces educational programs and events using storytelling as a medium for positive change and features school people, parents, children and communities.
Rebecca Allen: Rebecca Allen is a veteran video engineer since 1987. She started in post-production editorial, at Paramount Pictures, at the age of 19 year old, and joined the Editors Guild. Years later she went on to Production Video and Sound, providing Video Playback and Video Assist, on the sets of Warner Brothers, Universal, Sony and many other independent productions in Hollywood, California. Rebel Video Production, is a video production company Rebecca established in 2006, and acquired her own 1080i HD camera, and Final Cut editing software, building her business in documentary style productions. Becoming more involved in shooting, she started moonlight as camera assistant on feature films and television reality shows, working with the Red HD movie camera, in 2008. The love of shooting on location, and the creative process of putting it together in the editing room, is a passion she shares with the network of directors and producers, Rebecca has available to her for future projects.
Evan M. Altman, ESQ.: Mr. Altman is an attorney in Atlanta concentrating his law practice in the areas of bankruptcy, corporate law, general litigation, personal injury, medical malpractice, and product liability. Mr. Altman’s prior experience before opening his law practice included a position as Assistant Vice President with a Wall Street corporate consulting firm. He had primary responsibility for over 100 corporate reorganization (stock repurchase) transactions of publicly held corporations, as well as significant experience in the area of corporate governance (election of corporate officers). Prior to his experience as a corporate consultant on Wall Street, Mr. Altman served as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation where he concentrated in white collar and business crime matters. As a special Agent, he received five letters of commendation and served in Atlanta, Las Vegas and New York City. He graduated SUNY Binghamton with a B.A. in Economics in 1979 and graduated Emory Law School with a Doctorate of Law in 1982.
Jimmy Andretta: Jimmy Andretta is a sophomore at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. For the past several years, he’s been working at wine companies in Tokyo, Japan as a summer intern. He is currently majoring in Japanese, with minor concentrations in Economics and Psychology.
Nambata Angula: Nambata Angula has a BBA degree from the University of Namibia, and is currently pursuing her MBA degree in Finance through an online school, Capella University. She has approximately 7 years of experience in the finance/accounting industry and has been working at the United Nations headquarters in New York for the past three years. Her current position at the United Nations is a Payroll Examiner but hopes to branch out to the finance/investment field (which is where her pas- sion lies) once she completes her MBA degree. Nambata is passionate about current affairs and enjoys reading and spending time with her ten- year-old daughter. She also enjoys mentoring young people and providing advice where possible. She currently services on the Advisory Board of the African Film Workshop.
Carol B. Armitage: Carol has a BS degree from University of Delaware and an MS degree from Princeton University, both in electrical engineering, and approximately 20 years of industry experience in the telecommunications industry. She worked for about 17 years at Bell Labs/Lucent where her last position was as a Director in the wideband access division followed by 3 years at General Instrument (broadband communications), where her last position was as Senior VP of Technology and Strategy. Her strengths are in executive management of product and technology design and development, including VLSI, optics, circuit design, software, and system integration. Carol is currently on the Board of Directors of several technology companies, both public and private, as well as for a non-profit, documentary video production co. She is also on the Advisory Board of several high tech companies. She is a counselor at SCORE (Service Corp of Retired Execs) providing business advice for start-up companies.
Deb Ashner: Deb has a M.P.H. from New York University with a focus on international community health and holds a B.A. from Richmond College in the U.K. with a degree in sociology with a minor in African economic development. She has worked for over 20 years in the fields of public health and public policy and is a skilled senior manager with in-depth expertise working on innovative programs with an emphasis on capacity building and sustainability. In addition, she has led multi-year sector research projects utilizing beat practices and analyzing data for publication. For over a decade she has been the leader at Ashner Associates, a high impact consulting firm, working on projects in the US and in Sub-Saharan Africa funded by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, the National Governors Association, and Housing works in New York. Her other past professional experiences include working with advocacy groups such as NARAL Pro-Choice and the AIDS Action Council. Further, Deb has worked as contractor for the US Agency for International Development and held internships with several international NGO’s and PVO’s. She volunteers for several non-profit organizations in the greater Washington, DC area and serves on the steering committee for the Washington Jew Film Festival.
Kenneth “KENDO” AYTCH: Kendo Aytch is Senior Vice President of Brothers UnMixed Entertainment and the Senior Vice President of O’Allah Entertainment Inc. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Bronx, New York, the place where Hip Hop all happened! The man of the World – The Negotiator! With all the style and grace of the Best of them – The Man Who Is Really The Boss of Everything and is as humble as they come. The Business Man who Leads by Example. KENDO is a Business Man, Manager, Consultant and Promoter. KENDO is well rounded; has a very broad view of the Entertainment business and how it really works. KENDO is known for his drive and determination for getting the job(s) DONE and while you are still there thinking about the current event KENDO has moved onto another event in another State getting that ready for all of the happy artists and party goers awaiting his arrival. KENDO has a great reputation for being the right person to go to who will give you the correct answers and if he needs clarity on something he will tell you that “I’ll get right back to you” so then you can leave knowing that an answer will come. To date KENDO is the newest radio personality of FONYE Radio on Tuesday 10 p.m.–12 p.m. and Thursday 8 p.m.–10 p.m. in which he literally brings the party and more fun, truth and integrity to the shows existence. Believe me when I tell you KENDO has a whole host of companies and foundations for the world in the future to be a part of so you will not be left out. Those that know KENDO know that he is a family man who truly loves and takes pride in his family and for those that will meet him that joy and truth will be left upon them as well to add to his ever brightness and gift to the world that all good things are possible. KENDO’s mentors; his Father and four Brothers made a lasting impression on him to be a great man and he is truly living up to this reality. KENDO is one of the most influential men in 2009 and will be for years to come. Let us continue to watch him grow into greatness! His favorite quote: To Live Love and Laugh!
Miranda Baker: 20 years old and heading to college in the fall after a year’s respite from school, is a lifelong animal lover who has an extraordinary way with them. She has always had one pet or another, and has worked for years as a volunteer at the Catskill Animal Sanctuary upstate, which cares for maltreated and abandoned farm animals. In high school she worked with search and rescue dogs, visited old people with dogs to cheer them up, and volunteered at Kittykind, a cat adoption service (from which she adopted a pair of cats herself). She nursed and fed a motherless young kitten for its first six months, teaching it to come when called and to follow her around. Currently she lives in Brooklyn, where she cares for a pair of pit bulls, dogs so fearsome looking they intimidate most people, but whom she treats with calm affection. She hopes one day to work as a veterinarian, and meanwhile is seeking opportunities to work or volunteer in any capacity at a vet’s office.
CHRISTINA BARK: Strategic Planning • Business Transformation • Risk ManagementChristina Bark is a trusted business advisor with expertise in strategy, risk management, operational optimization, leadership development and change implementation. Christina’s diverse experience as a corporate leader, attorney and entrepreneur has honed her ability to design and promote achievable solutions, even when the odds are against a favorable outcome. Her results-oriented approach is well-suited to accelerate growth, optimize operations, manage risk and introduce new business models. Whether you are considering starting a venture, expanding a business, energizing teams and leaders, managing change or exiting a business successfully, Christina serves as a catalyst for breakthrough results. Previously, Christina was Global Leader of Business Affairs for Oliver Wyman, a leading international management consulting firm and $1.2 billion subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan companies [NYSE:MMC]. While at Oliver Wyman, Christina was responsible for business process optimization, operational risk mitigation and leading a global team. She focused on enhancing the firm’s ability to win projects, increase client loyalty and maximize revenue while minimizing risk exposure. She also led programs that enhanced the business through innovative training and organizational transformation. Christina’s legal expertise has fueled her business success. She served as Chief Legal Counsel for Oliver Wyman prior to its acquisition by Marsh & McLennan, as General Counsel of Scient, Inc. and as a Senior Attorney for IBM. She practiced law with Porter Simon, a California- and Nevada-based firm, and in the San Francisco office of Proskauer Rose LLP, a New York-based firm. She has represented private, public and governmental clients in the areas of general commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, real estate and land use, employment law, traditional labor law, complex litigation, trust and estate administration and bankruptcy from the creditor’s perspective. Christina is admitted to practice in California and Nevada. Christina’s “hands-on” experience building businesses fortifies her effectiveness as an advisor. Oliver Wyman has been one of the fastest growing top-tier, strategy-consulting firms with an annual growth rate exceeding 20%. Scient was one of the fastest growing consulting and technology services start-ups during the dot-com era. Christina was also co-owner of a retail business in the San Francisco Bay Area founded with limited capital and an abundance of sweat equity. Armed with a shrewd business plan, talent for capitalizing on free marketing and publicity, a healthy dose of optimism, a fondness for simple solutions and relentless perseverance, the business expanded into four locations in five years and was successfully sold at a competitive price. Christina understands the challenges and accountability of driving business growth. Christina graduated from Vassar College (A.B., Sociology) and Stanford Law School (J.D.).
Drew Christopher – Drew Christopher is an alumnus of Rutgers University, and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Economics. He currently works in sales and is an engineer’s apprentice at Sommatone Amplification, a musical instrument and boutique amplifier custom shop that produces some of the finest guitar amplifiers on the market. Additionally, he is matriculating in the County College of Morris’ Electronics Engineering Technology program for post-graduate education in the Fall of 2010. As a songwriter, guitarist and drummer, Drew is in the process of recording his first album at ForceField Studios with his father Victor Levine, a professional engineer and producer and his brother Daniel, a talented guitarist and writer. He believes his interests in business, political science, the Italian language and all aspects of music will contribute to his success in running a company with a healthy balance between art, culture, and commerce.
Celeste Beatty: Celeste Beatty is President, CEO and Brewster of Harlem Brewing Company. She became fascinated with beer brewing in the early 1990′s. Beatty created the recipe for Harlem Brewing’s Sugar Hill Golden Ale. Ms. Beatty is an INC Magazine-William J. Clinton Foundation Emerging Entrepreneur. Through this initiative, Beatty worked closely with Pete Slossberg, mentor and founder of Pete’s Wicked Ale. She is the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Harlem Business Alliance) and the Local Hero Award (Alliance of Resident Theaters). Beatty has served as advisor to several start-up ventures, focusing on the specialty beer market. Ms. Beatty is a regular guest speaker at seminars that focus on entrepreneurship and branding. Future plans include a product launch in China, April 2008. Ms. Beatty is an International Studies graduate of Shaw University and continued her studies at NYU. She apprenticed at the Beerworks Brewery in Brooklyn, NY.
Joseph Becker, ESQ.: Joseph Becker, Esq. is an experienced entertainment attorney in New York City. He has been working for the past year as in-house counsel and head of licensing at Tuff City Records (and their respective publishing arms) where he negotiated and drafted various licensing arrangements with major television, movie, music, and video game companies including HBO, MTV/Vh1, CBS/Paramount, and Warner Brothers on a daily basis. He also computed royalties for artists and songwriters and oversaw a major foreign distribution deal with EMI. Finally, Joseph coordinated with outside counsel in preparation for copyright infringement and artist contract litigation. Before this, Joseph worked at Georgia Lawyers for the Arts and The Lovette Entertainment Group during his time at Emory Law School. He also worked with trademarks at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Today, Joseph is the founder of the JRB Entertainment Group, and is always looking to help artists or companies with copyright, entertainment, or other business needs.
Monica Bennett: Monica Bennett is a Certified Reflexologist, Certified Life Coach, and Bachelors in Naturopathy. After receiving a bachelors in Naturopathy, she was drawn to the art of reflexology and believes this healing power can help people become healthier and more in tune with their body, mind and spirit. Monica has also been a horticulturist for 22 years and loves how nature restores balance in life. She has come to see that just like roots are so important to the plants’ health, our feet are important to our health and well being. They root us, and keep us connected to all of life’s energy. Reflex-zone pressure is a powerful technique to keep us healthy. The feet mirror the image of the body and contain, neurologically speaking, the same elements that make up the body as a whole. Each foot corresponds to exactly half the body. The secret is simply to soften all of the hardness and knots in one’s feet and put them in good working order again by reflexing them. This will activate the organs, lead to better blood circulation, help balance the distribution of nutrients, and promote the disposal of waste products, which will lead to a healthy, ailment-free body. Reflexology can help alleviate a broad range of acute and chronic health problems. Along with realizing how important it is to take care of one’s body, Monica also became aware that the mind must be receptive to growth and be open to receive the benefits of wanting to be healthy. This is crucial for any healing to occur. By helping people overcome blocks and resistance, new ways of thinking can open this channel for allowing the flow of positive energy to vibrate through and to you creating harmony and a relaxed state of being. Being a life coach gives me an opportunity to assist people to live a full and rewarding life.
Dr. Karl H. Berger: Karl H. Berger is a Composer/Arranger/Conductor/Pianist/ Vibraphonist/Educator. He is a six-time winner of the Downbeat Critics Poll as a jazz soloist, recipient of numerous Composition Awards (commissions by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, European Radio and Television: WDR, NDR, SWF, Radio France, Rai Italy. SWF-Prize 1994). A Professor of Composition, Artist-in-Residence at universities, schools and festivals worldwide; PhD in Music Esthetics, Karl became noted for his innovative arrangements for recordings by Jeff Buckley (“Grace”), Natalie Merchant (“Ophelia”), Better Than Ezra, The Cardigans, Jonathan Brooke, Buckethead, Bootsie Collins, The Swans, Sly + Robbie, Angelique Kidjo a.o.; and for his collaborations with producers Bill Laswell, Alan Douglas (“Operazone”), Peter Collins, Andy Wallace, Craig Street, Alain Mallet, Malcolm Burn, Bob Marlett a.m.o. in Woodstock, NY, New York City, Los Angeles, Tokyo, London, Paris, Rome. Karl recorded and performed with Don Cherry, Lee Konitz, John McLaughlin, Gunther Schuller, the Mingus Epitaph Orchestra, Dave Brubeck, Ingrid Sertso, Dave Holland, Ed Blackwell, Ray Anderson, Carlos Ward, Pharoah Sanders, Blood Ulmer, Hozan Yamamoto and many others at festivals and concerts in the US, Canada, Europe, Africa, India, Phillippines, Japan, Mexico, Brazil. His recordings and arrangements appear on the Atlantic, Axiom, Black Saint, Blue Note, Capitol, CBS, Columbia Double Moon, Douglas Music, Elektra , EMI, Enja, Island, JVC, Knitting Factory, In&Out, MCA, Milestone, Polygram, Pye , RCA, SONY, Stockholm, Vogue a.o. Karl is a founder and director of the Creative Music Foundation, Inc., dba The Creative Music Studio, a not-for-profit corporation, dedicated to the research of the power of music and sound and the elements common to all of the world’s music forms; and to educational presentations through workshops, concerts, recordings, with a growing network of artists and CMS members worldwide. He has conducted CMS Residencies worldwide. In the 90s, Karl was Professor of Composition and Dean of Music Education at the Hochschule fuer Musik, Frankfurt, Germany and Chairman of the Music Department at UMass Dartmouth till 2006. He’s now re-establishing CMS programming, directing the CMS Archive Project, recording and producing. CMS is joining forces with Planet Arts, Inc. (www.PlanetArts.org), performing internationally with the Allstar Ensemble “In the Spirit of Don Cherry” and with numerous projects, collaborating with vocalist/poet Ingrid Sertso (contact CreativeMusicAgency@gmail.com). Special areas of interest: Improvisation; world musical communications in ensembles/orchestras of soloists through modular compositions/arrangements; Rhythmic Training (the GaMaLaTaKi system): timing/attention/expression; R+D of the elements governing the universal power of sound and music with emphasis on the healing power of sound and music. (see www.CreativeMusicStudio.org); MUSIC MIND: exploring the ways our mind works while playing or listening.
Alan Berliner: Alan Berliner’s uncanny ability to combine experimental cinema, artistic purpose, and popular appeal in compelling film essays has made him one of America’s most acclaimed independent filmmakers. The New York Times has described Berliner’s work as “powerful, compelling and bittersweet… full of juicy conflict and contradiction, innovative in their cinematic technique, unpredictable in their structures… Alan Berliner illustrates the power of fine art to transform life.” A recipient of Rockefeller, Guggenheim and Jerome Foundation Fellowships, Berliner has received multiple grants from the NEA, NYSCA, NYFA and in 1998, won his third career Emmy Award (he has also received six nominations) from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He was the recipient of a Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Documentary Association in 1993, and was honored with a “Storyteller Award” from the 2001 Taos Talking Picture Film Festival. In 2002, Berliner was awarded a “Cultural Achievement Award in the Arts” by the National Foundation For Jewish Culture. In 2006, the International Documentary Association selected Berliner to receive an International Trailblazer Award for “creativity, innovation, originality and breakthrough in the field of documentary cinema,” presented at the MIPDOC Conference in Cannes, France. He received a full career retrospective at the 2006 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), where he also curated a program of his ten favorite films, and presented a Master Class exploring the ideas, themes and storytelling strategies that have characterized his work over the past two decades. Berliner’s experimental documentary films, WIDE AWAKE (2006), THE SWEETEST SOUND (2001), NOBODY’S BUSINESS (1996), INTIMATE STRANGER (1991), and THE FAMILY ALBUM (1986), have been broadcast all over the world, and received awards and prizes at many major international film festivals. Selected retrospectives of his films have been presented at the Museum of Modern Art (NYC), the International Center of Photography (NYC) and at film festivals from Norway and Finland to England, Australia and Brazil. Several of his films are routinely rented for filmmaking and film history classes at universities all across the United States, and are in the permanent collections of many film societies, festivals, libraries, colleges and museums. WIDE AWAKE, which received its world premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, and its international premiere at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival, is Berliner’s most personal film. An idiosyncratic and cinematically innovative essay exploring Berliner’s lifelong obsession with insomnia, WIDE AWAKE ultimately reveals—in ways both hilarious and deeply personal—how sleeplessness has profoundly impacted the delicate relationship between his creative life and family responsibility. “Berliner… has the gift of addressing intimate subjects and making them universal.” wrote Variety, “Nowhere has he done this better than with “Wide Awake.” WIDE AWAKE received its American television premiere on HBO in May 2007. THE SWEETEST SOUND, which premiered to sold-out audiences at the 2001 Berlin International Film Festival, is a serio-comic essay film exploring the power, meaning and mystery of people’s names. TimeOut, London called it “… an excellent film… a classic example of what eccentric, heavily authored documentary making is all about.” The Austin Chronicle described it as “charming and brilliant… a beautifully constructed work in which every element is carefully considered and gracefully executed… funny and wise and provocative.” HybridMagazine.com noted that, “…Berliner is on his way to becoming the film world’s leading documentarian on the intricacies of ordinary life and family.” THE SWEETEST SOUND received its American television premiere on “P.O.V.,” in June, 2001, making Berliner the first filmmaker ever to present four films on that highly acclaimed documentary series. NOBODY’S BUSINESS is an unflinchingly honest portrait of Berliner’s reclusive (and stubbornly resistant) father Oscar; a film that finds humor and pathos in the swirl of conflicts and affections that bind father and son. Since its premiere at the New York Film Festival in 1996, the film has won twelve international awards and prizes, including both the “Caligari Film Prize” and the “International Film Critics Association Prize” at the 1997 Berlin International Film Festival, the Grand Prize at the 1997 Visions Du Reel Documentary Film Festival in Nyon, Switzerland, and an award for “Innovation in Cinema” from the 1997 Festival dei Popoli in Florence, Italy. In the summer of 1997, NOBODY’S BUSINESS was selected to launch the 10th anniversary broadcast season of “P.O.V.,” for which it later received an Emmy Award. NOBODY’S BUSINESS has been shown at more than 80 festivals, museums, conferences and universities. It has been the subject of feature articles in the New York Times, New York Magazine, The Independent, and The Austin Chronicle, and has been critically acclaimed in publications ranging from The Atlanta Constitution to The Denver Post, from The Nation, to USA Today. In the December, 1996 edition of Film Comment, author Philip Lopate wrote, “I know of no one working in personal films today who can do so well what Alan Berliner does: bring dramatically alive the intense agon and ambivalence and love within families. His dazzling technical mastery of the relation between sound and image is always kept in the service of deep psychological truths.” INTIMATE STRANGER (1991) explores the extraordinary life story of Berliner’s maternal grandfather Joseph Cassuto, a Palestinian Jew raised in Egypt whose lifelong passion for Japan created confusion and conflict in his post-World War II Brooklyn home. Following its premiere at the 1991 New York Film Festival, it was invited to many film festivals, museums, universities and film showcases all over the world, winning several awards and prizes, including an EMMY nomination by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and a 1993 Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Documentary Association. The Washington Post called INTIMATE STRANGER “a brilliant, one of a kind film… funny, probing… so wholly original in both style and substance as to seem completely without precedent… intoxicating to watch… a spectacular high wire feat by a master.” Berliner first achieved recognition with a group of innovative avant-garde films made between 1975 and 1985. But it was his first hour-long experimental documentary film, THE FAMILY ALBUM (1986), winner of awards and prizes at film festivals around the world, which placed him at the forefront of experimental documentary filmmaking. In THE FAMILY ALBUM, which was included as part of the 1987 Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial Exhibition, Berliner used a vast collection of anonymous 16mm home movies (belonging to more than 75 different families) from the 1920s to the 1950s to create a universal yet intimate composite portrait of the American family. Hailed as “the most intriguing film” of the 1987 Edinburgh International Film Festival by critic Roger Ebert, the film was shown on PBS as part of the P.O.V. series, as well as on The BRAVO Network and The Learning Channel. In addition to his work in film, Berliner has also produced a substantial body of photographic, audio and video installation works. His early “para-cinematic” photographs, scrolls and collages were exhibited at the Hunter College Art Gallery, The Collective for Living Cinema, and The Munson Williams Proctor Institute in the early eighties. CINE-MATRIX (1977) part of an exhibition titled, FRAMES: Two Dimensional Work by Film Artists, held at the Hunter College Art Gallery in 1980 was reviewed in Art Forum. In 1987, during a two month artist-in-residency at Sculpture Space in Utica, New York, Berliner premiered a sound performance work titled MICROFILM AND OTHERS. His video sculpture, LATE CITY EDITION (1993) was shown as part of a curated exhibition titled, The Concrete Signal: Video as Sculpture at Gallery 148 in October, 1993, and at the Fine Arts Gallery at Wake Forest University in February, 1995. A selection of his audio/video installation work was included as part of the curated exhibition, Body & Technology: International Technology Art in June of 1995, held at the Dong Ah Gallery in Seoul, Korea. AUDIOFILE (1993) and AVIARY (1993), both ground-breaking interactive audio installations were exhibited at the Walter Reade Theater Gallery at Lincoln Center and at Anthology Film Archives (Seoul/Nymax) in 1994. His first one person exhibition, FOUND SOUND: Audio & Video Installation Works featuring the premieres of CRITICAL MASS (1996) and THE RED THREAD (1996), was held at Sculpture Center Gallery in New York City in March, 1996. Berliner’s interactive video installation, GATHERING STONES (1999), based on the tradition of placing rocks on tombstones when visiting Jewish cemeteries, was commissioned for the exhibition, To The Rescue, Eight Artists in an Archive, which premiered at the International Center of Photography Midtown in New York City in February, 1999, and will travel to art museums in Miami, Houston and San Francisco. His second one person exhibition, THE ART OF WAR, held at The Stephen Gang Gallery in March, 1999, featured an innovative interactive sound/image interface using images projected from the ceiling onto a “screen” composed of 150 small white audio speakers arranged in a grid on the gallery floor. In 2002, Berliner was an artist in residence at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, where his interactive multi-media installation, THE LANGUAGE OF NAMES opened in February 2002 and ran through October 2002. He was also commissioned to create a large-scale interactive sculpture based on GATHERING STONES for Holocaust Museum Houston which was on exhibition from March through August 2002. Berliner was born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens and lives in Manhattan. He is currently a faculty member at the New School for Social Research in New York City, where he teaches a course entitled, “Experiments in Time, Light and Motion.”
Beth Berman: Beth Berman is the Marketing Director for Career Placement Associates, a Washington, DC area Recruiting and Placement firm, now in its 27th year in business. She has co-authored the firm’s newly-released Interview Coaching and Job Search Boot Camp Program, which is directed at college grads as well as graduate level and professional school graduates. Beth acquired her BBA in Business Administration and Marketing from George Washington University. Born in Northern NJ, she fell in love with Washington, DC during college and resides in the area to this day. After graduating, she was recruited by AT&T and began her initial career in Marketing and Strategic Planning. After 13 years working in varied areas of the company, Beth stepped out of the corporate world and spent 7 years working with young kids in a Child Assault Prevention/Educational Program. Ultimately, the business world called out to her, and in February, 2002, she joined Executive Placement Associates, parent of Career Placement Associates. Initially an Associate Recruiter, she has risen to the role of Marketing Director for the firm’s recruiting and placement business and plays an integral part in the development and marketing of their Interview Coaching and Job Search program. Beth’s marketing role continues to evolve as the firm adapts to changing economic and job market conditions. (The Interview Coaching and Job Search Boot Camp tutorials and personalized/group coaching sessions cover insiders’ tips, lessons and insights about the entire job search process—from resume writing to utilizing technological tools to optimize one’s job search to addressing in detail the interview process itself, with a focus on teaching strategies and techniques for mastering this most critical phase in a job search).
Kenneth M. Berman, ESQ.: Kenneth M. Berman, a Principal Partner of Berman, Sobin & Gross, LLP, received his B.A. Degree with Honors from the University of Rochester and his Juris Doctorial Degree from the National Law Center George Washington University in the District of Columbia. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, The District of Columbia Bar, The United States Supreme Court Bar, The Fourth Circuit of Appeals Bar, District Court of Maryland and the District Court of the District of Columbia. He has been honored as a Diplomat of the Court Practice Institute for Trial Advocacy and has resolved Medical Malpractice, Products Liability and Motor Vehicle Accident cases in each area for amounts in excess of one million dollars and recently has tried a burn case resulting in a jury verdict of four million dollars. He has lectured before Legal Organizations and Unions, as well as provided seminars to other attorneys and the insurance industry on the issues of County Bar Sections, Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation. He has also appeared on numerous occasions before the State of Maryland Legislature with regards to pending legislation and has worked in conjunction with the Governor’s Study Commission on Workers’ Compensation. He is the former Chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Section for the Maryland Trial Lawyer’s Association. Mr. Berman is also on the Board of the Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation where he acts as the Director of Legal Affairs. Mr. Berman is a member of the Board of Governors of the Maryland Trial Lawyers, the District of Columbia Section of Litigation Negligence and Personal Injury and has given numerous seminars to public safety organizations, groups that represent claimants and insurance companies, vocational rehabilitation organizations and numerous business groups. He has written and lectured extensively on the above-mentioned areas and has been a member of the factuality for the Maryland Institute of Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (MICPEL) as well as the Educational Committee of the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association (MTLA).
Julie Bilinkas: Julie Bilinkas is the Director of Operations for Avaya (a worldwide leader of business communications systems). Julie is an energetic, passionate and seasoned operational leader with demonstrated achievements in; Product Management, Marketing, Sales, Customer Service, Technical Support, Finance and IT. Julie has a proven track record increasing revenues and improving customer satisfaction while decreasing costs and expenses. Julie has a passion for International travel and the arts, and especially enjoys getting to know people of different cultures and religions.
Samantha Bilinkas: Samantha Bilinkas (aka “Sam”) is a High School Senior and a member of the National Honor Society. She has been performing since she was 9 years old. In addition to performing in countless local and regional productions with roles that included; Doubt (Sister Aloysius), Noises Off (Vicky/Brooke), Equus (Jill), Halcyon Days (Patricia), Hello Dolly (Irene Malloy), Godspell (Peggy), Fools (Sophia), Sound of Music (Elsa Schrader), Tuptim (The King and I), Alice in Wonderland (Alice), Wizard of Oz (Dorothy) , Sam has also performed professionally in a Broadway Workshop (Night of the Hunter), Off Broadway (Trials of Ms.Katherine), and in several movies (Spy, Civil War, Vacant, Recoil). Sam is an actress, singer, guitarist, songwriter, photographer, poet and writer. She has a passion for International travel and enjoys volunteering in her community. Sam is a member of Actors Equity Association.
Daniel Blanck: Daniel Blanck is from Syracuse, New York. He is currently a student at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music studying music industry technology. His music and recordings have won numerous awards including multiple Downbeat Awards in 2007 and 2008. He has founded his own recording studio and live recording company working with nationally acclaimed artists including members of the Metropolitan Opera and Symphony, grammy-nominated artists, big bands, orchestras, and jazz ensembles. His has done pro bono sound editing for Mark Edwards, “Hard Rain” exhibit interfacing Bob Dylan, global warming, people with disabilities, and international civil rights issues. Additionally, he has edited sound for a documentary on Darfur. Daniel studies jazz guitar with USC professor Steve Trovato and has played venues ranging from clubs to theaters on the east coast. Daniel’s first mentor, Professor James Abbott, is head of recording engineering at Syracuse University. Daniel has worked for studios and concert halls such as, Belfer Archives and Crouse Recital Hall at Syracuse University, John Williams Scoring Stage and Bovard Auditiorium at The University of Southern California.
Owen Elijah Brown: Owen Elijah Brown was born in Harrisburg, Pa. Early in life he knew he wanted to be an entertainer. Though growing up in a small town can create somewhat of a tunnel vision when it comes to achieving your dreams in entertainment, Owen was able to cling to the positive and nurturing influences in his life that have allowed him to travel down a path that has helped me to achieve them. Owen has shared a stage with world renown acts such as Parlament Funkadelic’s George Clinton, and has been part of a musical group called Odysy. He has appeared on nation television many times, and have competed in national competitions, placing in the top 5. Owen has been an opening performer for Boyz II Men, Danity Kane, Flo Rida, RocaFella Records, Kelis, Elton John, and Patti LaBelle. He has traveled from Harrisburg, to Philadelphia, to California and Los Vegas and hashad experiences which have been mentally and spiritually enlightening. Owen truly believes that one’s true potential can exceed even their own wildest expectations and that it is all effected by their mind set. One truth that Owen has learned is that no matter what one has done or how much one has accomplished, it is wise to be in awe that the future which lies ahead and is still full of exciting new challenges.
Valentina Caniglia: Italian-born Valentina Caniglia is an experienced cinematographer who combines her cinematic skills with the moving image camera to shape the light and create illuminative colors that give life in every frames she makes. For many years, Valentina has always been a cinematographer who focuses her creative and technical knowledge to translate words into visual images which better adapt into a narrative story. At early age Valentina started her cinematography and camera operator career for dramas, comedies, music videos, commercials, industrials, television episodes, web episodes and documentaries using all kind of formats in video and film and technique with high speed photography, stop motion, special effects, time lapse photography, blue and green screen. She has since traveled around the globe participating in films in USA, Europe, Middle East, India, Asia. Valentina Caniglia is bi-coastal in New York and Los Angeles. Throughout her life Valentina discovered the language of light, shadows, movement and composition, which she could use to develop her unique style. A style based on the quality of light and camera work associated to the narrative of a film, music video, commercial, television episode or a documentary. Her vision strongly create a visual language that translate the script into strong images able to transmit magic emotions which adapt into the story. She has since become a Cinematographer for various production companies where she unveiled her professionalism and creativity. In 2010, Valentina Caniglia was the cinematographer for The Festival Of Light with Ritu Singh Pande, Aidan Quinn,Jimi Mistry,Melinda Shankar, Ritu Singh Pande.Valentina was the cinematographer for the film Return To Sender with Bill Cobbs directed by 79th Oscar winner producer Ravi Malhotra. She teamed with Jerry Melichar manager of Distributor Services at Focus Features International in the film Landlocked with Leslie Lyles and was the Director Of Photography on 2nd unit of the film Paraiso Travel with John Leguizamo, Offical selection of the Tribeca Film Festival 2008.In October 2007, Valentina filmed the feature film “Pomegranates and Myrr” in Middle East, directed by Najwa Najwar with Hiam Abbass and Ali Suliman actors from the Oscar nominated foreign film “Paradise Now”. Valentina’s other work include the film Vespertine a drama featured on Showtime Tv, Ho Man! a dark comedy, Official selection of the Berlin Film Festival 2003, Nightmare a thriller film released in Europe, winner of the Chicago film festival 2005 and awarded at the New York film festival 2005 and The Woods Have Eyes a thriller with Franky Adonis released in 2006. Her work as a Director of Photography can be seen on MTV, Channel Plus, ShowTime TV, RAI as well as numerous nationally aired commercials, such as British Airways directed by Nikhil Advani, Ford directed by Kunal Kapoor, Nike directed by Mai La Thai, 2003 GBX , watch you step, and 2004 GBX, make your mark directed by Franco Barbeite both commercials received the Telly Award for two consecutive years. As Director Of Photography Valentina also made her mark in the music video world where she lensed the music video of Aesop Rock, Fast Cars, which achieved the first position on the MTV 2005 music videos award,the Stain, Articolo 31, Enzo Gragnaniello and The Roots.
In addition to Sailors, a documentary entirely shot on a cargo ship for 25 days, Valentina Caniglia’s feature documentary work includes Double Vision, Artwatch that was shown at the New York Film Festival 2004 and Rage doesn’t sleep.
Daniel Christopher: Daniel Christopher is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Rutgers University, with an Honors BA in political science and philosophy (2008). He is currently an international videojournalist experienced in production of short films, educational videos, advertisements, and stock photography. Dan has five years experience designing and implementing websites. He is skilled in sound recording and performance. As a freelance Producer/Editor for ForceField Studios (01/07–Present) in Denville, New Jersey, Dan is currently producing short film for Creative Heartwork’s fundraising event “Dinner of Hope.” He edited a thirty-second PSA for The Peace Alliance, which aired on 63 national television stations. Dan filmed and edited a five-minute film for Rutgers University’s annual research symposium, as well as a three-minute promotional film for NYC artist James Antonie. Dan served as a camera operator for Florham Park Police Department’s counterterrorism training video. He performed on Fox Television recording “In Love Again,” which aired on Anna Nicole Smith Show. As a videographer for Warm Heart Worldwide (02/09–Present) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Dan is currently producing a series of fundraising videos for the organization’s blog. He researched and filmed Warm Heart artisans and cooperatives for micro-enterprise website. He documented the construction of the Warm Heart village and ongoing volunteer developments. As a Creative Media Developer for Global PACT (07/08–Present) in Auckland, New Zealand, Dan produced and edited promotional short films using footage from study abroad programs. He designed new marketing materials (brochures, posters, custom USBs) for upcoming programs and updated and managed content for Plone site. As a Videojournalist (VJ), Tiva.tv (09/08– Present) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Dan is currently engaging in freelance film “orders for production” for web – TV series and Tiva.tv customers; after a job is complete, VJ’s upload self-contained media files to Tiva.tv servers via FTP. Dan is developing a pilot series about graffiti in Brazil. Dan’s technical skills include: Apple Certified Professional video editor with Final Cut Pro, Proficient with Adobe CS3, ProTools, CMS systems, and MS Office suite, Digital still photographer and cameraman.
Julia Cheng, ESQ.: Julia Cheng is a partner at the law firm of Di Santo LLP. Julia specializes in advising startups, on-going businesses or individuals on issues relating to business or intellectual property matters. Her clients include foreign and domestic clients ranging from individuals to established or startup businesses in the fields of software, internet, wireless, branding, entertainment, music, health & fitness, food and non-profit in their dealings with companies which include Fortune 500 companies, government institutions and sophisticated investors such as Microsoft, Electronic Arts, major record labels, Conde Nast, Getty Images, PBS, East Timor government, Copyright Office of Liberia and Icahn ventures. Prior to joining the firm Di Santo LLP, Julia practiced law for several years at the Wall Street firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP and successfully ran her own practice, CyberlawStudio, Pllc, a corporate and intellectual law boutique for seasoned entrepreneurs from her studio apartment in downtown Manhattan. A graduate of The Johns Hopkins University and Fordham University School of Law, Julia spent her childhood growing up in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, has traveled to 20+ countries (and counting) and speaks Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and French (descending scale of proficiency). While not advising clients, Julia immerses herself in music composition/production courses at The Juilliard School.
Shem Cohen, M.S.O.D.: Shem Cohen is an Organization Development consultant with over 20 years experience helping leaders forge new directions, create strategy, successfully resolve complex business and people-related challenges, focus, align and energize groups, greater develop their own leadership skills and lead results-driven change. Projects include: Visioning and strategic planning (Divisions, Business Units, Whole Systems); Leading organizational change; Consultative interventions to help clients resolve important business or human-system challenges;
Development initiatives to align people, systems, goals, and strategies; improve work-flow;Leadership Development and Executive Coaching;Design/delivery of action-learning trainings, workshops and team building events. Consulting Experience includes (partial listing): The United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations; The British Consulate-General; The New York State Department of Labor; The Federal Reserve Bank; Heineken USA; Del Monte Foods; Church and Dwight; Soros Fund Management; Marriott; JPMorgan Chase; Capital District Physicians Health Plan; Doylestown Hospital; National Parks Conservation Association; Compaq; Xerox Corporation; The American Taekwondo Association/World Traditional Taekwondo Union; Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, P.C.; Maynard, O’Connor, Smith & Catalinotto LLP; and the Civil Service Employees Association.
Tasha Cohen: Tasha Cohen, Event Planner/Producer, has had the amazing opportunity to share her talents and skills with some of the most influential people in the industry. Her talents range from a vision to create a “dream come true” affair, to managing a smooth and timely event, foreseeing all possible obstacles before they occur. Her attention to detail and pride in a well-planned event helps add to her value. Her vision, values and integrity are a part of her success. Her creative development leads to an event that is not just an experience, but an opportunity to make memories. The majority of her business is on a referral basis with a long list of satisfied clients. While she has had many years of event planning experience, i.e. weddings showers, theme parties, corporate parties, fashion shows, talent showcases, and special events, Tasha’s real love is gearing young individuals not to be just performers but to be humble, honest and most of all be team players. Being a singer and actress herself and the mother of an up and coming child star, Tasha finds joy in helping him and other children within her community alike succeed in this business by helping to provide the necessary tools in order to further their talents in this industry. Tasha has always taught her son that in life you can’t always wait for an opportunity to present itself—sometimes you have to create your own. With this strong aspiration to help young individuals, she decided to create a platform called “I’M A STAR TOO” for teens & young adults with dreams of becoming a star, because she truly believes that all of our children are stars!!!
Brian Corll: Brian Corll is an independent computer consultant who is working towards a mid-life career in a field for which he was first trained—art. In the past, he has been a cook, a scene and costume designer for a touring childrens’ theatre company, a trade coordinator for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the lead programmer for a vertical market software company, a staff consultant with a large computer consulting firm, and finally, since 1997, an independent computer consultant. Having been an avid photographer for many years, two years ago he began the transition into becoming a fine arts and stock photographer and has been exhibiting his work online in several places. He is also beginning to paint once again after a hiatus of many years and finds the prospects very exciting. He is a graduate of Vassar College where he received his degree in art in 1975. Since his graduation he has continued to pursue his love of art history by reading voraciously and visiting museums and galleries whenever possible, a pursuit which has proven invaluable when it comes to creating his own images. Brian is a native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and maintains homes in Pennsylvania and South Carolina.
Randy Chaplin: Randy Chaplin has been a talent agent in the personal appearance sector of the Music and lecture industry for the last twenty-five years. In that span, he has worked for premier entertainment and talent agencies, including New Line Cinema, International Creative Management, the William Morris Agency, and for the past 15 years as president of his own talent agency, Chaplin Entertainment Inc. In the Music and personal appearance touring industry he has represented and routed engagements and tours for artists in Arenas, Performing Arts Centers, Casinos, Symphony Orchestra’s and the Private Party and Industrial Event sector. Some of the artists he has represented and toured include: Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Liza Minnelli, Bill Cosby, James Taylor, Ray Charles, Yo Yo Ma and Itzak Perlman. In the lecture marketplace, Randy has represented many distinguished personalities including Former Presidents Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter, Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Astronaut James Lovell (From the Book and Film Apollo 13) and author’s Tom Clancy and Arthur Miller.
In the last decade, Chaplin Entertainment Inc. has become one of the leading agencies in representing and touring artists to perform with Symphony Pops Orchestra’s throughout the United States and Canada. Randy has done Symphonic tours with Michael Bolton, Olivia Newton John, Amy Grant, Clay Aiken, Al Jarreau, Three Dog Night and The Temptations.
Michael Cranmer: Michael manages the New York office of Alderson Court Reporting. Alderson is the court reporting division of Special Counsel, Inc., part of MPS Group, Inc. (NYSE: MPS). They provide court reporting and videography services anywhere in the world for depositions, arbitrations, mediations and hearings, 24/7. Permanent & temporary staffing solutions, knowledge worker placement, state of the art document and deposition summarization are available through Alderson’s parent company, Special Counsel. Conference room space is available, as well in any of its 200 + locations. Prior to joining Alderson, Michael spent 11 years as an option specialist on the floor of the American Stock Exchange, acting as dealer in equity options in a variety of different industries. Michael also has a lifelong passion for music and performs solo acoustic numbers regularly.
Paula Darlington: Paula Darlington is a multi-media consultant who has worked in book publishing as an editor and publicist as well as in marketing as a consultant producing communications pieces, organizing successful television advertising campaigns, and putting together successful events for both politicians and large corporations. In addition, she has also produced several web sites including one for the legendary Danny Kortchmar’s band Slo Leak. Her real passion is music and she regularly performs as a soprano soloist for Chris Coogan and The Good News Gospel Choir including one very memorable night as the opening soloist for a show with Mavis Staples at The Westport Country Playhouse. She is currently working on a recording project with Charlie Karp, whom she performs with. Although Paula is based out of Redding , CT, she frequently travels to New York City for business as well as for interesting meetings such as I Can Still Do That and Women Who Lunch and Network.
Cliff David: Mr. David is a friend of Dan Schneider.
Elaine T. Davis: Elaine Totten Davis is a certified life and career coach (C.E.C) and a certified Energy Leadership Coach. With more than 25 years’ experience in advertising and publishing, Elaine partners with creative professionals such as photographers, writers, art directors, and fine artists to help them focus on their professional and personal aspirations. Together, Elaine and her clients explore ways to tap into strengths, identify barriers, and develop strategies for achieving long- and short-term goals. Elaine’s resume includes roles as: 1) An Advertising Art Producer at both BBDO Worldwide in New York and Arnold Worldwide in Boston, 2) a Sales and Marketing Representative for both the Black Book in New York and AtEdge – Serbin Communications based out of Santa Barbara, CA and 3) a freelance Photo Consultant marketing and editing commercial photographers’ portfolios. In addition to her work with creative professionals, Elaine is passionate about supporting women in their pursuit to sustain a balance between the careers they love and the personal lives they treasure. Elaine values the ideas that “life happens all day” and that “we can all make things possible.
Jacques DeBeer: Jacques de Beer is 16 year old high, and is graduation high honors in the 2010 class at Onteora High School in Woodstock, NY. He was born in and is a citizen of South Africa, and is fluent in Afrikaans. He moved to Woodstock, NY age 12, and has worked and attended school there since. He worked at the Catskill Mountain Pizza Company from 12, but stopped recently to open a clothing company, Jacques de Beer Inc. He’s an active member of Woodstock town politics, and enjoys running amongst other sports.
Gabe Dettre: Gabe Dettre is an award winning writer/director producer who has filmed in (chronologically): the USA, Hungary, France, Switzerland, Estonia, Russia, Israel, Algeria, Mali, Poland, UK, Holland, Thailand, Germany, Albania, Chile, Italy, Croatia, India, Syria, Yemen among others. He has served as the director of the Sight and Sound Department (sophomore year) at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts and an editing teacher (1982-84)As the owner of Hunnia Theatre and Café, a movie-house which is more like a cultural meeting place for the youth Budapest (1994-2005) he organized several cultural events, national filmweeks (Iranian, Chinese, Estonian, Sarayevo Filmweek, etc.). He is a Member of the Executive Committee of the Hungarian Association of Filmmakers, and has held international work-shops in directing, screenplay-writing and acting and has been teaching at two universities. Gabe has won approximately twenty international awards, among them the Cine Eagle of the Motion Picture Association of the United States of America, an Oscar nomination for Best Actress Award (Sally Kirkland for Anna) for Gabe’ producing debut, the Tolerance Award, the Award of the City of Rome, the Cinecitta Award, and many Hungarian ones, like Best Hungarian Film Awards and three Critics’ Awards for Best Film in Hungary as well as the Béla Balázs Award of the Ministry of Culture of Hungary. Gabe was selected for Best European Director Award (Felix Price), and his film (Cloud over the Ganges) for Best European Feature (Felix Price) Most recently, his feature (Tableau) won Best Screenplay Award at the Syracuse International Film Festival, in Syracuse, USA. His films have been invited to some of the most prestigious festivals around the world, among them to: New Directors New Films, NYC, Karlovy Vary, Mar del Plata, Seattle, Wiesbaden, Nyon, France, Porto, Portugal etc. Gabe is a graduate of Law School, Pécs, Hungary, and of New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, New York, USA
Ron Dobey: Ron Dobey is a musician and composer with many years of experience in the music industry where he has been involved in performing, recording and teaching. He has written music for a number of film documentaries as well as music videos and multimedia productions. In his work, he combines advanced digital technologies with traditional analog sounds and acoustic instruments.Ron, a CPA licensed in New York and Connecticut, also has a Personal Financial Planning.practice and works with Not for Profit organizations, involved in the arts, on strategic planning and financial matters. Ron retired from the firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in 2008, where he spent over 30 years serving clients in a variety of industries including the financial services industry, where he specialized in the Investment Management sector. Ron also lead a technology group which developed proprietary applications for the financial services sector of the firm.
Dorothy Doppstadt: Dorothy Doppstadt the president of Surge Partners Company, teaches college students how to “surge ahead” and achieve in the professional world. Faculty and students have applauded her workshops as relevant, informative and engaging. Her combination of corporate experience at ABC NEWS as a national award-winning reporter and her ten years teaching experience as a writing professor at various universities and colleges in and around New York City are valuable assets for preparing students as they launch into an increasingly competitive work environment. Professor Doppstadt has taught broadcast writing and production at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and has developed courses at Fordham University, including the journalism core requirement, screenwriting, Shakespeare in Film, and advanced writing for the media. She has also taught business writing, magazine writing and feature writing at Manhattan College and the College of Mount Saint Vincent. She has a Master of Fine Arts in writing, a terminal degree, from Columbia University. Sony Pictures and Avenue Production have optioned several of her original screenplays.
Ric Dragon: Ric Dragon is the CEO or Oxclove Workshop, a 20-person web development/custom application development company. He specializes in business process management and marketing. Ric nurtured the company through the beginning of the Internet era, building the company to its present size. Negotiated countless strategic partnerships and joint ventures. He is also the Managing Partner of Draon Search Marketing, a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) , Pay-per-click (PPC) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) company. His other companies include: Medical Intelligence Solutions, and Empireitech.
Brian D. Drazin, ESQ.: Brian D. Drazin is a partner in the Red Bank , NJ law firm of Drazin & Warshaw. His areas of practice include: Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Product Liability and Toxic Torts. Mr. Drazin is admitted to practice in New Jersey, 1982 , Georgia, 1983 and U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia, 1983. His education includes Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, Georgia, 1982 J.D. (Honors: Member, Moot Court Team) and Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1979 B.A., Bachelor of Arts. Mr. Drazin has been an active Lecturer for the American Bar Association a Trial Academy Instructor for ATLA-NJ, Co-Chairman Lecturer, The Year in Torts in NJ/Top Ten, ATLA-NJ, Moderator, Advanced Courtroom Communications, ATLA-NJ, Lecturer, Cross Examination of Medical Experts in Soft Tissue Injury, ATLA-NJ and an Instructor for the Institute Continuing Education – NJ . He was the Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award, Criminal Procedure. His professional associations include Monmouth County Bar Association, New Jersey State Bar Association, State Bar of Georgia Member, Association of Trial Lawyers of America N.J. (Past President) Association of Trial Lawyers of America N.J. (First Vice President , Board of Governors, Judicial Committee Chair, and Executive Committee), ATLA NJ PAC (Trustee) and the American Association for Justice (State Delegate)
Samantha N. Drazin: Samantha is a recent graduate of Franklin & Marshall College where she majored in Government and minored in Psychology. She has experience in marketing, event planning, and fundraising for a non-profit organization called Prevention First. During her internship at Prevention First she coordinated public events and fundraisers which netted upwards of $200,000, wrote press releases, and secured donor support. Samantha was briefly Co-Director of Awareness and Development for the Tommy Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises funds and awareness about Autism in the greater Lancaster, Pennsylvania community. Eager to embark on an exciting career in communications and media, Samantha will be attending the University of Miami in September to obtain her Masters in Public Relations.
Chaim Drizin: Chaim Drizin is the Educational Director at Chabad of Downtown (NYC). He has been involved over the years in substantial Jewish Outreach in the New York City Metropolitan area and upstate. Prior to that he has helped re-start the Jewish community of Ukraine and the Former Soviet Union. He has travelled extensively, and writes occasionally for Chabad.org. He has consulted to several start-up companies and moonlights at his family’s real estate business. Helping people is his passion.
James Duarte: James Duarte, age 18, was born and raised in the Bronx and still resides there today. He is currently a freshman at the City College of New York and is pursuing a dual major in Film & Television and Political Science. James began his filmmaking career at age nine when he chose a camera over a family vacation. As part of the pioneering class at the Theatre Arts Production Company School in the Bronx, industry professionals like Steven Mudrick and Jesse Antigua-Perez taught James the fundamentals of video production. In 2006, James became the youngest member to join Downtown Community Television Center’s Pro-TV Fellowship and Samsung’s Fresh-Films program, where he experienced firsthand how the film industry works. Since then, James has produced work that has gone on to screen at film festivals including TriBeCa Film Festival, HBO’s Latino Film Festival, and Media’s DOCFest Festival. In 2008 James helped curate Listen Up’s 11th Annual Urban Visionaries Youth Film Festival and Arts Engine’s 8th Annual Media That Matters Film Festival. That same year, James was invited to screen one of his documentary films at the NY Museum of Modern Art. Also, his autobiographical documentary earned him a first place $5000 college scholarship. The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts has recognized James as an upcoming talented young artist in the field of Cinematic Arts for his production of his experimental short “Cause & Affect”. In his own words, James says, “The kinships created by making a film are precious because it calls for togetherness, but most importantly because of the impact films can encompass on audiences from all walks of life.” Today, James continues to work on his filmmaking career in hopes of becoming a successful Film Director.
Alan Dubow: Alan is the founding President of the National Association of Retirement Counselors is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts in the National Capital Area on care options for seniors. Best known in the healthcare field as the Vice President of Capital Health Solutions, a marketing and strategic planning consultation firm specializing in the healthcare industry, Alan has extensive experience in the rehabilitation and long term care field, explaining the complex health care system so that it is readily understood by consumers and care providers alike. He has designed healthcare informational programs used by both healthcare providers as outreach and marketing tools, and for non-profit organizations for major national initiatives, including the AARP campaign on the Medicare prescription drug program. Dr. Dubow holds a bachelors degree from Vassar College and Masters and Doctoral degrees from the University of Miami and has lectured at Catholic University, Briarcliffe College, The Learning Annex, Howard University, Loyola Academy and other institutions. With extensive public policy experience, Alan has served as Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for Working Parents of America and the Disability Coalition of a major political party; Deputy Political Director for a U.S. Senator; Advance Press Liaison for White House; Legislative Director for a state political party; and lobbyist for several municipal governments where he developed a reputation for his expertise on public health planning and the certificate of need process. He currently co-chairs the Arlington Steering Committee on Services for Older Persons and Agenda:Alexandria. He has previously served as Chair of the City of Alexandria Consumer Affairs Commission and the Board of Directors of the Alexandria Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Mindy Dutka: Mindy is President/Founder of The Event Company. She brings over 25 years experience in Event Management, Marketing, Public Relations, Sales, Advertising, Community Relations, Business Development, Fundraising and Customer Service to every project she undertakes. Her trademark is her attention to detail and her ability to think quickly on her feet, solving problems swiftly and effectively. She has the unique talent to determine her client’s needs and deliver them with successful results. Mindy’s events produce feelings of camaraderie and excitement, which equal a memorable, outstanding event. Being the consummate professional, she makes it all look easy while making the client look like a superstar. Her background includes employment with Fortune 500 companies Rueben H. Donnelly, Pitney Bowes and Chase Manhattan Bank. As director of Sales & Marketing for Chase Manhattan’s Conference Center, Mindy managed the conference center, from a start-up to over $3 million dollars in revenue, a client base of over 60 corporations and the implementation of more than 1200 meetings within the first year. In 1995 she started, S’Mall Happenings Inc. and created an award winning family program called “Kid’s Causes.” S’Mall Happenings Inc. grew rapidly and has now evolved into The Event Company. The Event Company is a full service Event Marketing firm that plans a multitude of events and marketing programs for an impressive roster of ever-growing clients.
Jeremy Ellenbogen: Jeremy Ellenbogen is President and CEO at Seven21 Media Center , a state of the art multi-media center in Kingston, N.Y. Jeremy is also President and CEO of the Ellenbogen Group, Inc., a production and post production company located at the Media Center. Jeremy is a graduate of the State University of New York at New Paltz.
Carolyn Enger: American pianist Carolyn Enger is a passionate and distinctive musician whose recitals express her joy of sharing great music with audiences. In an era when musical interpretation has become predictable, Ms. Enger’s memorable concert experiences make an indelible impression on the individuals who hear them. Ms. Enger has appeared in many venues throughout the New York City and New Jersey area including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, Steinway Hall, Bechstein Piano Centre, Yamaha Artist Services, The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, and the Puffin Cultural Center. Her many recitals have also included numerous outreach concerts for libraries, community centers, churches, and synagogues. Ms. Enger presents programs designed to inspire audiences to engage deeply with classical music of all kinds. Her concert repertoire includes piano literature from all periods, ranging from the great masterworks of European history to fresh new discoveries from living composers. Her recital programs are carefully crafted to the venues and performance contexts in which she appears. She has recently created recital programs featuring music by a number of living American and Israeli composers including Ned Rorem, Lowell Liebermann, Avner Dorman, Lior Navok, and Menachem Zur. Ms. Enger has released a recording entitled In Evening Air, which includes music of Beethoven, Scriabin, Hanson, Copland, Rorem, and Liebermann. She has also recorded a forthcoming CD devoted entirely to piano music of Ned Rorem. Ms. Enger is a graduate of Molloy College. She has furthered her musical study at the Manhattan School of Music, the Juilliard School, Vassar College, and the Adamant Music School in Vermont. Her teachers have included Marc Silverman, Arkady Aronov, Peter Vinograde, and Robert MacDonald. She has also participated in masterclasses and coaching with Ward Davenny, Golda Vainberg, and Jacob Lateiner. Ms. Enger was a student of the late Freda Rosenblatt, a musical descendant of Theodor Leschetizky, one of the world’s foremost piano teachers (whose students included the famous pianists Ignace Paderewski and Artur Schnabel). Leschetizky himself was a student of Carl Czerny, who in turn was Beethoven’s star pupil. Ms. Enger is honored to be a part of this distinguished tradition. Furthering her interest in distinctive concert experiences, Ms. Enger is currently working on a multimedia project that will combine music, literature, and images, centering on the lives of Holocaust survivors.
Lynn Eros: Lynn’s expertise is in marketing analytics and product management. She has 10+ years experience at Morgan Stanley, most recently as Vice President, Product Manager leading a global marketing system and team. Lynn has held other senior posts within Morgan Stanley: within Equity Marketing Analytics generating new revenue ideas, and within Technology preparing financial forecasts and budgets. She has extensive client relationship experience and 5 years as a management consultant with Price Waterhouse. Lynn holds an MBA from Emory University and a BSE in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. She has always enjoyed travel (over 15 countries and 5 continents so far). Lynn just joined an improv comedy group and performs on stage in NYC. Her other passions include dogs, hiking, sailing, reading, and mentoring.
Dr. Sondra Farganis: Sondra Farganis is the former Director of the Wolfson Center for National Affairs at The New School, holds a B.A. from Brooklyn College, a M.A. from the New School, and a Ph.D. from the Australian National University. Before coming to the New School in 1988, she taught at CUNY, Vassar, and Hamilton. At the New School, she has been the Chair of the Social Sciences Department, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the founder and Director of the Vera List Center for Art and Politics. Her books include: The Black Revolt and Democratic Politics; The Social Reconstruction of the Feminine Character; and Situating Feminism: From Thought to Action. She has written numerous articles for scholarly journals on subjects ranging from theories of liberty, identity formation, Hannah Arendt, intellectuals, and postmodernism. She has been president of both the New York State Political Science Association and the Northeast Political Science Association and has chaired the Theory Prize section of the American Sociological Association. Her current research is on the role of social movements and the cultural elite in the transformation of American society.
Lorraine Frankfurt: Lorraine Frankfurt, born and raised in Staten Island, New York now resides just minutes outside the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area in Northern Virginia. Starting in the late 1970s, Lorraine worked on Wall Street for years in administrative positions in companies such as Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and was office manager in the commodities exchange for the Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchange at the World Trade Center. In these positions she developed computer and technical skills that carried her over to managerial positions in Washington where she worked for government contracting firms, managing Word Processing and Graphics Departments that were responsible for the final products presented for proposals, along with carrying out the projects themselves. Eventually, she had her own business contracting out her technical expertise. Over the past decade plus, Lorraine has been moving in a completely differently direction, juggling two different “worlds” as it were. Just this year she has completely given up her clients from her old business and has dedicated herself to her non-profit organization, the Namasté Center of Light and Education, Inc. The Center is dedicated to helping one open up their awareness to oneself, thereby living a happy and more balanced life. Lorraine is a certified Reiki Master Practitioner, is certified in Reconnective Healing™ and The Reconnection™, Crystal Healing, Vibrational Healing and Metamorphosis—after studying for a year, in early October, she will become a teacher of Metamorphosis. She also offers Life Coaching, Intuitive Guidance, Cellular Release of fear and negativity and Brain Gym—learning through kinesiology. Lorraine is an Ordained Minister of the Universal Brotherhood Movement, a multi-faith organization
Wilhelmina Frankfurt: Wilhelmina Frankfurt is a former ballerina with The New York City Ballet under the direction of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. She is a choreographer, director, coach and teacher. She has been the Artist in Residence at Sarah Lawrence College, SunyUlster, and The Masters School. She has presented lectures and performances on Balanchine at numerous venues and schools( ie Vassar College, The Harvey Milk School, Ballet Florida School in Palm Beach). She is on the Board of The Real Theater Company and The Clockwork Theater Company. Currently, Ms Frankfurt is on the faculty of Talent Unlimited High School for The Performing Arts In New York City where she serves as director of the Musical Theater Department and teaches ballet in the Dance Department. She also has developed a method for integrating the teachings of George Balanchine for public school dance students. She has three children Maggie, Jake and Sarah-Mae.
Jan Freeman: Poet and editor Jan Freeman is the author of Hyena and Simon Says, which was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award. She has recently completed a new collection of poems, Blue Structure. Her work has appeared in many anthologies and journals, including The American Poetry Review, The Oxford Companion to Women Writers in the U.S., The Massachusetts Review, the Women?s Review of Books, The Southern Review, and Prairie Schooner. She has been a contributing editor to The American Poetry Review since 1987. Jan is a MacDowell Fellow and is the director of Paris Press, a small not-for-profit 501(c)(3) press that publishes daring and groundbreaking literature by women that has been overlooked by readers, educators, and the mainstream publishing world.
Lee Gerber: Lee Gerber was a financial professional for 22 years with some of the nations leading financial institutions including SHEARSON LEHMAN, PRUDENTIAL and PAINE WEBER. He was responsible for leading financing IPO’s with a number of leading information and technology companies. Mr. Gerber also managed individual and foreign institutional accounts. In 1997 Lee left Wall Street to pursue a career in the Healthcare industry. CHG Allied, Inc, (Comprehensive Health Group) of which he assumed the presidency, grew under his leadership over the last five years four fold. CHG is one of the largest chiropractic networks in the country and designs and markets affordable health care programs to employers and the underinsured marketplace. In 2000 he formed CAM Health Partners of which Mr. Gerber was Chairman. CAM specializes in complementary and alternative medicine, offering a more holistic and natural approach to healthcare. The network contains chiropractors; massage therapists, naturopaths, holistic doctors, acupuncturists, nutritionists, physical therapists, physiotherapy, etc. CAM has a nationwide network of over 25,000 providers. In October 2004, Mr. Gerber created US Healthcare Savers. US Healthcare Savers is a leading developer/ marketer of affordable consumer directed health savings programs to consumers. Clients include leading insurance brokers, marketing organizations, unions and corporate accounts, non-profits. Lee Gerber holds an Economics degree major for Bernard Baruch College, City College of New York and has completed post graduate work at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Married for 36 years with 2 children. Resides in Lawrence NY.
Jack Gindi: Jack Gindi is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and has worked as an actor, writer, director and producer. A student of José Quintero’s, Jack was featured in the film “The Hard Way,” the CBS pilot “Sporting Chance” and has also pitched products in commercials and voice over spots. Playwriting credits include: “Next of Kin” – Aurora Stage New York production; “The Watch” – L.A. Ensemble Studio Theatre; “Oscar Buzz” – Manhattan Theatre Source’s Spontaneous Combustion series. Directing credits include: “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” – Manhattan’s Trilogy Theatre; “The Lost Language of Twins” – SoHo Rep; Sue Costello’s “The Life and Times of a Band Fag” – PS 122 – Toyota Comedy Festival; “Lou Gehrig Did Not Die Of Cancer” – Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York City; “On Becoming” – Cape May Stage, (New Jersey) Stonington Opera House, (Maine) and Cherry Lane Theatre (New York City); Stage shows, video commercials and celebrity spots for improv and sketch comedy groups in New York and Los Angeles. “What’s Your Sign?” marks his feature film writing, directing and producing debut. It won the Audience Award at the San Antonio Film Festival as well as the Director’s Award at the Brooklyn Film Festival. The film stars Judy Kuhn, Susie Essman, Artie Lange, Doris Belack, Catherine Wolf, George Morfogen, Sabrina Lloyd and Daniel Dae Kim. Along with Art Metrano and Esther Shapiro, Jack received the 2000 Cinema Award at the Sephardic Film Festival at the Directors Guild in Los Angeles. Jack is a principal of Siren Films LLC. He is the president of Hearts of Gold, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of New York City’s homeless mothers and their young children. He is the Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Cherry Lane Theatre.
Jeffry Gitter: Jeffry is a 30-year member of the DGA as an Assistant Director and Stage Manager. Jeffry runs the NY411 a resource book for the film & TV business. Jeffry has worked on over 600 commercials and television events such as the Oscars, Grammys Tonys 1/2 time Superbowl, Presidential Inaugural Galas, VMA’s Video Music Awards, CMA’s Country Music Awards, CMT Awards, Hip Hop Honors, Hip Hop Awards, etc. Jeffry was Vice President of JHS 180 in Rockaway Beach, Queens.
Lisa Gold: Lisa Gold comes from a show business background growing up with a comedian father and fortunate to be encouraged every step of the way during her 30 year career. A graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts, she also attended the acclaimed Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before leaving to study acting privately with renown teachers Gordon Hunt and Darryl Hickman. She began working professionally at age 16 and has made an income from acting or singing every year since, performing for Presidents, Astronauts (the 20th anniversary of the first lunar landing) and audiences worldwide. Her musical theater credits include a long list of well known shows as well as some groundbreaking new works headed for Broadway. Currently working in television (most recently the Emmy Award winning daytime drama All My Children), commercials, print and independent film, she has turned her attention to leading seminars on the Business of the Business as a way to contribute to others from experience she has gained both as a performer and as one of the owners of Actors Connection. A small mom and pop networking facility in the 90’s, Actors Connection has grown into the #1 Networking/Educational studio in New York. The studio today, with over 120 networking events monthly, is a testament to the need and desire of actors needing vital connections that will ultimately lead to their desired success. Lisa’s underlying purpose in everything she does is to end the “Starving Artist” syndrome by aligning with like-minded individuals and entities who believe creative artists deserve to make a great living at their chosen profession.
Amy Goldberg: Amy has spent the last 16 years in residential real estate sales and management. Prior to that 10 years of experience at WNBC-TV, New York in broadcast journalism. No matter what my vocation over the last 25 years I have found that people are at the heart of every transaction and they should be treated with care, patience and respect. My affilliations: Currently a member of the Real Estate Board of New York.- and a former member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR) I participated on the Committee for Professional Standards and Ethics on the state level, and the Committee for Realtor Education in Ulster County NY. (1996-2004) In my present position as the Director of Sales for Shares of New York Marketing LLC, I , specialize in the sale of “unsold” shares in existing cooperative buildings and condominium of conversions. Shares offers a diverse selection of renovated and un-renovated apartments on Manhattan’s Upper Westside and Whitestone, Queens.
Gary Goldman: Gary is currently a Junior majoring in International Relations Global Business at the University of Southern California. At 20, he has already been president of two major student organizations on campus (UNICEF at USC, Jewish Alliance for GLBTs and Straights), and has been published in major student and European publications. He has also interned at the United Nations Association Pasadena/Foothills, the leading and oldest chapter of the nation that focuses on bringing the United Nations’ missions and goals to local communities. In 2005, he also interned at Gaumont Buena Vista International, the French/American movie production and distribution company, as an assistant to the Director of Distribution Joel Pourgaton.While Gary is business-oriented, he is also passionate about the world, speaks three languages fluently, has written a TV pilot, and directed three short movies. His memership to USC’s leading consulting student organization, Los Angeles Community Impact, has bolstered his communication and presentation skills; he was selected to present his consulting recommendations at the Shrine Auditorium in a roomful of alumni and professors. Moreover, he has become proficient at doing in-depth research using a wide variety of search engines as a result of his previous experience as an intern at the Center on Public Diplomacy. Gary could not be more excited to be part of the Advisory Board and is an aspiring writer and social entrepreneur.
Ed Goldsmith: Ed is an entrepreneur who has built and owned many successful companies. He has over 35 years of Sales and Marketing experience and is currently the Vice President for a ground transportation company with average revenues of 50 million dollars, per year, over the past 5 years. Ed believes in “Listening” to others to find their needs. He then goes to work to either provide a solution or introduce the person to someone he trusts to provide the solution. Ed is a student of “Personal and Professional Development” and is very passionate about sharing the entrepreneurial sprit to help people on that path. He is a “COACH” and “MENTOR” to many. The battle cry is for people to PLAY MORE, WORK LESS, while INCREASING their INCOME”. Ed believes, People get to their current places depending on what was read, whom they were listening to, and whom they have associated with. To get to the next place in their future depends on the same things. While reading a book five years ago, Ed was directed towards a new GOAL. He has become aware of previously learning the principles of SURVIVAL and SUCCESS, now it is time to learn and apply the principles to SIGNIFICANCE. “I can still do that” has become a new passion for Ed as he views it as an extension of his life?s work in the networking industry. Ed is an independent developer of iTeamUSA.com a national and soon to become global internet community builder. Along with Dan Schneider and other advisors of First Mondays, Ed will chair the newest arm of “I can still do that” and develop “Third Thursdays” as a coaching and mentoring program for available business and personal opportunities. Ed resides in Long Island with his loving wife of 40 years. The family consists of 3 wonderful loving and highly successful children and spouses. In addition, are the “3 Grand Children” who are described as the true “FRUIT of his LIFE”.
Michael Goodman: Michael Goodman received a BA in Psychology at Staten Island College 1970 and a MS in Counseling at Suny Albany in 1971. In 2003 he received his certification as a Fitness Trainer from the ISSA and in 2005 he was certified by ISSA as a Specialist for Older Adults. After a 32 year career in counseling children and families Michael opened a private fitness studio in Woodstock New York.
Marcy J. Gordon: Business and management consulting- Marcy J. Gordon is a highly experienced attorney with many years of providing sound business advice and strategy to her clients. Marcy has a broad range of experience as an attorney, entrepreneur, project manager and technology procurement professional. Marcy’s advice has saved her clients untold amounts in time as well as money. Marcy has advised start-ups as well as major Wall Street financial services firms. Marcy has been a computer consultant, software developer, technical writer and software entrepreneur. She has advised and participated in major business transactions, including a $4-billion asset sale. Marcy has a proven ability to win client loyalty. Even while working as an attorney, clients repeatedly came to her for business advice and strategy. Marcy has been an attorney at Commodore Business Machines, Prodigy, Globix, Merril Lynch, Shearson Lehman Brothers, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and UBS, as well as at an intellectual property/technology boutique firm (Brown, Raysman & Millstein) and a major law firm (Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal). She has represented buyers and sellers, and did a legal internship with a defense contractor, negotiating US government contracts. Marcy has done a variety of techology, licensing, and general goods and services contracts, including major outsourcing arrangements and telecommunications agreements. In addition, she has done trademark work, advertising agreements, construction contracts, utility contracts, HR agreements and a variety of data services agreements in the financial services industry. Marcy is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New York.
Aaron Gottleib: Aaron is a 2007 honors graduate of Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs (Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude) Aaron has served as a Research Assistant for the Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse, NY; as well as for the ICF International, Fairfax, VA. He also worked as an intern at Home Headquarters, Inc. where he helped develop a survey to analyze the effectiveness of the Foreclosure Prevention program. He has recently been accepted into the Columbia University Masters Degree program in Social Work. Prior to that Aaron served as a summer intern at the National Society of Collegiate Scholars Distinguished Scholars Program, Washington, DC; where he performed research and writing tasks for the Urban Land Institute using Excel to organize data. Aaron’s deep commitment to community service is evidenced by his work at the Phi Sigma Pi Honors Fraternity, where he chaired the Scholarship Committee and served on the Service Committee, International Young Scholars Program, where he tutored refugee children, and the Boys and Girls Club, where he volunteered at after-school programs and supervised the Computer Room.
Cooper David Grodin: Cooper was born and raised on the isle of Manhattan, which means land of many hills. Cooper went to Laguardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts, then did his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of Wisconsin Madison, and got his Masters of Music from the Manhattan School of Music. He loves to sing, play piano, compose and play basketball. He has played Danny in Grease, Javert in Les Mis, Mr. Snow in Carousel, Junious in Rape of Lucretia, the Count in A Little Night Music and most recently a Boxer in the premier of Seeing Stars, which was part of the 2009 New York Music Theater Festival. Cooper has sung many a concert with the NY Philharmonic, Brooklyn Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St Lukes, been in the NY primer of Grendel at City Opera directed by Julie Taymor, and been in Zaide as part of the Mostly Mozart Festival directed by Peter Sellars. In 2006 Cooper performed Paul McCartney’s Ecce Cor Meum at Canegie Hall. He can be seen in the Films “Music and Lyrics”, (deleted scenes, on DVD) and the 2010 release “Salt”. He was a national finalist in 2009 and 2007 in the Lotte Lenya / Kurt Weill competition. Cooper is a member of Equity, AGMA, SAG, and is signed with NY Agent About Artists.
Jon Haggins: Jon is the producer and host of GlobeTrotter Jon Haggins TV; a half-hour weekly travel show that’s available in 2 million homes in New York City and streamed over the Internet. In addition, he has contributed travel segments to NPR Radio. NPR has a listening audience of 25 million.Jon is a motivational speaker who inspires people to get up and go, that anything is possible. His background also includes fashion, interior and food. He has been featured in and has written for many publications. Jon has also been a spokesperson for Procter and Gamble’s Ultra Detergents. The Museum of the City of New York is presently exhibiting a retrospective of his fashion designs. And the Schomburg Library has acquired his fashion archive of photographs and editorials.GlobeTrotter Jon Haggins TV is a fun, informative and entertaining program that features destinations, foodies and guests from around the world. The main goal is to expand our audience horizon beyond the couch and allow them to discover many dreamy far away places where they can reach for the stars. Jon was honored by F.A.X. at F.I.T. for his contribution to the fashion industry and The Tunisian Tourist Organization honored him for his TV show that featured Tunisia. Jon has written Yes I Can, a motivational and inspirational book that gets the reader up and out to accomplish their dream. And he has also written The African American Travel Guide, which is an informative book, that offers advise on where to get a passport, where to exchange money, security precautions, bartering in the markets and what to pack etc. He also share narratives of his travel experiences. In addition to his book, he has contributed short stories to Eric Copage’s -Soul Food Book. He was an invited speaker at the Smithsonian Museum in DC and have appeared on many radio and TV shows such as: CNN-Daybreak, Joan Hamburg-WOR Radio, Sunday Classics with Hal Jackson WBLS Radio, Sean Cort-Breakfast Cort and the Bob Law show on WWRL Radio, Geraldo, Regis & Kathie Lee, Saturday Morning Tribune, Midday Live, Evening Magazine and The McCreary Report, just to name a few. And let’s not forget that he was a voice for FOX-TV’s public service announcement, “It’s Ten PM. Do you know where your children are?” Jon’s fashions have graced seven Cosmopolitan Magazine covers and eighty-five inside pages. They have also appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Essence, New York Magazine, Town and Country, New York Times etc. Celebrities such as Diana Ross, Helen Gurley Brown, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Debbie Allen, Felicia Rashad, Racquel Welch, Diahann Carroll, and Lynn Redgrave have worn his fashions. Cornel University honored him with a month long exhibition of his designs in the Johnson Museum. He also designed costumes for several Off-Broadway shows and several Soap Operas and TV shows, such as: The Debbie Allen Special, As the World turns, One Life to Live, Love boat, Star Search and Good Day-New York. And special projects for Clairol, Matrix, Estee Lauder, Revlon, Seagram, Procter & Gamble and Chesebrough Ponds.
Malik Hammond: Malik Hammond is a 15 years old Brooklyn, New York resident. Malik began his career in the modeling industry when he was just an infant and has been acting since the age of 6. His film credits include, “The Perfect Holiday”, directed by Lance Rivera, The Manchurian Candidate, directed by Jonathan Demme, and Across The Universe, directed by Julie Taymor. His Theater credits include “13” the Broadway musical and the “Scottsboro Boys”. On television, Malik has appeared on NBC’s Third Watch, Law & Order and has appeared in music videos for Kanye West and Sugar Babes. Malik has also been seen and heard in numerous national commercials and print ads like Gap, Target, Verizon Wireless & Toys R Us. He was directed by the Academy Award Winner Antoine Fuqua in a Disney Expedition Everest spot, and can currently be seen in a Feed America PSA & a back to school Wal-Mart commercial. When Malik is not acting, singing or dancing he enjoys playing video games and a little B-ball around the neighborhood.
Sarah Harary: Sarah is a 17 year old native of Winter Park, Florida. She is currently a senior at Trinity Prepatory School. Her academic accomplishments are numerous. She is a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program which recognizes the top twenty boys and girls in each state. She is a National Merit Scholarship finalist. She recently placed 10th in a ten week long Florida Stock Market Challenge in which more than 2700 students competed statewide. Since the conclusion of the challenge, Sarah’s investment portfolio has risen to the top spot in the state. Her varsity soccer team has won the district championships in each of the last two years. Sarah is the club treasurer for the Trinity Generation Green Energy Project. The goal of this project is to reduce energy usage on campus and to enforce recycling rules.Sarah participates in numerous community organizations. One of her passions is Habitat for Humanity. She works each week at the local building sites assisting the construction of homes for the homeless. Sarah recruits many students to this worthy cause and takes a leadership role on the jobsite. She also does various projects with the Boys and Girls Clubs.Sarah is expecting to major in Math and Engineering in college.
Dana Harris: Dana Harris is currently a rising junior at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York with an anticipated BA in 2011. She is pursuing a double major in Media Studies and Political Science. She is the publicity director for an on campus, anti-poverty group called Operation Donation which raised approximately $50,000 worth of groceries for local shelters in the past academic year. In the summer of 2008, Dana was an intern at Human Rights Watch with the Creative and Multimedia Team and in the fall of 2008 she interned at Grace Smith House, a domestic violence shelter in Poughkeepsie. She is about to begin an internship for the summer of 2009 at PCI-Media Impact an organization whose goal is to use “creative media, the power of storytelling and the reach of broadcast media to mobilize individual, community and political action”. Dana’s interests include human rights, social change, the use of different media, and the role of ‘the’ media. She also loves traveling and photography.
Barry J. Heyman, ESQ.: Barry Heyman is an entertainment attorney licensed to practice law in the states of New York and New Jersey. Barry began his career in the entertainment industry in 1992 working in the copyright department at PolyGram Records, handling mechanical and sample licensing for its subsidiaries Def Jam and Mercury Records. During his seven year tenure, Barry became manager of the department, and in 1999, Barry assisted with the successful merger of PolyGram’s and Universal’s copyright departments. While pursuing his legal education in the evening program at New York Law School, Barry began consulting entertainment companies such as Razorfish Studios, Red Ant Records, and Spitfire Records. Upon graduating law school, Barry became in-house counsel for Eagle Rock Entertainment (Eagle Vision, Spitfire Records, and Eagle Records). In 2003, Barry consulted MTV in the new media licensing area in connection with a $75 million dollar marketing partnership deal with Motorola. As the point person between the legal affairs departments internationally, he supervised the proper mobile licensing of MTV’s intellectual property content to Motorola.In addition to his hands on entertainment company experience, Barry has also pursued opportunities with various law firms ranging from the boutique law practices (Schneider Pfahl & Rahme, LLP; Andy Tavel Law Firm; Law Offices of Terri F. Baker) to the large prestigious firms within their IP, media, and entertainment areas (Proskauer Rose LLP; Debevoise & Plimpton). At Debevoise & Plimpton, Barry co-produced the television program The Digital Age with pre-eminent First Amendment and media lawyer, James Goodale, Esq. The show airs on PBS’s WNYE-TV channel 25 in New York City, DirecTV channels 888 (NJ) and 25 (NY and CT), Dish-TV, and as a webcast on www.digitalage.org. In the fall semester of 2005, Barry was an adjunct professor at New York University and taught the graduate course entitled Law and the Music Industry. Course topics included intellectual property concepts and licensing arrangements related to the music and new media industries. Currently, Barry counsels clients regarding protecting their intellectual property, and advises individuals and companies in connection with licensing, recording, distribution, publishing, and related contracts. He provides strategic and commercial advice on various aspects of the music and media industries, including current technological changes and alternative copyright distribution and exploitation models.Barry received his Music Business degree, cum laude, from New York University and his J.D., cum laude, from New York Law School.
Charles Hobson: Charles Hobson, Executive Producer of Vanguard Documentaries, premieres “Harlem in Montmarte,” this August for PBS’s “Great Performances.” MOMA interviews him about his acclaimed four-decade film career June 2, in “Conversations Among Friends.” His many films include “Porgy and Bess: An American Voice” (PBS), “Inside Bedford-Stuyvesant,” “Jump Street: The History of Black Music,” and “Producer, Like It Is. (ABC-TV) ” His awards include an Emmy, Fulbright (Germany), The Japan Prize (Special Citation), and CINE “Golden Eagle.” Hobson has taught at SUNY, NYU Tisch school of the Arts, Vassar, and lectured at Harvard, Yale, and Columbia. He will be Artist in Residence this summer at Art Workshop International, Assi, Italy.
Sabine Hoffman: Sabine Hoffman began her journey to becoming a film editor in Berlin, studying art, philosophy and film history. In the United States Ms Hoffman has edited independent feature films for over 12 years, including Rebecca Miller’s films “Personal Velocity” (Sundance Grand Jury Award and Best Cinematography winner and also the winner of the John Cassavettes Award) , and “The Ballad of Jack and Rose” (starring Daniel Day Lewis). She edited Morgan J. Freeman’s “Desert Blue” and “Hurricane Streets” (which won the Audience, Best Director and Best Cinematography awards at the Sundance Film Festival), Alex Sichel’s “All Over Me” (a Teddy Award winner at the Berlin Film Festival), “The Day the Ponies Come Back”, directed by Jerry Schatzberg (also director of “Panic in Needle Park” ) and “Harlem Aria” (winner of three Audience Awards : Urban World Film Festival in NYC, the Chicago International Film Festival, as well as the Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival), directed by William Jennings, starring Damon Wayans and Gabriel Casseus. Other credits include “Brother to Brother “(winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, the Gordon Parks Award, the Grand Jury, Audience and Best Actor awards at Outfest, and the Showtime vanguard award) ,“Saving Face”, directed by Alice Wu (starring Joan Chen) and “Off the Black” , directed by James Ponsoldt, starring Nick Nolte. Sabine has also edited numerous documentary films, including the Academy Award nominated “Ferry Tales” , directed by Katja Esson, as well as “The Party is Over”, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Thomas Allen Harris “The Twelve Deciples of Nelson Mandela”. She has served as a consultant and story advisor on numerous productions, most recently on “playground”, a documentary directed by Libby Spears, produced by Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney. Ms Hoffman most recently completed Rebecca Miller’s upcoming feature film “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” (starring Robin Wright Penn, Keanu Reeves, Julienne Moore and Wynona Ryder) and is currently editing “An Invisible Sign of my Own”, directed by Marilyn Agrelo (“Mad Hot Ballroom”), starring Jessica Alba, Chris Messina and J.K. Simmons. Ms. Hoffman served as an adjunct professor at Columbia University and founded the Editing Award for feature and documentary narratives at the Woodstock Film Festival in 2004.
Carol Hollenbeck: Carol Hollenbeck is a writer and playwright. She is a former actress in new york and hollywood where she did alot of off off broadway plays films. Carol acted in such films as TOOTSIE and in the mid-1990′s, after working steady as an actress in the trendy audience participation murder mysteries, she decided to quit the acting bug and put all her efforts into being a serious writer. Carol was nominated three times in the Samuel French One act play contests – once in 1995, then 1999, and again in 2003. It was then that she chose to turn one of my one act plays into a short film script. Carol wrote the short film THE LIFTERS, and was selected to be in the NEWFILMMAKERS SHORT FILM FESTIVAL ON TUES MARCH 2ND 2010, at 32 second ave. Carol’s novel “TRUE BLONDES” can be purchased on AMAZON.COM and BARNES and NOBLE.COM. “TRUE BLONDES” is a tale of two blonde women trying to make it big in the bizarre world of show business. The novel takes place in the 1960′s and 70′s.
Tak Inagaki: Since 1970, Tak Inagaki has made over 50 documentaries throughout the world for American and Japanese television, The United Nations, The National Geographic Society, and PBS/Bill Moyers. Subjects ranged from DNA to Counter-Revolutionary Movements to Child Abuse to Calvin Klein. He has won the prestigious Japanese Broadcasters Association’s Science Award twice.In 1985, he formed his own production company in New York City. Since that time, Tak Inagaki Productions, Inc. has produced over 2,000 news stories for various TV programs, including the daily news program cited by VARIETY as the “World’s Best Morning News Show.” In 1995, he initiated his crossover from non-fiction to dramatic work and theater. Currently he is serving as a bureau chief in New York City for a Tokyo-based television station, Tokyo MX TV, linking NY1 News, Shanghai TV, and London’s ITN. He is also an executive producer for a stereoscopic 3D production company in Los Angeles and executive advisor to the world’s most successful graphic science magazine, which is published in six languages worldwide. He received an MFA in Film from Columbia University, where he was the recipient of an honors scholarship award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and has a BS degree from The University of Pennsylvania. He represents a unique fusion of East and West, and also the Arts and Sciences.
Todd Jack: Construction Project Management Executive. Todd has over 20 years diverse expertise impacting virtually every facet of large scale commercial construction. He has a keen sense for collaborating with all contributors to the construction process, including engineers, general contractors, subcontractors, owners, construction managers, inspectors, etc. Todd is uniquely positioned to manage projects through expertise in design, coordination of trades, issue resolution, “best practices” in both construction and engineering, budget management, schedules and milestones, change orders and safety. He also has extensive experience in commercial, residential, retail, mixed use, high rise, institutional, educational, hospitality, medical, military, and warehouse construction.
Wheeler Jackson: Wheeler Jackson’s multi-faceted production background began in 1975 with Public Television station WNET/13 in New York City. His first Production Assistant job was with BILL MOYERS’ JOURNAL. Later he worked on music fundraising specials with Jack Sameth creating memorable shows such as “AMERICAN POP”, “SONG BY SONG”, FRED WARING and “SATCHMO”. As an Associate Producer, he worked on documentary format programming including PBS’s acclaimed JOURNEY TO THE WEST with producer Don Dixon. During the early 1980’s he line produced political commercials for PRESS BRENNER COMMUNICATIONS. The campaigns included Andrew Stein, Walter Mondale, Mark Dayton, Robert Byrd and Richard Thornberg. In the mid-1980’s he created a home video division for CCR Video in New York where he produced and directed a variety of instructional home videos. Mr. Jackson ventured into Cable Television, working as a producer for “POWER PROFILES” a show featuring Fortune 500 CEO’s and broadcast on the FINANCIAL NEWS NETWORK. He continues to work as a field producer / writer for a variety of “reality” & magazine style shows featured on the DISCOVERY CHANNEL, LEARNING CHANNEL, TV FOOD NETWORK, TNN, TBS, COURT TV, WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT the PAX NETWORK and FOX SPORTS NET. As a Field Producer, he has worked on syndicated programs, including REAL STORIES OF THE HIGHWAY PATROL; AMERICA’S MOST WANTED; THE JOAN LUNDEN SHOW and Richard Simmons’s “ DREAM MAKER”. From 1994-1997 he was the assistant Assignment Desk Editor for the magazine show A CURENT AFFAIR, a Fox Television production. Mr. Jackson has been producing corporate videos since the early 1980’s and for the past three years working in association with Creative Media Productions in the corporate sector with clients including KRAFT GENERAL FOODS, PEPSI, PHILIP MORRIS, TV GUIDE, IBM, MARSH, INGERSOL RAND and DURACELL.
Marlowe Johnson: Managing Editor, Financial Times Search (Newssift.com), loves words and the social and narrative constructs that weave those words into landscapes of meaning. He has spent much of his adult life traveling the globe teaching, building up schools and businesses, and, as he puts it, exposing himself—to new cultural and linguistic settings. He firmly believes that when you stop moving and caring, you begin to die. Before Marlowe joined Newssift in July 2007, he co-founded and ran the America China Exchange Society, a China-based education company with centers in Tianjin, Shanghai and Shenzhen—the education focus was on business practices and English language. ACES generated a spin-off non-profit, the International Exchange Institute, which has historically focused on international student exchange at the university and high school levels. IEI has also helped to establish connections to facilitate medical training and exchange, but the organization was largely mothballed when Marlowe began at Newssift. Beginning in 2009, IEI was repurposed to serve and support broader infrastructure and exchange projects, with an initial focus on Tanzania (a vocational school) and Liberia (medical training/exchange). Marlowe has worked as a start-up consultant for new businesses in the US (healthcare and retail) and helped to build and run schools and vocational centers in Tanzania and Cameroon. While earning his MBA at Duke University, Marlowe worked at Duke Corporate Education, helping to research and design an online education program for Marketing Managers at IBM. He also holds an MA from Columbia in Comparative Politics and a BA from Stanford in International Relations and African History. He has a life-long passion for education and international development work. Marlowe lives with his lovely wife, Soo Hyun, several computers, and two turtles in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. They are considering more responsive pets but have reservations.”
Nicole Johnson: Nicole Johnson (16) is a junior musical theater major at Professional Performing Arts High school. At age 13 Nicole founded Javanna Productions, a student driven production company in Miami Florida. At age 14 Nicole moved to New York city and has continued to build Javanna Productions into a full fledge professional company that is geared towards raising funds and awareness for community causes. Recently, Nicole directed, choreographed and produced a choreography showcase, entitled Move For Autism. The cast consisted of New York city teens from the Professional Performing Arts School in midtown Newyork and the profits were donated to the national autism organization, Autism Speaks. In addition to raising funds for community causes, Javanna Productions is geared towards providing talented community kids with an opportunity to use their talents.
Ana Maria Jomolca: Ana Maria is a Cuban-American writer, director and actress. Several of her plays have appeared Off Broadway. She has written and performed in theAtrainplays and The House of Bernarda Alba at Repertorio Español. Her one-woman show Just Another Spic was work-shopped at Manhattan Theatre Source. She wrote and produced the film, everygirl, which debuted at Tribeca Film Center and screened at “Women in the Director’s Chair International Film Festival” in Chicago, The New Festival in NYC, BAM Cinema and Pioneer Theatre’s New Filmmaker’s Forum. TVappearances include; 30 ROCK, Without a Trace, The Jury, directed by Barry Levinson, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Criminal Intent, and Rescue Me. She has been published in The Sun Magazine, The New York Press, ‘National Geographic’s ‘Glimpse Abroad’ and GLEE magazine. She received her MFA in Fiction Writing at Hunter College under the tutelage of Peter Carey and Colum McCann and her short story, Twin Bed, in Sisters: An Anthology is out now in bookstores. Her visual art, PINS, RODS & OTHER INTRUSIONS, a photo essay exploration of “the body as canvas” was on exhibit at The Estrogenius Festival. She currently performs the stage adaptation of Sandra Cisneros’s novel, The House on Mango Street (one woman show) as part of The American Place Theatre’s Literature to Life Program. Her most recent play, Chiquitina, debuted in New York in 2009 and will return this fall 2010.
Sam Kandel: Sam Kandel is a Certified Business Advisor with the Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center located in Kingston, New York. Sam has a BBA from Baruch College, part of the City University of New York, and extensive practical experience in entrepreneurship and small business management accumulated over more than 20 years as a business owner. He spearheads the SBDC’s outreach efforts in the Catskill Region as the primary advisor responsible for clients within the Catskill Watershed. Sam is actively involved in the economic development community and has served as Chairman of the “Catskill Business Roundtable” sponsored by the Catskill Watershed Corporation and the New York State Department of State, and has served on various economic development committees. In his five year tenure with the SBDC Sam has counseled hundreds of clients who have generated well over $40,000,000 in economic impact and created or saved in excess of 500 jobs. In 2004 Sam was nominated by the New York State SBDC as Business Advisor of the Year, in 2005 he was the recipient of the New York State Business Advisor of the Year award, in 2006 he received the prestigious ASBDC Star Performer award and in 2007 and 2009 was the 2nd runner up Business Advisor of the Year.
Henry Kaye: Henry Kaye For the nineteen years of his life Henry has been creating art in numerous ways. Currently on leave from Pratt Institute, Henry is a member of the alternative rock band The Static Jacks, playing lead guitar. As a previous graphic design student, Henry is responsible for all of his band’s design work and has five years of experience branding t-shirts, stickers, album covers, videos and website design. Henry would like to hone the skills he has developed from previous artistic experiences and take on new projects to further grow as a graphic designer.
Susan Kelley: Susan Kelley is a VP in the Global Technology Group at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. KBW is a boutique investment bank that specializes in the financial services sector. At KBW, Susan is responsible for managing enterprise projects across the front and back office, with a focus in the Sales and Trading vertical. Prior to joining KBW, Susan spent several years at Deutsche Bank in trading room technology and was a member of the team that developed the first electronic Order Management System for Cash Equities. With over 15 years of experience in trading system technology, Susan has been involved in building trading platforms for energy companies, and buy-side and sell-side firms in the financial services sector. Susan has always had a passion for the transformational power technology welds in shaping the modern human experience. Her hands-on involvement in the evolution of electronic trading has enabled her to participate in the rise of the capital markets over the past two decades, and experience first-hand, the impact this has had on the global economy and the global village. Susan has a degree in Science, Technology and Society from Vassar College. She did graduate studies in Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. Susan is involved in several professional and non-profit organizations. She is active in the Women’s Fund of New Jersey, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and children in the state of New Jersey. Susan is a fitness enthusiast and has a special interest in women’s and senior fitness.
Hank Kimmel: Hank Kimmel is an Atlanta-based attorney and playwright. He is a founding member of Working Title Playwrights (www.workingtitleplaywrights.com), a Georgia-based theatre company dedicated to the development of playwrights and new plays. He also serves on the board of Genesis Stage & Screen, which promotes plays and films with Jewish content. His comedy, Welcome to the Neighborhood, a compendium of short plays and monologues, is scheduled to be produced by Center Stage Theatre in Rochester (NY) in December 2009. Hank’s law practice is primarily geared toward Alternative Dispute Resolution, and he frequently mediates disputes related to divorce, real estate and non-profit management. He also serves as the Managing Partner of Turtle Bay House LLC, a New York-based real estate company that manages and owns residential and commercial real estate. A certified tennis teaching professional with the highest ranking from the USPTA, Hank also coaches several youth and adult tennis teams near Emory University. He is a graduate of the Hotchkiss School, Brown University, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and Emory University School of Law. hankkimmel@mindspring.com www.hankkimmel.com.
Roy A. Klein, ESQ.: Roy Klein is a 1977 honors graduate of Columbia Law School (where he was a two-time Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar) with more than three decades of experience litigating complex business disputes and employment cases for large companies, small businesses and individuals. He has also lectured extensively on civil liberties and employment issues. Roy strongly believes in the power of volunteerism and giving back to the community. Toward that end, he took a leave of absence from his law practice in October, 2008, to work as a full-time volunteer for the Obama campaign in Allentown, Pa. He also serves as a member of both the arbitration and mediation panels for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, as a member of the panels of mediators for the Nassau and Suffolk County Supreme Court Commercial Divisions and as a member of the Nassau County Bar Association’s ADR Tribunal. He coaches a local area team in the NYSBA’s annual high school mock trial tournament. And he’s worked for over a decade as a cooperating attorney for the Nassau Chapter of the NYCLU, where he now serves as its First Vice President. Roy’s hobbies include making and listening to music, writing (www.royklein.com) and sports (including pitching for the past 15 years in an over-35, modified fast-pitch softball league).
Nathan Koenig: Nathan Koenig combines a broad background in many facets of theatrical and video production, directing, scripting and editing and marketing. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Denison University, where he studied theatre and film, winning awards for both. Since the 1960s, he has been an independent filmmaker and multimedia producer/artist. He has traveled worldwide, documenting the traditional beliefs of indigenous cultures through interviews, photography and video. His dedication to the preservation and causes of traditional cultures has given him access to places and individuals not usually within reach of the general public. In 1972, he founded White Buffalo Multi-Media, Inc. He traveled North America, presenting mixed media shows to counterculteral communities and Native Americans from Mexico to Canada. Between 1978 and 1985, his repertoire of multimedia shows was often featured at the Mind-Body-Spirit Festivals, Whole Life Expo’s and planetariums in New York, Boston, Los Angeles and London. Since 1985, Nathan’s company Upstate Media Enterprises, has offered creative video services around Woodstock, New York, servicing the arts, local history and making promotional videos. He is co-founder and President of the Woodstock Museum (estab. 1989), a non-profit 501(c)3 chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. At present, eleven videotapes are being distributed to the home video market, featuring best-selling author Dr. Bernie Siegel, human potential pioneers Jean Houston, Mohawk educator Ray Fadden and herbalist Susun Weed and solar energy pioneer Richard Gottlieb. He is currently in post-production on several documentaries.
Vicki Koenig, MS, RD, CDN: is a Masters level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She has maintained a private counseling practice and consulting business since 1987. As consulting Nutritionist to the national Stonyfield Farm yogurt company, she writes a popular Wellness Moosletter, answers consumer questions and helps with new product development. As Co-President of Natural Affinity Ventures, Inc. with Dan Schneider, Vicki and Dan are creating a network and virtual community of like-minded business and health consumers by creating A Discount Card with a Conscience. Vicki offers onsite Corporate Wellness programs to create a healthier workplace. With personalized goals and group incentives, businesses can have a healthier bottom line. Employees are more productive, use less sick time and insurance usage goes down. Vicki has worked with people of all ages promoting nutrition for wellness while addressing diverse chronic health conditions. Working as a consultant to food companies, businesses, schools and organizations, Vicki communicates healthy nutrition guidelines that make it easy to move towards health.Drawing on her comprehensive knowledge of nutrition throughout the life cycle provides Vicki with a broad perspective when speaking, counseling, consulting and writing; allowing her to specialize in Nutrition for Wellness. Vicki lives in the Hudson Valley of New York State with her Green Architect husband, Rick Alfandre, twin daughters, Joy and Sonia, dog Pearl and Jaspurr the cat
Deanne Landress: Deanne Landress has just completed a 10-year stint building and selling an internet cafe in Maplewood, NJ. Prior to that she was involved with finance, primarily trading mortgages (or anything that ‘rolls, floats, or flies!). Earlier in her career she was in politics, as a lobbyist for DC-37, AFSCME, running campaigns and working in Albany. Her duties for the union included organizing community groups of union members in neighborhoods ranging from Harlem to Co-op City, Far Rockaways to East New York. She attended Vassar, ’78 and Stanford GSB, ’82.
Jake Lazarowitz: For almost a year, Jake Lazarowitz has been acclimating himself to a post-graduate lifestyle. Graduating from William Paterson University in the Spring of 2008 with a B.A. in English, Jake has been steadfast in his career pursuit having found freelance challenges in sports marketing and administrative positions. Jake’s background in public relations runs nearly three years and he continues an ambitious effort to find a rewarding opportunity in the field. Additionally, Jake looks forward to one day working at a top book publishing company as an editor. Coming from a creative family of musicians, Jake is an avid reader and writer; and while not seeking his place in society, enjoys working on a number of creative projects in film, music and graphic novels. Currently a rambling man, Jake lives and travels between his mother’s home in Springfield, New Jersey and father’s home in Warwick, New York.
Stephanie Lear: Stephanie Lear is a Video and Broadcast Producer for top New York-area companies(and non-governmental organizations). She has had over 15 years of experience producing video for leading corporate and consumer brands: from production planning and on-location producing and directing to overseeing all aspects of post production (editing, scoring, etc.). She is known for her skills as an interviewer. Stephanie is highly regarded for her ability to foster superb client relationships and her track record for delivering a final product that exceeds expectations.
Linda Lees: Linda Lees is director of Creative Cities International (CCI), a consultancy based in New York and London founded on the conviction that culture and the arts are at the heart of successful urban regeneration and social well-being. CCI has organized international conferences and forums to research challenging issues in urban planning, resulting in the Vitality Index™, a set of criteria focusing on the elements that make cities attractive, livable and sustainable. It has recently finished the “Take Me to The River” project in West Harlem. Dr. Lees’s experience encompasses the worlds of academics, theatre, and public programming. She has served as Director of Humanities in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at New York University and Director of Cultural Affairs for the British Council in New York. In that role, she developed and produced the UKwithNY festival’s cultural program in October 2001, which hosted over 100 events in the arts and education from the four nations of the UK. In Washington, DC, she produced public programs for the Smithsonian Institution and was founder and artistic director of The Next Stage, a theatre which produced international work as a platform for the exchange of ideas on culture and foreign policy. Dr. Lees has taught at several universities including Georgetown University. She holds a BA from Boston University, an MA from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and an MA and Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. She is a member of the American Association of Museums and a voting member of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Theatre Arts). She serves on the American advisory board of LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art).
Bob Lesser: Bob Lesser is an Adjunct Lecturer at the New School University in New York City where he teaches leadership development. Previously Bob worked at the New York City Department of Education on Mayor Bloomberg’s historic education reform initiative. Bob also served as Chief of Staff for the New York City Police Department’s Office of Community Affairs where he trained hundreds of NYPD police officers in negotiation and conflict resolution. Bob holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and a BA in sociology from Vassar College. Bob has a special place in his heart for Southern Africa having been to South Africa on two occasions, first as a high school student during the summer of 1990 and again in 2001 as a United Nations delegate to the World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia and Other Forms of Intolerance.
Michael Leventhal, ESQ.: Michael Leventhal is the founder of both MC Squared, The Law Firm, and MC Squared, The Consultancy. www.mcsquaredlaw.com Even before the Internet was a business model, Michael was helping clients create growth energy in the emerging new media space. As both lawyer and business consultant, Michael has been a leader in defining key aspects of nearly every major technological innovation in digital media including payment for electronic transmission of content, co-branding and cross-licensing agreements for online services, pay-per-click advertising, digital music downloads, TV/internet hybrids, user generated content, including development in Second Life. Michael has facilitated licensing, formation, development, planning, strategic alliances, and financing for hundreds of entertainment/new media/traditional media ventures—both start-ups and established—including Fox Interactive Media, MySpace, Pop.com, GoTV, Oversee.net, NEC, and the Interactive Television Alliance. The law firm/business consultancy combination is the ideal vehicle for any organization that wants effective strategic support. Michael goes beyond the drafting of agreements and filing of trademark applications to a deep understanding of the business, co-creating a clear overarching direction and the seamless weaving of business and legal projects into the fabric of the overall strategy. Since 2004, Michael has followed his ideology and applied his skills and experience in emerging industries to assist clients in the “Clean Tech” business, working with companies in advanced water filtration, sustainable living, small-scale wind power, large wind farms, Green media companies and more efficient engines. Michael is also working in NewSpace, with early-stage space-related projects. Michael is a frequent speaker at technology and space-related conferences, discussing strategies for the growth of entrepreneurial space companies.
Kathryn S. Levine: Kathryn is a dynamic broadcast media professional with over 500 hours of first-run nationally syndicated television credits. Created, supervised, and delivered over 2000 episodes of daytime television programming. Expertise in all aspects of above and below the line production; including contracts, budgets, hiring, talent management, set design, editing, and control room operations. Credits include: “Texas Justice”, “Forgive or Forget”, “The Ricki Lake Show”, “The Richard Bey Show”, “The Christopher Lowell Show”, and others. Kathryn holds a Masters in Corporate and Organizational Communication from Fairleigh Dickinson University-Madison, NJ where she teaches “Audio Visual Media Production”. She also teaches “Aesthetics and Analysis of Television” at Brookdale Community College-Lincroft, NJ. Kathryn began her career as a television producer at KCOP in LA. Prior to that she served as a radio producer at KSDO in San Diego. Kathryn is a member of National Association of Television Arts and Sciences, Women in Communications, The National Organization for Women, and the International Association of Business Communicators. She is Listed on International Movie Data Base (IMDB).
Peekoo (Alfreda) Lewis: Peekoo (Alfreda) Lewis was born on Snapper Hill, in Monrovia, Liberia. She was educated in Sierra Leone and the United States. Peekoo established Palaver Hut Special Events in 1990 and has worked with many clients including the Nigerian Mission to the United Nations, The Apollo Theater, Russell Simmons’s Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, Liberian filmmaker Gerald Barclay’s GeeBee Productions, Wesley Snipes’ Amen Ra Productions and many independent films and music video productions. She and her husband, Jaheed Ashley, are the East Coast representatives for the Pan African Film Festival, and have recently completed production on a documentary about Nigerian musical icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, titled Fela, Fresh From Africa. Ms. Lewis also works in theater, does grants research and is a founding member of the International Mothers of Liberia. She resides in New York City.
Shelli Lipton: Shelli’s business specialty is being in your own business, public relations, advertising, educational multimedia museum, artifacts, and still living the dream-manufacture own electricity, keeping the 60’s vision alive through visual and educational means, solar hot water, communication media events, official sister-city relations with Nimbin, Australia, N.S.W. Her professional memberships include: Woodstock Artist Association, Woodstock Guild, Dutchess County Council of the Arts, American Watercolor Society, Council for Native American Indian Progress; Education: Music and Art High School; School of Visual Arts, Journalistic Illustration ’67, Founder of Alumni Society, School of Visual Arts ’67; Pratt Institute. Shelli married Nathan Koenig in 1993 (Co-Founder, Woodstock Museum)
Kim Lockett: Kim Lockett is an actress/entertainer. Originally from Springfield, MA, Kim worked for Big Y Foods, Inc. for a little over six years as a Learning Services Support and Media Support person. She recorded over 70 voice-overs for many of Big Y’s computer based trainings and was also one of two news broadcasters for Big Y News—internal news broadcast highlighting Big Y’s events and company culture. Kim graduated in 2006 from Springfield Technical Community College with an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts. Her theater performances there include Marshael Foster in The Wake of Jamey Foster and Cora in Tom Walker. She transferred to Rutgers University in 2009 to pursue a Journalism and Media Studies Degree but recently put her degree on hold to pursue an acting career. She will play Delilah in the original piece Imperfect Women of the Bible, written and directed by Marsha Trice.
Beverlie Lord: The creation of Satsun Photography is a revolutionary salute. I woke up one morning and realized the powers of my dreams were sent to make me happy. Thus began the revolution: full of creation, open and limitless. This thought has inspired me every day and every moment, to walk into my future. To create, respect and honor in my soul the search for Truth. Identity. Peace.It is my belief that we all long for some meaningful work, some creative endeavor by which the energies within us can flow out and heal the world. This belief is why I dedicated myself to working with children and youth in the non-profit sector for almost a decade. Upon quitting my job in 2004, I realized that effecting social change can consist of anything as long as the forms – love, peace and truth – are present. As a photographer I believe that everything and everyone have “beautiful moments.” My job is to be around when these moments occur and capture them. Nothing lasts forever – this is true but if a photographer is around we can definitely prolong what was for generations to come. My most favorite quote at the moment – “Don’t cry because you think it’s over – smile because it happened.”
Rebecca Lopez: Rebecca Hoe Lopez, Esq. is a corporate attorney specializing in international commercial law, technology development and licensing, securities and financial services. Rebecca started her career with the Wall Street firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton and has since worked at MasterCard International, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, American Express Corporation and American International Group, Inc. She is currently building her own practice for a range of corporate clients. Rebecca is a graduate of the University of California at San Diego and the University of Michigan Law School. She is licensed to practice in New York and the District of Columbia.
Cliff Lovette, ESQ.: For over 26 years as an entertainment attorney, Cliff Lovette has represented recording artists, record companies, independent motion picture producers, writers, and other entertainment clients. For 6 years, Cliff was SR VP of Business & Legal Affairs of LaFace Records, reporting to multi-Grammy producers Antonio “LA” Reid and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. Currently, Cliff heads The Lovette Entertainment Law Group Ltd, a boutique entertainment law firm in Atlanta. Cliff is interested in in-house, of counsel, and law firm opportunities working with dynamic businesses in the entertainment and new media industries. Cliff’s specialities include creating and running an in-house business and legal affairs department for a highly successful record company and engaging in transactional entertainment deal-making for over 25 years.
Leslie K. Malin: Leslie K. Malin has over twenty five year experience as a mentor, consultant, speaker, entrepreneur, and psychotherapist working with people who want to achieve “more to life”. Leslie has trained, coached and consulted with literally thousands of people across industries and inspired them with her vision of what is possible for them. She is the co-author of The Essential Coaching Book and the author of the forthcoming book, More to Life at Work: 4 Pathways to Deeper Meaning and Joy in Your Livelihood and The Alchemy of Aging: Re-Imagining, Re-Inventing, and Re-Purposing Your Life after 50 Leslie has coached professional women for many years. With Ladies Who Launch, she was a facilitator of Intensive Incubator groups in the Hudson Valley. “I adore working with women who are called to create something wonderful in their lives, in their work, and in the broader community.” In her role as the Executive Director of Jewish Family Services of Ulster County she designed and managed Project Hope the first Woman to Woman Mentoring Program in Ulster County that was funded by Hope’s Fund, a United Way affiliate. Community women were screened and selected as Mentors; then trained and matched with an Associate, an Ulster County women 18 years old + who wanted to make changes in their lives but did not have the ability to access mentoring services. The program is presently a year old and has positively impacted the lives of both Mentor and Associate. Leslie is constantly re-inventing her life and career. Presently, she is focused on working with people 50 years old + who are challenged by the changes they are experiencing in their work, life and relationships as they age. Alchemy of Aging offers counseling, coaching, and workshops. She is also a certified by the National Association of Social Workers as a Geriatric Care Manager working with individuals and families facilitating the transitions into new living arrangements and healthcare systems and to serve as the point person to oversee and quality-ensure the services they are receiving. She has been interviewed for numerous articles on spirituality and personal empowerment in the workplace both in the US and Canada. She has been quoted in The Long Island Business News, The Tennessean, and The Vancouver Times as well as frequently interviewed and quoted in Patricia Kitchen’s column in the Career Section of Newsday. Leslie has a B.A. from Vassar College and holds a Masters in Social Work from the Adelphi University School of Social Work. She is a member of the Academy of Clinical Social Workers, and is a Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager.
Jillian Markowitz: Jillian Markowitz is a 2007 graduate of the prestigious Gallatin School of Independent Studies at New York University. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Ms. Markowitz created an interdisciplinary major combining business and film studies. This unique focus lead her to accept a full scholarship to Hofstra Law School where she is currently in her third and final year. Her professional resume includes credit as a producer for the unreleased film, Elise. She plans to use her education and skills as a lawyer producer.
Arthur T. Matthews, ESQ.: Arthur T. Matthews is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Matthews & Matthews Consulting which is a human resources and labor workforce company. He is a trainer and consultant in divergent areas which include Diversity, Negotiations, Mediation, Arbitration, Sexual Harassment, Team Building, Human Resources, Labor Studies, Leadership, Communication Skills, Equal Employment Opportunity, Conflict Resolution, and Workforce Development. He serves on the adjunct faculty at Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and as an Adjunct Associate Professor at New York University and the University of Arkansas. In addition to the aforementioned experience, Mr. Matthews has practical industry expertise in both a management and union environment having worked for J.P Morgan Chase as a educational and job coach consultant, the Public Employee’s Federation (PEF), AFL-CIO, as a Field Representative and for New York City Transit as a Director of Labor Relations, Human Resources and Training. He has and continues to provide training and consulting for many organizations including the EEOC, the Utility Workers Union of America, Columbia University, Colgate Palmolive, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, American Federation of Government Employees, The Federal Executive Board, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the New York State Unified Court System. He occasionally serves as a mediator, arbitrator, and negotiator of disputes in the private, public, government, community and non-profit sectors. He also serves as a mediator and arbitrator on the employment, commercial and labor panels for the American Arbitration Association. He co-founded the nationally heralded Equal Employment Opportunity Commission New York District office training initiative where he has trained over 1000 mediators in the nuances of resolving employment disputes for over a decade. In 2003 he was selected by the Minister of Labor, Home Affairs and Public Safety in Bermuda to serve on their arbitration panel. He was featured on a CNN Special as a positive role model and consistently serves as a motivational speaker. He was a Congressional and Assembly aide early in his career and served in numerous positions of student leadership including the Presidency of the Student Bar Association at the prestigious Howard University School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor (J.D) Degree. It was at Howard that as a human/civil rights activist he led hundreds of law students in the 1983 march that helped lead to the passage of the legislation that created Dr. Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday. He obtained his undergraduate degree with honors from C.W Post College, Long Island University where he earned a Martin Luther King academic scholarship and a NCAA football scholarship. He is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
Anthony Mazza, ESQ.: Anthony Mazza is a Managing Director of Watkins Consulting’s Mortgage Advisory Practice. A seasoned corporate executive with significant managerial and business development experience, Tony is also a New York-licensed attorney. A strong strategic thinker and team builder, Tony has primarily engaged in senior management business consulting, primarily in business process design and IT initiatives related to the mortgage industry. He has spent more than 17 years in the business process improvement and the development of software systems for fixed income products, primarily mortgage-backed securities. His specific functional disciplines include: business development, performance/process improvement, contract evaluation and supply chain methodology. He currently provides financial model evaluations for the Federal Government and supports a social mission venture capital group. Tony is the former SVP in charge of the commercial division of a midsized DC based technology consulting firm. For over six years he was in charge of providing financial institutions with best practices business and technology consulting, particularly in matters relating to high volume transaction processing and financial accounting. Tony was a team lead during the GSE restatement efforts, principally responsible for cataloging Portfolio Transaction events, REMIC “look-throughs” and Loan Acquisition. Prior to this assignment, Tony was a principal in two software development firms, where he was instrumental in formulating the straight-through processing concept for fixed income securities. During his tenure as a subject matter expert in the primary and secondary residential mortgage markets, Tony has managed major MBS and CMO software implementation projects for some of the world’s largest securities firms.
David McDonald: David McDonald is the writer/director of a film called “Woodstock Revisited” and the television series, “The Mystery of Creativity.” “Woodstock Revisited” tells the story of the rise of the 60s generation through events that transpired in Woodstock, New York. It features segments on Bob Dylan, The Band, and The Woodstock Soundouts, among others. “The Mystery of Creativity” explores the connection between creativity and spirituality through one-on-one discussions with prominent artists and thinkers. McDonald makes his home in Woodstock, NY. He can be reached at: davidthedirector@yahoo.com
Dr. Jan McDonald: DR. JAN McDonald is an honors graduate of Vassar College and Harvard Medical School. She trained at the Mayo Clinic, Mass General, University of Pennsylvania Hospital, and Wayne State. She is an award winning and Board Certified Dermatologist with offices in North Carolina and Virginia (Diplomat American Board of Dermatology – Board certified in dermatology and dermatological surgery. Re-certified June 2005, scoring in the top 98 percentile of test.) Dr. McDonald has also done graduate studies at the University of Michigan Law School and won a scholarship to Dartmouth’s Tuck Minority Business Executive Program, a highly selective program for successful entrepreneurs with over 1.5 million dollars in sales. Dr. McDonald’s extensive community service work includes House of Delegates Nevada Medical Association , Board of Directors Clark County Medical Society, Member of Democratic Host Committee for President Clinton in Las Vegas, Member of Las Vegas Mayor’s Board of Women Advisors (Mayor Jan Jones), Co-founder and Board of Directors Black Business Council , Fundraiser for Planned Parenthood, Member Board of Directors Nevada Task Force on AIDS , Member Women’s Leadership Council Nevada Democratic Party . Dr. MacDonald is also member of the Board of Directors of the International Exchange Institute and the First Winner of the America the Beautiful Fund/ I Can Still Do That Foundation “American Beauty” award.
Matthew McGlade: Matthew McGlade is a Pomona College graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematical Economics, as well as a minor in Spanish. He is interested in international relations, foreign languages, and international business. In addition to speaking fluent Spanish, Matthew speaks near-fluent French, has taken one year of Chinese while in college, and most recently has begun to learn Russian. Matthew is familiar with foreign cultures and able to relate to different types of people with ease, as he has spent time in various foreign countries ranging from El Salvador to Greece. Not only is Matthew comfortable interacting with individuals, he has shown his ability to be a team contributor through his work at the United Nations University and he is also skilled in public speaking. He is adept with technology and proficient in many programs used on computers today. Recently, he has spent time investigating economic policy and international finance.
Scott Mendelsohn: Scott Mendelsohn is a writer, civic activist and performer focusing on issues of gender and sexual identity, ethics and humanities training in medical education, and the arts. In the 1990s, he founded Mid-Hudson for a Sane AIDS Policy in Poughkeepsie, NY, and served on Vassar College’s President’s Committee on Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Concerns. Since then, he has worked with such organizations as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, NYU’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, and SUNY Downstate Medical School. For the last ten years, he has provided training and assessment to investment banks, and information and communications services to Manpower’s workforce consulting practice. He recently left Manpower to work with communities impacted by the Great Recession. He is currently writing and organizing community forums to help individuals give voice to their experience and loss, and to support them in claiming their intrinsic worth and natural rights to the pursuit of happiness, as promised by our nation’s founders. Scott pursues his own happiness as a singer, a member of the Episcopal Church, and at home with his beloved partner, Andy.
Hillary-Marie Michael Hillary-Marie, Founder and Director of Jersey Tap Fest, is most known for being a tap soloist, performer, choreographer and teacher, specializing in the American art form of Rhythm Tap Dance. Her other dance training includes Jazz, Ballet, Pointe, Hip-Hop, Salsa, Swing, African and Modern. Having established herself as a reputable teacher, Hillary-Marie teaches weekly tap classes across the state of New Jersey.Hillary-Marie has been mentored by and assistant to Dr. Harold ‘Stumpy’ Cromer since 2007 and mentored by Karen Callaway Williams since 2004. A native to New Jersey, she has been a company member of the New Jersey Tap Ensemble since April 2006, where she continues to be overseen by Founder and Artistic Director Deborah Mitchell and Maurice Chestnut. Outside of the ensemble, she has worked with The Russian Moscow Ballet, The American Tap Dance Foundation as well as award-winning composers Marvin Hamlisch, Leonard Oxley and Nikki Denner. Outside of teaching and performance, she is currently a writer for Terrence Taps’ Tap Dance Blog. Additionally, Hillary-Marie is a member of the International Tap Association and New Jersey Jazz Society, where she dedicates herself to keeping the art form of tap dance alive.
Lee E. Miller, ESQ.: Lee E. Miller is the co-founder of 3 Step Networks, a branded social media networking solution, managing Director of NegotiationPlus.com and the Career Columnist for the New Jersey Star Ledger. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he works with organizations and individuals on how they can more effectively lead and influence others both in person and virtually. He advises, trains and coaches in the area of influencing including leadership, cross cultural influencing, sales, negotiating, customer service and recruiting and has developed critically acclaimed programs on Influencing for Women Leaders, Negotiating for Women, Multi-cultural Influencing and Virtual Influencing. He is also a career coachApplying current research on influencing to social media tools, he joined forces with Barbara Jackson, a pioneer in distance learning and social media, to create 3 Step Networks. This application provides organizations with an inexpensive easy to use custom professional/social network that enables them to extend their organizational brand and leverage organizational influence for the benefit of individual members. An Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and at the Seton Hall University School of Management where he teaches MBA courses in Managerial Influencing and Negotiating, Decision-making and Human Resources Management and is a five time recipient of the Business School’s Award for Teaching Excellence. He is the author of UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective- The Art of Getting What You Want featured on Fox and Friends, Get More Money On Your Next Job… In Any Economy and the co-author of A Woman’s Guide To Successful Negotiating (McGraw Hill) selected by Atlanta Woman magazine as one of the fifty best books for professional women and a featured book on The Early Show and Good Morning America. In addition, he is a contributor to the Wall Street Journal Online. Previously he was the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at TV Guide Magazine, USA Networks and Barney’s New York Inc., a Vice President of Labor and Employee Relations at R.H. Macy & Co. Inc. and a partner and co-chair of the employment and labor group of one of the largest law firms in New Jersey. Lee is the former Chair of the International Association of Corporate and Professional Recruiters, the New York Chapter American Corporate Counsel’s Employment Law Section and Secretary to the Union County Motion Picture Advisory Board. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Washington State Bar Association Credit Union. He is a Director of The American Repertory Ballet Company and an advisor to, and an Honorary Director of, the Tianjin Society (Singapore).
Theresa Moore
Theresa Moore is President and Founder of T-Time Productions LLC. T-Time Productions develops and produces unique programming and content for various media platforms including television, film, online/broadband and wireless. Current projects include “License to Thrive: Title IX at 35” (www.licensetothrive.org), a multi-media educational project which examines the critical role of the Title IX legislation in helping to create female leaders; educational programming for use in South African schools; a documentary exploring the history of multi-racial adoptions; and a documentary about the history of African Americans in professional football. Prior to T-Time, Moore was an executive at ESPN with responsibilities that included television advertising sales and business affairs for the company?s new media platforms including business development and content acquisition. While at ESPN, Moore also created programming for the network including “The Block Party” which aired for three seasons and “Images in Black and White,” a documentary that aired on ESPN in February 2005 as a part of the network’s programming schedule for Black History Month. Moore’s work has been considered for Peabody, Sports Emmy, Billie and NAACP Image awards and has been featured on “Good Morning America.” Moore previously worked at The Coca-Cola Company where she developed and executed strategic marketing and promotional plans for some of the world’s premiere sports properties as well as Coca-Cola’s ethnic audiences and also worked at Chubb Insurance as an underwriting manager with responsibilities for financial and liability analysis and risk management. Moore received her BA from Harvard University and her Masters of Business Administration from Emory University in Atlanta. She is also a graduate of the NAMIC Executive Leadership and Development Program at the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA and has completed extensive coursework at New York University. She serves on the board of directors of The Harvard Varsity Club, the Opportunity Network and the Ubuntu Education Fund. She is a member of the Visiting Committee for Athletics to the Harvard Board of Overseers. In 2002, she was inducted into the International Scholar Athlete Hall of Fame and was a recipient of the 2005 Harlem YMCA Salute to Black Achievers in Industry award. She is currently featured on the “Ivy at 50” website which highlights the accomplishments of a select group of Ivy League student-athletes over the past 50 years. Moore was also inducted into the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Athlete Hall of Fame in May 2007.
Maria Nemeth, PH.D. , MCC: “Would it be all right with you if life got easier?” Whether you are looking at how you use money, time or any other source of energy to achieve your creative goals, Maria Nemeth has discovered a way for you to do it. And do it with clarity, focus, ease and grace. Maria Nemeth, uses an effective and accessible coaching model that has empowered thousands throughout the world to move beyond self-limiting thoughts, worries and doubts. As a result they wake up to their own gifts. Her work supports people in being productive and effective while making their own unique contribution. Her outstanding presentation skills combined with her unique perspective, warmth, compassion and humor provide a fascinating, focused and fun approach to topics. As a result, areas that are often difficult to face—such as how to use money to create a prosperous and meaningful life—come alive with possibility and promise. The tools she teaches are simple yet powerful. People immediately see how to incorporate them into whatever they are doing. They experience hope and gratitude as they attain tangible results with ease. The core principles Dr. Nemeth teaches are based on more than 30 years of tested personal research developing and leading hundreds of successful seminars, and workshops. Her lectures are an outgrowth of her extensive background as a licensed clinical psychologist. She has served as a professor in the California UC system, as well as a director of clinical programs assisting alcohol and substance abuse clients. She has authored articles and three successful books, including The Energy of Money for which she was featured on Oprah. Her nine-hour audio cassette tapes of The Energy of Money won the 1999 Audie award for best Personal Development Series. Maria has also studied numerous wisdom traditions and integrated these into her philosophy. As an MCC, Master Certified Coach, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy for Coaching Excellence, an International Coach Federation accredited training program, Maria Nemeth is an international leader in the field of coach training. The Academy for Coaching Excellence combines training in powerful principles and specific tools to develop professional coaches who produce maximum results in any coaching situation. The Academy for Coaching Excellence delivers both on-site and distant learning programs to people around the world. The focus of her life is supporting people in discovering their own capacity, abilities and talents and the development of a worldwide connected coaching community concentrating on individual and professional empowerment where success includes making a unique contribution.
Phoebe Nir: is a Senior at Fieldston School in the Bronx. An aspiring writer, she has had fiction and non-fiction published in a variety of publications. Phoebe regularly tutors literacy-challenged elementary school students in New York City, and is a strong advocate for empowerment through education, especially for young women. Phoebe is currently collaborating on a television pilot for Liz Alderman Productions and is at work on her first novel. She will be attending Brown University in the fall.
Peter Occhiogrosso: Peter Occhiogrosso has over 30 years’ experience as a professional writer, co-author, and editor. He helps co-author works with someone, usually a public figure, who wants to write a book but doesn’t have the requisite writing experience. Peter has written two books with talk show host Larry King and co-authored the autobiographies of musicians Frank Zappa and Michael Feinstein. More recently, he completely revised and rewrote the manuscript of an important new book on the treatment of arthritis by Vijay Vad, MD, a leading sports medicine doctor at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, entitled Arthritis Rx (Gotham Books) Peter has written several books of his own about the varieties of American spiritual experience, including Once A Catholic (Houghton Mifflin/Ballantine) and Through the Labyrinth (Penguin), as well as a popular guide to the world’s religions entitled The Joy of Sects (Doubleday/Image). And he has co-authored or assisted a number of writers with books in the spiritual field, including Caroline Myss’s Why People Don’t Heal and Sacred Contracts (Harmony) and her forthcoming book for Hay House, Defy Gravity (Sept. 2009). I also co-authored a series of books on healing by Ron Roth, including The Healing Path of Prayer (Harmony), Prayer and the Five Stages of Healing and 3 other books (Hay House). Three of the books Peter co-authored have become New York Times Best Sellers. Peter has authored or Co-authored 14 books and assisted or ghostwritten another 6. Currently, Peter is working with authors Caroline Myss and Dr. Vijay Vad on their latest works.
Colin Oppenheimer: Colin Oppenheimer is a transaction advisor at UGL Equis, an international commercial real estate firm. He is an associate in the Washington D.C. office, and provides consulting, advising, and transactional services for end users of office space. Colin is a Syracuse University graduate with a BA in Policy Studies and a minor in Economics. During his time at school he was the co-founder for a website that detailed news and events from around campus. During his senior year, he was the Secretary for the Interfraternity Council and helped oversee Syracuse University’s 23 national fraternities. Colin enjoys running and is currently training for a marathon.
Glen Parker: Glen is a third year law student at Cardozo School of Law. His studies are concentrated in Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution. He is a certified mediator with Safe Horizon and he lives in Brooklyn.
Nick Pernice: a writer, actor and teacher, who currently resides in Hollywood, California. A graduate Vassar College, where he majored in Drama, he has been a professional actor for over 25 years and has appeared in such films as “Billy Bathgate” starring Dustin Hoffman, “Frankie and Johnny” starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer, and “Presumed Innocent”, starring Harrison Ford. His television credits include “One Life to Live”, “Saturday Night Live” and the HBO’s series, “Carnival”, among others. He has also performed in many commercials, plays and industrials. As a teacher, he has originated acting and writing workshops focused on the artist’s creative process, the development of his or her imagination and the ability to express one’s inner life through one’s art. His workshops are widely recognized in the Hollywood community as inspiring and multi-dimensional, where a variety of creative exercises are employed to assist the artist in exploring his or her inner creative landscape, aid in the facility and depth of range of emotional expression, and to improve one’s connection to an inner truth; the ultimate goal being the creation of a healthy creative process. As a writer, he is currently completing a major comedic play; is in development on several screenplays, and is also involved in the co-writing of a novel based on a true story. Mr. Pernice is currently a member of the west coast arm of the Naked Angels Theater Company, a group based in New York and devoted to the development of original written works; and is also a part time contributor to Ensemble Studio Theater’s “Sunday Best” staged reading program. He has also studied with many gifted teachers from a variety of well-known theatrical schools including, The Actor’s Studio, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Neighborhood Playhouse, The Jerzy Grotowski Studio, and The Howard Fine Studio. Mr. Pernice is also a part-time teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District in the fields of English Literature and Composition, and Drama.
Charlotte W. Pfahl, ESQ.: Charlotte received a B.A. cum laude from University of Denver in 1973 and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 1978. She also attended Oxford University, Oxford, U.K., the N.Y.U. School of Law, LLM. in Taxation, and the World Trade Institute. Ms. Pfahl specializes in private client matters (wills, trusts, family limited partnerships) and real estate law. She represents foreign and domestic clients – including individuals, trusts, partnerships and corporations in a number of jurisdictions – on a broad range of domestic and transnational business transactions, including organization of domestic and off-shore entities and trusts, acquisitions of business interests and property, buy-outs and financing, as well as real estate matters, commercial and residential acquisitions, and leasing. Her real estate-related clients include cooperative corporations, developers, foreign banking institutions, and private investors. Ms. Pfahl is admitted to practice in the States of New York and Florida and to the Bars of the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. Court of Claims, and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She is a member of the Financial Women’s Association and The International Alliance.
Mike Piazza: Mr. Piazza has worked exclusively in the private investment banking and mortgage industries serving clients throughout North America and internationally. He is primarily responsible for securing commercial loans to and for borrowers with funding sources represented by our conduits-major foreign banks, US banks, insurance companies, and other institutional and private funding sources. He has developed a strong knowledge of European, Caribbean and Central American markets. Mr. Piazza researches and maintains relationships with financial institutions that specialize in appropriate funding of areas that address the needs of our clientele. He oversees the management-consulting services with respect to our client’s corporate operations, finances and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to entering the investment banking industry, Mr. Piazza established an expertise in corporate communications and public relations, specializing in the concept through completion of media campaigns for corporate exposure on both television and radio. Early in Mr. Piazza’s career, as a broadcast news professional, he anchored, wrote, edited and produced news for all three divisions of CBS Radio, Inner City Broadcasting, Air America Radio and wrote for The Today Show, MSNBC-Radio and Good Morning America. This unique talent coupled with financial background, has given him the ability to communicate the needs of our clients in the most succinct and effective manner, thereby reducing response time from correspondents, conduits and others in the financial community.
Gregory Pike: Gregory Pike has been a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney for over two years. He specializes in working with high net worth individuals and companies here and overseas. In addition, he creates financials plans for individuals in transition. He enjoys finding solutions and connections for individuals and businesses as they grow their businesses. His past working experience includes both Cantor Fitzgerald and Bear Sterns in Manhattan. He is a proud volunteer fireman and a married father of three young boys.
Harry Pincus: Harry Pincus is an award-winning illustrator and fine artist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1952, the only child of a free-thinking civil servant and a creative homemaker. By the age of 10, Harry was making weekly speeches in the auditorium of P.S. 221, and his parents had separated. A radio actor for the N.Y.C. Board of Education (WNYE), Harry graduated from Wingate High School and worked in back-office operations on Wall Street at the age of 16, only to resign the day before the Woodstock Festival in the summer of 1969. At Hunter College, Harry was selected for the CUNY Baccalaureate Program, and produced a book of photographs and poems, Acclaimed Stupendous, while living in a panel truck for six months and traveling 17,000 miles. The truck, a 1969 Chevy C10, had been purchased from a Brooklyn flower store and said “Say It With Flowers” across the rear doors. Two 16mm films, “Max et Meryem” and “Acclaimed Stupendous”, were also produced during the CUNY Bac period. Harry took part in the closing of Hunter College during the student protests of 1970, and continued his independent study program while living in Paris for a year. There he lived as a concierge in the old Parisian quarter known as Belleville, and ran his films at the Cinématèque Français (Jeune Cinéma Mondiale), wrote for the Paris Metro, and produced illustrations for Libération. During these young radical days, Harry performed theatre in a troup called “the Revolting Theatre” founded by a member of the Fugs. Harry was living in a 1958 Chevrolet, purchased impulsively for $100 from a bereft horse player on a Brighton Beach street corner, when friends from Avenue C and 10th St. banded together to purchase a semi-abandoned harpsichord factory on Spring Street, in what later became SoHo. Having driven a cab in the South Bronx, loaded trucks all night for the Post Office, and worked as a messenger for a Park Avenue law firm, the 22-year-od Pincus was able to “invest” $4,000 to purchase a loft studio. Arriving in what was to become a luxurious neighborhood required living without water or electricity for a time in those early days. After a stint as a $5 pen-and-ink portrait artist on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village, Harry was “discovered” by a large crowd and, upon the insistence of his very surprised father, attended the School of Visual Arts for a year, studying illustration and etching. Harry began working as a freelance illustrator in 1975, and was soon working regularly for the New York Times, the SoHo News, and the esteemed Screw magazine (launch pad for several distinguished New York Times art directors). A Pincus illustration of the Pope on the cover of the New York Times’ Week In Review was followed the next day by a Screw magazine portfolio of erotic drawings … (“Showing Pincus; The Raunch King of Pen ‘n’ Kink.”) In Paris, the editor of Le Figaro couldn’t understand how the same artist could work for both. Illustrations of Jimmy Carter for the Times provoked a request from the White House for distribution rights; and on one memorable night, some years later, Pincus illustrated the 1984 Presidential election cover of the New York Times’ Week In Review, as well as the historic New York Daily News’ “Ronaway” cover, simultaneously. During this period, Harry could often be found selling etchings on Greenwich Village street corners, with a current newspaper illustration on display. As the stock market crashed in 1987, Harry just happened to be seated in the editor’s office of the Wall Street Journal, illustrating a dollar sign casting a shadow of a question mark. Several days later, while dining at the Four Seasons with several of the most powerful moguls of Wall Street, the former street artist was able to regale the otherwise sullen billionaires with tales of his Paris days, whilst realizing the folly of it all. Over the years, Pincus illustrations have appeared in The New Republic, the Washington Post, thestreet.com, the Nation, the Washington Star, the Melbourne Age (!), and many more. Clients have included Lincoln Center Classical Jazz, the Lotos Club, Paul Stuart Clothiers, Niederhoffer Investments, AT&T, Foster’s Beer, MBNA Bank America, the Franklin Mint (Spoon River Anthology), etc. etc. Awards have included Best Series and Best Single Illustration from the Society of Newspaper Designers, and citations from the National Academy of Design. Harry Pincus still lives and works in his original SoHo loft, with his wife and two children.
Bette Prinsen: Bette Prinsen is presently at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as a substitute ballet teacher in the Ailey Extension Program for Adults and also at Broadway Dance Center as a substitute ballet teacher in New York City. She has also taught at Ballet Hispanico and the Zena Rommet floor-barre in New York City. Among her many teaching credits, Bette has been the Director of the Ballet Department of the Great Neck Arts Center as well as ballet instructor for the Usdan Center for Creative and Performing Arts on Long Island. After dancing professionally in NYC, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta for many years Bette began her own successful contemporary ballet company, Ballet En Noir, and later received her Master of Arts in Dance and Dance Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College. She also holds a Bachelors degree from Vassar College.
Alvin S. Puentevella: Alvin S. Puentevella is an entrepreneur of many hats and a self-designated Synergist and Chief Pathfinder. At present, Alvin is enthusiastically engaged in complex-agroforestry developments. This blend between agriculture and forestry promises to provide a means of production at the local level that is ecologically, economically and socially sustainable. Three main elements of this unique complex-agroforestry development will catalyze the metamorphosis of our inefficient and unsustainable agriculture, timber and wood products industry into a sustainable multi-billion dollar industry; these elements are: a) the introduction of fast-growing perennials that can be harvested in four-year rotations while combined with annual crops, honey production, bio-fuel production and livestock, b) the utilization of a once-in-a-century revolutionary wood treatment clean-technology, and c) the creation of carbon-offset programs and massive carbon sinks. Alvin and his team are currently either engaged in, or are in the process of reviewing, projects in the United States, Ghana, India, the Philippines, Liberia, Ecuador, Mexico and Indonesia. As an environmentalist and general do-gooder in his heart of hearts, Alvin envisions the creation of ecologically enhancing and self-sustaining development hamlets throughout the world that make use of all leading-edge knowledge and technologies such as complex-agroforestry, concept of triple bottom line, vertical farming, energy efficiency practices, decentralized economies, bio-remediation, culture shift education, best permaculture practices, clean alternative energy such as wind, solar and hydro, alternative housing, recycling techniques and biodiversity re-introduction and protection. Historically, Alvin’s professional background includes over 15 years of hands-on experience in Real Estate development, construction management, property and asset management, acquisitions, business development, market analysis and office and residential leasing. He founded Congress Investor Group LLC (www.congressinvest.com), a private equity investment company which currently offers investment opportunities in the clean technology and green development space, the distressed residential debt market and in syndicated Real Estate development projects. Alvin is also the Founder and CEO of Cosmopolitan Accommodations LLC (www.nycosmopolitan.com), a New York City based Real Estate full-service brokerage agency that caters to both local and international communities. Alvin is a graduate of Vassar College with a bachelor degree in Political Science. He also has extensive continuing education credits in the field of Real Estate from highly regarded institutions such as New York University and the Urban Land Institute. Most recently, he studied Strategies for Environmental Management at the Harvard Extension School as part of his focus on environmental sustainability work. He is also a professionally trained ontology-based life/executive coach and has studied personal optimum performance related bodies of knowledge from a plethora of sources and has made these teachings, both secular and spiritual in nature, an integral part of his life. Through the years Alvin has developed a love of contributing to his community and to society at large. He has been involved in a multitude of worthy causes such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, NY Cares, and the Million Trees NYC Project founded by Bette Midler. He has volunteered for, or continues to volunteer, with Youth Ventures for Young Entrepreneurs as a community mentor, the Alumni(ae) Admissions Of Vassar College as the Manhattan Interview Coordinator, the Vassar Club of New York as a former Board Member, the Vassar Alumni Squash Club of New York as the former President, the Vassar/Penn/Yale/Harvard Intra-Ivy Squash as a founding organizer, and the Global Giving Circle (a philanthropic non-profit founded by Shana Dressler, a fellow Vassar alum) as a member of its advisory board. The extracurricular activities that he enjoys most includes organizing social and business events of all kinds, camping/hiking, martial arts, squash, triathlon, running, basketball, dancing of all sort and riding his Vespa scooter all over town. In his past life, Alvin has had the privilege of having done security work for the Dalai Lama and having worked for Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus as a skater-performer traveling across the United States doing the finale for the show. Since all things should end with a quote… “No vision and you perish; no ideal and you’re lost. Your heart must cherish some faith at any cost. Some hope, some dream to cling to, some rainbow in the sky, some melody to sing, some service that is high.” – Harriet Du Autermont
Anne Radford: Anne, an attorney licensed to practice in New York and Connecticut, is currently spending time in Atlanta and excited about getting involved with the I Can Do That Foundation. A Georgia native, she has spent the past fifteen years in the northeast, attending Wellesley College in Massachusetts before moving to New York City. Following several years as a caseworker for children in foster care, she entered the accelerated law degree program at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law. During her school tenure, she interned with Federal Judge Harold Baer of the Second Circuit, aided in criminal defense cases with the Legal Aid Society, and worked in foster care and adoption law with The Law Office of James Abramson. Following law school, she worked in the Civil Courts of New York City as a trial lawyer with the Wall Street firm of Jaffe & Koumourdas, LLP, focusing on insurance defense, and was involved in numerous cases that successfully broke-up fraud rings. More recently, Anne has volunteered with the Sunshine Kids Foundation and with the Fulton County CASA program, as an advocate for children in foster care. She is a 1994 graduate of Atlanta’s Paideia School, received a degree in Psychology from Wellesley College in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Cardozo School of Law in 2003.
Grace Ng Rahme, ESQ.: Grace Ng Rahme is an attorney and a real estate broker. As an attorney, Grace’s background is in immigration law, intellectual property, corporate formation, and litigation. She has also clerked for a federal judge and worked in the litigation bureau at the New York State Office of the Attorney General. As a real estate broker, Grace is the Vice President of Business Development for Triumph Property Group, Ltd. and oversees the Manhattan-based brokerage’s expansion into various Brooklyn neighborhoods. Grace works closely with developers to come up with creative marketing strategies and has brought her passion of art and non-profit to real estate through various cross-marketing efforts such as art exhibitions, benefit concerts, and green-living expos. Prior to becoming an attorney and broker, Grace was a therapist for autistic children, piano teacher, and artist in California, where she grew up.
Jonisha Rios: Jonisha is the proud new CEO and founder of “BLAME IT ON RIOS LIVE!”. She created this company to preserve and promote fresh new theatrical productions that are inspiring, funny, and healing for the soul. Jonisha has been in theatrical and commercial production for over 15 years. It all started with the first one person show she produced and starred in, “Nude in NY a soul exposed”. This show went on to win The Bronx Council on the Arts award for “Outstanding Solo-Show”. Since then, Jonisha has garnered the “Outstanding actress in a solo-show award”. This production led Jonisha to LA to star in two tv series that are currently on Cable. Her 2nd solo show, “The curse of the Blue Panties”, had its NY premiere in 2008 to a full house and it has also been workshopped theatrically in Los Angeles. Last year Lionsgate released the first ever Latino Christmas Classic “Feliz Navidad” written by Jonisha. With her first feature under her belt, she learned lots and this year is an exciting year as she goes into pre-production for her 2nd feature film for kids. Although Jonisha loves film, her passion is for the stage. Currently, she is most excited about her latest play entitled, “Empowered” . This is Jonisha’s first ever all women- monologue show. She goes into production in NY this fall. Jonisha is thrilled that as a woman she has sustained herself as an artist all of these years. Blame it on Rios Live is a company that not only travels with personal pieces but also gives new artists the opportunity to shine and share their light and talents as well. Jonisha has coached regular people, as well as celebrities with their solo shows and continues to do so. Blame in on Rios Live INC. is a full fledged company ready to create a memorable theatrical experience for your next Event. Jonisha also currently co-owner of a second company called “Champions Advertising Agency” formerly “Baez Entertainment”. Jonisha and her husband Michael Baez have joined together to create commercials for small businesses as well as opportunities for new artists.
Francesca Rizzo: Francesca Rizzo is an award-winning multi-media artist working in video, film, theater, publishing, fine arts and social media. She specializes in creating media content, marketing, programming and building welcoming communities for commercial, social or artistic purposes. By combining her above-ground background in pr, advertising & marketing with her underground experience in indie filmmaking, experimental theatre and avant-garde works she’s been able to produce polished, entertaining & informative media that is provocative, funny and highly imaginative. Although she has a great deal of professional experience under her belt, “I’m eternally curious and expand my skill base continuously,” says Rizzo. Last year she picked up Digital Storytelling while earning a BA in Media Arts and garnered the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence along the way. For 14 years she was the CEO of MovieBaby Productions, Inc. a Tribeca-based independent film & video company which created award-winning short films and marketing videos as well as radio & on-air promo campaigns for MTV, Nickelodeon, Bravo and PBS. In the aftermath of 9/11, she went on to design and head up The CineSalon, a series of video production workshops and film study programs offered through universities, cultural arts organizations and other educational institutions. During her term as president of the ailing non-profit CineWomen NY (now merged with NYWIFT), she re-branded the organization and introduced it’s first website, e-newsletter, member weblist, screening series, affiliate relationships and festival participation which resulted in quintupling the organization’s membership. In the 90′s, she has championed films made by and about women into producing female-themed screening events & symposiums including Beyond The Babe: Writing Women Who Rock and The World According to Girls in Manhattan and, in recent years she has programmed the Cinema-Femina film/video series at New Jersey’s premier Union County Performing Arts Center. Francesca is now looking to channel her passion and skills into a full-time executive position where she can create media content, program, brand and market a social business or organization trying to make a difference in the world. She possesses highly effective traditional PR skills and is equally equipped to create top-notch ad campaigns, materials, video, podcasts, websites and blogs all in-house.
Kyle Lamont Robinson: Kyle Lamont Robinson graduated from The University of Missouri- Columbia in 2007 with a degree in English. She was a four time recipient of The Gannett Scholarship for outstanding journalism. She spent her first two years at Mizzou on the the Big VII swim team fulfilling her scholarship obligations. She was a distance swimmer which gave her lots of time to think; which in turn, helped her realize that swimming was no longer her passion. She set her sights on Broadcast Journalism. After completing an internship with Fox 10 News in Phoenix, Arizona she caught the bug and immediately applied for another internship with the ABC affiliate in Columbia, Missouri. Out of all the applicants from the Broadcast Journalism School, she was accepted. She worked very hard while simultaneously holding down a job as an artist liaison for The Blue Note, a live music venue. Here, she found the power of music and the meaning of a shared experience. Her hard work at ABC paid off and she was offered a job as a morning show production assistant. After Kyle graduated she embarked on a solo road trip across the country searching for a road that would lead her to a career. The road led to NYC. No career in broadcasting yet, but lots of live music. Currently, Kyle is working to create her own web series as in Internet Journalist. The series will capture and showcase the intricacies of an artist or band and the hard work that’s needed in order to make a concert happen. Utilizing her unique reporting style and alluring panache, combined with her love and knowledge for live music, will make the series one of a kind. Please contact me if you know how to design a website, edit video or operate a camera. This is Grass Rootz baby!
Russell Richardson: For the last thirty years Russell Richardson has been involved in the various stages of film and television production in France, England and the USA. Latterly as a film director, script writer, and production organizer. As a writer, Russell has been a member of the SACD in Paris (Writers’ Guild of France) since 1992. He is familiar with all aspects of film, TV and video production from idea development and financing, packaging, through shooting practicalities and organization, to post production, release, distribution and publicity – with an emphasis on the idea to script stage and the improvement of existing scripts; the effective marshalling of financial and human resources, and has hands-on competence and field experience in all aspects of shooting, editing supervision, and laboratory liaison. He is familiar with AVID, FCPro and most similar on- and off-line editing systems, as well as traditional film-on-film editing. Russell was granted an ‘O1′ type visa (‘Alien of Extraordinary Ability’) by the INS in December 2002, which was renewed for a further three years in 2006 with support from the Producers’ Guild of America, which enables him to exercise his profession in the United States. Currently Russell and his family are awaiting their green cards. Since Russell’s appointment as Artist-in-Residence with the Indie program, he has completed several short films, and produced over 80 Indie student videos, several of which have won prizes in local, regional & international festivals, including a first prize at the Barcelona International Festival in 2008 and a Scholastic National Silver Key Winner in 2009. In August 2007 he took over the program as Executive Director and in that capacity has spoken at Columbia University Teachers’ College (November 2007) and for Ulster County BOCES as an alternative education expert. The program is considered to be a cutting edge arts in education program, which deals especially with at-risk and exceptional teenagers within the high school system. (see www.indieprograms.org for more information).
Joanna Sanchez: Joanna is a veteran film and television actress who has also served as a casting director and producer.
Carol Scott: Carol Scott is the C.E.O. of ECA World Fitness. An international organization for Fitness Professionals. She is an International presenter, speaker and consultant for the fitness industry. Carol has spoken on such varied topics as fitness workouts and trainings, programming, and nutrition to branding and creating marketing strategies. She has appeared on network TV, featured in Newspapers and magazines including the New York Times, and consults for Fitness Publications world wide. She is the recipient of 2003 Program Director of the Year award from IDEA, Health and Fitness Association. Carol is the former National Director of Group Fitness for Equinox Fitness Clubs. She is sought after for her ability to identify and create fitness trends, and her successful marketing and advertising campaigns. Her fitness philosophy mixes results with fun. “Be Yourself, Everyone else is taken” oscar wilde.
Dan Schneider, ESQ.: Dan Schneider is a partner in the Manhattan law firm of Schneider, Pfahl & Rahme, LLP. He has been practicing entertainment, corporate, new media, intellectual property (copyrights and trademarks) and real property law for more than 27 years in Manhattan and Woodstock, N.Y. A graduate of Vassar College (AB, 1979, Evans Fellow in Law) and Emory Law School (JD, 1982, Emory Scholar), he is admitted to the New York and Georgia bars, as well as to the U.S. District Court (Southern District, N.Y.). Mr. Schneider has been AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell (www.schneiderpfahl.com). A member of numerous non-profit Boards, including The America The Beautiful Fund, The Giulio Gari Foundation, The Florence Belsky Charitable Foundation and the Hudson Valley Technology and Commerce, Dan is the founder of www.woodstockmediation.com as well as First Mondays (www.firstmondays.com), a quarterly networking group, first founded in 2002 to help New Yorkers help themselves during difficult times. Dan’s successful non-profit experiences include being Project Manager for a joint NEA Arts in Education Grant to the Woodstock Day School and Woodstock Youth Theatre, which resulted in the creation of three (3) new collaborative works which were publicly performed in Ulster County, New York. He is also helping to organize a new non-profit : www.icanstilldothat.org to help put American back to work, which will try to make First Mondays a national, monthly event.
Max Schneider: Max Schneider, who was dubbed one of Broadway’s “future stars” by Playbill Magazine, appeared in the Broadway musical “13” and “Gypsy of the Year”. TV:” Law and Order SVU, LEAD (Justin)”, Other NYC: “Cool Dip…”(Playwrights Horizons workshop), At This Performance, HiFive, Move for Autism, MCC/Uncensored, Regional: Christmas Carol/UPAC (Young Scrooge), Macbeth( Fleance), multiple roles in MCC Theater’s off-Broadway production “Uncensored” in 2008 and New Dramatists Readings in 2007 and starred as Leaf Coneybear in the first regional production of Spelling Bee. He began performing with Woodstock Youth Theater at 5, and performed with Saugerties Ballet, Bird-on-a-Cliff Shakespeare, Out of the Nest and African dance and drumming group. Sougei Kibola. He’s a senior at Professional Performing Arts High School in New York.
Joseph L. Searles III: Joseph L. Searles, III is a former investment and commercial banker, highly recognized for his experience in financial/asset development and urban revitalization. He is one of the early urban development specialists credited with using mainstream strategies to dynamically transform the size and quality of minority business ventures. His distinguished career includes serving two gubernatorial appointments as Chairman and Director of the State of New York Mortgage Agency where he was responsible for municipal housing issues totaling more than $600 million dollars. He attained national and international prominence as the first Black member and floor-broker on the New York Stock Exchange; he was also a vice-president, Public Finance Department at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company now J. P. Morgan Chase. In addition, Mr. Searles has worked with the Federal Government and numerous state and municipal agencies in housing, economic development, and urban affairs. As Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Economic Development Administration, Mr. Searles took a leadership role in establishing minority enterprises and small businesses throughout the City by hosting America’s first minority franchising fair in 1969. He served as Chief Real Estate Officer/Consultant, at Harlem Commonwealth Council (HCC), one of the leading community development corporation’s in the nation engaged in retail and commercial development in Harlem. He also held senior management positions at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation and the Center for Advocacy Research and Planning (CARP), both non-profit agencies. Mr. Searles was the first Chairman of the 125th Street Business Improvement District (BID) in Harlem, Black America’s premier business arena. Considered a leading expert on Urban retailing, Mr. Searles was also a member of the development team for “Harlem USA” and currently is a partner in the $141,000,000.00 retail/entertainment project in Washington, D.C. called “D.C. USA”, the city’s largest. He is known as a person with strong hands on experience and a visionary who gives fact and substance to his leadership in community economic development. Mr. Searles formerly served as President of the New York/New Jersey Chapter of the National Football League Players Association (Retired Players). He also was an elected member of its National Steering Committee for this union of retired professional football players for two terms. Joseph Searles attended Kansas State University and George Washington University Law School. He was selected by President Jon Wefall of Kansas State University to serve as Chairman of its prestigious Diversity Advisory Council and was an early Board member of the President’s Entrepreneurial Round Table comprised of distinguished Kansas State Alumni and business persons. He continues as a distinguished lecturer at the University and as a member of the College of Business Advisory Board. As Treasurer of the New York Urban League he is also a member of its current Board of Directors and was Chairman of its Search Committee for the new President, Ms. Arva Rice.
Hani Selim: Hani has been a freelance producer and line producer for various large scale production companies including Believe Media, HSI, Radical Media, Beaucoup Chapeaux, FM Rocks, and Cobblestone Pictures. With the completion of The Boys & Girls Guide To Getting Down and La Misma Luna (The Same Moon), a Sundance 2007 favorite, Hani has embarked on a career of producing quality motion pictures. 11 years ago, Selim founded Concrete Images, a Line Production company that serves European and Asian companies who wish to shoot in the United States. Concrete Images also acts as a co-production company that assists companies located out of California that wish to shoot in California. Prior to that, Selim was a Director of Feature Film Syndication for Columbia TriStar Television Distribution (Sony Pictures Entertainment) where he was in charge of putting together film packages to sell-through to network and pay television. He was also on the creative and sales team for films such as The Big Hit, As Good As It Gets, Go, Air Force One, Stuart Little, I Know What You Did Last Summer, U Turn, Central Station, and Godzilla.
Ingrid Sertso: Ingrid Sertso is a Vocalist, and Poet. Through her work with such avant-jazz musicians as Don Cherry and Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso established herself as a captivating, adventurous vocalist, capable of blending jazz, African, South American and other worldbeat influences into a distinctive, hypnotic sound. Although Sertso didn’t become well-known until the release of Dance with It in 1994, she spent over 20 years honing her art. During the late ’60s, she lived in Europe, leading her own trios and performing with the likes of Eric Dolphy, Don Cherry, Steve Lacy, Karl Berger and Leo Wright; she also worked as a music teacher at several institutions in Europe. In 1972, she became a permanent resident of the United States and she released her first album, We Are You, on Calig Records. Over the next few years she taught, while she performed in North America and Europe with the likes of Cherry, Ed Blackwell, Lee Konitz, Sam Rivers, Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Moses, Dave Holland, Perry Robinson and Jumma Santos. In 1974, she released Kalaparush on Trio Records in Japan. It was followed in 1975 by Peace Church Concerts on India Navigation/CMC Records. In 1975, Sertso became a faculty member at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado. She stayed there through 1975 and 1976, before moving to the Banff Centre of Fine Arts in Calgary, Canada. She had two residencies at Banff before moving to the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, New York, where she became the co-director. While working at the Creative Music Studio, she began singing in the Art of Improvisation with Berger and David Inzenon. In 1979, she toured major European cities as a solo artists, supported by the Woodstock Workshop Orchestra. She also released an album on MPS Records that year. During the early ’80s, Sertso remained a co-director at the Creative Music Studio, while continuing to record and perform with a variety of musicians, including such mainstays as Don Cherry and Karl Berger, as well as Paulo Moura, Nana Vasconcelos, Steve Gorn, Dan Brubeck and Mike Richmond. In 1984, she performed with the Music Universe Orchestra at the Kool Festival in New York and released a duet album, Changing the Time, with Berger on Horo Records in Italy. She also toured Europe twice during this time and she also toured West Africa with Olatunji and Aiyb Dieng. Sertso’s career picked up momentum during the latter half of the ’90s. She held a series of concerts and workshops in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and she regularly tour the US on club and festival circuit. Sertso also toured Europe twice and sang solo vocals on Berger’s orchestral ballet, The Bird. She was one of the co-leaders of Rhythm Changes, who released the Jazzdance album on ITM Records. During these five years, she also performed and recorded with a variety of artists, including Pauline Oliveros, Lee Konitz, Frank Luther, Anthony Cox, Leroy Jenkins, Jimmy Cobber, Linda Montano and Karl Berger. In 1990, Sertso catapulted back into the mainstream jazz spotlight through her version “Until the Rain Comes” on Don Cherry’s Multi Kulti album. Shortly afterward, she began working on a new album, but she became sidetracked by collaborating with Karl Berger and guitarist Paul Koji Shigihara. The trio blended original compositions with Sertso’s poetry, improvisations and interpretations of traditional tune. Sertso also regularly performed poetry readings at the Tinker Street Cafe in Woodstock and the Knitting Factory in New York, and she also regularly played clubs along the Northeast coast. In 1994, she released her comeback album Dance with It, which earned postitive reviews. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine (All Music Guide)
Ari Shagal: Composer, lyricist, and all-around goofball Ari Shagal describes herself as “the secret freak offspring of Todd Rundgren and Laura Nyro.” As the frontwoman of the Summarily Dismissed, this University of Chicago alumna occupies a distinct niche in the music world– that of the funny woman. In a society that discourages women from flying the flag of humor, Ari bravely bucks the trend, casting herself in the mold of such veteran eccentric musicians and bands as Randy Newman, Tom Waits, Ween, and They Might Be Giants, in addition to the aforementioned Rundgren. Other compositional influences include Donald Fagen, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, and Gil Evans. The Summarily Dismissed will release their album Throw Money in the fall of 2009.
Amanda Sileo: Amanda is a senior at Pace University in downtown Manhattan, she is a film and screen studies major. She recently finished up an internship at Mister-Lister films. There she helped them promote their film “Breaking Upwards” which was picked up and distributed by IFC. She set up screenings at colleges and film schools, contacted press, worked the New York premiere, and also performed personal assistant duties for lead actress Zoe Lister-Jones. It was a learning experience in how to promote your own independent film. Amanda has taken production classes and is interested in that aspect of film, however she did enjoy the publicity work as well. She is a hard working and driven 22 year old who is eager to learn.
Maria Sivori: Born into a family of Neapolitan restaurateurs, Maria developed a love for cooking as a child and as a teenager worked alongside her mother and grandmother at Icumani, the family restaurant. Coming to America in 2000, she quickly broke into the New York culinary world, establishing a reputation for creativity and quality which led to posts as Chef at Caffe Pompei, Cinema Paradiso (Astoria), and a brief return to Italy as Sous Chef at Milan?s Princi. Maria?s strong personality and passion for her art puts a unique stamp on her dishes. She currently has her own catering business and is exploring opening her own restaurant. She also has a weakness for Martinis and can drink any three Northern Italians under the table with one hand tied behind her back, blindfolded, and standing on her head.
Madeline Smith: is a Senior at the Professional Performing Arts School. She studies acting, but involves herself in the world of theatre in more ways then one. She has lighting designed and stage managed two showcases at PPAS. and also trains in Aerial Acrobatics at NY circus arts. Favorite roles include Little Sally in PPAS’s main stage production of Urinetown, Sal in PPAS’s black box production of The Moonlight Room, Rae in the off-broadway production of Bellevue Sketches at the Player’s Theatre. She has recently made her TV debut on L&O SVU! Madeline is currently working for the nonprofit organization, Kids Meeting Kids. She is also president of the community service committee at PPAS. This year, she began the Feed The Hungry project at her school where every few weeks, a group of students put together 50 meals and hand them out to the homeless community of midtown, accompanied with hats, gloves, and scarves. Madeline’s next project will be a benefit for Haiti coming up in May.
Charles Sokolowski: Charles Sokolowski holds his B.M. in Vocal Performance from Crane School of Music, and has been performing for 20 plus years in opera, theatre, and concert. He has appeared as guest artist and tenor soloist for many organizations throughout New York State, including Albany Symphony Orchestra, Greater Newburgh Symphony, Woodstock Chamber Orchestra, Bard College, SUNY New Paltz, Vassar College, Woodstock Lyric Opera Company, Bardavon Opera, Gilbert and Sullivan Theatre Company, Fourth Wall Productions, Opera Company of the Highlands, among others. Operatic credits include Camille (The Merry Widow), Tamino (The Magic Flute), Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), Jonathan (The Comission, world premiere), and Salieri (A Little Nightmare Music), to name a few. Theatre credits include Harry Witherspoon (Lucky Stiff), Alberto (Bye, Bye, Birdie), Mr. Bumble (Oliver), Anthony (Sweeney Todd), and Bill (Kiss me, Kate), among others. He has appeared in concert with others singers including Louis Otey, Maria Todaro, Claudia Cummings, Drew Minter, Kimberly Greenwell, and other singers in the New York Metropolitan area.
Christopher Sokolowski: Christopher Sokolowski will be a Freshman this upcoming fall at Purchase School of Music, where he will be studying vocal performance as a Sopranist. He has been studying in this rare voice range for 5 years, and currently studies with world-renowned Counter-tenor Drew Minter, with whom he is currently working on many of the early baroque composers – Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, as well as preparing some operatic roles such as Le Feu (L’enfant et les Sortileges), and Idamante (Idomeneo). He has performed for years in musical theatre, oratorio, concert, as well as making his operatic debut with the Opera Company of the Highlands in the title role of Amahl and the Nightvisitors. He has appeared as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Howard Shore’s Lord of the Rings Suite with the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Britten’s St. Nicholas Cantata with the Westchester Choral Society and Orchestra. Some theatre credits include Fyedka (Fiddler on the Roof), the Minstrel (Once Upon a Mattress), Bud Frump (How to Succeed in Business), Drake (Honk, with the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Program), and Colin (The Secret Garden), among others. In addition to stage performance, he also frequently does local recitals and benefits for local organizations. Christopher is very excited by the career path he has chosen, and is always looking to grow as a musician.
Joellen Sommers: Joellen Sommers has over 15 years of financial and operational experience at The New York Times, Price Waterhouse Coopers and The Nielsen Company. She has extensive experience in entertainment/media/new media including music, theater, film and real estate. She consults with a variety of businesses, non-profits and individuals as their P/T CFO/Business Manager and is a CPA, CFE, MBA and Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor
Vicki Stadlen: Vicki Stadlen is a native New Yorker. She received a B.A. in European Literature from Brooklyn College and then studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England. When she returned home, she pursued a career in the theater for a number of years and also taught in New York City elementary schools. After raising her own children, Vicki completed a certificate program at the National Center for Paralegal Studies in Atlanta, Georgia. She worked as a compliance officer for the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity investigating cases of employment discrimination and later worked as a paralegal for the New York City Law Department. For the past ten years, she was the administrative assistant to the senior vice president of a large non-profit organization. Vicki is currently seeking employment that will utilize her analytical, interpersonal, investigative and administrative skills.
Gale Steinman, M.S. , M.S., B.A., : Gale Steinman has over 30 years experience working with data in a variety of industries. She began her career writing software for Drexel Burnham but soon after joined Lambda Technologies, where she assumed the role of project manager at Bankers Trust. Utilizing her skills developing systems, she became an instructor providing training to many of the major financial institutions including Teltech, New York Life, Merrill Lynch, UBS-Paine Webber, Bank of New York, Pfizer, applying data processing skills to a multitude of industries. She is currently a data specialist for the NYC Department of Education. Her expertise in database and system design, development and implementation, as well as help desk training, has been utilized throught her career.
During her career, she has had a strong commitment to volunteerism, as evident by providing training skills to VESID in the form of offering free training to job seekers. She is committed to providing strong data processing skills to our work force. Her personal mantra is “without data, it’s only an opinion.”
Dr. Sharna L. Striar: Sharna L. Striar, M.S.N., Ph.D., R.N. is a nationally known expert in the area of human sexuality, intimacy, and relationships. Over the course of many years, Dr. Striar has studied and taught at leading institutions in her field, including the University of Michigan, Hunter College, and Seton Hall University, has lectured extensively, is the author of dozens of articles, and has been a frequent expert guest on national radio and television. She is a Psychiatric Nurse, Certified Sex Therapist, and Psychotherapist, and is also trained in neuro-linguistic programming and in hypnotherapy. She is also the Dean of Nursing for The International University for Graduate Studies in St. Kitts, W.I.
Studio Stu: Studio Stu started his music studies when his third grade teacher told his parents he had ‘special talents’. In a rush to get him into the biz, they enrolled him in the Sandy Lane Music School in Brooklyn. And seein’ as how this was the fifties, the instrument de jour was the accordion. After being thrown out of the Sandy Lane Accordion School for, “playing notes during orchestra rehearsal that didn’t exist,” (true quote, I swear) he tried several music schools and instruments before settling on the washtub bass. “I saw this cat in a cartoon playing a washtub bass, and the notes he was playing were the notes in my head,” says Studio Stu, “they were jazz riffs, some out jazz, and he was singing some mammy/pappy thing, smokin’ a cigar, it was crazy. And right then and there, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.” Ever diligent to get the best sound possible from an eighteen dollar tub, he worked for years, investing his allowance on the best materials three dollars and fifty cents a week could buy, and finally, after years of experimentation, and with the help of master guitar maker, Lou Mancuso of the Bronx, he developed the Studivarious, a single string, virtuosic, ten-ply maple, washtub bass. Studio Stu took to performing on the subway platforms in New York, doing only one tune, ‘Take The A Train’. As the real A train pulled into the 34th Street station, chuckling tourists would inundate him with tips, and he became a New York icon. Then a guy asked him to perform in his club in Brooklyn, and before you know it, he has an agent and they’re flying him in everywhere…coffee houses, jazz clubs, colleges, private house concerts; he’s emceeing at jazz festivals, doing radio, performing solo, with his duo, and trio. With his state-of-the-art Studivarious single string bass, unique Brooklyn humor, and unusual, hypnotic vocals, is a master…a one string wonder, combining a traditional folk instrument and a classic jazz form, to create a third thing (one we haven’t quite figured out what to call yet)…..fearless in delivery and willing to navigate uncharted paths through the improvisational wilderness; he is ‘el ultimo hombre del lounge’. He takes the very best in classic jazz and originals, and twists and bends them into what he calls ‘evocative jazz & exotic lounge’. He starts with standard tunes and a loop machine, except, nothing is sacred…..improv is rampant…lyrics are changed at will…notes and chords are bent and perverted…familiar languages are obliterated….harmonies are sweet and sour perfection……yet, serious, sophisticated and uncompromising in execution. He is one in-tune, out-of-tune, offbeat, beatnik. www.studiostu.biz
Kate Sullivan – E.V.E.N.T Co Founder/Producer: To date Kate Sullivan has worked in television for national and international productions, voice work, theater and film, including a lead role in the New Zealand independent feature film Christmas and worked opposite Anthony Hopkins in The Worlds Fastest Indian. Recently Kate played the leading role in the Film “The Other End of the Gun” directed by Patrice Poujol , a lead role in the stage production of Cosi directed by Wendy Herbert and featured in Dax Phelan’s feature film ‘Jasmine’ in Hong Kong. Kate holds a Bachelors of Performing and Screen Arts Degree from Unitec School for Performing and Screen Arts, and a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching from Auckland College of Education. In 2006, Kate completed an 8 week acting intensive in New York with the TVI Actors Studio. She has taught Drama, Dance and Film acting in New Zealand, Budapest and Hong Kong. In addition to this, Kate has worked as an actress and has directed professional stage productions in various cities around the world. In 2008 Kate co-founded E.V.E.N.T (An International Artists Company). As producer of E.V.E.N.T , she works not only organizing monthly events but also casting for Feature Films, Magazine fashion spreads and corporate calendars; all the while striving to support local and International artists.
Yohei Suzuki: Yohei Suzuki is a filmmaker who focuses on social issues, especially those that relate to the African American experience. He has produced & directed a lot of documentaries, promotional videos, and music videos. In 2006, he produced an directed “Our Pride: The Spirits of Black Japanese in Georgia,” which was invited to the Asian American International Film Festival 2007 in New York, Washington DC Urban Film Series 2007, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2008, Mix Roots Film & Literacy Festival 2008 in Los Angeles, and the International Black Film Festival of Nashville 2009, etc. Through his films, he hopes to encourage people of all ethnicities to be proud of who they are. He believes that films are powerful tools to inspire, motivate, and raise social awareness. Yohei Suzuki is originally from Japan. He received a master’s degree in Visual and Media Arts from Emerson College and is now based in New York.
Lucy Swensen, MS: Lucy has lived multiple lives and hopes to continue metamorphing. She has been an inner city schoolteacher, a Woodstock Children’s Center first grade teacher and a GED instructor at the Woodstock Youth Center. She was a computer consultant for Blue Cross and a Senior Systems Analyst for Chase Manhattan Bank corporate headquarters. She helped design money transfer systems. She has sold her hand made accessories and her 3 dimensional art pieces to many NYC stores – Macy’s, Henry Bendells, Fiorucci’s, etc. as well as designing merchandise for major bands including the Clash, Pat Benetar and Blondie. She is currently owner and designer at The Turning Mill, a multi-media music and art studio in the Hudson Valley. Most of her life she has been involved in local groups involving children; donating her time and services. She is an election inspector and has even spent some time as a real estate agent. She is the mother of Valen, a talented and creative daughter following in her proud mom’s footsteps. Lucy also comes with all the mainstream credentials-BS in Education from CCNY/ magna cum laude, MS in the child individualized curriculum- CCNY, Computer Programming Certification – NYU, Audio Visual Certification, NYS teaching license, NYC teaching license, Real Estate License, Phi Beta Kappa, Kappa Delta Phi and all that good stuff. She also brings a host of alternative credentials – Body Centered Therapy Certification, Essential Oil Massage-Training Certification I, II and III, Plant Spirit Medicine -one year Apprenticeship, Reiki Master 1 and is now on the path to Reiki 2, 3 and reflexology certifications.
Jonathan Swerdloff, ESQ.: Jonathan is a litigation attorney with substantial e-discovery and data analysis experience. Former web developer and 2009 masters candidate at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU. Seeking professional opportunities which meld the analysis and work ethic developed in the law with more technology oriented positions. Founder, Floor Four Ventures. His specialities include E-Discovery, data analysis, and database analysis.
Ari Taub: Ari Taub’s films have been showcased around the world. Among the awards that he has won: the Nissan Focus Award, the Warner Award, the Mobil Award, several Cine Golden Eagles, as well as 1st Prize at the Certamen International Film Festival in Spain, and 1st Prize at the Klagenfurt International film festival in Austria. His films have been showcased on Showtime, Arts & Entertainment, HBO, and the Disney Channel. His film “The Red Herring” was compared to Roger Corman’s “Little Shop of Horrors” on Showtime’s the Director’s Series for excellence in low-budget filmmaking. He has been interviewed by Roger Ebert of Siskel & Ebert on the Disney Channel and has appeared in articles in the Los Angeles Times as one of the most promising young filmmakers to come out of NYU Film school. He is currently preparing for the theatrical release of his film “Last Letters from Monte Rosa” and he is in pre-production on his upcoming feature film “The Arrangement.”
Joy P. Taylor: Event Production (A/V, writing, entertainment, speakers, venues, etc.) Wedding Planning, Baby Boomer Parties, Commitment Ceremonies, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs (vud den J )…and (drum roll). I am a professional writer as well. Articles, scripts, speeches, PR and Marketing, website design, etc. In the days of “used to was it,” I even had a call-in talk show called THE TAYLORED WORD…. At present I am writing a humorous self-help book which I hope to showcase on Oprah, and I am also freelancing for all those luxuries in life, i.e., food, shelter…Yes, a creative gal, but I am diverse and flexible as well …I also have extensive experience in the insurance industry…I was head of a department in one of the largest Third Party Administrators in this country, of which I mediated and negotiated with over quarter of a million policyholders, each Department of Insurance in every State, every internal department, and the insurance companies we administered for. I was also an Associate to the President of an A.M. Best rated Life company. The best of both words…corporate and creative. Please feel free to email me at: tayloredone@optonline.net
Logan Tracey: Logan Tracey is an actress and singer based in New York City. A graduate of Ithaca College and the National Theatre Institute, Ms. Tracey has been performing in film, television, and theatre since moving to NYC in 2003. Logan has performed in numerous new musicals, as Sheila in HAIR at the Gallery Players, completed a season of summer stock at the Saxtons River Playhouse playing Catherine in Pippin and Laurie in Oklahoma! With a focus on comedy and improv (and training from the Upright Citizens Brigade), Ms. Tracey has performed with CollegeHumor.com, NBC.com, in the NY Underground Comedy Festival, numerous NYCFringe Festivals, and on All My Children and Guiding Light. Ms. Tracey has a strong background in Musical Theare and teaches dance and directs at SophieDance in Hollywood, CA. Logan is great with kids and loves teaching and working with children. Check out her website for photos, music, and a performance reel: www.logantracey.com
Jacob Troy: is an actor and a filmmaker. He began writing and performing at an early age in his hometown of Woodstock, New York. By age sixteen, a play he co-authored was accepted into the New York International Fringe Festival and featured on CNN. At age eighteen he co-founded the Wayfinder Experience, Inc., a summer camp and an arts-in-education program teaching theater and storytelling to young people, a company which still thrives today. Jacob earned a Bachelor of Arts from Sarah Lawrence College, where he concentrated on Theater and Film. At the Universidad de Sevilla in southern Spain, he studied Art History. As a performer, Jacob has toured the United States with America’s longest-running classical touring company, National Players, bringing Shakespeare to cities around the country, and has performed with regional theater companies throughout the East Coast. In New York City, where he currently resides, Jacob has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway shows throughout Manhattan, and recently co-founded the Off-Off-Broadway ensemble, the American Bard Theater Company. As a filmmaker Jacob has been in the roles of either writer, director, or producer for his own films as well as the work of others. Recently, he returned from Patagonia, Argentina where he appeared as a lead role in The Son of Tango Kid, a new independent film, which he also co-wrote. Other experience includes working for several years in the financial sector as a Wall Street recruiter and as a fundraiser, helping to raise $15M for and an online executive recruiting start-up with such clients as The Blackstone Group, Deutsche Bank, and Goldman Sachs. Additionally, Jacob has more than ten years experience as a teacher and workshop leader, having taught people of all ages in more than thirty states around the country.
Jamie Turndorf, PH.D.: Dr. Turndorf holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, is an internationally known emotional communication expert, relationship therapist, author and advice columnist read by millions. Known worldwide as Dr. Love, through the web, television, radio, and print, Dr. Turndorf has authored, Till Death Do Us Part (Unless I Kill You First): A Step-by-Step Guide for Resolving Relationship Conflict. Her book was endorsed by two New York Times #1 Best Selling Authors Dr. John Gray who wrote “Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus,” John Bradshaw who wrote “Homecoming” and Pulitzer Prize winning author and Harvard Professor Dr. John Mack. Dr. Turndorf is the creator of askdrlove.com, the first relationship advice site on the internet. The site has received up to three million hits per month and was voted Best of the Net and Hottest Site on the Web. At her website, she offers the world’s first searchable relationship advice database and the web’s only customized automated consultations that are tailored to users’ age, sex, gender, sexual-orientation, marital status, life situation and presenting problem. Dr. Turndorf has appeared on every major television network including, NBC, CNN, CBS, Fox, on such programs as Later Today, Fox Five, America’s Talking, Inside Edition, VH1, and many others. Her expert advice has been featured on the radio and in print on WebMD, iVillage, and in magazines and newspapers worldwide. As Founder/Director of the Center for Emotional Communication, she has spent the past twenty-five years perfecting her Core Therapy method, which enables people to unearth and heal the early wounds that interfere with our ability to establish and maintain loving relationships with others and ourselves. Dr. Turndorf is the inventor of the award-winning game, LoveQuest: The Game of Finding Mr. Right, nominated by Mensa as the “Most Creative and Intellectually Challenging Game of the Year” and voted by Fun and Games magazine as a sure winner for the international “Most Creative Game of the Year” award. She has also authored the foreword to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Affair Proof Love and co-authored The Pleasure of Your Company: A Socio-Psychological Analysis of Modern Sociability (with Emile Jean Pin). Since the recent death of Emile Jean Pin, her beloved husband of 27 years, she has discovered that relationships do not end in death. His miraculous manifestations, often in front of witnesses, have proven to her that there is life after life. Jean has asked her to tell their story to ease the two greatest and most universal fears: that of loving and losing and that of death and dying. Her experiences with him have led her to develop a groundbreaking form of grief therapy that diverges from traditional Western approach (grieve, let go and move on). By contrast, her method guides people to reconnect and, if needed, make peace with the deceased. Her story and new grief therapy method is soon to be presented in her latest book entitled Love Never Dies: How to Reconnect and Make Peace with the Deceased.
Stacey van Hooven: Stacey is a native New Yorker who now lives in Munich, Germany. She is Vice President and General Counsel for Tissue Europe, a division of SCA Hygiene
Products SE where she is entrusted with the overall responsibility for the legal work within the Business Group. She is also the company’s European Compliance Officer. In addition to her legal work, Stacey teaches a course in U.S. Business Law at the law school in the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. Stacey is a graduate of the joint CCNY/NYLS Urban Legal Studies Program. She began her legal career in 1985 as a litigator on civil commercial matters. Later, she served in City government under the leadership of Mayor Ed Koch and his successor, Mayor David Dinkins, as an investigative attorney with the New York City Department of Investigation. In 1991, she moved to Munich, Germany where she founded her own business law practice advising German clients on American law and assisting German law firms in American related corporate and commercial matters and later formed an affiliation with the law firm of Jacob & Associates. She has been with SCA since 2007. Stacey is a founding member and was the first President of Beth Shalom, the liberal Jewish community in Munich.
Joan M. Vitello, PH.D., RN, FAAN, FAHA, NEA-BC: Dr. Joan Vitello has over 30 years experience in hospital organizations ranging from a clinical staff nurse to most recently where she served as the System VP and Chief Nursing Officer for Hallmark Health System and for her last 8 months there as the Chief Operating Officer for Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Medford, MA. She is now an independent consultant specializing in leadership development, appreciative inquiry, positivity training and coaching, emotional intelligence skills building and service excellence. During her tenure in health care, Joan has championed the value of collaboration and the need to build linkages with other disciplines outside nursing to ensure the overall excellence of patient care. She has combined her clinical expertise with a formal educational background in organizational development. With this expertise, Joan has consulted on leadership development, emotional intelligence, positive emotions, systems thinking and strategic planning. She has consulted with the Boston Public Schools system in regards to curriculum development of their health careers academy. In addition, Dr. Vitello has served as a consultant to 3M Healthcare, Hewlett-Packard, Kontron Cardiovascular Inc., Wilkes Barre General Hospital, Georgetown University, Mount Sinai Hospital, Maine Medical Center, Northeastern University and Regis College School of Nursing and hospitals in England, India, China and Israel, among others. Joan is passionate that in order to find meaningful work, people must be appreciative of the talents they can bring to their work. She is studying positive emotions and how we as human beings can improve upon on our positive words, images and actions. She is also proud of the fact that she wants to help develop young aspiring leaders to become more effective leaders through self-reflection, coaching and feedback. Joan has served as the 25th President of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the world’s largest nursing specialty organization. She has also served on various other health care boards and not-for-profit boards and was recently the President of the Visions of a Better World Foundation. Joan was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, and as a Fellow of the American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular Nursing. Joan received her associate degree from Massasoit Community College, her BSN from the University of Massachusetts and was awarded her MSN from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in Cardiovascular/Critical Care. She received her M.A.in Organizational Development and her Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from The Fielding Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California. Her dissertation research explored the leadership practices and emotional intelligence of nursing leaders. An internationally recognized author, lecturer, researcher, Joan has received numerous awards and recognitions in healthcare. Her most recent honor came early this year as she named the “2009 Living Legend in Massachusetts Nursing” by the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses.
Tony Wilkes: Tony Wilkes is a man with experience that runs wide and deep in the performing arts. Tony trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Fashion Institute of Technology and the Mayer School of Fashion Design. Over the past twenty years, Tony has formed and operated several successful ventures, including L.A.W. Entertainment, L.A.W. Productions, Inc. and L.A.W. Recordings, an independent record label. Tony has produced forty or more productions during this time, including plays and video productions in locations such as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. In the costume world, he has designed more than sixty plays, as well as being in residence at Rutgers University and East Lynn Theatre Company. He also worked on such shows as Cyrano, Les Miserables, Damn Yankees, On The Water Front, Swinging on a Star, Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk, all on Broadway in the wardrobe department.
Wendy R. Williams: Wendy R. Williams is a Private Mortgage Banker with Wells Fargo. She has been in the mortgage business for twelve years. Wendy is also a licensed New York Real Estate Broker and a Texas licensed CPA. In her “spare” time, Wendy edits and writes for www.newyorkcool.com, an online zine that covers “New York from every perspective.”
Saundi Wilson: Saundi Wilson has been active in virtually every sector of the music industry. His work in film and television began at age 19, and he has since composed music for A&E, CBS, ABC, and Disney as well as numerous short films. Saundi has licensed music to more than fifteen different television shows, including MTV’s Jersey Shore. Shortly after completing the masters program at NYU’s Steinhardt School, Saundi scored his first feature film, Manito , which garnered honors at several film festivals, most notably Sundance and South by Southwest. Since it’s theatrical release (by Film Movement), it has been licensed to HBO, Showtime and the Independent Film Channel. Saundi then began to collaborate with Sebastian Bardin, a former classmate from his undergrad days(S.U.N.Y. Purchase), and they created The Brüknahm Project. Their first LP (self-titled) was released on Knitting Factory Records to critical acclaim and they went on to complete two European tours performing on some of Europe’s greatest stages (i.e. North Sea, Jazz a Vienne). After their tremendous success in Europe, the duo packed up and moved to Paris. Brüknahm was commissioned by Universal (France) to produce tracks for Algerian star Khaled, not to mention two remixes for the Japanese sensation AIR on the LP On My Way(EMI/Capitol). Saundi also laid down his eclectic groove as a DJ in various locales in Europe as well as his monthly Brooklyn Zoo parties in Paris. Shortly after recording the second Brüknahm album -The City of Light(distributed on Believe Digital), Saundi moved back to the U.S., bouncing between Los Angeles and Brooklyn. He remains quite active with The Brüknahm Project, performing with them as the featured artist at the Shanghai International Jazz Festival (China). Currently, Saundi is licensing songs from his catalog through Stephen Arnold Music, producing/writing for his new project- Red Claire, featuring country/bluegrass artist Claire Holley, and he recently co-produced Canadian singer Jessica Brooks’ debut album- Our Place Now (Bungalow 7).
Andrea Wolper: Vocalist, songwriter, and recording artist Andrea Wolper is a respected member of the New York jazz and improvised music communities. Andrea performs regularly in the New York area, and tours nationally and internationally. She leads her own jazz group, The Andrea Wolper Trio / Quartet, is a member of the improvising trio, “TranceFormation,” with Connie Crothers and Ken Filiano, and appears as a guest artist with numerous other artists and ensembles. Andrea teaches vocal technique, does performance coaching, and leads workshops and master classes. One of her original songs is the 5th most downloaded track of all time at AllAboutJazz.com (click here; it’s free! http://snipr.com/aaj-freedownload). Andrea is a President Emerita of International Women in Jazz, and served as an Advisor to the Jazz Vocal Coalition. In addition to her musical endeavors, Andrea is a former freelance writer, with books and numerous articles to her credit, including the first-of-its-kind collection, “Women’s Rights, Human Rights: International Feminist Perspectives” (co-editor, Julie S. Peters; Routledge, 1994). Andrea is a lifelong human rights activist. Originally from California, Andrea resides in Brooklyn, NY. For more about information, including performance schedule, or to send an email, please visit www.AndreaWolper.com
Emily Wolper: Emily Wolper founded E. Wolper, Inc. Admissions Consulting in 1999 after having served as an admissions officer at Columbia University. Ms. Wolper, who holds a BA in religion from Vassar College and an MA in Educational Theatre from New York University, consults privately to both undergraduate and graduate applicants and their families, sharing with them the knowledge that she has gained during her years on the admissions side and throughout her consulting career. She is a frequent speaker and facilitator of workshops and is very passionate about helping students discover their interests through extracurricular activities. Emily is the former President of the Vassar Club of New York. Under her leadership, the club grew significantly and developed new and compelling programming, reaching all generations of Vassar Alumnae/i. She is a professional singer, avid crafter and leadership volunteer. She works with teens at the Red Cross in her hometown of Morristown, NJ, and she is an active member of and frequent soloist in the award winning Harmonium Choral Society. Emily is also a proud member of In Good Company Workspaces, a workspace and community for women entrepreneurs.
Nikolay Yamakawa: Nikolay is a project manager at the International Access Corporation, specializing in a variety of projects in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and nuclear energy fields. Nikolay is especially interested in the lithium battery and smart grid technology sectors, which he follows on daily basis in order to compile monthly news letters for clients. Prior to his current job, Nikolay worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Daratech Inc, supporting research and marketing activities in tax and Computer Aided Design/Engineering (CAD/CAE).
Jack Young: Jack Young is an entrepreneurial recruiter with a specialization in the automotive industry. He has broad based consulting skills in career development and job search strategies. With 20+ years of private business leadership, Jack has successfully placed over 1200 managers and executives in industries as diverse as automotive, biotechnology, polymer manufacturing, and engineering. He is currently establishing new business model to facilitate LIVE Webinar, and resume presentations to assist job seekers in their career search process. AllowMeToIntroduceMyself.com, Inc. which launched on April 2nd, ’09 and offers a comprehensive package of job search products for job seekers on every level. Working as sister company to Jack Young Personnel Services, Inc., the two firms seek to establish a seemless synergy of services for client companies, and job seekers looking for career development assistance. Jack Young’s Specialties: Automotive Management Search, Career Counseling, Job Search Strategies, Resume and Cover Letter Creations.
Lisa Zari: Lisa is founder/president of Zari International. She has now added a new division to her already versatile agency — ‘Z’ Woman Designs — helping her growing array of clients, here and abroad, develop their own brand distinction through logo design and public relations. Lisa also heads Zari Intl Productions, a division which specializes in photo shoots (pre and post production) for global clients. Her company deals with a full range of services — studio rentals, insurance, equipment, catering, permits, and usage negotiations. It guides, consults and aides creative teams with casting, talent, and location scouting. The company’s clients in Belgium include Blue Water and Green Grass. Prior to this, Lisa was a Photographer’s Representative / Independent Contractor at Creative Management Agency, managing the careers of 10 leading photographers, while launching new talent. Her efforts resulted in sales growth of 25%. Her duties, which included negotiating of all legal usage of photography, entailed working with art buyers and editors on layouts.She also organizied breakfast portfolio reviews at ad agencies. Her clients included: Bank of America, Merck, Make a Wish Foundation, and Verizon. Photographers she represented were Jim Erickson, Alaister Thain, Olaf Veltman, Markku, and Henrik Halvarsson. Lisa’s first business venture was Zari International USA / Europa, a photographic and multi- talent agency. She managed the careers of 15 photographers, as well as numerous make-up artists, hair stylists, and fashion / prop stylists. Her art division represented popular editorial Illustrators. Her work included brand development, advertising placement, assignment negociation, interviews, and staff develpoment. Clients included: La Perla, Neiman Marcus, Cosmair, Parker Pens, Kodak, Sony Music and Relvon. Some of the well known photographers were Joyce Tenneson, Marc Hauser and Regis Fialaire. Prior to this, Lisa Zari traveled the globe as a fashion model, working with leading international modeling agencies, and appearing in various ad campaigns, publications, and commercials.
Amanda Zwirn: Amanda Zwirn has been involved in stage productions at French Woods Camp since age nine. She is currently a senior at NYC’s Firorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts, majoring in Technical Theatre, where she works on major productions in dance, musical theatre and drama. In her spare time she has volunteered her theatre skills to a local non-profit community theatre organization in her neighborhood of Rockaway Beach. In the coming years she looked forward to employing her theatre skills at the college level.