Talent + Education Day Speakers
Nicole Hendrix
Executive Director & Co-Founder, BRIC Foundation
Nicole Hendrix is a four-time Emmy-winning Producer and Creative Director. With a multi-disciplinary background, Nicole has used storytelling as the main ingredient in her successful campaigns that span across television, games, live events, and film. She is currently working as a Producer and Marketing + PR Consultant with clients like Niantic, Baobab Studios, and 9B Collective.
She is the Co-Founder/Executive Director of the BRIC Foundation, an organization that focuses on increasing representation for women and people from underrepresented groups in the entertainment industry, where she directs their yearly Talent + Innovation Summit. She is also the Co-Founder of the Concept Art Association, an organization focused on elevating and raising the profile of concept artists within the entertainment industry, where she directs their yearly Concept Art Awards show.
She is an international public speaker, where she talks about Storytelling for a Brand and Creativity & Gender. She has given lectures at the University of Connecticut, SXSW Edu, San Diego Comic-Con, WonderCon, LightBox Expo, THU, The View Conference, Educating for Careers, CG Futures in Melbourne & Sydney, Australia, ing Creatives in Dubai, and many more.
Alison Mann
Co-Founder, BRIC Foundation & Talent Manager and President of Fourth Wall Animation, Fourth Wall Management
As an artist, Alison Mann always knew she wanted to work in Animation. She began her career at Nickelodeon Animation Studio as a finance department intern while attending Columbia College Chicago. After graduating, she was offered the amazing opportunity to continue working with Nickelodeon/ MTV as their Recruiter/ Coordinator of Talent Relations. Through her 20 years in the industry, she gained experience in TV, Film and Gaming while working at Walt Disney Animation Studio, Zynga, Disney Interactive, Paramount Pictures Animation, Illumination Entertainment and Sony Pictures Animation.
Mann is the co-founder of the BRIC Foundation, an organization set up to solve how to create new access points for women and people from underrepresented groups so they can excel at creative leadership and to enable culture change through engaging and empowering talent. As a creative and supporter of talent, Mann is passionate about storytelling and identifying and working with inspiring creators that can continue to elevate the animation industry.
Kimberly Wright
Co-Founder, Double Take Casting and Consulting, LLC
For the past 4 years Kimberly has worked for GBH Kids as the Senior Producer for the PBS Kids preschool series Work it Out Wombats! and was most recently Casting Producer for a new series in development at PBS Kids called America’s Awesome Kids. Prior to her roles at GBH, Kimberly was a Film Producer at Sesame Workshop where she commissioned short films for Sesame Street. She worked closely with filmmakers and animators to guide them through the creative process, and also sourced new diverse content creators to partner with by attending various children’s film festivals and conferences throughout the US and abroad where she often participated as a keynote speaker, panelist and juror. Kimberly continues to make it her mission to provide opportunities for BIPOC content creators and talent. She has also recently started her own business - Double Take Casting and Consulting!
Viviana Vazquez
Marketing Apprentice, Group Effort Initiative
Viviana Vazquez is a first generation Latina born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of Southern California in December 2024. Through BRIC's support, Viviana now works as a Marketing Apprentice at Group Effort Initiative. Viviana hopes to build her marketing career in the beauty or entertainment industry, where she can use digital storytelling to help brands connect authentically with diverse communities.
Amaan Merchant
Content Programming & Scheduling Trainee, Pluto TV
Amaan Merchant is a Content Programming & Scheduling Trainee at Pluto TV. Through his unique work experiences, Amaan has consistently brought forward a boundary-pushing vision to each role he inhabits. His relentless demand for excellence compounded with the desire for sustainability has created a synergy of skilled communicative and creative abilities. Amaan graduated with Magna Cum Laude from California State University Dominguez Hills while working several stints in the entertainment industry. He plans on utilizing his adaptive talents as he works toward becoming an Executive in the Film and Television space.
Eli Allen
Co-Founder & Studio Director, Wild Blue Studios
Eli Allen is the cofounder and Studio Director of Wild Blue Studios, a worker cooperative that provides art services to the largest AAA live service games. Now its 9th year, Wild Blue is unique in it structure and longevity as a worker-owned business in the games industry. Eli is passionate about teaching others the lessons in cooperative business that he had to learn the hard way.
Nick Hayes
Co-Founder, Means TV
Nick Hayes is an independent filmmaker and co-founder and current employee of Means TV.
He got his start working in commercial and network film and television in Michigan before leaving that work to pursue producing films about left-wing comedians and podcasts, as well as campaign videos for socialist candidates in the 2018 midterm elections. During this time, he produced videos for Street Fight Radio, Chapo Trap House, The District Sentinel and others.
Him and his partner Naomi Burton produced an acclaimed campaign ad for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in her first campaign to unseat congressman Joe Crowley. After the success of that video, Nick and Naomi traveled around the country creating videos for other socialist politicians with the goal of replicating that success under their production company Means of Production.
In the wake of disappointing election results for all but AOC in 2018, and a sense that national electoral politics wouldn't advance the socialist cause in the way they had thought, Hayes and Burton created Means TV as a cooperative entertainment platform with the goal of creating a media institution and hub for anti-capitalist filmmakers and creators.
Since founding Means TV, Nick has released the documentary feature on the platform, Yell, Stomp, Hiss as well as The Street Fight TV Show, both of which he directed. He's acted as executive producer on Means TV's original content and currently works as head of platform development and partner relations.
Carmi Gallardo
Sr. Community Growth Manager, First Entertainment Credit Union
Carmi Gallardo is a financial services professional with over 18 years of experience advancing financial education and empowering communities. She serves as Sr. Community Growth Manager at First Entertainment Credit Union, where she leads the Financial Wellness Initiative and builds strategic partnerships to expand access to financial health resources.
With a background spanning lending, retail management, and financial education, Carmi brings a holistic understanding of the financial needs of individuals and families. She is a recipient of the 2017 Bert Corona Leadership Award for her leadership and civic engagement, particularly within immigrant communities.
Brian Dickman
Founder & CEO, Cleverlike Studios, Inc.
Brian is a thought-leader in the realm of using video games in education. His team has created educational games played by over 80 million students and they produced popular standards-aligned learning activities for Minecraft, Fortnite, and Unreal Engine. They have delivered professional learning to thousands of educators for Microsoft and Epic Games. Their unique view of the entire student journey from K through 12 along with the challenges of educators using video games in the classroom has shaped their vision for student success.
Erik Leitner
Education Content Producer, Cleverlike Studios, Inc.
Erik Leitner is an Education Content Producer at Cleverlike Studios, dedicated to creating engaging and educational content and experiences inside popular video games. For twenty years, Mr. Leitner worked for Broward County Public Schools serving as a district-level STEM and Computer Science Instructional Facilitator, school-based Science educator, Science coach, and STEM coach certified in K-6 education, Tech & Engineering, Middle Grades Science, and K-12 Computer Science. He is a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert specializing in engaging uses of Minecraft Education.
Ian Southwell
Creative Director, Cleverlike Studios, Inc.
Ian graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and has worked with several studios to publish video game content. As he mastered his craft as an artist and designer, he turned to education where he taught at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design before joining Cleverlike Studios as the Creative Director. Ian is an Epic Unreal Authorized Instructor and has led the creation of Cleverlike education content for Unreal Engine in addition to being one of the most prolific community educators for Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN).
Jamie Leduc
Co-Founder, CREATE Program; Animation, Film, and Game Design Educator, Sisler High School
Jamie Leduc is an animation, film, and game design educator with more than 27 years of experience. He teaches at Sisler High School and is the Department Head and co-founder of the CREATE program, where students train in a studio-based model that emphasizes professional workflows, direct industry engagement, and sustained guidance through mentorship. His students regularly move into post-secondary programs and creative careers through internships, scholarships, and industry partnerships.
He also leads the tuition-free Sisler CREATE 2D Animation Post-High Program, a one-year intensive for Manitoba graduates that bridges education and the professional animation industry. Students earn vocational credits, receive hands-on guidance and portfolio mentorship from artists at major studios and often secure scholarships to colleges or direct industry employment. His work has been recognized with national honours, including the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence and the Governor General’s Award for Teaching Excellence in Technology.
Learn more by visiting: https://sislercreate.com/Animation/
Kara Vallega
Compositor, Sony Pictures Imageworks
Kara Vallega is a compositor at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Growing up with a love for animated movies, she was drawn to the combination of art and technology. In high school, she explored every creative program available from filmmaking, sound, animation to visual effects, driven to understand how stories are brought to life on screen. Through exploring each discipline, she discovered a passion for compositing, fascinated by the final stage of the pipeline where all elements come together to bring the final image brought to screen.
In 2017, she earned a scholarship to attend Vancouver Film School’s 3D Animation & Visual Effects program, where she specialized in compositing. After graduating, she began her career as a compositor with her first movie being Detective Pikachu.
She has since worked across Vancouver, Montreal, and Winnipeg on a range of film productions. Her credits include Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, among others with GOAT as her most recent project.
Jonelle Thomas-Pickett
Lead Educator, Burbank High School Animation Program; Instructor, BHS Sculpture Program
Jonelle leads the multi-year Burbank High School Animation Program, and also instructs in the BHS Sculpture Program. As a passionate Arts Educator for 25+ years, she enjoys developing educational experiences and curricula that merge traditional arts with digital and tech tools to advance skills students can utilize in both life and professional pursuits. Her classroom is a studio environment that mirrors career opportunities, fosters collaboration, innovation and design, and incorporates community and industry partnerships. She has received several teaching honors, including LA County/BUSD Teacher of the Year, and most recently was part of the BUSD team awarded the Golden Bell for CTE Arts Media & Entertainment Pathways.
Dana Green
PR consultant
Known for her strategic vision and passion for storytelling, Dana Green is a PR consultant for creators and showrunners whose projects include series for Disney, PBS, YouTube Originals and Netflix, among others. She formerly served as Vice President, Communications, Disney Channels, leading publicity and media relations for all animated television series across Disney+, Disney Channel and Disney Junior, as well as studio communications for Disney Television Animation. Green and her team were responsible for launching global hit series including Phineas and Ferb, DuckTales, Doc McStuffins, and Sofia the First, among many others. Earlier in her career, she served as a publicist for Paramount Television, Sandra Bullock’s Fortis Films, and Wolf Kasteler Public Relations.
Gayle Khait
PR Consultant
Gayle Khait is a veteran PR consultant, strategizing for movies, television, and talent both in front of and behind the camera. Khait has played a vital role in successful campaigns that have garnered Oscar®, and Emmy® Award nominations and wins. Current and previous clients include Sera Gamble (You, The Magicians), Anna Winger (Transatlantic, Unorthodox), Liz Hannah (The Girl From Plainville, Long Shot), Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round), and the late Jean Marc Vallée (Sharp Objects). She also served as a strategist on films such as The Life Ahead, On the Rocks, The Hand of God and the Academy award-winning Another Round. Khait was previously at Wolf-Kasteler and Hive Communications, and on the publicity team for AFI FEST. She has been a featured speaker at AFI Conservatory, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and the USC School Annenberg School for Communications.
Erica Elson
Co-Founder, Green Film School Alliance; Digital Course and Event Producer at Sundance Collab.
Erica Elson is the co-founder of the Green Film School Alliance and a Digital Course and Event Producer at Sundance Collab. Having worked in film education for ten years, she produces courses and events in the areas of screenwriting, television writing, directing, producing, and career strategies. She has moderated conversations with Sofia Coppola, Richard Linklater, Mira Nair, Joachim Trier, and Megan Park, among others.
Prior to Sundance, Elson was the Thesis Production Supervisor at the American Film Institute. She oversaw several award-winning graduate thesis films, notably the 2021 BAFTA student film winner APART, TOGETHER and the 2023 Sundance Film Festival short WE WERE MEANT TO. While at AFI, Elson developed a passion for sustainable production, started the AFI Green Initiative, and co-created the Green Film School Alliance, which includes fifty schools on four continents. As part of her role at Sundance Collab, she teaches her students about sustainable production and climate storytelling, provides green resources, and programs events around sustainability and environmental storytelling.
Melanie Peck
Chief Program Officer, USGBC-CA
Melanie Peck is an accomplished organizational leader serving as the Chief Program Officer for USGBC-CA, where she oversees the strategic implementation and holistic impact of the organization’s diverse program portfolio. Operating at the intersection of equity, sustainability, and the built environment, Melanie scales mission-driven initiatives that transform climate goals into measurable community outcomes. Her extensive leadership background includes serving as the Director of Workforce Development for USGBC-CA and the Director of People and Culture at Seattle City Light—one of the nation’s largest and greenest municipal utilities—where she led talent acquisition, apprenticeships, and race and social justice initiatives. Previously, she served as Director of Workforce, Education, and Training at The Energy Coalition, overseeing large-scale, statewide workforce, environmental education, and community engagement programs.
With deep expertise in energy market transformation and environmental justice, Melanie has a proven track record of designing inclusive programs that bridge the gap between policy and practice. She is a recognized expert in navigating California’s complex energy efficiency regulatory landscape, leveraging a Master’s in Public Administration and certifications in Change Management and DEI to foster a climate-resilient workforce. Guided by a philosophy of creative, people-first leadership, Melanie remains committed to mentorship and transparency, ensuring that USGBC-CA’s programmatic expansion is powered by a skilled, equitable, and highly engaged ecosystem of professionals.
Arif Gursel
Founder and Managing Director, 8genC
Arif Gursel is a creative and technical executive who effortlessly transitions between left- and right-brain tasks, demonstrating adaptability and versatility. He is currently the founder and managing director of 8genC (pronounced 'agency') Inc. This dynamic agency empowers influential content creators, brands, technology companies, and high-net-worth individuals in the creator economy through fractional leadership and strategic execution, helping clients capture new opportunities and scale rapidly.
Mr. Gursel's influence extends beyond borders, as evidenced by his multiple global roles at Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft, Salesforce, Netflix, and Google. As the former global head of product partnerships for YouTube Music & Premium and Netflix, he fostered international relationships with large enterprise companies and partners. His extensive product and business development career, which began at Microsoft in multiple divisions where he shipped numerous impactful products in various roles, including engineering, product management, and business development, culminating in leading global media and entertainment partnership strategy as the company's first Global Technical Evangelist for consumer technologies, is a testament to his international reach and impact.
During his tenure at Microsoft, he enrolled in the International Executive MBA program at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, where he was the youngest member of an international cohort. Upon completing his MBA, he ventured into the startup ecosystem as a serial entrepreneur, an exited founder, an early-stage advisor, and a venture investor.
Mr. Gursel's investments and philanthropy are not passive but driven by his active involvement. He is the founder and Executive Director of PACE, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit based in Seattle. PACE created the Cre8tive Economy Alliance (CEA) as a cross-sector membership initiative that turns creativity into compensation by aligning policy, playbooks, and paid pathways that activate the ecosystem through curated connections.
As an investor, he is a general partner at Unified Capital, a VC firm investing in pre-seed to series-A startups. His specialization in technology strategy, creative direction, and business development for enterprise and venture-backed companies is a testament to his commitment. He also leads business acquisition through his private equity company, Investment GGroup Inc., and music, film, and fashion ventures through his creative holding company, VIBEHEAVY Inc., and its subsidiaries, which he founded in 2012.
Danny Lin
TAG
Danny Lin is a Storyboard Artist and Director based out of Southern California. She studied at California Institute of the Arts in the Character Animation program before beginning her professional career as a Storyboard Revisionist on the show "We Bare Bears" in 2014. Danny has since worked for studios such as Warner Brothers, Nickelodeon, Titmouse, Disney, Netflix, Paramount, and Sony on both TV and feature animation projects, including "Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake" and the in-progress sequel to "The Mitchells vs. the Machines". She was elected as the President of IATSE Local 839, The Animation Guild in late 2025
Kent Hayward
Author, Green Filmmaking; Professor of Film Production, California State University Long Beach
Author of Green Filmmaking (Routledge, 2025), and professor of film production at California State University Long Beach, Hayward has worked in editorial, visual effects, and production for over twenty years. A founder and executive committee member of the Green Film School Alliance, he has dedicated himself to the promotion of sustainability in his industry.
Lauren DeVillier
CEO, Exceptional Minds; Co-Founder, Struum
Lauren DeVillier is the CEO of Exceptional Minds, a nonprofit academy and studios that trains and employs autistic artists in digital arts and entertainment. She oversees both the Academy and Studios, leading organizational growth while expanding the impact of Exceptional Minds across emerging creative industries. Her track record in innovation, strategic leadership, and market foresight uniquely positions her in guiding the organization as it evolves within the rapidly shifting digital arts landscape.
A seasoned senior executive and visionary business leader, Lauren brings more than two decades of experience across strategy, operations, media, and technology. She is known for accelerating growth, building high-performing teams, and driving operational excellence. Her expertise spans strategic planning, financial performance, product and content innovation, marketing, and brand strategy.
As co-founder and CEO of Struum, backed by Michael Eisner’s Tornante, Corus Entertainment, and Gaingels, Lauren led capital raises, negotiated multiyear content deals, and launched a streaming service that reimagined content discovery through its innovative “class pass” credit model. Previously, Lauren held key leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company, Yahoo!, Discovery Networks, and Microsoft. At Disney, she oversaw digital strategy for the multi- billion-dollar kids’ franchise portfolio, transforming it from a traditional marketing function into a revenue-generating digital business across mobile games, short-form video, social media, and streaming. Under her leadership, Disney Channel surpassed 60M app downloads and built a 25M+ social media following. She also holds a patent for interactive episode technology.
At Discovery Networks, she led the international launch of a direct-to-consumer SVOD and gaming service, defining product vision, managing design and development, and reducing time-to-market by 25%. At Yahoo!, she grew the Yahoo! Lifestyle business to more than 500M global users and managed high-impact strategic partnerships. Lauren began her career at Microsoft, contributing to the launch of MSN.com, which reached 40% of U.S. households, and leading the global rollout of the Microsoft TV developer program, solidifying the company as a leading provider of IPTV platforms.
As co-owner of Standing Ear Productions, Lauren provided strategic consulting across industries, helping organizations unlock growth through business strategy, brand direction, content and distribution strategy, and operational excellence. Her forward-thinking approach and ability to turn complexity into opportunity continue to define her leadership in the evolving digital landscape.
Ed Coleman
Vice President of Post Production & Media Operations, CBS Sports
Ed Coleman serves as the Vice President of Post Production & Media Operations at CBS Sports, where he oversees the strategy, development, and execution of all operational procedures related to the editing and distribution of content across the network’s broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. A multiple Emmy Award winner, he is widely recognized as an industry leader in post‑production innovation and workflow strategy.
He is also a dedicated advocate for the neurodiverse community. As the parent of a neurodiverse son, Ed brings a deeply personal commitment to fostering inclusion and understanding within the industry. Under his leadership, the CBS Sports Post Production division has created full‑time employment opportunities for several Exceptional Minds graduates and continues to support the Exceptional Minds Studio through ongoing production partnerships.
Coleman, a graduate of Westfield State University, oversaw AMC Networks’ New York post‑production facilities prior to joining CBS Sports. He is an active member of the Sports Video Group and serves on the SVG Sports Content Management Committee.
Lauren Allex
Freelance Animator
Lauren Allex is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design with a bachelor’s degree in Animation, and is now based in Los Angeles, California. Her focus is 2D animation. Lauren is passionate about the creation of animated projects, and in recent years her animations have been shown at screenings and festivals such as Silverlake Shorts and Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival. Her projects often involve a collaborative environment working on animations from pre- to post-production stages. She feels connected towards the creation of a co-op that fosters a sense of community and inclusion through animated storytelling.
Frank Liu
Freelance Illustrator
Frank Liu (Feiyang/刘飞洋) is an illustrator based in LA. He was born and raised in China, but spent the past 10 years living, studying, and working in the United States. Within the animation industry, Frank has over two years of experience as a background painter and color script artist at Titmouse, creating compelling environments while fitting in the production pipeline. He also works as a freelance illustrator, with clients such as Critical Role, focusing on storytelling through artwork that captures emotion and narrative depth. His artistic passion lies in blending fantasy elements with real-life introspections, creating works that are both imaginative and meaningful.
Jackie Allex
Creative Technologist and Pipeline TD / Technical Artist
Jackie Allex is a Creative Technologist and Pipeline TD / Technical Artist, based in San Francisco, California! She has worked on animated films, VFX, games, and theme park experiences - some projects include Inside Out 2, Elio, and Alice in Borderlands S3. By interweaving 3D, 2D, and physical media animation in Lemoncheeks’ short film, her goal is to tell meaningful stories with rich, multi-textured visual experiences.
Shelby Nicholas
Story Artist
motivated individual. Directing her own short right now. Didn’t get into the industry right away and kept working on her craft until she landed her first job here
Rayven Van Kalker
Story Artist
Self taught! Originally majored in Chemistry but knew art was her path. Made a contract with her parents to work on her own art and they gave her a year to do it before she would have to go back to science. That year, she got a portfolio together and landed an internship at Pixar.
Kalina Murat
Visual Development Artist
Was our first ever apprentice! She’s so smart and she would be a good one to show the progression of her work over time because you can see the different improvements along the way.
Devonn Wilson
Character Designer
An artist’s artist. Devonn didn’t go to an “animation” school but kept working on his work. He was found on Instagram by Shiyoon Kim and was trained by him.
Victor Sampaio
Story Artist
Victor is from Europe and dreamed of working on larger productions. He hustled and eventually got his visa to move to the US. He is the first gen/immigrant story.
Clarisse Chua
Story Artist
Clarisse is also an international artist. Her journey on getting into CalArts is awesome AND she is super smart and great at educating and talking to students.
Raha Dabiri
Storyboard Artist
Hi there! My name is Raha Dabiri! I am an Iranian/Persian Storyboard Artist from Laguna Niguel, California and residing in Glendale, Los Angeles. I am a Cal State Fullerton Alumni. Go Titans! I have previously worked on The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder at Disney TV Animation, Iwájú at Disney Feature Animation, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts at DreamWorks TV Animation. I love trying different foods, dogs, cats, Life Drawing and Cafe Sketching! Cheers!
Vinod Krishnan
Animation TD and Scene Planner, The Simpsons
Hi there! My name is Vinod Krishnan. I was born and raised in Bahrain before moving to the United States. I began my career as a CG generalist, with my first credit on The Croods (2013), and over the years, I have worked across CG, 2D animation, VFX, and visual development. After earning my MFA from SCAD in 2016, I worked with studios such as Floyd County Productions on Archer and Adult Swim on Rick and Morty, before moving through roles at Nickelodeon, Sony Pictures Animation, and Disney Television Animation. At Disney TVA, I spent six years as a Production Technical Director focused on 2D animation workflows, contributing to shows like The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, The Owl House, The Ghost and Molly McGee, Big City Greens, Firebuds, and Mickey Mouse Funhouse. I’m currently an Animation TD and Scene Planner on The Simpsons. Along the way, I’ve also contributed to animated music videos for artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish. Outside of production, I serve as Industry Outreach Chair for the SIGGRAPH conference and a member of the LightBox Expo committee. When I’m not working, I enjoy meeting new people, traveling, adventure sports, video games, and drawing!
Todd Hoppmeyer
Animation Storyboard Artist
Todd Hoppmeyer is an animation storyboard artist based in Los Angeles. He's been in the animation industry since 2008 and has worked in both artistic and production roles at studios such as Disney, Netflix, Warner Brothers, and Fox. He is currently a Storyboard Supervisor on the Dan Harmon animated TV show "Krapopolis" currently airing on Fox and streaming on Hulu.
Ajani Amiri
Director of the Center for Creative Workforce Equity, Venice Arts
Ajani Amiri is a filmmaker and workforce development leader based in Los Angeles. He serves as Director of the Center for Creative Workforce Equity at Venice Arts, where he leads programs that connect emerging storytellers from underrepresented communities with pathways into digital media careers. Through his work, Ajani develops industry partnerships, apprenticeship pipelines, and training programs designed to expand access to the creative economy for young people from historically excluded communities. Alongside his nonprofit work, Ajani is a screenwriter whose projects have been developed with studios including Westbrook Studios, 20th Century Animation, and Hulu. His work sits at the intersection of storytelling and cultural entrepreneurship.
Allen Frimpong
Founder, ZEAL
Allen Kwabena Frimpong is a conceptual and urban planner engaged in cultural design for community wealth-building globally. He is the founder of ZEAL, a worker-owned creative arts and social impact studio cooperative for artists across the Black diaspora, which has been featured inthe New York Times, ABC Nightline, and Hyperallergic. As a conceptual artist, he designs and produces multimedia anthologies through soundscape installations and public art exhibitions. As a 2024-26 Open Society Foundations Equality fellow, he is currently producing The Remedy is Solidarity, a global multimedia anthology on reparations. He previously led the work of the Old Money, New System community of practice, funded by the Andrus Family Fund, which supports movement resource mobilization initiatives to redistribute wealth in philanthropy nationally. Additionally, he served as a senior fellow at PolicyLink and co-founded Liberation Ventures there, a field-building organization fostering a culture of repair to advance reparations in the U.S. His work has also been featured in books such as Decolonizing Wealth and Rich White Men. He is currently the board chair of Resist, one of the oldest social movement public foundations in the U.S.
Ruslana Yakovenko
Founder and President, UC San Diego’s first Animation Club
Ruslana Yakovenko is an alum of the Burbank High School Animation Program and is completing her BA in Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts (Visual Arts) at University of California San Diego. She is the founder and president of UC San Diego’s first Animation Club, which has grown to more than 400 members, where she teaches Animation workshops, organizes industry events and builds connections between students and professionals in animation. Yakovenko is a Warner Bros. Animation / Hanna-Barbera Honorship recipient and spent four summers working with the studio throughout college.
Ruslana is passionate about storytelling, character design, and visual development. Her senior capstone project is a 2D animated film that follow a young perfumer searching for the scent that will launch his career; as perfectionism and isolation begin to consume him, he is reminded of the moments that once brought him joy. Yakovenko is producing, directing, and animating the film independently.
Katherine Wells
Career Advancement Manager, Exceptional Minds Training Academy
Katherine Wells is the Career Advancement Manager at Exceptional Minds Training Academy, where she leads workforce development and career readiness initiatives that prepare emerging creative professionals for careers in the entertainment industry and beyond. Her work focuses on designing learner-centered, skills-based programs that connect education, industry partnerships, and experiential learning opportunities.
She brings over a decade of experience in talent development across the entertainment and corporate sectors. Prior to joining Exceptional Minds, Katherine spent eight years at Nickelodeon Animation Studio as Senior Manager of Creative Talent Development and Outreach, where she led initiatives to identify, develop, and advance emerging animation artists and writers across television and feature productions. Earlier in her career, she held learning and workforce development roles at Toshiba America and the entertainment marketing agency MOCEAN.
Katherine began her career in entertainment as a production coordinator and executive assistant to the Producers of the Academy Awards broadcast, an experience that sparked her passion for creative industries and talent cultivation. Outside of work, she volunteers with an equine-assisted therapy program and enjoys practicing ceramics at her local pottery studio.
Qamdhyn "Qam" Hale
Instructor, Exceptional Minds; Storyboard Artist
Qamdhyn "Qam" Hale is an instructor at Exceptional Minds and a Storyboard Artist who previously worked at DisneyTVA on Proud Family: Louder and Prouder doing storyboards and revisions. Qam is originally from Sacramento and came to LA to attend the animation program at APU in class of 2022. He’s worked in the animation industry for 6 years. Qam enjoys working with neurodivergent artists because he is also one, and wants to create an environment that accommodates differences and enhances skills.
Miranda Jackson
Senior Data Analyst, The Walt Disney Company
Miranda Jackson is a senior data analyst at The Walt Disney Company on the enterprise sustainability team. She has a passion for implementing circular economy solutions in the entertainment and hospitality industries. In her role, she leads work on the waste, single-use plastic, and sustainable seafood data inventories, as well as assists the theme park and sustainable production teams with data management and waste reduction strategy. Before accepting a role at Disney, Miranda worked to reduce waste and emissions on film sets in Hollywood, and she uses this experience in her work as a freelance sustainability producer outside of her 9-5. With a bachelor’s degree in environmental management and a master’s in ocean conservation and aquatic microbiology, Miranda has a well-rounded understanding of the environment and how humans interact with and affect it. Using this knowledge, she has co-founded the social media platform SustainablyManaged with her best friend, which aims to teach their audience about nature, the power of community, and the importance of compounding individual action.
Leah C. Stevenson, Esq.
Entertainment Attorney
Leah C. Stevenson, Esq. is a Los Angeles based entertainment attorney specializing in entertainment, digital media, and intellectual property law. Known for her sharp legal acumen and deep industry knowledge, Leah represents both emerging and top-tier talent, negotiating high-stakes deals and protecting the creative and business interests of music artists, producers, actors, influencers, and entrepreneurs.
Leah’s robust transactional experience spans a wide range of complex entertainment matters, including exclusive recording deals, producer and songwriter agreements, management contracts, tour and live performance agreements, licensing deals, brand partnership agreements, merchandising deals, podcast production agreements, and film and tv agreements. Leah has successfully negotiated with industry powerhouses including Universal Music Group, Sony, Warner Music Group, Spotify, Netflix, Paramount, NBCUniversal, Hulu, Disney, Amazon, and many more.
In addition to her deal making expertise and transactional practice, Leah oversees global copyright and trademark portfolios ensuring the protection, enforcement, and longevity of her clients’ intellectual property rights. Leah also provides comprehensive business counsel to entrepreneurs and corporate clients and leads dispute resolution efforts for high-value transactions and complex pre-litigation matters.
A featured expert in The Washington Post and CNN for her insights on entertainment law, Leah brings a thoughtful and solution-driven perspective to every matter, blending meticulous legal strategy with a profound respect for the creative process. Leah is dedicated to empowering clients with the legal tools and knowledge they need to thrive in the complex and evolving entertainment industry.
Amanda Kielian
Senior Manager, Sustainability for Fox Corporation
Amanda Kielian serves as Senior Manager, Sustainability for Fox Corporation. In this role, Amanda is responsible for implementing energy and waste reduction efforts across FOX Entertainment, FOX Sports, FOX News Media, FOX Television Stations, and the FOX Studio Lot facility operations.
Additionally, Amanda manages environmental initiatives under senior management that guide the company’s sustainability strategy. She also represents FOX in environmentally focused industry organizations including Green Sports Alliance (GSA), Environmental Media Association (EMA) and Sustainable Entertainment Alliance (SEA).
Gladys Stennis
Audit Financial Expert
Gladys Stennis brings a strong command of strategic considerations and financial acumens within the rapidly evolving media, entertainment, licensing, and consumer products industry worldwide. As a professional accountant, she is experienced with internal controls and GAAP as practiced both domestically and internationally. She is qualified as an Audit Financial Expert, which allows her the ability to lead audit and enterprise risk management committees.
Gladys’ expertise overseeing various aspects of the financial entertainment industry at Warner Bros, Viacom, and 20th Century Fox, has allowed her to train financial teams both domestically and internationally.
Gladys has also built a very successful financial firm developing and overseeing staff on various television and independent film productions as well hiring staffing that handles and taxation for the corporations that produce, direct and distribute the various film and television products. She has also assisted the various companies in obtaining funding for productions ranging between 7.5 M to 65M. Additionally, she has overseen and coordinated Live Events for major comedic and music talent which have generated profits more than 15M.
She has raised additional funding with various investors in Silicon Valley, Wall Street and various international investors in Europe and Asia Pac Rim countries.
With her global knowledge, and the ability to raise funding she will be an asset to Greenlight Women as they grow through membership and various organizational events.