Demetrius HarrisDemetrius Harris serves as the Editorial Graphics Producer for ESPN Productions, Inc. In this role with ESPN, he collaborates with producers and researchers on assigned programming, leads editorial direction of on-air insert graphics appearing in live Sports Nation, NFL, NBA and Sports Center studio shows, and assist with content-development and show-rundown structure. In addition, Mr. Harris also communicates concepts for graphics to on-air talent and producers while managing execution, communicates concepts for graphics to on-air talent and producers while managing execution, and develops, writes and presents ideas to producers and coordinating producers.
Tony OsunsanmiTen years ago, Tony independently founded Rose Gold Management, a diversified management company with a client list of professional athletes in the NFL, NBA and MLS. Guided by his vision, RGM combined day-to-day management with creativity, innovative ideas, and the ability to think globally when formulating partnerships, business opportunities, campaigns and philanthropic initiatives.
While working in management, Tony has consulted for one of the biggest law firms in the country which represented companies like Boeing, Mercedes Benz and Bank of America. After contemplating a switch, Tony moved over to wealth and business management for professional athletes and is now the Head Of Business Development for Life Line Financial Group. His clients list includes Lonzo Ball, Issa Rae, Bobby Wagner and many more.
Sandy NunezSandy Nunez is a Coordinating Producer overseeing all studio production personnel for ESPN Los Angeles. This includes staffing for shows such as SportsCenter Los Angeles, SportsCenter Coast to Coast, The Jump, NBA Countdown, and Jalen and Jacoby.
Nunez joined ESPN in 2007 where she worked as a Coordinating Producer on SportsCenter in Bristol for two years before moving back to the west coast. Upon her return in 2009, she spearheaded the launch of SportsCenter Los Angeles with Neil Everett and Stan Verrett at ESPN’s newly opened LA office. The debut of SCLA marked the first time ESPN’s flagship show was broadcast outside of the company’s headquarter office in Bristol, CT.
Nunez came to ESPN from ABC News in Los Angeles where she covered domestic and international news for nine years. Her work was shown on World News Tonight, Good Morning America and Nightline. Assignments included Immigration Reform, Hurricane Katrina, Presidents Nixon and Reagan Funerals, the World Trade Center bombings and several political democratic and republican conventions. Internationally, she covered suicide bombings and violence in the occupied territories in Israel in 2002 and healthcare in Taiwan for Peter Jennings’ special series in 2003. She was also posted in Turkey and Qatar for several months during ABC’s 2003 war coverage
In 2001, Nunez was charged with opening the network’s Seattle office where she supervised all news coverage in the northwest region as well as daily production for all ABC show platforms.
Recent honors include:
– Named “2019 National Latino Leader Award Winner” by the National Diversity Council
– Awarded “Woman of Inspiration” by WISE Los Angeles
– Named one of “The 30 Most Influential Hispanics in Sports” by Sports Illustrated
– Named one of “Los Angeles Most Influential Latina Journalists” by the California Chicano News Media Association (CCNMA)
Nunez is currently serving as President of NAMIC So Cal (National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Communications.) She also serves on the Board of Managers of Ketchum-Downtown YMCA and is a member of several organizations representing women (WICT, WISE, AWSM.) A native of California, Nunez resides with her husband in Los Angeles.
Danielle GarciaDanielle Garcia earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Masters in Leadership & Management at the University of La Verne. She currently works for the Anaheim Ducks in Corporate Partnerships. She has worked in the sports industry for over five (5) years where she started out as one of the first ever Dodgers Ball girl in 2014-15. Since then she has worked for teams such as Los Angeles Clippers, San Diego (now) Los Angeles Chargers and the Ontario Reign. When she is not working at the Anaheim Ducks she is running her own business and non-profit called Ballers Philanthropy where she helps professional athletes use their platform to give back to the community. She works with athletes such as Los Angeles Chargers player, Denzel Perryman, Damion Square and non-profits such as Snoop Youth Football League, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and more! Danielle was honored as Entrepreneur of the Year and a finalist of Woman of the Year with the Los Angeles Sparks. Danielle is involved in a number of Sports networking groups but is passionate about WISE (Women in Sports & Entertainment). She continues to mentor and help the youth get their start in the sports industry. Danielle credits her success in the sports industry to her parents who taught her the value of working hard and giving back to the community.
Mayra CastroMayra was born and raised in Southern California. She had a non-traditional career and educational road where she graduated high school, went to community college, worked full time, and then decided to finish her degree and start her career in HR. Prior to getting her degree and working with the Angels, she worked in event production overseeing logistics and operations for a world tour concert promoter (traveled and produced concerts in the US, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Brazil).
Mayra graduated from the California State University, Los Angeles in 2012 with a B.S. in Business Administration and an emphasis in Human Resources. After graduating, she went unto work for Angels Baseball in September 2012. Her first role with the Angels started as an HR Assistant. From there, she was promoted to HR Generalist in September 2016, then most recently to HR Manager in June 2018. During this journey within HR, she has earned a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification through SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management).
As an HR Manager for the Angels, she oversees the full cycle recruitment of front office positions including internships and inside sales, partners with managers and supervisors to foster a positive work environment, and assist her employees on a variety of Employee Relations issues. In addition, she also assist with training, reporting, and overseeing the HRIS system.
Mayra is married (oddly enough my husband also works in baseball), has two children (3-year-old super hero loving daughter and 10 year old baseball stats fanatic son) and a Boston terrier. In her free time, she likes trying new foods and traveling.
Nohan CruzAs the Talent Attraction Recruiter for Los Angeles, I have the opportunity to connect and engage with my community, building relationships as I work to create a sustainable pipeline of talent. With over fifth teen years of retail and leadership experience, I’m passionate about service and the consumer journey. At Nike, I get to create lasting relationships with organizations in my community and share my obsession with the swoosh- and all that it represents! I’m relentless when it comes to hiring the best team for our stores and driven to help others create their future and see their unlimited potential.
Hobbies that keep me inspired and motivated, playing the drums, family outings and rooting for my LA teams Dodgers/Rams/Lakers!
Lonnie McGowenLonnie McGowen Jr. has been fortunate to hold positions of influence within a Fortune 400 Company that has afforded him the unique perspective on topics such as Diversity/Inclusion and Leadership in today’s ever changing world. Lonnie McGowen Jr. attended San Francisco State University where he graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management. During his time in college, Lonnie served as a student-athlete where he played 4 years of Basketball for the San Francisco State University Men’s Basketball team and led them as team captain his Junior and Senior year.
Upon graduation, Lonnie begin his professional career at The Sherwin Williams Company as a Manager/Sales Trainee in March of 2002. Lonnie quickly started his ascension up the company ladder, first being promoted to Assistant Manager and then to Store Manager in the heart of Marin County in Northern California. After a 2-year stint as Manager, Lonnie was promoted to the position of Area Human Resources Recruiter followed by another move to Area Human Resources Manager in 2008 based out of Denver Colorado.
Lonnie served as Regional Human Resources Director for the Global Supply Chain Division in Dallas TX where he was successful in creating various hiring and diversity initiatives. He played a significant role in the acquisition and integration of a smaller company into The Sherwin Williams Company during his tenure as Director of Human Resources. Going through the experience of an acquisition uncovered the true meaning of what an HR Business Partner looked like for Lonnie and his department. Lonnie currently serves as the Vice President of Human Resources (The Americas Group) where he covers the Southwestern Retail Stores Group. Lonnie has been tasked to create, drive and maintain initiatives that are strategic in action and targeted by design to continue the strong tradition of a company that has been around since 1866. As a representative of the Sherwin Williams Company, Lonnie offers Sales and Human Resources experience that gives him a unique perspective in a business environment full of global significance and cultural complexities. Amongst many other board positions, Lonnie is dedicated to providing guidance to those leaders that desire to impact the business, community, and world in which they live in.
Nina HoseaNina Hosea is an Assistant Vice President of Global Business Services at Capital Group. She has nearly 20 years of operational and team management experience. Nina currently oversees the group responsible for facility, budget and service operations at Capital Group’s West Los Angeles office. Prior to joining Capital Group in 2007, Nina was the operational and revenue manager with Ace Parking at the Irvine Company’s Westwood Gateway property. Nina has worked with several non-profit and volunteer organizations, including the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, View Park Preparatory Charter School and the Veterans Administration.
Stacie M. de ArmasStacie M. de Armas is a consumer behaviorist, thought leader and subject matter expert on the Hispanic market. As a Vice President in Nielsen’s Diversity & Inclusion practice, she is responsible for researching, uncovering and sharing insights on the power of the Hispanic consumer with brands, media companies, advocacy groups and policy makers.
She joined Nielsen in 1998 and has served in many roles related to multicultural marketing, but Hispanic market intelligence is her passion.
Stacie sits on the Cultural Marketing Council Board of Directors as well as Google’s 21st Century Multicultural Marketing Council and has been the recipient of industry honors for her work in diversity marketing including most recently being named among Imagen Foundations most powerful and influential Latinos in entertainment for 2019 and Seton Hall University’s Unanue Latino Institute’s Excelencia Honoree for 2019.
Stacie is an adjunct professor of qualitative research at California State University Los Angeles and, when forced to make a decision, she will always choose tostones over maduros as long as they are served with a Materva. She received her Master’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on marketing from Texas A & M. Stacie is first generation Cubana and lives in Los Angeles with her two children.
Shanique Bonelli-MooreShanique Bonelli-Moore, currently Executive Director of Inclusion at UTA, lead’s the company’s efforts to model inclusion for the industry—from hiring, retention and promotion practices to working with clients on championing powerful and representative storytelling.
Shanique joined UTA in April 2018 as a member of its Corporate Communications department overseeing the company’s internal communications. She worked previously at BuzzFeed, Anheuser-Busch InBev, NBC Universal and GE, in senior corporate communication roles and on issues relating to diversity, inclusion and belonging. While at UTA, she was a key member of the internal leadership team and worked throughout 2018
to advance the company’s inclusion work – a program that she now directs.
Shanique earned a M.S. degree in Strategic Communications from Columbia University and holds a B.S. degree in Public Relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University.
A native of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Shanique currently resides in Southern California with her husband, Roy, and their two children, Sydney and Maximus.
Dr. Corneil MontgomeryDr. Corneil Montgomery is an accomplished community affairs and corporate social responsibility executive with over 10 years of leadership experience at global NGOs, regional and local government entities, and Top Fortune corporations. He has demonstrated an ability to lead through rapid change, solve problems, build innovative community programs, and collaborate with key stakeholders to support organizational goals and objectives. His core skills are in community affairs, corporate social responsibility, strategic planning, strategy and organizational development, and stakeholder engagement.
In 2019, he was named Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Impact, managing Bank of the West’s national team of professionals and directly responsible for helping the company create shared value through, corporate philanthropy, social impact strategies, employee engagement, and other activities that protect and enhance Bank of the West’s reputation. Prior to Bank of the West, Corneil served as a Senior Mobility Analyst and Program Lead for Social Innovation at Toyota Motors North America, implementing mobility programs to help improve quality of life for vulnerable populations.
Earlier in his career, he was an Associate Director at Habitat for Humanity International, where he developed programs for neighborhood revitalization and aging in place, as well as various other community initiatives throughout the United States. He also has consulted with and managed various community development-focused nonprofits and government entities.
Montgomery earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy and Administration with a specialization in Local Government Management for Sustainable Communities, a Master in Education, and Bachelor of Science in Management. He is LEAD Atlanta Alum, member of the 2019 Leadership Los Angeles Class, and actively serves on several local advisory and governing boards. Corneil is a cycling instructor, serial entrepreneurs and lover of the arts during his spare time.
Reena De AsisReena De Asis specializes in social impact work with MacGyver-like ingenuity. She manages LA:RISE – Los Angeles Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise with REDF, a venture philanthropy organization. As a consultant, she focuses on socially conscious projects. Reena was formerly the executive director of Dress for Success Worldwide-West, an international nonprofit focused on empowering women to achieve economic
independence. She was an honoree of L.A. Biz’s Women of Influence and the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women Making a Difference.
Reena studied Communications: Public Relations with a minor in Human Services at California State University, Fullerton, graduating cum laude. She is also on the leadership council of Downtown Women’s Center and an L.A. fellow with SoCal Leadership Network. underserved populations, she is an active volunteer. When she’s not cultivating relationships, you can find her immersed in live music and embracing a lifestyle of heath and safety.
Nason BuchanonRaised in Gary, Indiana, Nason Buchanan thrived in community service and mentorship programs. Benefiting from those experiences, he repurposed in his mind to empower our youth and the family as a unit. Nason has since become a dedicated and influential man of service in Los Angeles.
Buchanan worked in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD), before transitioning into the Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, Office of Reentry. He spearheaded multiple programs that contributed to the success of the GRYD and Reentry offices and served as a co-lead for the city’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative executed by President Barack Obama in 2014, in addition to increasing several community-based partnerships within the city.
Buchanan’s experiences within his scope of service in the Mayor’s office has empowered him to develop strong relationships that lend his reach both locally and internationally. Equally impactful, he is the founder of DMTL nonprofit organization—the initials represent the names of immediate family members that he lost to gun violence in 2002. This life altering experience further defined his commitment to his purpose in strengthening underserved communities. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated and serves on the Board of Directors for Sunburst Youth Academy Foundation and Brother II Brother mentoring organization.
Sally ChanSally Chan is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) executive with more than 19 years of experience leading enterprise-wide projects, executive steering committees and cross-functional teams at highly-matrixed Fortune 50 companies. She currently serves as the Vice President, Community Engagement at Warner Bros. In her role, Sally is responsible for ensuring that Warner Bros.’ commitment to having a positive impact on its employees and communities worldwide is practiced effectively by leveraging the Company’s financial and human capital. Sally currently oversees several company-wide initiatives such as global employee giving and volunteerism, nonprofit board leadership placement, mentorship, and commuter assistance.
Prior to joining Warner Bros., Sally spent 11 years with The Walt Disney Company, where she managed the social compliance program for The Disney Stores. She was responsible for developing a sustainable approach to implementing Disney’s ethical sourcing practices and ensuring that vendors and factories adhered to the Code of Conduct for Manufacturers.
A native of Los Angeles, Sally holds both an MBA and a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. She is also a graduate of Southern California Leadership Network’s Leadership Los Angeles program and currently serves on the Advisory Board for the USC Marshall Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab and as the President of The Holliston Foundation.
Patricia NeriPatricia (Patty) Neri is a dynamic business strategist and engaging communicator with 9+ years of success driving strategy and social impact across sectors (nonprofit, local government, think-tanks, and corporate).
Most recently, at The Walt Disney Company she led philanthropic strategy and investments focusing on strategic philanthropy, grant-making, governance, internal/external partnerships, and cause marketing initiatives working across multiple lines of business and external partners (national non-profits, foundations, orgs.).
Prior to The Walt Disney Company, she worked at the Advancement Project-California, a national civilrights/social justice organization. There she managed local and statewide community and workforce development initiatives through policy reform, technical assistance, and advocacy to drive social change. Her list of experience includes The Grameen Foundation, Child 360 (formerly Los Angeles Universal Preschool), USC Institute for Global Health, and the Center for Governmental Studies.
A true believer of paying-it-forward, she mentors local youth through her involvement with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE). A native Angelino, in her spare time you can find her wandering the local museums, art galleries, and exhibits that the city offers.
Talisha OliverTalisha Oliver is the Founder and President of Good Tree Productions, the company she founded in 2010. GTP is an emerging television production and performing arts company that develops and produces family friendly content locally and internationally through platforms like the 168 Film Festival, local performing arts theatres and Murder Mystery Dinners.
In addition to her role as Good Tree Productions’ President, Talisha serves as a Supervising Producer for Reality Television. Her producing credits include: Temptation Island (USA), Hell’s Kitchen (FOX), Little Women LA (Lifetime), So Sharp (Lifetime), Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (CMT), Stove Tots (FYI), Raising Asia (Lifetime), Dance Moms (Lifetime), The Profit (CNBC), Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition (Lifetime), Junk Gypsies (HGTV) and School Pride (NBC).
Galen GordonGalen Gordon is the Vice President of Talent Management for the NFL Media Group. He’s served in this role since January of 2018. Galen leads the Talent Department responsible for the recruitment, hiring, and development of more than 80 anchors, reporters, and analysts that reach fans across all platforms.
Prior to joining the NFL Galen spent 11 years as a Coordinating Producer for ESPN where he
created, developed, or rebranded several shows including “Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith”, “First Take”, “Mike and Mike in the Morning”, “Numbers Never Lie”, and “Sports Center Coast to Coast”.
Throughout that process, Galen worked with and helped develop a dynamic and robust group of On Air Talent for ESPN. Galen is a 23-year member of the National Association of Black Journalists where he served as Vice President of Broadcast for the Sports Task Force for six years. Galen was also served on ESPN’s Diversity and Inclusion board for production from 2013 to 2017.
Before joining ESPN, Galen spent 12 years as a local and network news producer in several markets including St. Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and New York. His 23-year journalism career also includes CNN, where Galen produced a variety of news programs including Live from CNN and Wolf Blitzer Reports.
LaNee Griffin-CarrollLaNeé Griffin-Carroll has a formal education in television and film production and has worked in various divisions of entertainment for over a decade, from development and production to serving as a television executive for major networks and studios. Her dynamic catalog includes over 500 hours of television, including international formats and EMMY award-winning programs. With a skilled background in format development, she has developed and consulted for talent such as Channing & Jenna Dewan-Tatum, John Legend, P.Diddy, Sean Hayes, Marlon Wayans, Jennifer Lopez, Adam Levine, Wanda Sykes, Nick Cannon, and many more!
In 2016, she left her corporate career at NBC to create Parker Paige Media where she serves as a content creator, a show runner, and a format fixer.
Jessica VasquezJessica Vasquez was born and raised in Queens, NY. She received her B.S. in Finance & International Business with a minor in Latin American studies from the NYU Stern School of Business in the Spring of 2005. Upon graduation, Jessica worked in the finance industry for 4 years at Viacom, then transitioning into Event Marketing with Nickelodeon for 2 years, and for six plus years in a marketing role at HBO.
While at HBO, Jessica served as the Manager of Multicultural Operations ensuring that all video promotional needs are fully quality controlled and distributed to their respective platforms. In addition to the day to day workflow, a big portion of her time is spent on managing the partnership with the HBO Latin America office and leveraging their promotional content on HBO Latino and other digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and third party partners.
Over the past year, Jessica has moved to Los Angeles where she is now serving as a Manager of Marketing Operations at Netflix.
Jessica strives to not just excel in her role but to also excel as an employee of the organization. She was a co-chair of the Latino Employee Resource group for 3 years at HBO where she influenced company events, activations, and bridging the gap between employees and company resources.
Lastly, Jessica is an avid podcast listener, enjoys binge watching, and will never deny a good cupcake.
Nyree D. EmoryNyree Emory is a Creative Director, an award-winning writer, producer, and editor with over fifteen years of experience in television and content creation. Nyree’s expertise is in understanding and executing all aspects of a great marketing campaign in uniquely strategic ways that are always on-brand. Her technical and creative fluency covers the spectrum of conceiving, budgeting, scheduling, writing, editing, interviewing above the line talent, and presenting original copy in multiple styles for a variety of show formats. She’s best known for her award-winning creative for top shows, including Game Of Thrones, Sesame Street, & Insecure. Her work has received praise in various high profile publications, and she has been a regular award recipient including, The Clio Awards, PromaxBDA, Promax Asia, New York Festival, The Mark Awards, and the Webbys.
Inspired by the notion that creativity is steady play while connecting on an emotional level, Nyree measures success by ensuring her user/viewer feels the same passion and intent that went into the creation of every project. Her humor, honesty, openness, and empathy allow for genuine connections to form, thus ensuring a robust and impactful campaign.
In her current role as Creative Lead for YouTube’s Creative Studio, Nyree has launched several record-breaking campaigns for YouTube Original Series. From Hollywood A-listers Will Smith, Kevin Hart, and Jordan Peele, to YouTube Creator sensations such as Liza Koshi, Nyree continues to work successfully with a broad range of talent. Nyree is also heavily involved in DEI initiatives at YouTube and across Google. She focuses her concentration on championing genuine diversity in content and providing mentorship to those in underserved communities.
Alexis TiradoAlexis Tirado is an award-winning multi-platform journalist and producer. She is a Supervising Producer at BuzzFeed, the leading independent digital media company with hundreds of millions of consumers around the world. She runs Pero Like, the Latinx brand of BuzzFeed that’s focused on woke, humorous and culturally relevant video and social media for Latinx across the country.
Previously, Alexis was the managing editor of Upworthy, the media brand responsible for making meaningful stories go viral. Prior to Upworthy, she was the Editorial Director of Flama, Univison’s first English-language digital destination designed exclusively for U.S. born Hispanic Millennials. In 2010, Alexis was selected out of over 8,500 candidates to become Alicia Keys’ head blogger. She has also worked as writer and editor for MTV, Martha Stewart, Latina and Time Out New York.
Jay FrancisAs Vice-President of current series for Disney Television Animation, Jay has been instrumental in the development and creative management of a long list of successful animated series for both Disney Channel and Disney XD. He has provided his creative oversight of Phineas and Ferb, Big City Greens, Amphibia, Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, Kick Buttowski, Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero, and Milo Murphy’s Law to name a few.
Additionally, Jay works extensively with the casting, legal, marketing, media relations, social media, music, digital, and programming divisions of the Disney Channel and Disney XD. Jay has recently expanded his role to work closely with the development and recruitment teams to identify, secure, and mentor diverse creative talent at Disney Television Animation.
Prior to joining Disney Television Animation, Jay held the position of VP and General Manager of LEVEL13.NET, developing original properties and acquiring films for Film Roman’s internet subsidiary. In addition to his duties as VP, Jay also handled all of the company’s artistic and production recruitment for The Simpsons, Family Guy, and King of the Hill.
In his capacity as Film Roman’s sole recruiter, Jay presented to high profile and elite educational institutions such as UCLA, Purdue, University of Texas, Texas A&M, University of Illinois, Syracuse University, and Vanderbilt. He has also given lectures at many of the most prestigious art and animation schools in the country including Cal Arts, School of Visual Arts, University of the Arts, RISD, Pratt, Academy of Art, SCAD, and Ringling.
A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Jay received a B.S. in TV/Film Production from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Jay is a member of Disney’s Leadership Learning Advisory Board, ATAS, and ASIFA, as well as having served as an advisory board member at several schools. He is also a former member of the Board of Trustees at the Illinois Institute of Art.
Ryan ZervakosRyan Zervakos is a Southern California native and attended the University of Southern California with a Navy scholarship as part of the NROTC program. After graduating with a Business degree, he was commissioned in the US Navy’s flight program. Ryan settled back in Southern California in 2009 working in the e-learning industry. LinkedIn came along almost 4 years ago and fit perfectly with his passion for learning and giving him the ability to live out the LinkedIn ethos; dream big, have fun and make things happen! Now working specifically with Colleges and Universities it is his mission to make sure every student knows how and why to use LinkedIn to create their own personal professional brand.
Lizza Monet MoralesLizza Monet Morales (@xoxoLizza on all social media platforms) has made a name for herself as an actor, tv host and one of the top 10 International multi-platform bilingual journalists and social media influencers as designated by The White House in 2014. She won the “Best Live Creator” award at the TECLA’s 2016, which marked the first time any award show honored a live-streamer. For a second year in a row, Lizza once again won the “Best Live Creator” award at the 2017 TECLA Awards.
This month, HBO selected Lizza as one of 20 known personalities to be part of a nationwide campaign promoting their new documentary, Liberty: Mother of Exiles, centered around what freedom means. As part of the campaign, renowned photographed Josh Telles, shot each subject, including Diane von Furstenberg and Lizza, holding a torch in one hand and a tablet in the other, reminiscent of the Statue Of Liberty herself. On the tablet, each subject shared what freedom means to them personally. The photographs from this campaign will be shown in the middle of Times Square and at a gallery in both New York City and Los Angeles throughout October.
In 2017, Lizza was named one of Alegria Magazine’s “20 Most Inspiring Latinos and Latinas of 2016” alongside Gina Rodriguez and Becky G. and she closed off that year by being featured on Alegria’s winter cover as one of the “Top Latina Influencers in the U.S.” In addition, she was nominated as “Periscoper Of The Year”at the SHORTY Awards 2017. Most recently, Lizza became an international bestselling author for the book she co-wrote, Latina Leadership Through Empowerment, after hitting number one in three categories.
IMG, which produces the most impactful Fashion Week events around the globe, named Lizza one of their Global Committee Experts for their DHL Exported fashion designer competition for 2015-2016, alongside acclaimed designer Nicole Miller and Vogue Italy’s Sara Maino.
This proud Latina, is a native Angeleno, who calls Los Angeles and New York home. Picking up her first copy of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter at the age of 8, Lizza immediately fell in love with the entertainment industry, had her first talk-show at age 10 and the rest as they say is history.
Lizza has been on-air for Access Hollywood, Telemundo, EXTRA, Univision, Celebrity Justice, The Insider and The TV-Guide Channel among others. In addition, she has reported for Us Weekly, People Magazine and was a featured columnist in Item Magazine. She has been featured on The Conan O’Brien Show, CNN, NPR and in AdWeek, Vanity Fair, on the cover of Moda & Estilo Magazine, a full-page feature in Cosmo for Latinas and a two-page spread inside Alegria’s Winter issue, where she is featured on the cover. As a result of her multi-platform work, she is now a highly sought after keynote speaker across the globe for private, public and corporate events.
You can also find her online sharing her crazy adventures of her daily life, on and off set, on her Instagam Stories, Facebook Live, blog and across all her social media platforms. After garnering over 8 million hearts (aka likes) on Periscope, she became the highest ranked Latina on the livestreaming app which has more than 14 million users. Periscope themselves, which is owned by Twitter, featured Lizza on the app as one of their 13 “#sheinspires” women around the world for Women’s Day 2016. Additionally, she was dubbed the “Carmen San Diego of Livestream,” after travelling close to 300,000 miles in 2015, making her the year’s most travelled live-streamer.
In the spring of 2016, Ms. Morales was invited by then FLOTUS Michelle Obama to attend The United States of Women Summit as one of the country’s “agents of change.” And in the fall of 2016, she was invited by then President Barrack Obama, to attend his invite only South By South Lawn (SWXSL) at The White House, as a thought leader. During the 2016’s election cycle, she served as a judge for VotoLatino and FUSE Media’s Crash The Parties competition, alongside Emmy award-winning host Rachel Maddow and NPR’s Maria Hinojosa.
Lizza is also a dedicated artist who enjoys storytelling on stage, in film and on television as an actor. She appeared in David Mamet’s Phil Spector biopic for HBO starring Al Pacino and Helen Mirren. Her latest film, Intolerance: No More, and her performance as one of the leads has been getting a lot of buzz after it was screened at the Mexican consulate in Los Angeles at the request of the Mexican ambassador to the United States. The film takes an up close and personal look at racism and perceived stereotypes. It is currently on the film festival circuit and has already won a variety of awards, including “Best Film”.
As the ultimate “tomboy in heels”, Lizza is a bold and early adopter who loves all things tech, auto, gadgets, social media and entrepreneurship as much as her obsession with beauty, fashion, travel, philanthropy, eco-living and the arts. Ms. Morales seamlessly combines her vast experience in front and behind the camera, as both a multi-platform bilingual journalist and producer, to deliver a brands’ message in a way that organically connects with consumers. At the end of the day Lizza is an avid consumer herself, who’s able to connect directly with her audience due to her genuine enthusiasm for each brand engagement opportunity she chooses. As a result, clients like the Latin GRAMMY Awards have hired her to be the backstage brand ambassador the last eight years and ever since 2014, the GRAMMYs brought her on board in the same capacity. In 2013, she was elected as the first social media conference ambassador for the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Nationwide Conference. She also served as the official host for the 2013 Latinos In Social Media (LATISM) Conference. Others, such as, CBS’s The Insider, Entertainment Tonight, Vanity Fair and HBO Latino have tapped her to be a social media correspondent for a variety of events on the red carpet, like at the Oscars, movie premieres and on-set. In 2015, Vanity Fair selected her as one of their speakers at their “Vanity Fair Social Club x Art Basel” event alongside Caroline Perzan, set director hit TV show Empire and Virtual Reality pioneer Nonny de la Peña.
As a sought-out speaker, she mines her years as an entertainer and entrepreneur and combines them with her infectious, positive, go-getter attitude, to empower, educate and entertain audiences around the world. In 2013, Lizza was chosen to speak alongside politician Wendy Gruel and eyebrow queen Anastasia Sore to the graduates of a domestic violence survival program. She also is a frequent “Career Day” speaker for schools in the Los Angeles area and a motivational speaker across the globe. In 2016, she keynoted or spoke at over 20 different conferences around the world. And in early 2017, she was one of four women chosen to keynote at the UK’s prestigious “Commonwealth Breakfast” on “The Power of Failure,” which also included a series of rapid-fire coaching sessions with the invited attendees.
As a bilingual digital influencer, Lizza has worked with a variety of Fortune 500 brands to create and implement engaging campaigns and activations for product launches, film openings, tv premieres, reviews, brand awareness and more. These include, but are not limited to Microsoft, Nike, Ford, Allstate, Red Bull, Sears, NASCAR, Formulae, AT&T, Marriott and COVERGIRL.
In 2014, 2015, 2016, Lizza was selected as one of ten “All Star Bloggers” in the United States, by the board of Hispancize 2014 for excelling in her field. She was also nominated for Hispanicize’s TECLA awards opposite Univision in 2015. That same year, Ford Automotive named her one of the twenty “Mujer Legandarias” (Legendary Women) in the United States. Additionally, the Lincoln Motor Company selected her as of their ten “Damas de Lincoln” for a campaign profiling exceptional Latina leaders. 2015 also marked the year Lizza was selected as one of the “Top Eight Latino Influencers in the US” by the American Latino Heritage Fund and sent on a trip to Wyoming that was profiled on CNN and NPR.
Rounding it out, Lizza was presented with the key to the city of Liberal, Kansas by their Mayor, Joe Denoyer, in the summer of 2015. And she was selected as one of the “Top 100 Global Influencers” to serve as a judge on NBC and Telemundo’s Yo Soy El Artista, reality show.
In 2014, she was named Top Latino Vlogger of the year by LATISM 2014 and has been selected every year since as one of their 100 Top Blogueras in the United States. She was also a featured contributor during the White House’s special #GetCovered live telecast from the YouTube Space in Los Angeles.
Lizza attended Harvard University and Middlebury College, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and double minor in Economics and Japanese. She also earned a post-graduate journalism certificate from UCLA and is a graduate of the Atlantic Theater Company’s master conservatory program.
A natural born connector, nothing brings Lizza greater pleasure than championing on the efforts of other entrepreneurs and being a resource for colleagues and a mentor to the next generation. When not working, you can catch Lizza either seeking out the world’s best taco, salsa dancing, traveling, speaking Japanese, volunteering, tinkering with a new gadget or socially sharing her latest adventure.
Women Like Us Foundation, Race to Erase MS, The Carrousel Ball, Junior League of Los Angeles, Charity: Water, St. Jude Children’s Hospital and Lupus LA are among the non-profit organizations Lizza donates her time to. Lizza has also served as a member of the board of directors for the Center Theater Group’s “The Fringe,” the Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival and as a host committee member for Latino Fashion Week – Los Angeles.
You can connect with her online by looking up @xoxolizza on any social media platform you’re on. Drop a line and say “hi”.
Albert ParkAlbert Park is the Talent Development Program Manager at Hulu. In his career, Albert focuses his energy to develop people by instilling a growth mind-set through coaching, consulting, and instructor led trainings. With the objective to drive the business forward, Albert partners closely with creatives, engineers, marketers, sales, researchers, and consultants to build both technical and soft skills. In addition to his role, Albert is involved in various employee resource groups that includes Hulu Vets, Hulu A11y, and Hulu Asian Pacific Islander.
Prior to joining Hulu, Albert worked in different capacities of Human Resources such as Learning&Development and Diversity&Inclusion at The Walt Disney Company. Albert kicked off his career in education at University of Southern California by focusing on program and career development.
Albert is passionate about non-profit entrepreneurship and works closely with the board of ByGrace Trust that focuses on housing and education. Albert has a Masters in Educational Counseling from USC Rossier School of Education and a Bachelors in Political Science with a minor in Human Complex System from UCLA.
Joe RichardsonJoseph L. Richardson was born and raised in Los Angeles, A stand-up comedian in college, Joe is a frequent keynote speaker and media contributor. He presents in college/university environments on the legal and ethical responsibilities of individuals and organizations, including greek groups.
He went to the University of Redlands, where he was student body president. He interned in Congress in Fall 1992, and he graduated from the U of R in 1993 and went on to Northwestern University School of Law, where he graduated in 1996 with a J.D. Degree. Joe practices civil litigation law, including the representation of individuals and companies in labor/employment, tort, and contract matters in state and federal courts and regularly tries cases to verdict.
Joe is passionate about politics, and has been a state delegate to the California Democratic Party from 2015-2018. He has served on the Utilities Advisory Commission in Redlands, and as of this writing, Joe is a candidate for Redlands City Council (District 3) in the November election.
Faith BautistaMs. Faith Bautista is the President and CEO of National Asian American Coalition, a HUD-approved home counseling agency and the nation’s leading Asian American nonprofit advocating against foreclosures, advocating for greater economic and small business development and in advancing the growing economic and social power of Asian Americans.
Appointed by President Trump’s Administration in 2017, Ms. Bautista is currently serving a 4-year term as one of the five members in the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund Community Advisory Board, and a member of the advisory boards for Federal Communication Commission on broadband adoption and diversity, and for the California Utility Diversity Council.
She also serves as the President and CEO of National Diversity Coalition, a non-profit advocacy organization comprised of community organizers, faith-based leaders, and business owners. Ms. Bautista also serves as and is one of the Founders of The Capital Corps, LLC. She serves on the corporate advisory board for First Republic Bank, Royal Business Bank, Citizens Business Bank, Charter Communications, and was a former advisory board member for CIT/OWB. Ms. Bautista is a member of the Charter External Diversity and Inclusion Council (EDIC).
Faith Bautista advocates in the halls of Congress, in the California legislature, and in front of key federal legislators such as the Federal Reserve, FDIC, OCC, FHFA, FTC, FCC and SEC and among America’s Fortune 500 corporations, as a major voice for the ethnic minority.
Brian K. Williams Esq.Brian K Williams. Esq., serves as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Commission. This advisory Commission serves as a liaison between the community and the Sheriff’s department as well as provides policy and other recommendations concerning the department. Williams also maintains a law practice, the Brian K. Williams Law Group. Prior to his appointment as executive director of the Civilian Oversight Commission, Williams served as President and CEO of Junior Achievement of Southern California, one of the nation’s preeminent educational programs for youth. During his career, Williams has also served as the executive director of the Southern California Leadership Network (SCLN). The SCLN is one of the nation’s premier leadership development programs and is affiliated with the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. Williams served for 11 years as an Assistant City Attorney in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office where he handled hundreds of criminal and civil matters and tried more than 100 cases. When Los Angeles City Attorney James K. Hahn was elected Mayor of Los Angeles, Mayor Hahn appointed Williams as his Deputy Mayor. Williams served for four years as the Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles for Transportation, Environment, and Infrastructure. Upon leaving the Mayor’s Office, Williams was appointed the Assistant City Manager for the City of Pasadena, where he oversaw the police, fire, planning, water and power, and human resources departments
Williams, a two-time UCLA Chancellor’s Marshall, earned a B.A. in Political Science at UCLA and received a Juris Doctorate from the UCLA School of Law. Williams has lectured at the UCLA School of Law, USC School of Law, Loyola University, and has provided commentary in national, regional and local media outlets. Williams is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the Boule’, the Pacific Council and numerous other organizations. A native of Southern California, Williams is married and the proud father of two outstanding sons.
Jennifer Vasquez
Silvia MiramontesSilvia Miramontes wanted a career where she could give individuals a voice. In her role as Vice President of Human Resources at Mental Health America of Los Angeles, she extends this service-led focus to roughly 400 employees and the more than 9,000 individuals with mental health needs the organization serves each year.
Miramontes has been at the helm of MHALA’s human resources operations team for the past eight years. Passionate about the impact human resources can have on staff and leadership development, she has seen time and again that a person’s value or knowledge does not lie in their title, and chooses to see the individual rather than the label. As she launched her academic and professional career, the constant challenge of being labeled – female, young, a single mother, underrepresented — only pushed her to succeed. She received her Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration from Santa Monica College, then — with her toddler often in her arms as she did homework — her B.S. in Business Administration and a Human Resources Management concentration from California State University, Los Angeles. Miramontes later received a Master of Arts in Management from the University of Redlands.
She began her career in the corporate world, where resources were plentiful, then chose a new challenge: a nonprofit. In this leaner, tighter arena, she became an expert in many areas while thriving in leadership roles. Today, she has more than 15 years of top-level experience in areas ranging from human resources program management and talent acquisition to new program and process implementation, strategic planning, team leadership, regulatory compliance, and employee relations.
Her role as a human resources leader is shaped by her beliefs in the power of a diverse community – “Everyone brings a different gift to the table,” she often says – and in effective communication. Miramontes believes that empathy and the willingness to listen – truly engaging in the way we communicate – are critical to resolution.
The Role of a Human Resources Lead
Miramontes believes that balance – between an organization and an employee, between compliance and reason – is integral to the role of a human resources lead. Her focus on policy and law regulations means that she is always up to date on CA and federal law – and while policies and procedures are important, Miramontes deems it paramount that an organization’s employees see the human resources team as a trustworthy, reliable resource for support. Besides being the head of human resources at MHALA, Miramontes belongs to the risk management and fiduciary committees. Her leadership and vision for MHALA has allowed its human resources team to function as an integrated and vocal part of the agency.
William N “Guy” McCloudMission Statement: “To help others help themselves”
* I am a board-certified healthcare executive with combined private, military and federal healthcare experience. A transformational leader who not only sees the big picture but also implements it into reality.
* I am equipped with in-depth expertise in general healthcare management, military/federal healthcare, healthcare policy/research, international health, and Veterans healthcare.
* I view my profession as a craft. I take it very seriously and constantly seek to improve myself and others along the way, so we can better address the needs of our public’s health.
David HernandezDavid Hernandez is a man of many talents. He has been an on-air personality on KJLH radio for over twenty years, and has served as a community activist for many years within the City of Los Angeles. Recently, David received his Master’s in social work and is in the process of completing his license to practice as a therapist very soon.
Mr. Hernandez is truly an incredible human being who always leaves a positive mark when he interacts with people!
Lisa Daggett CummingsLisa Daggett Cumming’s career has been spent almost entirely in the nonprofit arena. She has spent 32 years leading fundraising, marketing and fund development efforts for emerging nonprofit organizations in the areas of healthcare, education & social services, leveraging leadership and other key volunteers to achieve fundraising goals.
Lisa’s passion is fundraising for vital programs and services, empowering and stabilizing thousands of disenfranchised families. Lisa has raised money for a variety of causes including economic education, HIV/AIDS services, pregnant and parenting teens in foster care, public dental assistance, and youth and early childhood education services and currently is the Director of Development at South Bay Children’s Health Center.
Lisa is a California native who is married and has three children ages 19, 24 and 26. She earned her BS in Marketing from California State University Long Beach, and her MBA with a Marketing emphasis at Loyola Marymount University. She also recently became a Lecturer in the Department of Business Management, teaching Nonprofit Management at Loyola Marymount University. In her free time, Lisa likes to read, bake, hang out with her husband, listen to really good Blues music and volunteer for local charities when she is able to.
Kiaundra JacksonKiaundra Jackson is known as Americ’s #1 Relationship Therapist. She has been seen on the Emmy-Award Winning TV Show, The Doctors. She has been recently featured in Oprah’s Magazine, The New York Times, FOX, BET and The Huffington Post as one of the ‘10 Black Female Therapists You Should Know.’ She is an international speaker, best-selling author, and a trusted Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist that gets results. She is a noted expert on healthy relationships and mental health.
Dr. Tyson BealeDr. Tyson Beale is a passionate “retention-driven” higher education administrator and practitioner who supports colleges and business industry partners with re-imagining practical methods and strategic plans to achieve ultimate organizational effectiveness. As a Dean and Professor, Beale is committed to sharing his learned experiences to promote recruitment, retention and development experiences for students and staff. According to Beale, “It’s time for change, students deserve it and most professionals require it”. As a highly sought speaker, Beale provides inspiring workshops, keynotes and training for colleges and business professionals. His passion to empower networks of emerging leaders led to his creation of PathwaysFWD.com. According to Beale, PathwaysFWD.com is a powerful consortium of real-time and relevant professional development on college retention and organizational effectiveness.
Beale joined the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) as Dean of Students in August 2017. At the Alexandria Campus, Beale and staff advise more than 15,000 college students in Alexandria, Virginia. Directly, Beale oversees Student Life, Student Conduct, First Year Advising, Enrollment Services and Counseling.
Prior to NOVA, he served as Assistant Vice Chancellor and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs under the University of North Carolina System. He has progressively functioned in a myriad of higher education roles such as Associate Dean for University College at Fayetteville State University (FSU), Retention Coordinator at Morgan State University (MSU) and Network Leader for the headquarters division of Baltimore City Schools. He contributes his passion for K-20 education to his parents, mentors and students that inspired him to think big.
For fun, Tyson teaches business and higher education courses.
The Virginia Beach native holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from MSU, a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Social Science from Radford University. Beale has extensive experience in leading and supervising student services, including academic advising, first-year experience programs, learning communities and student conduct among other areas. He received the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals (NASAP) highest honor as its Sadie Yancey Professional Service Awardee for 2017. Tyson maintains professional affiliations and memberships within Student Affairs organizations and presents at multiple professional organizations throughout the year.
Dr. Dana EmersonDr. Dana Emerson was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She received her Associate of Arts degree from El Camino College and her Bachelors of Arts and Masters of Arts from California State University at Northridge. She earned her Ph.D. in Education and Leadership from Oregon State University. Her area of research is Student Success focusing on African-American males in community college. She is currently a Dean of Instruction at Coastline Community College in Westminster.
Dana also holds several certificates in family law dispute resolution. In 1999, Dana started Neutral Ground Mediation and Consulting. She took the opportunity to use her communication and conflict resolution skills and opened her first business. Gaining experience in mediation as well as facilitation, Dana has been invited by many organizations in the Los Angeles area to train and help resolve internal and community conflicts.
After graduating from CSUN, Dana returned to El Camino College as a part-time instructor. In 2005, Dana moved to Oregon and began teaching Communication at Linn-Benton Community College (LBCC) where she held the positions of Department Chair, Chair of Academic Affairs, Chair of the Diversity and Civic Engagement Council, Chair of the Faculty Senate and President Elect of the Faculty Association. Prior to teaching in Oregon, Dana taught at El Camino College and guest taught at various universities and institutions in California. Dana is an effective and successful communicator with exceptional abilities in instruction, program development, consultation, evaluation, training, and problem –solving. Some of her most notable working relationships and clients are Oregon State University, the Oregon Department of Education, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, the Housing Authority of Los Angeles County, and Tyra Bank’s TZONE project. She is a highly competent professional, who has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards such as the William C. Hobbs Award for outstanding adult mediator of the year in Los Angeles County, the California State Assembly Certificate of Recognition for Interpersonal Communication and Family Mediation skills and services, and was named an Instructor of Great Influence at El Camino College for Speech Communication.
Dana has published three textbooks for Linn-Benton Community College and other community colleges in Oregon. In the spirit of giving back, she created a textbook grant from the royalties of the textbooks and recently endowed a scholarship for Hispanic students (The Emerson-Fuentes Scholarship). She has been recognized and honored by the NAACP for her commitment to diversity and student engagement in higher education.
Dana continues to consult and coach organizations and individuals in communication competency, leadership, and goal attainment. As a Communication Professor, Consultant, Relationship and Communication Coach, Family Mediator, text- book author and business owner, Dana has over 15 years of experience in communication consulting and coaching. She has worked with individuals, families and organizations in California, Oregon, Nevada and Washington teaching them new strategies to improve their communication skills and become more effective decision-makers. Her style of delivery is fun and energetic, making concepts and ideas easy for everyone to use and understand. Dana’s core belief is that we all need someone in our corner, on our team that will help and support us to be the most successful people we can be. This is why her tagline is “98% of Success is Support…I’ve got your back!”™
Dana Emerson is the founder and owner of My Open Soul™, which houses: Open Soul Painting™, Open Soul Press™ and Open Soul Communication™.
Dr. Terri Horton MBA, MA, SHRM-CP, PHR, HCS, SWPDr. Terri Horton is a workforce futurist, learning and artificial intelligence business strategist and founder of FuturePath, LLC. Her expertise sits at the intersection of the future of work and artificial intelligence and the impact to organizational strategy, leadership, learning, people, and careers. She consults, speaks, coaches, trains and provides strategies and solutions for organizations and executives to future-proof and scale their brands in Industry 4.0. She holds a doctorate in Education focused on Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California (USC), Master of Arts in Organizational Management, MBA-Marketing, micro-credentials in AI Business Strategy from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Data Analytics from Cornell University. She is EQ-I 2.0/EQ360 certified with expertise in Emotional Intelligence for Leaders, holds industry credentials in human resources, human capital strategy and strategic workforce planning and is a lecturer in the University of California and California State University systems.
Dr. Elaine Villanueva Bernal, Ed.DElaine Villanueva Bernal, Ed.D. Dr. Bernal is a Lecturer from the CSULB Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and has been teaching for over 13 years. Dr. Bernal earned her Ed.D in 2016, and has published research on professional development for STEM faculty in higher education and K-12. Before entering higher education, she worked for the Aerospace Industry as a Failure Analyst.
Dr. Bernal is a versatile educator and has experience teaching chemistry and science education across disciplines. From 2017-2019, Dr. Bernal was appointed to be the Internship Program Coordinator for the CSULB College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, where she developed and implemented professional development workshops, and industry and networking events in partnership with the CSULB Career Development and Student Access to Science and Math Centers servicing over 2,000 students in biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics, physics, and science education.
Dr. Bernal brings a strong history of collaborative working relationships with organizations in CSULB and throughout Long Beach and the Los Angeles area. She has been active in campus leadership as an Academic Senator and as a Member of the CSULB President’s Commission on the Status of Women. She serves as a faculty advisor to the Pilipino American Coalition and Delta Lambda Phi, and recently established a partnership with the Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum to create educational programming integrating chemistry and the arts.
Sharaud MooreSharaud Moore often says that if there were a recipe for failure, he had all the right ingredients. He was born to a sixteen-year-old homeless single mother. At six years old he began to be placed in a series of foster homes. By the time he was 13 he had been to 14 different schools. Once he returned to his mother’s home, he continued to get into trouble because of his mother’s demanding work schedule and his need to care for his younger siblings. Sharaud was once living out of a car. He joined a gang in the eighth grade because he felt the need for protection.
In the tenth grade, Sharaud was expelled from school for carrying a gun to class, and sent to Wilson High School where he was enrolled in Erin Gruwell’s English class. Sharaud hated school, and only attended because he enjoyed playing football there. Sharaud continued to be a constant burden in the classroom, until he became the victim of a vicious prank in which a classmate drew a racist caricature of him. The experience sparked the Freedom Writers movement and changed Sharaud’s views on education and the world around him.
Sharaud has traveled across the country speaking to audiences about the power of education and his triumph overcoming obstacles. Sharaud earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa in 2000. In 2007 Sharaud’s story was highlighted in Paramount Studios’ film, Freedom Writers. Sharaud is currently a coach and educator working with students who are performing far below average. In recent years he worked as an algebra teacher at one of the schools he was expelled from in his youth.
Eddy Millis Eddy Millis is the founder and President of Gamera, an entertainment company.
Eddy is a seasoned entrepreneur and has an extensive back round in creating, branding and marketing. He had produced over 26 live events. Some of his career highlights include creating and developing several brands and taking them to market. He also wrote the business plan to develop the sport of MMA for one of the largest media companies in India. Eddy was a business mentor for 3 1/2 years at CSUSB in the marketing program. Currently he is developing several immersive entertainment experiences. Be sure to ask him why they call him ” the Alien”.
Gloria Castellanos AN INTEGRITY-DRIVEN LEADER WHO THINKS OUTSIDE THE BOX
With 16 years of insight and experience in the luxury Westside market, Gloria has represented numerous executives, celebrities, and VIPs as a buyer’s and seller’s agent. She has undergone the stringent verification process with multiple corporate clients moving in or out of West L.A. Gloria’s diverse background and ability to adapt to changing markets allow her to offer clients a well-rounded experience. She has a gentle, enthusiastic, no-nonsense approach to the negotiation process and commitment that extends well beyond the closing process.
Libby BalsigerLibby Balsiger serves as founder of Chica Communications. Before starting her own business, Libby worked as Director of Business Development and Partnerships at Playfull and directed strategic marketing for Chipotle Mexican Grill. Over the course of her tenure at the company, she pioneered bilingual training programs for aspiring managers and helped shape the marketing and training structure for new restaurants. Libby worked alongside Jamie Oliver, Bobby Flay, Bill Niman and Chipotle’s Owner and Founder, Co-CEO and classically-trained chef, Steve Ells.
Gary L. Polk, Sr. Gary L. Polk, Sr. is currently serving as a Lecturer in the College of Business AND the Interim Executive Director of the Innovation Incubator at CSUDH. Also, since 2001, Gary has served as an Adjunct Professor of Business Management, Ethics, and Entrepreneurship at CSUDH. Gary began his college teaching career at CSUN in 1991.
Gary is a true Boundary Crosser. A person who has been successful in different careers is a boundary crosser according to the noted author, Daniel Pink. Gary has been a very successful banker, life insurance sales consultant, entrepreneur, sales manager, management consultant, head basketball coach, Woman’s College Basketball, Head Recruiter, & Assistant Coach, as an Adjunct Professor Gary has also taught Strategic Management, Sports Marketing & Facilities, Organizational Behavior, Disruptive Innovation, Org. Leadership.. He also failed as an entrepreneur, then turned that failure into success.
From September 2014 to November 2016, Gary served as the Executive Director of the South Bay Entrepreneurial Center (SBEC) in Torrance, CA. He resigned from that position only to take on a similar role at the new Incubator at CSUDH. Under his leadership, the SBEC thrived. Gary positive energy and focused leadership took an organization from near dissolution to a robust organization with a bright future.
Gary earned his BA in Marketing from Loyola Marymount University and his Master’s degree at CSUDH. He is a proud alumni, “Once a Toro, Always a Toro” is his mantra.
The quote that most personifies Gary comes from Gandhi, “Live as if you were going to die tomorrow, Learn as if you were going to live forever.”
On a personal level Gary is an avid techy reader (using Audible Books), read 26 books in 2017. Historical fictional is Gary’s favorite genre. Gary has 4 grandkids, 3 adult children, 2 dogs, 1 fiance.
Melissa Guy Melissa Guy is a Speaker, Entrepreneur, Business Strategist, Leading Content Creator, Crusader for “Women + Diversity + Youth” in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. She is President of Asset Media Group Inc., a Google engage video production and advertising media agency in Signal Hill, California. They have been locally branded as bringing Hollywood to the Hill. Winning the local business of the year award for three consecutive years, Asset Media Group is on the rise as one of Southern California’s most cutting edge digital media firms and production facilities in the region.
Melissa is an inspiring speaker and motivator to young professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs. She also works as an independent business strategist coaching small businesses and urban entrepreneurs to success. Giving to underserved and underrepresented entrepreneurs is a priority on her value list as she offers low to no cost monthly media and marketing education seminars in her production studio for local professionals who may not have the resources to gain the knowledge elsewhere.
Melissa also prioritizes personal and professional responsibility to the community through her involvement in various organizations. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce for 5 years and is the current President. Here she is a strong advocate for providing modern day resources for small business success. She is an active member of Southern California Edison’s Business Advisory Board and She also serves in various capacities as a volunteer at Antioch Church of Long Beach and board member Elevate your G.A.M.E. ,a peer and adult mentoring program whose mission is to lift urban students to higher levels in their Grades, Attendance and Maturity to Empower them to be leaders who bring about positive change in their schools, communities and the world. In 2015 Melissa was appointed Executive Director of the Urban Media Foundation, a LA and now Long Beach based non-profit committed to educating, advocating, inspiring, and empowering LA County’s most at risk youth with STEM + Arts education and entrepreneurship. This program has served hundred of students annually since 2007 and through newly formed community partnerships and collaboration with LAUSD, the Urban Media Foundation plans to serve over 1000 teens in 2018. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Largest Global Conference serving Women and Diversity in Innovation, The Wonder Women Tech Conference.
Through her work and undeniable passion for giving back, Melissa Guy has been featured in the Signal Tribune newspaper, Long Beach Business Journal, and has received awards and recognitions from the City of Signal Hill – Mayor Ed Wilson, State of California Senate – Senator Ricardo Lara (Innovation Award), California Legislature Assembly – Assembly Member Patrick O’Donnell (Woman of Distinction), United States Representatives – Congressman Alan Lowenthal.
