SeriesFest

A Celebration of Episodic Storytelling

SeriesFest Team

Staff

Randi Kleiner

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Randi Kleiner is a producer and entrepreneur. Serving as co-Founder and CEO of SeriesFest, her interest and love for episodic storytelling was ignited and developed while working for the Public Theater and later producing events for the Film Society of Lincoln Center, including the renowned 17- day New York Film Festival, New Directors/New Films in collaboration with MoMA, and the prestigious Chaplin Award Gala. Randi also owns Trifecta Studios, an Event Production Agency that works with major brands, including Marc Jacobs, Macallan, WWD, Sephora, Godiva, and Pepsi, to produce experiential events around the world. Utilizing emerging trends, talents, and technologies, Trifecta Studios generates custom marketing campaigns that include creative brand integration and consumer activations. Recently, Randi teamed up with Vulcan Productions, Oceanic Preservation Society, and Obscura Digital to produce the first-ever projection events promoting climate change and endangered species on the Empire State Building and Vatican for the Racing Extinction Campaign. Randi is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Kaily Smith

Co-Founder
Originally from Colorado, Kaily received her BFA in Acting from USC. After graduating, Kaily’s love for storytelling bore life to her production company, Red Ladders Entertainment. Simultaneously with producing films and series, she acted in projects such as The Office, Gilmore Girls, and Broadway’s The Performers, among others. In 2009, Kaily created, wrote, and starred in the award-winning digital series MERRIme.com. Since then she has gone on to star in The Orchard’s, People You May Know, executive produce the Sundance Audience Award winning feature, Burden, and helm the short film, Just Between Us. Kaily is also proud to be the co-founder of SeriesFest, a non-profit organization and festival which champions artists at the forefront of episodic storytelling.

Claire Taylor

Director of Programming
A local to the snowy slopes of Keystone, Colorado, Claire Taylor graduated from University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies with an emphasis on Acting and Education. After graduation, she said a teary goodbye to wide open spaces (insert The Chicks lyrics here) and moved to New York City (cue Sopranos theme song) where she focused on applying her passion for storytelling through producing theater and developing television for Triptyk Studios, who are best known for An American In Paris, You're Welcome America, Amelie: The Musical, and Xanadu. Thrilled to be back in her home state after 7 years in the Big Apple, Claire has been a proud member of the SeriesFest team since Season One where she oversees all festival and year-round programming.

Lauren Grimshaw Sloan

Initiatives Producer
Lauren Grimshaw Sloan is an independent producer and former Deputy Film Commissioner of the Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media where she was responsible for attracting film production to the state and administering Colorado's film incentive program. She worked to bring FURIOUS 7, COP CAR and Quentin Tarantino's THE HATEFUL EIGHT to Colorado along with numerous films. Prior to moving to Denver in 2013, she served as Production Executive at Red Crown Productions, a New York based independent film production company. Lauren’s credits include WHAT MAISIE KNEW (Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgård), GOATS (David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga) and THE ROMANTICS (Katie Holmes, Josh Duhamel), which all debuted at premiere festivals including the Sundance Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival. Originally from Chicago and a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, Lauren enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids.

Ash Havey

VP of Partnerships
Ash Havey is a film and entertainment professional who has developed partnerships and marketing initiatives at iHeartMedia, Endeavor/IMG Fashion/NYFW, and New York Magazine. She joined the Tribeca Film Festival in 2004, managing over 40 partnerships and spearheading the development of new products and programs for the brand and its extensions as the Director of Product Development. In addition to acting as an associate programmer on the Tribeca Film Festival programming team from 2010-2016, Ashley served as an advisor for Killer Films and Stony Brook University’s MFA filmmaking program and has participated in various panels and classroom lectures about the film festival and distribution landscapes. She is pleased to join SeriesFest in its 6th and most revolutionary year.

Jacob Cummings

Marketing Manager
Jacob is a marketer & designer based in Denver, Colorado. Originally from Indiana, he graduated from IUPUI with a BFA focusing on visual communication and photography. In his spare time, he enjoys a healthy balance of binging TV and rolling around in a sunny park with friends and dogs. He has been attending the festival since Season 1, and is thrilled to have been a part of the SeriesFest team since Season 8!

Nicole Barker

Education and Programming Manager
Nicole is a Denver-based artist and storyteller. A graduate of the University of Denver with degrees in both Film and Environmental Science, she has always been passionate about using media to inspire positive collective change. Her drive to show the world through underrepresented perspectives led her down the path of programming. Outside of SeriesFest, she is the Assistant Producer on the Denver-based documentary “The Holly”. She is so excited to be joining the SeriesFest team and to celebrate artists for her first season as Programming Coordinator.

Elise Dapper

Executive Assistant
Elise is a Denver native and a recent graduate of University of Colorado Boulder with a BA in Cinema Studies, focused on critical analysis. Her senior year she completed her honors thesis focusing on the way the Doppelganger genre explores identity, psychology, and relationships in female-centered film narratives. She has been passionate about film and writing since a young age, and is excited to start her journey at SeriesFest.
xxx

Brian Brooks

Director of Special Projects & Talent
xxxBrian Brooks co-produces several programs at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, including its popular year-round talk series with filmmakers and talent, and oversees the organization’s industry outreach and special. He also spearheads specialty box office coverage for Deadline Hollywood with twice weekly columns. Brian has regularly attended film festivals throughout North America, Europe, and Korea since serving in his former position as managing editor of Indiewire, where he wrote daily interviews, news stories, event coverage and photography throughout the 2000s in addition to guiding the daily content of the site. A native of California, Brian spent a year-and-a-half living in Japan following graduation from UCLA in the late '90s. He has served on festival juries at SXSW, Seattle, Denver, Sarasota, Cleveland and Florida film festivals.

Jenna Curtis

Special Events Manager

Julia Grinberg

Guest Relations Manager
SeriesFest: Season 9 marks Julia Grinberg's second year as the festival's Guest Relations Manager. She has also held the position with the Tribeca Film Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival, and the Mill Valley Film Festival. Prior to immersing herself in the world of festivals, Julia worked in different corners of the industry including talent management, development, production, and distribution. 

Jack Heggi

Credentials Manager

Bita Khorrami

Music Producer
A graduate of the University of Texas, Bita Khorrami is the CEO of BK Consulting, a management consulting firm that contracts with entertainers, athletes, and non-profit organizations, effectively managing complex client needs with ever-changing priorities. With over 10 years of industry experience, Bita specializes in project management, event planning, and acting as key contact and liaison with A-List celebrities and brands. Bita is thrilled to have been on the SeriesFest Team since Season One!

Katy King

Operations Manager
Katy is a recent Denver transplant, who moved her husband and daughter from South Carolina to follow her dreams in the entertainment festival world. She started her journey by producing parties and events for Regal Cinemas, making her Operational debut at Sundance in 2023, then moving to Denver to work at venues such as Red Rocks, Empower Field at Mile High Stadium, Fiddlers Green, Ball Arena, and the Chautauqua Auditorium (in Boulder). After returning to Sundance in 2024 as the Operations Manager for the Institute, Katy has decided to concentrate more on the film and television industry and is very excited to join SeriesFest as Operations Manager for its 10th Season!

Sergio Andrés Lobo-Navia

Technical Director
Sergio is a filmworker and filmmaker whose first documentary feature George Dureau: New Orleans Artist premiered at the 2023 New Orleans Film Festival.

Gloria Marston

Partnerships Manager
Gloria has made Colorado her home for the past 7 years and comes to us from the Events and Entertainment industry. She has produced a range of functions from weddings and galas to boxing matches and conferences and everything in-between. While she has loved the fast-paced environment and rush that comes with event production, her true passion has always been stories. She lives for words in all of its mediums, from books to film and television, and even finds joy in creating her own pieces of work with writing. Like a true writer, Gloria believes that words can change the world and that stories can give us all a new lens on life, which is why they need to be shared. For the past 3 years, she has been part of the Denver Film Festival working as part of the Guest Relations team, where she has been able to submerge herself in a sea of creatives and befriend storytellers and artists. She is excited to join us for SeriesFest 10th year and to be part of celebrating all the new stories that will soon be shared!

Paige Miltenberger

Marketing Coordinator
Paige is an LA native new to Denver with 6 years of experience in film and TV development (Broadway Video, Paramount Players) and production (Westworld, American Horror Story) and 2 years in impact marketing with various non-profits. She graduated from Chapman University with a bachelor’s degree in film production and emphasis in directing. She’s directed two of her own sci-fi films, which has played at festivals all over the country. She’s excited to work as a Marketing Coordinator for SeriesFest: Season 10 to combine her love of storytelling with her passion for non-profits that affect meaningful change.

Alex Mitchell

Storyteller's Program Manager
Alexandra “Alex” Mitchell was born, raised, and found her love of festivals in St. Louis, Missouri. After advancing vertically at Austin Film Festival and contributing across various roles and departments, Alex served as the Short Film Programmer and Interim Film Competition Director. A detour to learn about farming surprisingly landed Alex a position with SeriesFest as the Programming Manager for Season 7 and served as a Programmer for Season 8. Alex is excited to be back again, now as the Storytellers Program Manager to continue her love of the medium and celebrate writers. Outside of SeriesFest, Alex works in Production Management for Animated Films in Los Angeles, CA.

Kristen Pettit

Head of Special Events

Caleb Ward

Late Night Programmer
Caleb Ward has been part of SeriesFest since its inaugural season in 2015 and since has become the Late Night Program Manager. He also assists with the Independent Pilot Competition along with Rose McGowan’s Women’s Initiative. When not SeriesFesting his full time role is with Gravitas Ventures as both the Marketing and Theatrical Booking Coordinator as well as programming for the Cucalorus Film Festival. Caleb is based in Los Angeles, CA.

Evan Cannon

Mobile Cinema Lab Manager and Educator
A film and video director / producer, Evan has been working in production in Denver for over ten years. From working as a P.A. to writing to editing and finally directing and producing, Evan has developed a skill set across nearly all areas of creative video. Professionally, Evan has a deep background in educational video producing all kinds of video classes, How-Tos, and even children's educational content. In 2023, Evan co-directed an anthology of short films, "I Will Not Take Care of You," which was recently acquired by Gravitas Ventures and is his first film to receive distribution. Evan is currently in post-production on his first documentary, "Spectacular By Comparison."

Hanah Chang

Educator
Hanah Chang is a Korean-American actor and writer splitting time between Denver, Colorado, and Chicago, Illinois. Like many other Asian-Americans in the entertainment industry, she hesitated for years before giving herself permission to pursue a non-traditional career. Now, she’s having the time of her life acting, writing, and filmmaking. Hanah played the lead in ‘Don’t Worry About It,’ which screened at Slamdance and Micheaux, and is now streaming on Omeleto. She wrote, directed, and acted in ‘I Wish I Were Pretty,’ which is currently in post-production. Hearing how her appearance in the Netflix karaoke reality show, ‘Sing On!’, influenced a family friend to pursue his own career in film has cemented her goal in increasing representation for Asian-Americans on either side of the camera. For more information, please check out www.hanahchang.com.

Marteene Diaz

Educator
Marteene is an experienced editor, director, and producer whose work spans documentaries, narratives, and commercials. Frequently sought as an editor, Marteene has worked on a number of episodic shows, including an upcoming 10-part series on PBS. She has also cut numerous promotional spots for major networks like Starz and NBCUniversal. As a director and producer, she has made commercials for clients both large and small. Whatever the project, Marteene loves finding the heart of the story and making it sing. And as a queer woman of Chilean and Italian parents, she's especially passionate about stories that elevate diverse and marginalized voices. When she's not immersed in work, you'll likely find Marteene catching up on the latest shows (and usually studying how they did it).

Davis Mawer

Educator
Davis has vast experience with all areas of video, film, and content creation - with his main focus on the editing and post production process. Davis has been devoted to his passion of story telling through editing since high school, whether it's through narrative projects, documentary stories, or short form social media content. His work has been recognized worldwide - with multiple short films he's worked on being selected into festivals across the globe. He was awarded a Student Production Award from the Heartland Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Débora Rocha

Educator
Débora, a Brazilian native, just graduated from the University of Denver with an Outstanding Student in Film Studies and Production Award, with degrees in film, marketing, and theatre. Her film experience includes short film Party Quest, which rendered her multiple awards and international recognition, and a short documentary called Behind The Beat. Although Débora has always had a greater affinity for comedic works, throughout her years at school she found a passion for telling stories from different perspectives, and making new voices heard. In the future, she hopes to tell meaningful and heartfelt stories that are both entertaining and inspiring.

Marin Lepore

Educator
Marin is a Denver-based screenwriter, director, and activist who grew up in Colorado, and lived in Beijing from age ten to sixteen. Falling within these groups herself, Marin is passionate about creating inclusive films that celebrate women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ people. She graduated with a BFA in Film & Television from the University of Colorado Denver, where she also sat on the College of Arts and Media’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force. Marin loves her Colorado film community dearly— she previously served as a board member for Women in Film and Media Colorado, she was one of five chosen filmmakers in Cine Fe’s 2022 Fellowship program, and she currently serves on the film committee for the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival. Besides film, Marin enjoys juggling, board games, and collecting turtle figurines. For more information, see her website: marinlepore.com

Board of Directors

Betsy Leighton
Board Co-Chair

Producer / Writer, Call to Adventure Media

Robert Leighton
Board Co-Chair

SVP, Liberty Global

Britta Erickson
Board Secretary

Producer, Listen Productions

Steve Swoboda
Board Treasurer

Founder and Former COO/CFO, SpotX

Jonathan Alpert

Partner, Westfield Development Co.

Cheri Barner

Principal, Cheri Barner Management

Jenny Bloom

EVP, Jive PR + Digital

Tully Bragg

EVP, Hothouse Media

Tom Cunha

Partner, Brigade Marketing

Yvette Frampton

Board of Directors
"Yvette is an award-winning independent filmmaker whose work has screened at SXSW, the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, the HBO Urbanworld Film Festival, and the New York International Latino Film Festival, among others. She has taught film theory, writing, editing, and production at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA, CU Denver College of Arts and Media, and the Colorado Film Video Institute at the Community College of Aurora. As a community leader, she has served as a board member for the Denver Health Foundation Board, the Level One Society, the Davidson College Alumni Association Board, and the Documentary Cinema Institute. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Davidson College in North Carolina, Graland Country Day School in Denver, CO, the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, the Cuba Study Group, the Cuba Emprende Foundation, and the Advisory Board for the Gates Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, CO. She has also been an active volunteer with Project C.U.R.E. She and her husband, Chris, have three children. Yvette holds a B.A. in English from Davidson College and an M.F.A. in Film Directing from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts."

James Lindsay

Co-Head of LT Growth, Liontree

Mark Lohmann

Senior Banker, Bank of America

Caz Matthews

Philanthropist

Allison Millice

Grant Writer

Ken Rothstein

"While a student at Brown University, Ken established film and television as a major and was the first to graduate with that degree. He also studied film production at NYU under Haig Manoogian. After college, Ken spent several years in film, television and TV commercial production in New York (mostly uncredited) doing location scouting and management for Woody Allen and other production companies. This was followed by two years as an advertising executive for Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. Ken served on the host committee for the Grammy Awards in New York, where, as Director of Marketing, he arranged corporate sponsorships for the award show, among other responsibilities. Ken was then recruited by Shorewood, the leading creator and designer of innovative packaging for the entertainment industry, to become their first Director of Marketing, a position he held for over eight years. Among numerous side projects, he was a music consultant on the 23-episode PBS series, “The History of Us.” As an entrepreneur, Ken created a successful business, The Drop Of A Hat, which provides private/custom concierge consulting services to high-net-worth clients and partners of private banks and wealth management firms. Ken has been an investor in various Broadway productions, including the hit musical Spamalot. He has done voice-overs for commercials and industrials, and was also a regular stand-up performer at the original Catch A Rising Star in New York for several years. Ken is currently developing multiple scripted television series and is also a co-producer of a new Broadway musical now in development. He divides his time between Los Angeles and Denver."

Krista Smith

Director, Global Editorial and Publishing, Netflix

Natalie West

Of Counsel, Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP

Advisory Board

Roy Ashton

Partner, The Gersh Agency
Roy Ashton is a Partner at The Gersh Agency with offices in Beverly Hills and New York. He has been at Gersh for 11 years, and prior to that spent 14 years at CAA. Specializing in Television, Roy works with writers, directors, producers, and actors in all aspects of the television industry.

Karen Bailey

Executive Vice President of Original Programming, Starz
Karen Bailey is Executive Vice President of Original Programming for Starz. Based in the company’s Santa Monica office, Bailey oversees creative development and production on a number of programs for the network including the critically-acclaimed “Outlander” and “P-Valley,” and the upcoming series “Dangerous Liaisons” and “The Venery of Samantha Bird.” Bailey joined Starz in 2006 as an executive producer, overseeing development, production, and post-production for the company’s studio slate of television movies and mini-series. She was promoted to Vice President of Production in 2007, overseeing the physical production for the company’s newly launched original programming department. Bailey spent the next few years building the internal production department and focusing on the networks’ new slate of original series, including fan-favorite “Party Down,” “Crash,” “Boss” and Starz's first international series “Spartacus” and “Camelot.” In 2011 she transitioned to creative development and was promoted to Senior Vice President of Original Programming in 2012. Since then, she has worked on a number of international co-productions including Golden Globe® and Emmy®-nominated STARZ Original Miniseries “The White Queen” and the critically acclaimed STARZ Original Limited Series “The White Princess.” Golden Globe® and Emmy®-nominated limited series “The Missing” and its sequel; “Howard’s End,” a 4-part TV adaptation written by Academy Award® winner Kenneth Lonergan and Starz’s first movie for television, “The Dresser” starring Ian McKellen and Anthony Hopkins. Bailey has been a featured panelist at a number of events and international conferences including BAFTA Women Director’s Panel in London, Create and Cultivate Panel in Los Angeles, the College TV Summit at the Television Academy of Arts and Science, C21 London Drama Summit, and most recently has been an invited speaker at both Stanford University and Harvard Business School.

Milan Chakraborty

Head of Film, Marginal Mediaworks
Milan Chakraborty, Head of Film at Marginal MediaWorks, oversees the company’s independent, studio, and streaming film & TV efforts. He is an 18-year veteran of the film/tv industry. He has produced and executive produced over 22+ films including ASSASSINATION NATION, MY FRIEND DAHMER, KILLING OF KENNETH CHAMBERLAIN, and FOUR SAMOSAS.

Brent Emery

Partner & Co-Founder, Resonate Entertainment

Jeremy Gold

President of Production, Blumhouse Television

Eugene Hernandez

Director, Sundance Film Festival & Public Programming

Alexa Junge

Writer
Credits: Bosch, Grace and Frankie, Big Love, The United States of Tara, West Wing, Sex and the City, Friends and many more. Screenwriter/Lyricist “Lilo & Stitch II,” Lyricist, “Mulan II.”(both with Jeanine Tesori) Writer/Contributor to NPR’s “This American Life” and live performer for TAL’s “What I Learned From Television” tour. Awards and Honors: Three Emmy and Writers Guild of America Award nominations for “Friends”: (Best Comedy Series (twice) and Best Writing for a Comedy Series; “The One Where Everyone Finds Out.”) Two Emmy and WGA nominations for “The West Wing,” (Best Drama Series and Best Writing for a Drama Series; “Disaster Relief.”) ASCAP Popular Music Award. Her Friends episode “The One with The Prom Video” won a national AOL poll for “all-time favorite episode” and “The One Where Everyone Finds Out” was recently used in a scientific study and cited in Atlantic Magazine as a proven “mood booster.” Theater: Her plays and musicals have been produced at the American Repertory Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Goodspeed Opera House, Studio Arena Theater, Playwrights Horizons Theater Lab and Depot Theater among others. New work developed at the Goodman Theater, New York Theater Workshop, New York Stage and Film, Hedgebrook Women Playwright’s Festival, the Public Theater Lab/Ars Nova, Djerassi and MacDowell Colonies.

Eric Kuhn

Producer / Entrepreneur

Katie Lowes

Actor

Patrick Macmanus

Showrunner
Under his overall deal with UCP (Universal Content Productions), a division of Universal Studio Group, Patrick Macmanus serves as writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner, alongside Liz Hannah, on Hulu’s ‘The Girl From Plainville’ starring Elle Fanning. Macmanus recently served as writer, executive producer, and showrunner on the Critic’s Choice nominated ‘Dr. Death,’ for NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock. Macmanus has developed series at AMC, Starz, ABC, Sony Pictures Television, Fox Television Studios, NBC, Tribeca, CBS, Amazon, Netflix, and more. He previously worked on SYFY’s ‘Happy!,’ starring Chris Meloni. In 2021, Macmanus expanded his production company, Littleton Road Productions, and formed Littleton Road Philanthropy with the goal of telling responsible stories and providing a call to action on culturally significant issues. Macmanus was born in Ohio, raised in New Jersey, and lives in Paris with his wife and two sons.

Chiké Okwonko

Actor / Director

Angela Peluso

Talent, Casting, Producer, Executive

David Person

Producer, Writer
David Person (he/him) co-oversaw IFC TV’s linear originals ("Sherman's Showcase," "Documentary Now!," "Year of the Rabbit," "Baroness Von Sketch," and “The Independent Spirit Awards”) and executive produced for AMC Studios. David produced documentary feature films, including "Beer Wars," several award-winning narrative feature films, and animation projects for Brain Zoo Studios like Microsoft Screensavers and LEGO Star Wars commercials.

Alysia Reiner

Actor
"Alysia Reiner is best known as SAG award winning ""FIG"" on 7 seasons of Orange Is the New Black, and for originating Agent Sadie Deever in 2023 Emmy Award nominated Ms. Marvel. She just finished her 5th season as Sunny on Better Things, her second seasonas Kathryn in STARZ’s Shining Vale starring alongside Courtney Cox and Greg Kinnear, and before that two seasons as KIKI on THE DEUCE. She starred in a slew of films currently making the festival circuit, including: The Feeling That The Time for Doing Something Has Passed (CANNES,TIFF, NYFF 2023), Stampede Ventures' feature film, Going Places (CINEQUEST 2023), & Ramona At Midlife (BFF 2023). A few other filmed adventures include getting married in the Oscar winning film Sideways, getting naked in an Emmy Award winning episode of Broad City, and going head to head against Viola Davis on How To Get Away with Murder, and she just starred in O HORIZON with David Strathairn and Maria Bakalova. As a producer, Alysia currently has an exciting slate of both film and TV in development. Her past ventures include conceiving of, developing, producing, and starring in the feature film EQUITY - which was bought and distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Classics at Sundance, and producing/starring in EGG - which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival & is rated 100% FRESH on Rotten Tomatoes ( both now available on iTunes!). Alysia loves working as a change maker, is on the board of the Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media and Earth Day Initiative, she is a member of Resistance Revival Chorus, a volunteer firefighter ( yes really), The face & eco-emissary for IZZY ZERO WASTE BEAUTY, and received the Acclaimed Collaborator Award from Women in Arts and Media, a MUSE “MADE IN NY” AWARD from The Mayor’s office and New York Women in Film and Television, SARAH POWELL HUNTINGTON LEADERSHIP AWARD, VOICE OF A WOMAN AWARD, the PIONEER IN FILMMAKING AWARD, and the FOUNDERS AWARD FOR SUPPORT."

Michael Rucker

Executive Producer / Director
Michael Rucker is a Peabody Award-winning Executive Producer and Director in the Unscripted television landscape for over 15 years. Credit highlights include Project Runway, Work of Art, Fast Foodies, 101 Places to Party Before You Die, and heading, developing, and showrunning the most successful and viewed division of Fullscreen's SVOD.

ADAM SHAPIRO

Actor / Writer
Adam Shapiro is a TV/Film and Theatre actor known for his roles in Never Have I Ever, Kingdom, The Affair, in the films She Said, Steve Jobs, and Now You See Me, and in Broadway’s Waitress. Adam is a co-founder of IAMA Theatre Company in Los Angeles and owner of Shappy Pretzel Co. And most importantly husband to Katie Lowes and father to Albee and Vera.

Jocko Sims

Actor / Creator
Jocko Sims is best known as an actor, and stars as Dr. Floyd Reynolds on the NBC drama, “New Amsterdam.” Sims is also a writer, producer and director, and has been hitting the festival circuit with his award winning short film/tv pilot, “Grown” a coming of age story of a young man grappling with the recent loss of his father. “Grown” recently took home the jury prize at SXSW in their annual Independent TV Pilot Competition. As an actor, Jocko is currently in production in a comedy series for Hulu called “How To Die Alone,” created by and starring Emmy Nominee, Natasha Rothwell. Through his acting career, Jocko has had roles in numerous film and television projects, including “Dreamgirls,” “Jarhead” and 2014’s summer box office hit “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.” On television, Sims had his first lead role opposite Dennis Hopper in the Starz original series, “Crash,” and his following lead role was as Lt. Carlton Burk in the TNT network hit, “The Last Ship,” which lasted for 5 seasons. In between seasons of “The Last Ship,” he portrayed Robert Franklin on the second season of Showtime’s “Masters of Sex.” Other television credits include “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Franklin & Bash,” “Castle,” “NCIS,” “Burn Notice,” “CSI,” “Bones” and Showtime’s “I’m Dying Up Here.”

Valerie Stadler

Producer and Founding Partner, Big Swing Productions
Valerie Stadler is a producer, filmmaker, and executive whose films have screened at Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, MOCA and the Whitney Museum. Driven by a strong sense of storytelling and understanding of the industry, Valerie navigates the line between business and creative, infusing intention and strategy into her work. Valerie is a Co-Founder of Big Swing Productions with longtime friend and collaborator Kyra Sedgwick and Meredith Bagby. There she has developed a slate of projects across film and television, with an emphasis on stories with heart and purpose. Under the Big Swing banner Valerie has produced SPACE ODDITY, starring Kyle Allen and Alexandra Shipp, and ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE, starring Eugenio Derbez and Eva Longoria, produced in partnership with Lin-Manuel Miranda, which screened at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Prior to that, Valerie was the head of Production and Development for Fluency, a multi-platform studio under NBC Universal, handling both day-to-day operations and development of the slate, as well as fostering partnerships both inside and outside of the studio. Valerie is a 2019 Sundance Episodic lab fellow, the Co-President of the Outfest Board of Directors, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and one too many cats.

Tom Verica

Executive Producer / Director
Tom has an illustrious career that spans thirty years in the entertainment industry. A gifted director, actor, and producer, he is a true multi-hyphenate. He has helmed over 100 episodes of television which recently include INVENTING ANNA, BRIDGERTON, and THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY. A veteran actor with a distinguished career on stage and screen, he co-starred opposite Viola Davis as her husband, Sam Keating, on the ABC hit, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER. Shonda Rhimes has brought Tom in-house at Shondaland to serve as the company's head of creative production. In the newly created advisory role, Verica helps to translate Rhimes' creative vision across all Shondaland productions.


Terry Washington

Owner & CEO - Zane Ryder Management
Having grown up in the industry Washington inherently has a passion for music and entertainment. That passion has led him to manage and oversee tours around the world with platinum recording artists like Chris Brown, Eric Benét, and The Fugees. He has produced films in remote locations and managed the legacy of many music artists and the late fashion icon André Leon Talley. As the industry evolves Washington has expanded his focus to producing original content and curating special projects. He is known for his creative visualization, ability to stay connected to trending media platforms, and a rolodex for which CEOs would pay millions. His skill set has translated into lasting management in the entertainment industry for over 20 years.

Geneva Wasserman

EVP, Head of Film & TV for The Story Lab
Geneva is EVP, Head of Film & TV for The Story Lab with experience spanning over 20 years in roles including intellectual property attorney, creative development, marketing, and all aspects of film and television production and distribution. Previously, as SVP of Development & Production for Conde Nast Entertainment, Geneva was the Executive in charge of production for 22 films and 9 scripted series in various stages of development and production, including the recent Netflix Original film Spiderhead starring Chris Hemsworth, Jurnee Smollett, and Miles Teller, directed by Joe Kosinski and The Great Chinese Art Heist for Warner Bros to be directed by Jon M. Chu. Prior to Conde Nast, Geneva led the entry of ad-tech digital media company Optimad into the entertainment space, ran a film financing company (Whitener Entertainment Group), and ran a celebrity-led Hispanic-focused production company (WVE with Wilmer Valderrama). She holds a B.A. with distinction from UC San Diego and a JD with Honors from UC Hastings College of Law.

Talitha Watkins

President and Head of ColorCreative Management
Talitha Watkins is President and Head of ColorCreative Management – a management and production company. ColorCreative was founded by Issa Rae and Deniese Davis with the mission of delivering women and people-of-color creators best-in-class representation to build career-defining brands through ownership, commercial success, artistic fulfillment, and visibility amongst the multicultural community and industry at large. Formerly a Motion Picture Agent and Cultural Executive at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Watkins is based in Los Angeles and represents producers, writers, directors and actors. In addition, Watkins helps build out CAA’s multicultural business and capabilities including the multicultural leadership event CAAAmplify. Previous to CAA, Watkins spent six years as Vice President of Multicultural Marketing at Universal Pictures, where she worked across all marketing divisions, including publicity, media, digital, creative, research, and partnerships, to maximize the studio’s outreach efforts to African American audiences. While at Universal, she worked on numerous films, including the multicultural blockbusters FAST & FURIOUS 6, FURIOUS 7, and the record-breaking STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON. She was also instrumental in supporting the success of African American films, such as the box-office hits THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY and RIDE ALONG. Prior to Universal Pictures, Watkins was an Assistant General Manager with Telepictures Productions, Inc. and oversaw operations, sales, and marketing for five female-focused digital properties in the Warner Bros. portfolio, including Ellentv.com, Extratv.com, and TyraShow.com, as well as worked in a development capacity for Essence.com. Watkins is a board member of the WIF, Saturday Morning, and Made in Her Image organizations.

Denzel Whitaker

Actor / Filmmaker
Born in Torrance, California, Denzel Whitaker is best known for his award-winning role in THE GREAT DEBATERS, performing opposite of his two namesakes, Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker. Numerous film and television shows list Denzel's name including fan favorites: BLACK PANTHER, CUT THROAT CITY, THE PURGE TV series, WARRIOR, U SHOOT VIDEOS?, ALL THAT and TRAINING DAY. 

In 2011, Denzel simultaneously began developing his skillset behind the camera as a filmmaker. His latest film '5150', has received two Audience Awards from SeriesFest and the FilmGood Festival, alongside being selected for Tribeca’s Creators Market. Co-written and directed by Denzel, starring Jovan Adepo and executive produced by David Oyelowo, the film is currently being developed into a TV series.

Aaliyah Williams

Manager & Producer
Peabody Award-nominated television & film producer Aaliyah Williams’ credits include the series Gentefied & film Really Love (Netflix). Williams launched Just A Rebel to create signature content that centers Black women and people of color—shifting the culture forward. The company’s first-look deal at CBS Television Studios has been renewed for a third year where Williams has several series in development. Just A Rebel’s feature film slate includes Tiffany Johnson’s (Mike, Black Monday) feature directorial debut THE LAST CLASS starring Marsai Martin based on the incredible true story of writer Kimberly Nicole Walker’s survival of a very special senior year of high school. Williams is currently in post on BLACK BARBIE: A DOCUMENTARY directed by Lagueria Davis and financed by LinLay Productions. Separately, Aaliyah is also a founding partner of Adventure Media, a management and production company launched by Chris von Goetz and James Robins Early. Originally from Arkansas and Oklahoma, Williams graduated from Harvard and is a 2023 UCLA School of Law MLS candidate. She is an active alum of Film Independent’s Project:Involve, Sundance, and the Ron Brown Scholar Program.

Kendall Wright

Development Executive