The National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications honored its 2023 Annual Awards recipients during the 37th Annual NAMIC Conference in New York on September 20. This year’s theme — “Our Legacy, A Mosaic of Possibilites” — honored NAMIC’s efforts to empower diversity, equity, access and inclusion in the media, entertainment, and technology industries, as embodied by the recipient of each award.

The event was part of the annual Diversity Week series of events in New York, which also includes the WICT Network Leadership Conference and the Walter Kaitz Foundation Annual Fundraising Dinner. 

Among those honored were the Next Generation Awards winners, NAMIC’s top honor recognizing the best of the best. These four honorees have distinguished themselves as thought leaders, trendsetters and change agents who embody NAMIC’s mission and have actively worked to advance multiethnic diversity by educating, advocating, and empowering people and organizations.

The 2023 Next Generation Leaders are:

• Chara-Lynn Aguiar, Senior VP, Strategy & Office of the Chairman, ESPN
• Catherine Mitchell, Senior VP, Product Development and Management, Cox Communications
• Puru Patnekar, Group VP, Marketing Planning and Operations, Charter Communications
• Valerie Spiller, Senior VP, Production Finance, A+E Networks

The Luminary Awards recognize up-and-coming leaders who show the most potential to become tomorrow’s movers and shakers. They are rising industry figures who demonstrate strong leadership skills and embrace NAMIC’s mission of working to advance multiethnic diversity.

The 2023 Luminaries are:

• Heather Anderson, VP, Programs and Acquisitions, ESPN
• Marcus Best, Senior VP, Allied Multicultural, Allied Global Marketing
• DeAdria Wright Davis, VP, Customer Service, Charter Communications
• Mark Leon Guerrero, VP, Inbound Retention and Sales, Charter Communications
• Ileana Lagares, VP, Multicultural Marketing, HBO and Max, Warner Bros. Discovery
• Kevin Martinez, VP, Corporate Citizenship, ESPN
• LaRawn Robinson, VP, Inside Plant Network Operations, Charter Communications
• Trent Taylor, VP, Market Analysis, Charter Communications

In addition to the Leaders and Luminaries, the awards luncheon recognized the 2023 Diversity in Technology Award winner, Mark Walker, head of sports business development & innovation at ESPN. The Diversity in Technology Award, presented in partnership with the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers and Multichannel News, recognizes a leader of diverse ethnicity or race who has contributed to the advancement of digital innovation, customer experience, connectedness, digital infrastructure, operations, or intelligence in the media, entertainment, and tech industries.

Also recognized at the luncheon was the 2023 Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award winner, José Díaz-Balart, anchor of Noticias Telemundo, MSNBC’s José Díaz Balart Reports and NBC Nightly News Saturday.

For more on this year’s Next Generation Leaders, Luminaries and the Diversity in Technology Award winner, please read the following profiles. 

Next Generation Leaders

Chara-Lynn Aguiar
Senior VP, Strategy and Office of the Chairman
ESPN

In June 2021, Chara-Lynn Aguiar was promoted to her current role at ESPN, and this year she added research to her purview. She oversees integrated strategy efforts across all aspects of ESPN’s business as well as the research department. She serves as an adviser to chairman Jimmy Pitaro and his direct reports to provide insight and manage a wide variety of internal and external relationships. With varied experiences covering measurement, distribution, digital and content strategy, the New York-based Aguiar serves as a key partner across ESPN and The Walt Disney Co. leadership.  

Aguiar began her career at ABC in 2009 as a research analyst before transitioning in 2011 to the global distribution strategy group for Disney & ESPN Media Networks. She then moved to YouTube in 2015, working in content partnerships, and to Fox Sports, where she was VP, strategy and content from October 2015 to February 2018 before returning to ESPN that March.  

A Daly City, California, native, Aguiar graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in economics and international and area studies. 

“I’m truly honored and humbled to have received this award from NAMIC and to be honored with such an esteemed group,” Aguiar said. “I’m very thankful for everything this organization does to advance the incredibly important work of diversity, equity and inclusion within our industry.”

Catherine Mitchell
Senior VP, Product Development and Management
Cox Communications

Catherine Mitchell has earned a reputation as a difference-maker in the telecommunications industry by taking on some of Cox’s toughest challenges and delivering transformation. She leads innovation, development and management across the company’s product portfolio. 

She joined the cable operator in 2000 as VP and general manager of the Roanoke, Virginia, market and continued to support growth and innovation at Cox through operations and product development roles. The course of her career began at companies such as Scientific Atlanta and IBM. 

Mitchell earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Tufts University. She is a WICT Betsy Magness Leadership Institute fellow. She is also a graduate of the NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program and a 2010 recipient of the NAMIC Luminary Award. She also serves on The Episcopal School of Jacksonville board.

“Being part of the NAMIC community gives a voice and an empowerment to be unapologetically Black,” Mitchell said. “I am privileged to be recognized by this inspiring community of great leaders and friends that have encouraged me throughout the years.”

Puru Patnekar
Group VP, Marketing Planning and Operations
Charter Communications

Puru Patnekar leads a team of marketing and analytics professionals with a focus on customer acquisition and retention. Over the past decade at Charter, he has held leadership posts across financial planning, sales and marketing. In each of these roles, he advocated for business needs while building teams with individuals from diverse backgrounds with multiple skill sets and the ability to work together towards a common goal. 

Patnekar is a champion of Charter’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy. Using a combination of D&I principles and mentorship, many of his team members have seen their aspirations grow and careers develop. He strives to maintain a culture of open communications, rooted in respect and collaboration, that supports the business at the highest level. 

As a first-generation immigrant and now a proud U.S. citizen, Patnekar has been educated and has worked both in India and the U.S. These experiences have been formative in his outlook and leadership attributes. He is an alumnus of the NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program. 

“To me, diversity and inclusion means everyone has access to opportunities and can contribute at their highest potential,” Patnekar said. “In my association with NAMIC, especially through the Executive Leadership Development Program, I’ve learned that the organization cultivates ambition and passion toward achieving success. Being named a NAMIC Next Generation leader is a tremendous honor and makes me even more aware of my responsibilities to create opportunities for others.”

Valerie Spiller
Senior VP, Production Finance
A+E Networks

Valerie Spiller is responsible for cost management, financial planning, analysis, tax incentives and financial reporting for scripted series and movies of the week for A+E Studios and Lifetime Production. Her responsibilities extend to collaborating with numerous business segments and leaders within A+E Networks, fostering and promoting a culture that includes distinguished brands such as A&E, History Channel, Crime + Investigation, H2, Blaze, Lifetime, LMN, FYI and History.

As a member of the senior management team, Spiller spearheads numerous progressive initiatives, effectively championing A+E's diversity and inclusion directives. These initiatives are consistent with the company’s mission to be a pioneer in the human experience. Among these initiatives are Diversity Behind the Camera, the Diverse Supplier Initiative, and the Multicultural Advisory Council (MAC), where she fervently advocates and sponsors diversity across the company.

“NAMIC has been committed for the past 43 years to empowering diversity in the communications industry and to be recognized with their Next Generation Leaders Award is truly an honor,” Spiller said. “I am humbled, inspired and remain committed to championing inclusion and positive change in the media landscape. Words can’t express my gratitude enough.”

Luminaries

Heather Anderson
VP, Original Content and Business Affairs
ESPN 

Heather Anderson, an entertainment and technology attorney for 25 years, joined ESPN as VP, programming and acquisitions to assist with its sports betting strategy. She was also an ESPN lead for large, multisport opportunities and audience-expansion initiatives, including alternate presentations and programming for the Black Sports Business Symposium. 

Recently, Anderson transitioned to the ESPN content organization to lead business affairs and business operations for the original content team. In her new role, she will assist the creative teams that bring ESPN’s engaging content such as the 30 for 30 and In the Arena series, as well as ESPN Films.

Anderson came to ESPN from the Disney legal department, where she served for more than eight years as a digital media, marketing, production, product and technology attorney. She has been very active in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. 

“I am honored and humbled that an organization as influential as NAMIC supports my efforts to bring visibility and opportunity to supporting multiethnicity in our industry,” she said. “For 35 years, these efforts have been of utmost importance to me. I try to lead by example and leverage my voice in my sphere of influence — and none of that is possible without the reinforcement of organizations completely committed to the cause like NAMIC.”

Marcus Best
Senior VP, Allied Multicultural
Allied Global Marketing

Passionate and persistent are words that describe Marcus Best. Best heads Allied’s targeted division focused on publicity, marketing, digital and social media campaigns for major film studios, broadcast and cable networks as well as streaming platforms. Projects include Hulu's Aftershock, Prime Video’s Swarm, Peacock's Best Man: The Final Chapters, Focus Features’ A Thousand and One, Amazon Studios’ Air and Paramount's Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Before joining Allied, Best worked in the music and cable industry at BET, Warner Records, Interscope, and Fuse TV. Best is actively involved in organizations and contributes annually to youth empowerment in his hometown of Washington D.C.

“I am incredibly honored and grateful to receive this award from NAMIC an organization that I admire so much,” Best said. “Being recognized for something that I am passionate about is a privilege. Thank you for championing me and other individuals who are curating and celebrating the brilliance of the multicultural landscape.“

DeAdria Wright Davis
VP, Customer Service
Charter Communications

DeAdria Wright-Davis is the dynamic VP of customer service operations for Charter’s Charlotte, North Carolina, market. With a rich professional journey spanning more than two decades, she possesses unparalleled expertise in operations, customer service, diversity and inclusion and employee development. Wright-Davis’s remarkable leadership extends across diverse sectors, including cable, telecommunications and finance.

An alumna of Columbia Southern University, she holds an MBA in Project Management. Beyond her corporate prowess, Wright-Davis is a trailblazing entrepreneur and a savvy real estate investor. She serves as a board member for a nonprofit youth Track and Field club in Johnston County, North Carolina, highlighting her commitment to community enrichment.

Amid her many roles, Wright-Davis is a devoted mother of three daughters and relishes quality time with her husband of 22 years. 

"Gratitude swells within me as I accept this incredible honor from NAMIC,” Wright Davis said. “Their unwavering dedication to celebrating diversity and fostering inclusivity mirrors a passion close to my heart. Together, we illuminate the path towards a more equitable industry, empowering voices and transforming lives. Thank you, NAMIC."

Mark Leon Guerrero
VP, Inbound Retention and Sales
Charter Communications

With a career spanning more than 24 years in the telecommunications industry, Mark Leon Guerrero oversees more than 2,000 employees in Charter’s revenue-critical customer retention call centers. He possesses extensive experience in sales strategy and training, business development, process improvement and in leading and mentoring high-performing teams. 

Guerrero is a strong advocate for creating a diverse and inclusive workplace to help bring together the best talent from among the broadest range of people, backgrounds, and perspectives. He currently serves as co-chair of Charter’s Sales, Marketing and Community Solutions D&I Council. Guerrero and his team are committed to driving diversity and inclusion strategy across the organization through inclusive leadership, mentoring, participation in Spectrum’s Business Resource Groups, and more.

He enjoys traveling, cooking, spending time with his family and the San Francisco Giants and 49ers. 

“Receiving the NAMIC Luminary award is truly an honor,” Guerrero said. “It is my goal to leave a legacy that inspires others to continue to advance diversity and inclusion in this industry. Thank you for this recognition of what we can accomplish when we push boundaries — we all have unlimited possibility.”

Ileana Lagares
VP, Multicultural Marketing, HBO and Max
Warner Bros. Discovery

Ileana Lagares is responsible for developing the strategy and execution of marketing campaigns across HBO and Max programming that reach multicultural audiences. For more a decade, Lagares has created high-impact, high-visibility campaigns for such programs as Game of Thrones, Watchmen and Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.

She launched “InsecureFest,” a multiseason activation that captured the zeitgeist for the award-winning HBO original series Insecure. For her campaign for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, she commissioned the creation of the only existing portrait of Henrietta Lacks, by Kadir Nelson, which was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution and now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery. 

Lagares also leads evergreen marketing initiatives for Black and Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) audiences such as “Scene in Black,” a platform dedicated to authentically engaging Black audiences; and Our “Stories to Tell,” a pop-up activation during Sundance Film Festival that celebrates diverse creators and stories.

“It's an honor to be named a NAMIC Luminary and to be recognized as being a leader in our industry,” Lagares said. “Advocating for multicultural diversity and its importance is personally gratifying and it’s a privilege to create authentic, culture-first work. Congratulations to my fellow Luminaries. I’m grateful for this acknowledgement.”

Kevin Martinez
VP, Corporate Citizenship
ESPN

Kevin Martinez oversees ESPN’s citizenship initiatives, including corporate giving, volunteerism, cause marketing and sustainability. He is responsible for strategic programs that enable both greater access to sports and leadership through sports. 

He leads ESPN’s sponsorship of Special Olympics, which has helped more than 1.8 million athletes, teammates and coaches join the Unified Sports movement.

Martinez and his team have received numerous industry awards, including most recently Engage for Good’s The Golden Halo Award. He is a two-time winner of The Cause Marketing Forum’s highest award, The Halo Award, and has won a Gold CLIO Award, a Telly Award, the U.S. Chamber’s Award for Corporate Citizenship, the Association of Cable Communicators Beacon Award and the 2006 Large Corporation of the Year Award from the Corporation for National Community Service and Points of Light Institute.

A native of ‘Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Martinez graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and advertising.

“Throughout my career I have taken great pride in using the platforms I serve to advance multiethnic diversity — especially during my time at ESPN in our Access to Sports and Empowerment Through Sports programs as DEI is a company priority,” Martinez said. “It is a tremendous honor to have the responsibility to champion strategic CSR and diversity programs, and I am proud to be recognized as a recipient of the Luminary Award as part of the 37th Annual NAMIC Conference.”

LaRawn Robinson
VP, Inside Plant Network Operations
Charter Communications

LaRawn Robinson is responsible for the implementation, augmentation and maintenance of all network components and critical infrastructure in Charter’s New York City market area. His expertise lies in leading corporate development efforts, operational strategies and improvement initiatives to achieve defined goals.

Robinson demonstrates top-flight leadership and management talents while propelling corporate profitability and productivity through dynamic program management and communication. His team partners with network and field operations teams to deliver a world-class customer experience across all products and services in the market area.

Robinson joined Charter in 2019 with extensive technology and telecommunications experience. For more than 20 years, he worked in network and headend engineering at Altice USA and its predecessor company, Cablevision Systems. He’s also active in his community as a volunteer youth coach and mentor. 

Robinson has been happily married for 20-plus years to his high school sweetheart and is the father of three children. 

“As a proud member of ELDP Cohort XXI, I am truly humbled and honored to count myself among those who have been recognized by NAMIC for this honor,” he said. “I am not only honored to continue the mission of NAMIC, I remain motivated to make an impact in our industry that continues to open doors for others. Thank you!”

Trent Taylor
VP, Market Analysis
Charter Communications

Trent Taylor leads Spectrum Enterprise Market Analysis at Charter. His team uses advanced predictive analytics (machine learning) to inform strategic decisions on sales coverage and proactive network expansion, as well as develop targeted marketing lead lists. 

Taylor has a track record of monetizing investments in data and analytics by leading programs across boundary partners to optimize sales and operational execution. 

Prior to joining Charter’s predecessor company, Time Warner Cable, Taylor served as strategic marketing director at XO Communications where he led transformational projects utilizing predictive analytics to reduce churn rates by 1.0 pp. He holds an MBA from The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business and has completed the Management Development Program and NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program at Darden College of Business (University of Virginia) and the CTAM Executive Management Program at Harvard Business School.

“I am truly honored to be named a NAMIC Luminary in 2023,” Taylor said. “It is humbling to be in the company of current and past recipients of this recognition, given their impressive contributions to the industry and DEI initiatives. This has re-energized me to help others on their journey through mentorship.”

Diversity in Technology Award

Mark Walker
Head of Sports Business Development & Innovation
ESPN

Mark L. Walker joined ESPN in 2019 and leads the sports programmer’s business development center of excellence, with focus on driving sports media innovation in business, products and experiences.

In his role, Walker is responsible for driving ESPN Edge — a collaboration with other technology leaders to enable new ways for fans to experience sports — while leading ESPN’s strategic efforts in the sports betting space.

Walker brings a wealth of experience to the innovation and business development disciplines, having led all of product development, marketing, programming, content and operations for The Walt Disney Co.’s network of digital gateways, social-media presence and content-delivery apps.

Walker earned a JD from Stanford Law School, a masters degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. Additionally, he served as a member of the Media Arts and Sciences Visiting Committee for the MIT Media Laboratory.

“Winning this award is a testament to ESPN’s unwavering commitment to inclusivity. It’s not just an accolade; it’s a recognition of ESPN’s dedication to shaping a tech industry that embraces diversity,” Walker said. “This award fuels ESPN’s drive to create a world where innovation knows no boundaries.” 

The NAMIC Conference will return to New York’s Marriott Marquis Hotel and in-person status on October 11-12, and with it, the organization’s Annual Awards Luncheon set for October 12. And once again, the spotlight will fall on a new group of Next Generation Leaders and Luminaries. 

The Next Generation Leader Awards are NAMIC’s top industry honor, recognizing four individuals who have distinguished themselves as thought leaders, trendsetters and change agents, as well as for their work to advance multiethnic diversity in the industry by educating, advocating and empowering people and organizations.

This year’s Leaders honorees are:

• Kia Painter, Executive VP, Chief People Officer, Cox Communications
• Freddy Rolón, Senior VP, Programming and Scheduling, ESPN;
• Monica Williams, Senior VP, Digital Products & Operations, Content Distribution, NBCUniversal.
• James Hendricks, former Group VP of HR and Administration at Spectrum Reach, who will be honored posthumously.

The Luminary Awards honor up-and-coming leaders with the potential to be tomorrow’s movers and shakers. They demonstrate strong leadership skills and embrace NAMIC’s mission by working to advance multiethnic diversity.

The Luminaries to be honored by NAMIC are: 

• Denise Bennett, VP, Brand Strategy & Idea Lab, iHeartMedia;
• Rahman Khan, VP, Community Impact, Charter Communications;
• Noel Manzano, VP, International Programming and Development, AMC Networks;
• Grace Moss, VP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Programs, Warner Bros. Discovery;
• John Singleton, VP, Operations, Charter Communications;
• Tonya Walley, VP, Field Operations Strategy, Cox Communications;
• Chin Wang, VP, Visual Storytelling, Digital Media, ESPN;
• Sophia Zeinu, VP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Workforce, Warner Bros. Discovery.

This year, NAMIC is introducing a new honor, the Diversity in Technology Award, which will go to Franklyn Athias, senior VP of emerging technology and services at Comcast Cable (see profile below). Juju Chang, co-anchor of ABC’s Nightline, will receive the Mickey Leland Humanitarian Award. 

The 36th annual NAMIC Conference, themed “Resilience: The Courage to Lead,” is part of the cable industry’s Diversity Week, set to feature in-person events for the first time since before the pandemic. For more information or to register, go to namic.com/annual-namic-conference. 

Next Generation Leaders

James Hendricks
Group VP, HR & Administration, Spectrum Reach
Charter Communications
December 8, 1972-September 18, 2022
(Presented posthumously)

James Hendricks was group VP, human resources & administration for Spectrum Reach, the advertising sales and production services division of Charter Communications. With more than 25 years of progressive HR leadership experience, James led a team of 85 people, supporting 3,000 employees in 182 locations. Hendricks was responsible for Spectrum Reach’s HR generalists, talent acquisition, Diversity & Inclusion, learning and development, facilities and in-house project-management organization. He previously held key HR leadership roles at ESPN and General Electric (NBC, Telemundo, MSNBC). 

Hendricks was a participating member of NAMIC, CTHRA/C2HR, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the National Black MBA Association. He also served on the board of directors for Safe Horizon as well as the board of directors for New Light Baptist Church. James earned his MBA and bachelor’s degrees in business management and psychology from Case Western Reserve Unviersity. He participated in the GE Human Resources Leadership Program and the International Scholar Program at the University of Seville in Spain.

“It’s my honor to receive this prestigious award and to be included with this group of accomplished fellow award recipients in the media industry,” Hendricks said. “I’m proud of the efforts that our Spectrum Reach team has made in advancing D&I since I joined, and I remain focused on continual improvement and accountability.”

Kia Painter
Executive VP, Chief People Officer
Cox Communications

Kia Painter is Cox’s incoming executive VP and chief people officer, responsible for leading the  cable operator’s HR and talent organization. Prior to this role, Painter was senior VP, HR business bartnerships. She has led the company’s key talent practices including compensation, inclusion and diversity, leadership development, organization design, and succession planning, and employee engagement.   

Painter joined Cox in 1998, after college, as a part-time HR assistant in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Over more than 24 years, she has risen through the company’s ranks and led HR in Cox regions and markets across the Southeast, notably in Virginia, Florida, and Louisiana.  In 2015, she moved to Atlanta to establish the company’s employee experience and organization design practices.  

She was named a 2021 Horizon Women to Watch by The WICT Network Southeast and was named a NAMIC Luminary in 2011, to the Multichannel News 40 Under 40 in 2014 and was on CableFax’s Diversity List in 2019, 2020 and 2021. 

She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from James Madison University, a master’s degree in human and organizational development from The George Washington Unversity and an MBA from Tulane University.  

“I have had many career-changing experiences because of NAMIC’s impact on my life,” Painter said. “My time in NAMIC’s Mentoring Program, Leadership Seminar, and ELDP prepared me for today. To receive the Next Generation Leadership award from an organization that has enriched me so tremendously is the apex and quite extraordinary. Thank you NAMIC.”

Freddy Rolón
Senior VP, Programming and Scheduling
ESPN

Freddy Rolón was promoted into the role of senior VP, programming and scheduling at ESPN last September. He is responsible for leading the overall content strategy and schedule for ESPN’s linear networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS. He also oversees all aspects of the ESPN Deportes business. 

Rolón has played an integral role in the development of the company’s content strategy to reach bilingual Hispanics consuming sports content across all of ESPN’s English-language platforms.  He works closely with ESPN’s programming, production, audio, digital and print media teams, to maximize the relevance and appeal of its English-language products to U.S. Hispanic fans.

Rolón serves as a member of The Walt Disney Co.’s CEO Diversity & Inclusion Council and is on the board of NAMIC and Partnership with Children.

“I thank NAMIC humbly for this award and for decades of vital leadership in our industry,” Rolón said. “I am grateful to be recognized by an organization I so deeply respect and for impactful work I feel immensely proud to be a part of at ESPN and The Walt Disney Co.”

Monica Williams
Senior VP, Digital Products & Operations, Content Distribution GroupNBCUniversal

Monica Williams’s current role at NBCUniversal encompasses content fulfillment of on-demand and linear channels, as well as developing innovative experiences through product and data solutions. Following consumer attention, Williams and her team apply a human-centered design approach and developed a metadata optimization initiative that drives efficient content discovery to meet business needs. 

Williams is a founding member and leader of “Asian Pacific Americans@NBCUniversal,” She is also a founding member of Chief in Los Angeles, serves on the advisory board for StreamTV, the global advisory board for NBCU TechWomen and is on the board of directors for Youth Design Center.

She graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor of science in industrial operations engineering and earned an MBA from Claremont Graduate University’s Peter Drucker School of Management. She isa graduate of Harvard Business School’s Cable Executive Management Program.

“I am honored to accept NAMIC’s Next Generation Leaders Award alongside such deserving peers,” Williams said. “Recognition like this inspires me to continue to bring an all-important diversity lens to everything we do and leverage diversity as a business imperative in the industry. Thank you to NAMIC for helping us create cultures of belonging in our industries and workplaces.”

Luminaries

Denise Bennett
VP, Brand Strategy
iHeart Media

As VP of brand strategy at iHeart Media, Denise Bennet specializes in multicultural marketing partnerships. Her 20-year career has included roles at WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal, the NBA, TV One and Viacom. 

She has held various leadership roles with NAMIC New York, including two terms as chapter president, and in 2019 completed the NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. She also serves as a professor at both the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business and New York University. 

Her many accolades include The Network Journal's 2019 40 Under 40 Achievement Award; 2020 Council of Urban Professionals (CUP) Technology Catalyst; 2021 Advertising Club of New York Rock Star Award; and Black Women in Media Trailblazer Honoree.

Bennett has a bachelor of science in music business from Indiana State University and an MBA in marketing and media & communications from Fordham University.  

Away from the office, she is a classically trained pianist, an avid world traveler and a proud and active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

“I owe so much of my fundamental career development to NAMIC,” Bennett said. “NAMIC provided me with access to relationships and leadership opportunities that I value and evangelize daily. It’s from NAMIC that I learned my most valuable mantra of ‘build your bridge before you need it.’ ”

Rahman Khan
VP, Community Impact
Charter Communications

Rahman Khan leads strategic philanthropic and employee engagement programs for Charter under the Spectrum brand. As VP, community impact, he develops and executes the company’s mission to improve communities. He led the 2021 launch of Charter’s largest-ever philanthropic program, Spectrum Community Center Assist, a $30 million, five-year effort to revitalize local community centers and invest in job training. 

Khan also led the development of Spectrum Digital Education, a grant program that helps seniors and families understand the benefits of broadband and how to use it to improve their lives. To date, this program has committed more than $8 million to local community organizations. The work of his Community Impact team for Charter has been recognized by the state of Connecticut and the Los Angeles City Council, among other distinctions.

Khan received his business and graduate education degrees from Florida A&M University. He is a graduate of NAMIC’s Executive Leadership Development Program.
“It is a great honor to be recognized as a Luminary by NAMIC, an organization I’ve long supported,” he said, “NAMIC’s efforts to advance diversity and inclusion in our industry, paired with the actions we take as individuals, make us all stronger.”

Noel Manzano
Head, International Programming
AMC Networks

Noel Manzano is head of international programming at AMC Networks, working across AMC, AMC Plus, SundanceNow and BBC America. He identifies and develops original content with creative talent around the world, and works within the AMC Networks Entertainment Group to move existing projects forward. Notable projects include epic crime saga Gangs of London, from Gareth Evans, and 61st Street from visionary creator Peter Moffat. 

Prior to AMC, Manzano was the director of development for Hoodlum Entertainment, where he ran the company’s U.S. content development slate and strategy and drove internationally produced projects. He started his career at WME in feature films and then moved into television at Sierra/Affinity and Dynamic Television. Manzano is a graduate of New York University.

“It’s an honor to be recognized amongst so many outstanding executives by NAMIC — an organization I’m proud to be a part of,” Manzano said. “An honor like this inspires me to do more of what I can to champion and lift up the voices of my colleagues from all communities. Thank you.”

Grace Moss
VP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Warner Bros. Discovery

As VP of diversity, equity and inclusion, Grace Moss helps oversee Warner Bros. Discovery’s efforts to expand the pool of historically-excluded talent and to break down barriers through a comprehensive suite of pipeline programs and extensive engagements with prestigious film festivals and creative conferences.

Prior to WBD, Moss was the head of talent development and inclusion for NBC Entertainment, where she spearheaded multiple programs that focused on cultivating and showcasing talented writers and directors of diverse backgrounds. Before NBC, she was a development executive at the Style Network, and prior to that a freelance reality producer and director.  

Moss’s leadership training includes the Johnson & Johnson Corporate Athlete Training Program, Comcast’s Know Your Value initiative and Harvard Business School’s Leadership Consortium. She graduated from UCLA with a bachelor of arts in English, minoring in Asian-American Studies.  

“Back in 2011, I was a newly promoted manager and experienced my very first leadership seminar through NAMIC,” Moss recalled. “I was well-equipped with important, foundational knowledge that I have implemented along my professional journey over the past decade. To now be honored with this Luminary Award is truly a full-circle moment.”

John Singleton Jr.
VP, Network Operations
Charter Communications

John Singleton is VP of network operations at Charter Communications, responsible for solution acceptance, product improvement, troubleshooting and vendor analysis across the video infrastructure. These primary functions require close coordination with Charter’s Product and Engineering organizations to ensure optimal deployment and operation of all products.

His current focus is on centralizing and consolidating distributed architectures to enhance reliability and availability across Charter’s footprint, while ensuring the landscape remains competitive and up-to-date.  

Previously, Singleton served in various capacities across Charter’s Network Operations team at Charter and assisted in post-acquisition activities involving Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.

Before joining Charter, he worked at Cox Communications, where he was responsible for video operations, strategy and product development.  

With more than 20 years of telecommunications experience, Singleton enjoys mentoring engineers and leaders on their paths to successfully achieve their career goals.

“Being a NAMIC Luminary award recipient serves as not only a personal achievement but an accomplishment on behalf of all diverse talent within our industry,” he said. “This opportunity is only possible due to the individuals who have come before me, dedicating their careers to ensuring professional development is possible for all.

Tonya Walley
VP, Field Operations Strategy
Cox Communications

Tonya Walley leads Cox’s field operations in 21 states, including residential and business customer installations, maintenance of 116,000 miles of network and the company’s continued focus on customer excellence. She began her cable industry career more than 25 years ago as a front-line field technician then progressed to various leadership roles. When she joined Cox in 2018 as VP of field operations in Virginia, Walley immediately focused on delivering a data-based approach to the customer and employee experience, all while paying it forward. 

A native of New Jersey, Walley completed her undergraduate degree at Saint Peter’s College, majoring in computer science. She also holds dual master’s degrees from Stevens Institute of Technology in telecommunications management and network engineering. She is passionate about continuous learning and has demonstrated that through her most recent Strategy and Execution certificate from Harvard Business School and completion of NAMIC’s Executive Development Leadership Program. 

“I am thrilled and honored to receive this recognition from NAMIC and will continue to live and breathe the values of NAMIC by mentoring, giving back and paying it forward,” Walley said. “I am truly humbled and will continue to inspire, encourage, and engage our future leaders with impact.”

Chin Wang
VP, Visual Storytelling
ESPN

Chin Wang was promoted to VP, visual storytelling in ESPN’s creative studio department in September 2021. Wang, who joined the sports programmer in 2012 as senior art director of ESPN The Magazine, had worked for 11 months as senior director, visual storytelling.  

Wang leads a team of visual journalists, photo editors, web developers, designers, concept artists and animators whose work reaches every ESPN platform. She is responsible for editorial design and photography on the ESPN website and app, including custom microsites, special projects, branding, key art, illustration and data visualization. She also manages the team that concepts, designs and directs television graphics packages from studio shows to live events across all networks, as well as ESPN Plus and 30 for 30 Films & Originals. In addition, she defines the visual identity for Andscape (formerly The Undefeated).  

“As someone who strives to embody the mission of NAMIC, I am beyond honored to be recognized as a Luminary,” Wang said. “Advocating for diversity in our industry is more imperative now than ever and to play a part in that effort at ESPN truly adds meaning to my work.”

Sophia Zeinu
VP, Equity & Inclusion Strategies
Warner Bros. Discovery

Sophia Zeinu, VP of equity & inclusion strategies for Warner Bros. Discovery, uses a data-driven, systems-based approach to develop and operationalize global diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. She focuses on redesigning talent and organizational systems with an equity lens, building leadership and employee DEI capabilities, fostering a more inclusive culture and enabling measurement and accountability at the enterprise and business-unit level.

Prior to WBD, Zeinu worked in Deloitte Consulting’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practice where she helped numerous global organizations navigate DEI transformations and facilitated DEI sessions for thousands of employees at Fortune 500 organizations. She has also authored and contributed to DEI thoughtware, including Support Your Black Workforce, Now; 10 Ways HR Can Support the Black Workforce; and Becoming an Equitable Enterprise. 

Zeinu has a bachelor of arts in sociology from Georgetown University and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. 

“I feel deeply honored and grateful to be recognized by NAMIC amongst so many incredible leaders,” she said. “NAMIC has a long history of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion and I am committed to continuing to champion the work to make a lasting impact on our industry and beyond.”

Diversity in Technology Award

Franklyn Athias
Senior VP, Emerging Technology and Services
Comcast Cable

Franklyn Athias leads the convergence of Comcast’s mobile product with its broadband connectivity services. He drives the roadmap for delivering new converged connectivity services as well as the growth strategy for related platforms and features for both mobile and broadband.

Since joining Comcast in 1995, Athias has been responsible for developing and deploying strategic growth opportunities to launch services for TV, internet, digital voice and wireless, most recently leading the integration of Xfinity Mobile into Comcast’s next-generation product portfolio.

During his 27-year career with Comcast, Athias has spearheaded several IP architecture programs for cable-modem broadband services. Notable accomplishments include serving as lead architect for the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) voice strategy, for Comcast’s first residential and business broadband launches and for the Comcast.net internet service, as well as leading the evaluation of the industry’s first VoIP service using cable modems.

Athias is an executive sponsor of the BENgineers, technologists and engineers who are part of Comcast’s Black Employee Network (BEN). He actively participates in many standards-making and professional advocacy organizations in the technology and engineering industries, including SCTE, NAMIC, NSBE, NSPE, and IEEE, and founded computer-coding programs in his local community to develop STEM/STEAM skills among minority youth.

Athias holds more than two dozen U.S. patents and received his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

“I’m honored and grateful to be nominated by my peers and to be selected by NAMIC for this inaugural award,” Athias said. “Diversity in technology and a mission for change have always been a passion of mine and I’m inspired by the progress that is being made to strengthen inclusive opportunities in our industry.” ■

The National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications is celebrating its 2021 class of Next Generation Leaders and Luminaries, a group of industry executives who’ve made indelible marks within their companies and in the industry at large.
The group of 12 honorees was recognized Oct. 6 at NAMIC’s virtual Annual Awards Ceremony, part of the industry’s annual Diversity Week events. 

The Next Generation Leader Awards are NAMIC’s top industry honor, recognizing four individuals who have distinguished themselves as thought leaders, trendsetters and change agents, and have actively worked to advance multi-ethnic diversity in the industry by educating, advocating and empowering people and organizations. Multichannel News partners with NAMIC in annually saluting these individuals who are making a difference in the media industry.

This year’s Next Generation Leaders are:

• Rhonda Crichlow, senior VP, chief diversity officer, Charter Communications;

• Rob King, senior VP and editor at large, ESPN Content;

• Joiava Philpott, senior VP, law and policy, Cox Communications;

• Jessica Prois, editorial director, NBC Asian America, NBC News Digital.

The Luminary Awards honor up-and-coming leaders with the potential to be tomorrow’s movers and shakers. They demonstrate strong leadership skills and embrace NAMIC’s mission by working to advance multiethnic diversity.

This year’s Luminaries are:

• Rosetta Ellis-Pilie, VP, talent development and negotiations, ESPN;

• Gregg Fujimoto, senior VP, field operations, Charter Communications;

• Karen Horne, senior VP, equity and inclusion programs, WarnerMedia;

• Raina Kelley, VP and editor-in-chief, The Undefeated, ESPN;

• Nikki Love, VP, development and production, ALLBLK, AMC Networks;

• Samata Narra, senior VP, equity and inclusion, content, WarnerMedia;

• Manoj Shamdasani, VP, programming and brand partnerships for News 12 Networks, Altice USA;

• MyKhanh Shelton, senior VP, equity and inclusion, workforce, WarnerMedia.

For more on this year’s honorees, read the profiles below. 

Next Generation Leaders

Rhonda Nesmith Crichlow
Senior VP and Chief Diversity Officer, Charter Communications 

As a member of Charter’s executive leadership team, Rhonda Crichlow develops and manages the Stamford, Connecticut-based MSO’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy, including its D&I Center of Excellence. In 2019, her portfolio was expanded to include leadership of Charter Community Impact, which encompasses the company’s strategic philanthropic investments and volunteer initiatives involving more than 95,000 employees. 

Prior to joining Charter, she worked at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, where she was VP and head, U.S. Diversity & Inclusion, president of the Novartis U.S. Foundation and a member of the Innovative Medicines Executive Committee. She joined Novartis in 2006 as executive director, philanthropic and community development. Under her leadership, Novartis was recognized by DiversityInc as a leading company for D&I in 2014 and 2015. 

An attorney who practiced law in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., earlier in her career, she was involved in several landmark class-action racial discrimination lawsuits brought by African-American farmers and also worked as a corporate tax attorney. She served as a clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter. She holds a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University, a master’s of public policy from Duke University and a law degree from the University of Virginia.   

“I am honored to receive this recognition from NAMIC, and I will work earnestly to continue opening doors and empowering emerging leaders in our industry,” Crichlow said. 

Rob King
Senior VP and Editor-At-Large, ESPN Content

Rob King is responsible for ESPN’s overall journalistic direction, working closely with leaders across ESPN Films, original content, digital content, social media, multiplatform journalism and storytelling and global content. Named to his current post in March 2020, he advises ESPN’s senior leadership team on editorial issues and leads ESPN’s Inclusive Content Committee, tasked with serving as a diverse resource for the company’s content creators. 

King joined ESPN in 2004, previously serving as senior VP, original content, focusing on longform storytelling and enterprise journalism. His content portfolio included ESPN Films, the “30 for 30” series and ESPN Plus original series; domestic and international longform journalism, including ESPN the Magazine, The Undefeated, espnW, E: 60 and features; and ESPN’s investigative journalism unit and newsmagazine series Outside the Lines. He also served as senior VP, SportsCenter and news, and oversaw all global and digital content from 2007 to 2014. 

Originally a newspaper journalist, King worked at The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Louisville Courier-Journal, the Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and the Commercial-News in Danville, Illinois. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the inaugural class of Penn State University’s School of Communications. He is a past Pulitzer Prize judge; a member of the AP board of directors; the National Sports Journalism Center’s advisory board; the Poynter Institute’s National Advisory Board, where he is chair; and the board of the Center for Investigative Reporting. 

“NAMIC’s mission to empower BIPOC leaders has enriched not only our industry, but also our society,” King said. “So I am breathlessly honored to count myself among those who have been recognized by NAMIC for our commitment to our colleagues and to this incalculably essential work.”

Joiava Philpott
Senior VP, General Counsel, Cox Communications

Joiava Philpott joined Atlanta-based cable operator Cox as senior VP and general counsel after serving as general counsel at Astro Turf LLC, a prior stint at Cox as VP, government affairs and after working as assistant general counsel at KMC Telecom. Philpott began her career in the city of Atlanta’s Law Department as a telecommunications and cable law adviser. 

She has served in a variety of leadership and board roles on such nonprofits as the American Corporate Counsel Association, NAMIC, the Federal Communications Bar Association and the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential. Philpott has been recognized by Black Enterprise magazine, Diversity & the Bar magazine and Cablefax. 

She holds a law degree and an MBA from American University and a bachelor’s degree in business management from Hamptons University. She completed executive development programs at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, the WICT Betsy Magness Leadership Institute and the NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program with the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

“Promoting diversity and inclusion is part of my DNA as a leader and is a top business priority,” Philpott said. “It has become ingrained into my leadership ethos. To be recognized for something as meaningful to me as my primary expertise as a business and legal executive is truly humbling.”

Jessica Prois
Editorial Director, NBC Asian America, NBC News Digital

Under the direction of Jessica Prois, NBC Asian America has become the fastest-growing vertical on NBCNews.com. Prior to joining NBC News, she launched HuffPost Asian Voices and served as the section’s executive editor. 

Prois’s work has appeared in such outlets as New York magazine, National Public Radio, Elle and more. She was the recipient of a S.I. Newhouse journalism fellowship and a Johns Hopkins/Gates Foundation fellowship.

“I'm honored to receive an NAMIC Next Generation Leader award,” Prois said. “I feel so lucky to have the privilege of telling the wonderfully diverse stories of our community, and my commitment is and always will be to our readers at NBC Asian America.”

Luminaries

Rosetta Ellis-Pilie
VP, Talent Development & Negotiations, ESPN

Rosetta Ellis-Pilie leads the day-to-day efforts of ESPN’s Talent Office, responsible for hiring, developing and guiding the programmer’s commentator team, negotiating contracts and collaborating with ESPN departments and external contacts on any matters related to commentator roles and responsibilities. 

A U.S. Army veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, Ellis-Pilie graduated from Seton Hall University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in business administration. The New Jersey native earned her juris doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. She is also a graduate of the NAMIC Executive Leadership Program Class XIV.

“As a graduate of NAMIC’s Executive Leadership Program, I have a deep appreciation for the values this organization champions,” Ellis-Pilie said. “I am honored to be recognized and will continue the endeavor to advance NAMIC’s goals as our ESPN team develops, advocates for and empowers a diverse group of on-air talent.”  

Gregg Fujimoto
Senior VP, Field Operations, Charter Communications

Gregg Fujimoto is tasked with providing strategic and tactical leadership and oversight for Charter’s Hawaii franchise. His mission is to build on and enhance the goal of providing Spectrum customers with best-in-class service. 

A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, he began his cable career at Time Warner Cable, where he was senior VP, brand strategy and marketing communications for residential services, and led the MSO’s rapidly growing digital sales channel. 

Fujimoto, who comes from a fourth-generation Hawaiian family, continues to build new relationships and give back to the local community. He is a member of the American Red Cross board, the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Council, the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Broadband Assistance Advisory Council and Cable Advisory Committee, and a board member for the REACH after school initiative. 

“I am honored to represent Charter in receiving NAMIC’s recognition,” Fujimoto said. “NAMIC’s mission to educate, advocate and empower multiethnic diversity mirrors my personal and professional ambitions. I am proud to support and enhance NAMIC’s ambitions today and into the future.”

Karen Horne
Senior VP, Equity and Inclusion Programs, WarnerMedia

Karen Horne is a senior executive with 20 years of entertainment industry experience who has been recognized as a diversity and inclusion pioneer and pipeline-builder.

She joined WarnerMedia in 2020 after serving as senior VP, programming, talent development and inclusion at NBC Entertainment and Universal Television Studios, where she was responsible for overseeing primetime diversity efforts both in front of and behind the camera for NBC and Universal Television.  

She also served as director, creative affairs at IDT Animation and designed, implemented and oversaw Nickelodeon’s Writer Fellowship Program. Horne also was a director of writer development and special projects and studio liaison for the Walt Disney Studios Fellowship Program at Walt Disney Network Television. She served as director, West Coast, for the Black Filmmaker Foundation in Los Angeles. 

Horne also worked at HBO in Los Angeles as a co-producer for the Emmy Award-winning animated series Spawn. She worked as executive assistant to the president of ABC Entertainment and held positions at the network and at ABC Sports. She serves on the boards of Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media; USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative; and The Alliance of Women Directors. 

“Since its inception, NAMIC has been a true champion for the communication industry’s multiethnic community,” Horne said. “It is truly an honor to be recognized by an organization whose mission to educate, advocate and empower is so aligned with the work my team and I do at WarnerMedia.”

Nikki Love
VP of Development and Original Production, ALLBLK, AMC Networks

Nikki Love oversees the expanding slate of scripted originals for streaming service ALLBLK (formerly Urban Movie Channel). Since signing on in January of 2019, she has executive produced such highly ranked shows as A House Divided, Double Cross and Behind Her Faith. 

Love serves as a liaison between the streaming service for Black TV and film and its content creators throughout script development, production and postproduction. She is the on-set executive for all original series, supervising such hits as Craig Ross Jr.’s Monogamy; Stuck With You; Terror Lake Drive; For the Love of Jason; A Closer Look and Millennials.

Before joining ALLBLK, Love was a producer of feature films, short films, web series and music videos. Notable projects included indie film The Last Fall, directed by Oscar winner Matthew Cherry; 2018 Sundance Film Festival entry A Boy. A Girl. A Dream; multiple films for BET and the “Chloe x Halle: Warrior” music video for the soundtrack to A Wrinkle in Time. 

She founded JNL Media, where she produced films for more than 10 years, and founded the industry networking organization REEL Ladies.

“I feel truly humbled and blessed to receive this year’s award and to be included in such a powerful group of my peers,” Love said. “I am not only honored to continue the mission of NAMIC but motivated to carry the torch and make an impact in our industry. Thank you!”

Raina Kelley
VP and Editor-in-Chief, The Undefeated, ESPN

Since May 2021, Raina Kelley has set the editorial direction, policies, oversight and strategy for The Undefeated, ESPN’s multiplatform content initiative exploring the intersection of sports, race and culture. She succeeded launch editor Kevin Merida after serving as managing editor for five years. 

As managing editor, Kelley steered The Undefeated’s content expansion efforts across Disney, including the “Music for the Movement” series with Hollywood Records, The Undefeated Presents: Hamilton In-Depth with Kelley Carter on Disney Plus and other partnerships. She leads ESPN’s Black History Always initiative, which highlights the contributions of African-Americans through long- and short-form storytelling across media platforms beyond Black History Month. Her work earned The Undefeated awards from the AP Sports Editors and the National Association of Black Journalists’ Salute to Excellence, among others. 

Kelley joined ESPN in 2011 as a senior editor at ESPN the Magazine, rising to deputy editor. She also worked at Newsweek/The Daily Beast from 2003 to 2011, where she wrote a column on American culture, race, gender and politics. There, she won the 2010 Newswomen’s Club of New York Front Page Award for a package titled “The Beauty Advantage.” She graduated from Yale University in 1992. 

“I sincerely thank NAMIC for inducting me into this year’s Luminaries class,” Kelley said. “The NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program already gave me so much, including clarity and precision of my mission and goals in a safe and exhilarating environment. I am honored and grateful for this award and will continue to make diversity and inclusion the foundation of everything we do at The Undefeated and ESPN.”

Samata Narra
VP of Enterprise Inclusion, Content Strategy, WarnerMedia 

Samata Narra is responsible for building innovative tools and global systems across WarnerMedia to facilitate the advancement of diversity in its storytelling. She recently joined the company from Fox, where she was senior VP of comedy development and current programming. 

At Fox, Narra developed and oversaw live action and animated comedy series, including The Last Man on Earth, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl, Bob’s Burgers and The Mindy Project.   

She also spent a part of her career in representation at Fineman Entertainment and The William Morris Agency. While at Fineman, she developed the series Lights Out for FX and produced the Emmy-nominated romantic comedy documentary Meet the Patels.  

She is on the board of Film2Future, a nonprofit providing equitable access to the entertainment industry for underrepresented Los Angeles youth, as well as Colour Entertainment and South Asian Women in Entertainment (SAWIE). 

A native of Pikeville, Kentucky, Narra earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing from the Boston University School of Management. 

“I feel incredibly honored to be recognized by NAMIC, an organization with such a longstanding commitment to building the next generation of leaders,” she said. “I am looking forward to continuing the tradition as a leader at WarnerMedia.”

Manoj Shamdasani
VP, Programming and Brand Partnerships, News 12 Networks

Manoj Shamdasani guides the editorial coverage for news programming and specials across all seven of Altice USA’s News 12 channels, which operate in the cable company’s New York City-area Optimum territories. He also works with ad sales on sponsorship opportunities. 

Shamdasani joined News 12 The Bronx and News 12 Brooklyn in 2013 as assistant news director before being promoted to news director. He has also worked in Pennsylvania and Singapore in local and international news. He grew up in Hong Kong, where his dad made sure both Manoj and his sister watched World News Tonight with Peter Jennings every evening, followed by the local news and weather. He not only preaches about diversity and inclusion in the newsroom but encourages others to find their voice and be heard.

“Diversity in the newsroom is paramount to the success of a news organization so they can best reflect the people, ideas and values of the communities that they serve,” Shamdasani said. “It’s an honor to be recognized as a leader in the field and an industry Luminary by NAMIC.” 

MyKhanh Shelton
Senior VP, Enterprise Inclusion, WarnerMedia

MyKhanh Shelton is responsible for leading WarnerMedia’s workforce and production safety initiatives and for working closely with the human resources team and business units to create consistent measurements, practices and systems to increase the recruitment, retention and advancement of underrepresented groups. 

In a previous role as senior VP, global inclusion at 21st Century Fox, she led the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategies and worked closely with business leaders to design initiatives to increase diversity and inclusion across its film, television, sports, news and digital portfolio. A central focus of the Global Inclusion Team’s work was spearheading internal programs and external partnerships to increase diverse stories, portrayals, and representation in the entertainment industry, including the Fox Filmmakers Lab, the Fox Writers Lab, the Television Directors Lab, the Fox DP Lab (focused on female directors of photography) and the Fox Creative Lab: Taiwan. Shelton also led the development of a global strategy and roadmap for the creation of Colleague Network and Resource Groups, which led to the successful launch of Fox Noir, APEX, Hola, Women@Fox, Fox Vets and Pride.   

A graduate of UCLA and the University of California at Berkeley Law School, she began her law career at a firm before joining Fox as counsel, advancing to senior VP, Fox Group Legal. She is an international and Los Angeles board member of the nonprofit group Facing History and Ourselves. 

“It is an honor to be recognized by an organization that is so highly respected and impactful as NAMIC is and has been for so many decades,” Shelton said. “I am grateful to NAMIC for this recognition and even more so for their unwavering commitment to diversity in the communications industry.”

The National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications, in partnership with Multichannel News, will celebrate the recipients of the 2020 Next Generation Leader Awards and Luminary Awards at a virtual awards ceremony, titled “40 Years: A Celebration of Legacy Building” sponsored by Univision Communications and set for Oct. 7 during the 34th Annual NAMIC Conference.

“Collectively, we are building our legacy for future generations, one that will go down in the history books as a model of strength, determination  and perseverance,” NAMIC president  A. Shuanise Washington said of the event. “As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, this year’s conference is a time to reflect on our progress, embrace new challenges, and define a roadmap for the future.” 

Profiles in  this section were provided by NAMIC. For more information on NAMIC’s Annual Awards Ceremony and the virtual 2020 NAMIC Conference, part of Diversity Week, visit conference.namic.com.

More on Diversity Week: WICT, NAMIC Power Up a Virtual Diversity Week

LEADERS

Rohan Kumar
Group VP, Digital Marketing, Charter Communications

Rohan Kumar, who joined Charter in 2014, oversees digital marketing and sales activities across residential, mobile and small and midsized businesses. His purview includes digital media, analytics, SEM/SEO, Etail, social media, website creative, delivery, product, QA and online ordering. Rohan was previously senior VP, strategic partnerships/media for TruEffect, served as the principal for Momentum Mechanics, and was the chief marketing officer for HDVMS – Adshuffle. Rohan received a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Tech University, and attended the Cable Executive Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Donna Northington
Executive VP, Distribution, Financial Planning and Strategy, WarnerMedia Distribution

Donna Northington leads a group at the domestic distribution and marketing arm of WarnerMedia that translates distribution strategic initiatives into financial and operating plans. Northington’s team works to develop rates, sales incentives, contract terms, annual budgets and long-range plans for WarnerMedia’s portfolio of domestic TV networks, premium channels and direct-to-consumer brands. She also assesses the economic impact of various business decisions and content acquisition targets and oversees the business operations department. Northington is based in Atlanta and reports to Rich Warren, president of WarnerMedia Distribution and Trey Turner, executive VP and chief financial officer, WarnerMedia Sales & International.

Philip Nutsugah
Senior VP, Product Development & Management , Cox Communications

Philip Nutsugah oversees Cox’s entire portfolio of residential and business products, including internet, video, voice, home security and automation, digital apps, wireless, devices and networking. Since joining Cox in 2006, Nutsugah has overseen the launch and rapid growth of such services as DOCSIS-based Gigabit Internet service, Panoramic WiFi, Contour Stream Player, SD-WAN, managed WiFi, MalBlock and managed security. Operationally, Nutusgah has overhauled Cox’s mobile app strategy and has improved the self-installation and self-service experience. Prior to joining Cox, he worked for Verizon and GTE in various leadership roles in Tampa, Dallas, St. Louis and Atlanta. The University of South Florida graduate served on Cox’s National Diversity & Inclusion Council for eight years and in 2019 was the executive sponsor of Cox’s Thrive Employee Resource Group. 

LUMINARIES

Michael Alexander
VP, Engineering and Construction, Altice USA

Michael Alexander is responsible for strategic planning supporting Altice’s national footprint; scoping, engineering, and deployment of enhanced design and construction projects.  He manages a staff of 200-plus contract engineers, consultants, contractors and vendors. He is also a board member of Altice’s Black Employee Affinity Network.

Alexander has keen experience in cable upgrades, operations  and public access WiFi, for which he holds   three related U.S. patents.  He is an SCTE certified member, founding member of the  SCTE Broadband GIS (geographic information system) group, and remains engaged in GIS software development. He has a background in engineering and business and graduated from Long Island University’s C.W. Post campus.

He is a life member of NAACP Lakeview in West Hempstead, N.Y.; president of the Lakeview Public Library; a board member and participant in mentoring programs such as Young Lions and Save Our Sons; a recipient of numerous community awards; and a passionate audiophile, art aficionado, and classic car enthusiast.

Julissa Bonfante
VP, Content Publicity, Univision Commmunications

Julissa Bonfante is responsible for developing, directing and managing all publicity efforts for Univision’s multiplatform content and top-ranked tentpole events. She works closely with network executives, show producers and talent relations to develop and execute comprehensive communications campaigns that help drive awareness and brand positioning in the marketplace.

Prior to this role, Bonfante served as director of corporate communications at Univision since 2016, where she played an integral role in spearheading communications efforts around the programmer’s digital portfolio.

Bonfante has more than 15 years of experience working in various roles across digital, corporate communications, media relations, executive positioning and brand management. She earned a bachelor of arts in media studies and psychology and an MBA in marketing from Fordham University.

Ashley McFarlin Buie
VP, Development, WE tv

Ashley McFarlin Buie oversees new and developing projects for WE tv and serves as an executive producer on the popular series Beyond the Pole. 

A 20-year industry veteran, she founded Bird’s Eye Entertainment and has worked on a multitude of shows with various television networks including Bravo, Discovery, OWN, Oxygen, CNN, MTV, Travel Channel and VH1, producing popular series such as Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Potomac (season one), The First Family of Hip Hop and Southern Charm New Orleans (season one). She also produced VH1’s Love and Hip-Hop spinoff series Meet the Mackies, as well as VH1’s hit Girls Cruise. She began her career as a production assistant at CNN.

Buie has served as an adjunct professor at Montclair State University, a guest lecturer at Yale and Clark Atlanta Universities; and as codirector of a nonprofit teen empowerment organization based in Harlem, The Power of You Teens. She has also published a book of daily devotionals, The Truth: Wrapped In Love. 

Buie received her B.A. in mass communications from Howard University, where she graduated summa cum laude.

Tushar Dave
VP, Call Center Desktop Applications, Charter Communications

Tushar Dave is responsible for leadership and technical oversight of various desktop applications used by call-center agents and shared services teams across customer operations. He leads an organization of 100-plus employees that is responsible for the development and implementation roadmaps of multiple strategic applications. Dave is an integral part of the Customer Operations Technology leadership team, driving improvements in customer experience, ingraining a world‐class sales and service culture and driving agent effectiveness as well as operating efficiencies. Dave has been on the Charter team for five years, starting as senior director, where he provided executive oversight and technical leadership for delivery of multiple CRM/non-CRM based applications and business analytics tools.

Dave joined Charter from Verizon Communications, where he managed the technical solution delivery of sales, retention and service support applications for Verizon's flagship FiOS product. 

He has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, India, as well as a master’s degree in Computer Science, and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.

Akash Gupta
VP, Digital Analytics, Discovery’s U.S. Digital Media Team

Akash Gupta is responsible for leading strategy, analytics and insights for the digital business for 17 networks including Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network and TLC. 

Prior to Discovery, Gupta worked as an investment banker at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in the Technology, Media and Telecom industry group.There, he worked on several higher-profile deals including Comcast’s acquisition of NBCUniversal from GE, the sale of Knology Holdings to WideOpenWest and AMC Networks’s spinoff from Cablevision Systems.

Akash has an MBA with high honors from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. He also has a master’s degree from the University of Maryland and a degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

Parvathy Hariharan
VP, Sales and Marketing, Comcast

Parvarthy Hariharan is responsible for building and executing strategies to drive subscriber growth and achieve financial objectives within Comcast’s 2.2 million-customer Heartland Region. She also is responsible for leading efforts in reducing customer churn. 

Prior to leading sales and marketing, Hariharan led the region’s efforts to transform the customer experience by combining analytical and data-driven insights with emotional intelligence to persuade and influence key stakeholders to drive change. 

Prior to Comcast, Parvathy practiced corporate strategy and advisory consulting for more than a decade. Her transformation efforts impacted more than $750 million in top-line growth and more than $500 million in bottom-line improvement at Fortune 500 clients. 

Her functional expertise includes growth and innovation, go-to-market approaches,
customer acquisition and retention strategies, mergers and acquisitions, sales effectiveness and pricing and profitability management. She developed this in a variety of business sectors, including manufacturing, automotive, distribution, chemicals, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. She is a board member at City Year Detroit and NAMIC Detroit and is an active mentor in the Customer Experience Professionals Association.

Cecilia Masola
VP, Digital Content Licensing, A+E Networks

Cecilia Masola develops and executes growth strategies for A+E Networks content on nonlinear platforms. Using a data-inspired approach, she works to optimize content placement, negotiate digital partnerships and project earnings.

Masola’s career began at Nielsen where she gained foundational research expertise across media platforms. Later, Masola moved onto AT&T where she was tasked with managing DirecTV Latin America’s proprietary ratings product. During her tenure at AT&T, she gained additional responsibilities leading negotiations for the licensing of non-linear content.  

Masola’s diverse background has enhanced her experience. She was born in Argentina and moved around the world, living in the U.S., Italy, Spain and Brazil. Being a “third-culture kid” allows her to enthusiastically embrace change, which led her to accept special projects and roles throughout her career that brought her to Chicago, San Francisco, London and Latin America.

Dana S. Wilson
Senior VP, Reliability Engineering, Comcast

Dana Wilson is responsible for driving and improving all standards across Comcast specific to change, incident, problem and asset management within network operations. She also leads reliability engineering product development, platform automation and national data center operations.

She joined Comcast in 2011 and has held roles of increasing leadership responsibility, most recently as VP, customer experience assurance. During her tenure, she led the delivery of Comcast’s Olympics experience for both the 2012 Summer and 2013 Winter Games. She also led the integration of the NBC Sports Live Extra Olympics app on X1, providing customers with 1,000 hours of live streaming coverage of the Sochi Winter Games.  

Wilson started her career at Comcast as senior director of product planning and delivery for Comcast Interactive Media, where she managed execution of the Xfinity product roadmap for online and mobile entertainment.

She is a graduate of Drexel University and holds a bachelor of science in chemical engineering. Wilson obtained a Six Sigma Black Belt Certification, which reflects her expertise in leading and executing complex initiatives across an organization.

The National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications, in partnership with Multichannel News, will celebrate the recipients of the 2019 Next Generation Leaders Awards this week. Honorees will be recognized during the NAMIC Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from noon to 1:30 p.m., during the 33rd Annual NAMIC Conference at the New York Marriott Marquis, sponsored by Univision Communications.

The 2019 Next Generation Leaders Awards will be presented to the following executives:

• Keith F. Holmes, senior VP, residential sales, Cox Communications.
• Rashida Jones, senior VP, specials, NBC News and MSNBC, NBCUniversal.
• Satya Parimi, group VP, enterprise data, products & smart cities, Charter Communications.

These emerging executives are honored for demonstrating exceptional business acumen, while exemplifying NAMIC’s mission to educate, advocate and empower for multiethnic diversity and inclusion in the communications industry.

NAMIC will also induct the following executives into the 2019 Luminaries class:

• Ricky Frazier Jr., division VP, customer service strategy and retention, Comcast.
• Jae-Min Han, VP, law, chief counsel, Charter Communications.
• Alexis Johnson, VP, programming acquisition, Charter Communications.
• Camille C. Joseph-Goldman, regional VP, state government affairs, Charter Communications.
• Patricia Estrada Martin, SVP, service assurance, Cox Communications.
• Marcella Milliet Sciorra, VP, ad sales & product marketing, Charter Communications.
• Wayne Thompson, VP, telecoms, connectivity and capacity management, Altice USA.

“Each of these amazing Next Generation Leaders and Luminaries is a beacon that guides NAMIC, media companies, and the entire industry towards a future of extraordinary possibilities,” NAMIC president and CEO A. Shuanise Washington said. “They represent what it means when opportunity meets preparation and when visionaries have the courage to step forward and change the course of history.”

LEADERS

MSO: Keith F. Holmes
Senior VP and Head of Residential Sales Cox

Keith F. Holmes oversees a $9 billion division and is responsible for sales, retention, sales operations, sales strategy and performance, as well as multiple dwelling units. He drives sales and retention through inbound and outbound sales centers, retention centers, Cox-owned retail, third-party retail (local and big box), direct sales channels and vendors.

Prior to his role at Cox, Holmes was VP and general manager, AT&T Mobility.

He received his bachelor’s degree in management from Georgia Tech and his MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Holmes also dedicates time to nonprofit community service, serving as a board member for the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta and Gwinnett Technical College. He lives with his wife, Bridget, and their two children, Kaci and Keith, in Atlanta.

PROGRAMMER: Rashida Jones
Senior VP of Specials NBC News and MSNBC

Rashida Jones spearheads cross-platform coverage and special news productions, major planned news events and long-form specials, as well as live breaking news reports, for both NBC News and MSNBC. Her responsibilities include election nights, primary and presidential debates, political conventions and other major coverage initiatives. She also leads the NBC News Decision Desk, a team of data scientists responsible for making all race call decisions on primary and election nights.

She is a graduate of Hampton University, where she was inducted into the Scripps Howard Journalism Hall of Fame. She is also an ambassador for the Alliance for Women in Media, a board member of the Carole Kneeland Project for Responsible Journalism and a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Association of Black Journalists.

TECHNOLOGY: Satya Parimi
Group VP, Data Products and Smart Cities Spectrum Enterprise

Satya Parimi is group VP of data products and smart cities for Spectrum Enterprise, a suite of scalable, fiber-based technology solutions offered by Charter to many of America’s largest businesses and communications service providers. Parimi manages the Data Product portfolio, driving product performance and creating new services, including Spectrum Smart Cities.

He previously held leadership roles in product management, new business development and corporate strategy. Parimi started his telecommunications career in technology startups.

Parimi earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, an MBA from the University of Massachusetts and executive leadership certification from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California through the NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program.

LUMINARIES

Ricky Frazier Jr.
Division VP, Customer Service Strategy and Retention, Comcast

Ricky Frazier Jr. has a proven 16-year track record of developing innovative strategies designed to improve the Comcast customer experience. In his current role, he is responsible for end-to-end customer experience initiatives and process improvement in the Central Division, comprising 13 states and more than 10 million customers. He is also responsible for shaping the employee experience of over 6,000 professionals through employee engagement and communications. Frazier has served as a formal and informal mentor to countless professionals of all ethnicities across Comcast and the industry. He has helped to guide cultural transformations and to catapult the success of multiple professionals and leaders at Comcast. His leadership has resulted in major customer experience improvements and operational efficiencies.

Jae-Min Han
VP, Chief Counsel, Spectrum Networks

Jae Min-Han counsels and advises Spectrum Networks, Charter’s news and regional sports network businesses, on a range of issues, including licensing, content production and distribution, newsroom and editorial matters, and marketing and sponsorships. Prior to joining Spectrum, she was an associate at the law firm Akin Gump, where she worked with NY1 News — a role that ultimately led her to join the company to work on litigation, advertising and marketing review and newsroom matters. She is a graduate of SUNY-Binghamton and University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Alexis Johnson
VP of Programming Acquisition, Charter

At Charter, Alexis Johnson leads negotiations for distribution agreements and develops programming strategies that accelerate subscription growth with general market and multicultural consumers. From DirecTV to Verizon to Time Warner Cable/Charter, Johnson has worked on the front lines of content delivery to consumers and continues to help shape industry standards for programming operations and content acquisition.

Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the University of California, Berkeley, a master’s in communications management from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from the Southwestern University School of Law. A strong believer in the power of community service, Johnson is a board director for the Wake Forest University School of Divinity and personally supports NAMIC, the T. Howard Foundation and other community-service organizations.

Camille C. Joseph-Goldman
Regional VP, Government Affairs, Charter

Camille C. Joseph-Goldman oversees and manages government affairs, strategic partnerships and investments, consumer protection and telecommunications regulation from New Jersey to Maine. Previously, she worked in politics and public policy, serving as New York City’s youngest appointed deputy comptroller, as director of intergovernmental affairs and special adviser to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), as well as national African-American vote deputy director for the 2012 Obama presidential campaign. Born and raised in the Bronx, Camille earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in politics and history from New York University, where she was a Presidential Scholar. She serves on the National Action Network board and is a trustee for the Citizens Budget Commission of New York City.

Patricia Estrada Martin
Senior VP, Service Assurance, Cox

Patricia Estrada Martin oversees the network operations centers (NOCs) and Tier 2 support teams for both residential and Cox Business support models, with an enhanced focus on the customer experience and process governance. She joined Cox Communications in 2005 as a senior manager and has since held numerous positions, such as director of network services in Oklahoma and VP of engineering and operations for Cox’s Northeast team in 2012. In 2015, she joined Cox’s Atlanta team as VP of service assurance, and streamlined the NOC to one operating model in 2017. Martin has led several key initiatives at Cox, including the creation of the first national team of virtual construction estimators and Cox’s first-generation Video Back Office National COE. She resides in Roswell, Georgia, with her husband and four children.

Marcella Milliet Sciorra
VP of Ad Sales & Product Marketing, Spectrum Reach

Marcella Sciorra oversees marketing for all Spectrum Reach products, including local linear advertising inventory, advanced ad products and more. She manages a team of 25 ad-sales and product-marketing professionals who support sales teams in 41 states and nearly 100 designated marketing areas. Prior to joining Spectrum Reach, she managed new business development and spearheaded marketing strategy for global brands, including Unilever and NFL International. She is an alumna of NAMIC’s Executive Leadership Development Program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing’s Cable Executive Management program at Harvard University, and the University of Santa Ursula in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She lives in Palisades, New York, with her husband Nick and two children.

Wayne Thompson
VP, Telecoms, Connectivity and Capacity Management, Altice USA

Wayne Thompson oversees voice engineering and operations, voice and data expense management, vendor relationship, contract management and circuits and capacity management for Altice. He is also a board member of the Black Employee Affinity Network. Prior to joining Altice, Thompson owned a telecom and engineering company and worked at Verizon. He earned his bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Columbia. Thompson is founder and executive director of Strategic Opportunities Achieving Results (S.O.A.R.!) a nonprofit organization focused on mentorship, scholarship and educational assistance. He also is a board member of Urban League of Long Island, Child Care Council of Nassau and Bethel Christian Church. He is the chief organizer of the Long Island Entrepreneurship Conference.

NEW YORK — This year, National Asssociation for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications will do lunch with its 2017 class of Next Generation Leaders and Luminaries.

NAMIC’s Annual Awards Breakfast, long a staple of the now-defunct INTX trade show, is now the NAMIC Awards Luncheon and will be held Wednesday, Sept. 27, during the 31st Annual NAMIC Conference at the New York Marriott Marquis from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Related: PAR, AIM Surveys Highlight Diversity Week

The Next Generation Leaders Awards, presented in partnership with Multichannel News, recognize four emerging business leaders of color in in the media and entertainment industry for their career successes and commitment to fostering diversity in the workplace. Ten additional emerging executives of color will be honored in NAMIC’s 2017 Luminaries class.

NEXT GENERATION LEADERS

LINDA PAN
Senior VP, New Digital Business AMC Networks

Linda Pan oversees the development and growth of new direct-to-consumer subscription streaming video services, including Sundance Now and horror service Shudder, where she is general manager.

Pan joined AMC Networks in 2013, arriving from Feeln, where she was vice president of business strategy and operations, as well as chief of staff. Prior to her time at Feeln, Pan worked at Netflix and MRC Studios.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University, her master’s in electrical engineering from Stanford University, and her MBA from Harvard Business School.

“I am enormously proud to receive this honor from NAMIC, whose efforts around diversity are so important,” she said. “At a time when the entertainment industry is evolving, NAMIC’s work is more crucial than ever to ensure opportunities and inclusion for people of all backgrounds.”

EBONNE L. RUFFINS
Vice President, Local Media Development, Comcast

Ebonne L. Ruffins oversees a suite of technologies and programming to advance Comcast’s local reach, relationships, and business advantage. The Local Media Development portfolio includes: public, educational, and governmental (PEG) programming; the EveryBlock platform; Comcast Newsmakers; and the award-winning commemorative programming initiative, Voices of the Civil Rights Movement.

Before joining Comcast’s LMD team in 2016, Ruffins led Comcast’s diversity media communications, spanning national diversity advertising; national surveys; and executive consulting. In that role, she developed Comcast’s first mandatory diversity training module; launched Comcast NBCUniversal’s public diversity report and digital platform; and produced Comcast’s first Diversity Summit.

Prior to joining Comcast in 2011, Ruffins was an English and Spanish producer for CNN’s award-winning platform, CNN Heroes; an on-air reporter for CBS affiliate WCAX in Burlington, Vt.; a reporter/contributor for National Public Radio station WAMU in Washington, D.C., and a CNN Fellow and contributor, also in Washington.

“To be recognized by NAMIC, a leading voice for multi-ethnicity in the communications industry, is a special honor that I share with my Comcast family. I am privileged to work for a company that so proudly validates, celebrates, and actively demonstrates diversity and inclusion.”

ROMINA ROSADO
Senior VP Content and Editor in Chief, E! News

Romina Rosado is an experienced content professional versed in creating content, building an audience and driving monetization across In her current role, she oversees all content, news gathering, audience development and programming for E! News. She also oversees the creation of content-first, revenue-generating programs and works with the NBCUniversal sales organization to develop new ways to monetize and develop branded content.

Earlier in her career, she advised some of the world’s leading brands and government agencies on their digital strategies, including Adidas, General Motors, NATO, the World Bank, the U.S. State Department and UNICEF, and was a consultant to the European Central Bank ahead of the introduction of the Euro.

A truly global thinker, Rosado is trilingual and has worked in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.

“I am thrilled and humbled to be recognized by NAMIC. Diversity — in all its forms — is no longer just the ‘nice’ thing to do, it is an imperative for organizations that want to succeed, and I am proud to work for Comcast/NBCUniversal, a trailblazer in giving minorities a seat at the table.”

DANIEL EILEMBERG
President, Fusion TV

Daniel Eilemberg is a journalist, producer and new media entrepreneur working in digital media, publishing, film and television. As president of Fusion TV, he oversees programming and operations for the cable network.

Prior to his current role, he served as chief digital officer, overseeing Fusion’s digital news operation.

Fusion TV is a part of the Fusion Media Group (FMG), which also includes such web original media brands as Gizmodo, Deadspin, Jezebel, Jalopnik, Kotaku, Lifehacker, Splinter, The Root, The Onion, The A.V. Club, and Clickhole, as well as FMG’s content development and production unit Story House Entertainment.

Eilemberg is founder and chairman of Animal Politico, Mexico’s leading political news platform and Pajaro Politico, the first news platform to launch exclusively on Twitter in Mexico.

He is the founder and managing director of the ABC Fellows program, and a 2014 visiting Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.

LUMINARIES

CHARLOTTE CASTILLO
Senior Vice President, International Brand Management & Creative, NVCP/VIMN

A 12-year veteran of Viacom, Charlotte Castillo manages the strategic development, planning and creative direction for Viacom International Media Networks’s licensed intellectual property. She leads a team of 35 people around the world. Prior to Viacom, Charlotte was marketing and creative services director at Latina magazine, where she developed trade and consumer marketing initiatives, drove strategic partnerships with major Latino and women’s organizations, and spearheaded advertising/sponsorship- based relationships with companies including Chevrolet, Unilever and L’Oreal.

MIGUEL SANTOS
General Manager, Myx TV

Miguel Santos, of the multicultural Asian-American entertainment network Myx TV, has 14-plus years of experience leading international broadcast media companies. Santos evolved Myx TV from a linear, music-based channel into a multiplatform entertainment network. Santos started his career with MTV Networks Asia, quickly rising up the ranks to be one of the heads of production and on-air promotions.

JANET HAN VISSERING
Senior Vice President of Development and Production, Nat Geo Wild

Janet Han Vissering is responsible for over 150 hours of programming commissioned each year globally. Vissering manages Nat Geo Wild’s development team, working with the world’s leading independent producers, distributors, creative agencies and strategic broadcast partners to create the network’s signature series, specials and events. She also provides daily oversight of production to ensure creative continuity and that all network programming objectives are being met.

NAVIN KAMATH
Vice President of Account Management, Global Distribution, HBO

Navin Kamath is responsible for the strategic account management of several of HBO’s streaming subscriber and transactional partners. He oversees relationships with prominent digital accounts including Apple, Sony, Microsoft, Samsung, Roku and Fandango NOW. Kamath has helped launch both HBO Now and HBO Go on various platforms, devices, affiliate portals and applications. Kamath has worked in various capacities at HBO since 2006, managing HBO On Demand, Cinemax On Demand and affiliate online marketing.

HOLLY TANG
Chief Financial Officer, Bravo and Oxygen Media

Holly Tang is responsible for Bravo and Oxygen Media’s financial oversight including the development of strategic and long-range plans. She identifies growth drivers and new revenue streams for the networks as well as plays a vital role in defining and building strategic initiatives. Based in New York, she reports to Frances Berwick, president, lifestyle metworks, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Prior to joining Bravo, Tang was director of finance at Comedy Central, overseeing general accounting operations and budgets for programming, marketing, digital media and all ancillary businesses. Previously she held various positions at MTV Networks.

P. SEAN GUPTA
Vice President of Strategy and Operations, BET Networks

At BET Networks, P. Sean Gupta is responsible for programming and network level strategy and growth initiatives that involve researching, analyzing and building strategic recommendations on everything from program launches, growth areas, to delivery of content on multiple platforms. Prior to Viacom, Gupta was a senior director managing business development and business affairs for Time Warner Cable’s advertising division, TWC Media. Before TWC, Sean was an investment banker at Deutsche Bank on Wall Street for six and a half years.

SAMEEL OSURI
Senior VP, Global Content Operations, Discovery Communications

A 14-year Discovery veteran, Sameel Osuri has a wide range of experience across Discovery’s corporate, U.S. Networks and International divisions. He currently is responsible for content-related data, systems and financial analysis worldwide. Prior roles for Discovery include: CFO for the Discovery Channel Group, Domestic Distribution and Discovery Education; VP of finance for the U.S. division’s advertising-sales team; financial planning director for the International division’s global content team; and in corporate finance.

STEPHANIE JACKSON
Vice President, Ad Sales, Western Region, Scripps Networks Interactive

Stephanie Jackson is responsible for overseeing the strategic national sales initiatives for TV and online at Food Network and Cooking Channel. Jackon’s role also requires her to develop strategic marketing partnerships to meet her client’s needs. Prior to her role managing the Food Network’s Los Angeles sales team, Jackson spent 10 years as a senior salesperson responsible for driving sales revenue. Earlier, Jackson worked in radio advertising sales for ABC Radio Networks under the Radio Disney brand.

TONY SONG
Vice President, Ad Sales & Partnerships, AMC Networks

At AMC Networks and its properties AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV and WE tv, Tony Song oversees all advertiser and marketer spending, helps set revenue projections and guides all negotiations for all WE tv and IFC media assets, including linear, advanced platform/digital, events and branded content. He initiates and implements AMC Networks’s upfront and scatter tactics team, leveraging all networks. He also serves as one of two key strategists directing the day-to-day operations of his department and is crucial in gaining new business and growing current business. Previously, he was director of East Coast national media sales for BET Networks.

TWYLA HUANG-DISIMONE
Vice President, News Content Partnerships, Turner Ignite

Twyla Huang-DiSimone is responsible for harnessing the strength of Turner’s news brands to develop creative and innovative solutions for advertising partners. She is also responsible for developing brand positioning and a powerful voice in the marketplace for each of Turner’s multiplatform news brands: CNN, HLN and Great Big Story. Prior to joining the company in January 2015, Twyla held a number of leadership positions at both established and startup media companies, such as Advance Publications, Style Coalition, Condé Nast Digital and XO Group.