Join us for inspiration, motivation, and connection at our 5th Annual Diversity + Media Career Summit. The Summit is designed to help students and recent graduates break into the business and be successful in their early careers through skill workshops, masterclasses, keynotes, panels and networking. You'll hear wisdom and actionable advice from trailblazers across the industry, and have the opportunity to network with recruiters and representatives from such leading media organizations as Disney, Hearst, McKinsey & Company, NBCUniversal, Nielsen, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
The Center's programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
All registrants must provide proof of vaccination to NYU.
Watch the video below for guidance on uploading your vaccination info and completing the NYU Daily Screener to ensure you have the necessary campus access to attend the summit.
8:15 AM — Registration
8:45 AM — Welcome Remarks
9:00 AM — Keynote Interview: Soledad O’Brien
SOLEDAD O’BRIEN, CEO, SOLEDAD O’BRIEN PRODUCTIONS
Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, and philanthropist, who founded Soledad O’Brien Productions, a multi-platform media production company dedicated to telling empowering and authentic stories on a range of social issues. She anchors and produces the Hearst TV political magazine program "Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien" and is a correspondent for HBO Real Sports. She is also host of the Quake Media podcast “Very Opinionated with Soledad O’Brien….
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She is a thought leader, with over 1.3 million Twitter followers, who has a national impact through her speeches, numerous documentaries and her presence on the op-ed pages of platforms like the New York Times and Huffington Post. She has anchored shows on CNN, MSNBC, and NBC, and reported for Fox, A&E, Oxygen, Nat Geo, the PBS NewsHour, WebMD, and Al Jazeera America, among others.
O’Brien’s work has been recognized with three Emmy awards, twice with the George Foster Peabody Award, three times with the Gracie Award, which honors women in media, twice with Cine Awards for her work in documentary films and also with an Alfred I. DuPont Award. With her husband, she is founder of the PowHERful Foundation that helps young women get to and through college.
MODERATOR: EMERSON COLEMAN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PROGRAMMING, HEARST TELEVISION
Emerson Coleman has served as senior vice president, programming, for Hearst Television since 2018, after having become vice president, programming, in 1999. Among the industry’s most highly regarded programming executives, Coleman oversees the company’s program development and acquisitions….
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Previously, Coleman was vice president and director of broadcast operations at Hearst’s WBAL-TV in Baltimore, where he developed the highly honored nationally syndicated public affairs series The Remarkable Journey. He also worked at WBZ-TV, Boston and WJZ-TV, Baltimore, where he was executive producer of local programming. Coleman has been honored with national and regional awards from organizations including the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Association of Television Program Executives, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the National Association of Black Journalists.
He created and serves as executive producer of the weekly political talk show Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien. Among a number of board responsibilities, Coleman serves on the executive committee of the National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE) and the advisory board of the Peabody Awards. Coleman is also on the Board of the NAB Leadership Foundation and the Advisory Board of the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School of Communications. He is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School of Communications.
10:15 AM — How We Work Best: Ensuring Access to New Opportunities
As companies across the industry strive to attract more diverse cohorts of candidates, we’ll look at where hiring is headed; what new jobs and opportunities for advancement are emerging at the intersection of media and technology; what skills and experience are critical; and how to ensure that representation will be a priority.
ALEX BRITEZ, LEAD PRODUCT DESIGNER, MICROSOFT
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Alex Britez is a lead product designer at Microsoft, currently working on crafting experiences that make learning how to code accessible to anyone, anywhere. Most of his time is spent on products such as MakeCode, and block-based editor, where kids could create Minecraft Mods, code games, and learn how to program circuits to bring their imagination to life.
Aside from creating products that help people learn, Alex is also an educator. His experiences range from teaching graduate school learning-experience designers how to code at NYU, to traveling to local libraries and volunteering his time teaching young kids how to be active members of the maker community: creating games and playing with electronics.
Whether he is designing a product or teaching a class, Alex’s driving purpose is helping all learners feel prepared and supported to exceed their personal goals efficiently.
JESSICA LOFTUS, SENIOR MANAGER, INTERN & TALENT OPERATIONS, WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY
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Jessica oversees project management for the global recruitment team as well as manages the US Internship Program. She started out as an intern at Discovery back in 2012 in Corporate Communications and has been with the company ever since. Jessica is based out of Warner Bros. Discovery’s New York headquarters and is a University of Maryland grad. She is a fan of all things pop culture, entertainment and television!
ABRAN MALDONADO, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, VERIZON 5G EDTECH PROGRAM, NYC MEDIA LAB
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As the Associate Director of NYC Media Lab & Verizon’s 5G EdTech Program, Abran is instrumental in expanding the program's impact to students and teachers, and scaling solutions to dozens of schools across the nation. He is a tech entrepreneur, scholar, and lifelong advocate for disadvantaged youth. Abran co-founded Create Labs Ventures, a social venture that creates new opportunities for the underserved community to enter tech and media industries. He is a Gates Millennium Scholar, an award given to future community leaders, and holds degrees from St. John’s University, Columbia University’s Teachers College, and reached doctoral candidate status at NYU Steinhardt.
MODERATOR: STEPHANIE MADNER, ASSOCIATE PARTNER, MCKINSEY & CO.
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Steph is an Associate Partner based in New York, dedicated to McKinsey’s People, Organization and Performance practice and is a leader in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion service line. She predominantly serves telecommunications, media and technology clients, and focuses on helping organizations unlock the potential of talent in their organization through comprehensive and strategic talent management, capability building, culture & change management.
11:30 AM — Networking Session
12:30 AM — Networking Lunch
1:30 PM — Breakout Workshops
Choose one of the following:
Knowing Your Value, Demanding Your Worth: Salary Negotiation 101
With fluctuations in the workforce over the past two pandemic years, recruiters and job seekers are finding themselves in new territory when it comes to hiring and salary negotiation. And with recent changes to laws governing pay equity and salary transparency, we’ll cover what you need to know in order to navigate the nuances of knowing your value and demanding what you’re worth—both as an incoming candidate and an advancing employee.
WORKSHOP LEADER
YRTHYA DINZEY-FLORES, VP, DEI, SOCIAL IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY, JUSTWORKS
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Yrthya A. Dinzey-Flores is an innovative ESG leader with cross-industry expertise in philanthropy, social responsibility, diversity, equity, and workplace inclusion in the private, non-profit, and public sectors. Yrthya’s success rests on her formidable skills to outline a vision, build exceptional teams, and engage diverse stakeholders around a common goal.
Yrthya kicked off her career in the non-profit and philanthropic sector at the Robin Hood Foundation to identify and recommend grant investments to organizations aligned with Robin Hood’s mission.
She spent the next three years at the venture philanthropy partnering with grantees to further advance the foundation’s mission for traditional portfolio areas and new cutting-edge social investments. During that time, Bosch Foundation invited her to move to Germany to work as a fellow and convey her thinking and methodology to several European foundations.
In her current role leading ESG at Justworks, Yrthya collaborates closely with CEO Isaac Oates and the entire leadership team to embed DEI, Social Impact and Sustainability into business practices.
Yrthya’s previous position as Culture and Operations Chief of the Open Society U.S. Foundation, Yrthya led all business activities including, but not limited to, a budget of over$200M, human resources, compliance, operations, organizational design, and work culture. She joined the foundation to help unstick a protracted two-year restructuring and has enabled the complete nearly all the transformation objectives for the U.S. region.
As Vice President of Corporate Responsibility, Philanthropy, Diversity & Inclusion, she headed WarnerMedia’s social responsibility standing and created coherent, enterprise-wide philanthropy programs that exceeded $50 million in annual giving, thereby transforming the company’s visibility messaging and impact. Yrthya also redesigned Warner’s social impact strategy and corporate responsibility reporting practices, including designing and implementing the media and film industry’s first diversity and inclusion scorecard and production policy.
Before joining WarnerMedia, Yrthya served as Senior Director, Corporate Responsibility & Inclusion for the Canadian multinational company Thomson Reuters from 2013 to 2015. Directly reporting to the company’s executive leadership, Yrthya built and developed the company’s first enterprise-wide inclusion and diversity practice. Her work in standing up this practice included partnering with the Financial & Risk business to design and create a diversity and inclusion financial index.
Before joining Thomson Reuters, Yrthya became New York State’s first Chief Diversity Officer (2011–2013). In this role, she rebuilt the State’s programs to meet their policy mandate to over 100 separate state entities, encouraged the growth of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (m/WBEs), and drive governmental workforce diversity across New York state. She delivered a new ethos in a balkanized statewide internal culture and initiated outside projects that resonated in the public domain. The result; a 200% increase in total dollars (over $1B) awarded to small businesses owned by women and people of color. She became the principal advisor to Governor Andrew Cuomo concerning supplier and workforce diversity practices and set the standard for success in this role.
Previously, Yrthya served in management and leadership roles for Toyota Motor North America (2007–2010), the New York City Department of Education (2005–2007), and the NYC Municipal government.
She is currently serving on the boards of the Hispanic Federation and The Public Theater of N.Y.
Yrthya earned a B.A. from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Production Pro 101
Hear tips on how to thrive in entry-level production roles, including terms early professionals need to know, how to stay organized as a PA, how to adapt to working with a new team, and advice learned from working in the field.
WORKSHOP LEADERS
CHERICE HUNT, STORY PRODUCER, CULTURE HOUSE
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Cherice Hunt is a producer, writer, and aspiring director passionate about creating unbounded stories for, with, and inspired by Black people, women, and other marginalized communities. After studying Film and TV at Boston University, she went on to become an assistant and coordinator at RadicalMedia and freelanced as an associate producer on multiple premium documentaries and documentary series until joining Culture House in 2020 as an Associate Producer. She is now a Story Producer at Culture House, a Black, Brown, and Women led production company, where she is developing and producing groundbreaking series for Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Conde Nast Entertainment, and more.
JANICE JAMES, PRODUCER, CULTURE HOUSE
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Janice James is a producer who thrives off any opportunity to create stories that shake up our understanding of overlooked pockets of society. After studying film and sociology at the University of Notre Dame, she spent several years working as a production assistant, showrunner’s assistant and production coordinator on traveling docuseries, before making the move from Indianapolis to New York. She then ventured into the world of scripted TV, commercials and feature films, working on numerous titles, like the award-winning Dick Johnson is Dead. She moved up the ranks to become an assistant director, but shifted to the producing world so she could further unite her logistical and creative minds. She is now a Producer at Culture House, where she is working across series, features and branded content - including The Hair Tales for Hulu/Onyx/OWN, a doc series with Tracee Ellis Ross and Oprah Winfrey alongside series for Netflix and Disney+.
2:30 PM — Breakout Workshops
Choose the second of the two above.
3:30 PM — How We Work Next: Lessons Learned from Lockdown
After more than two years of adapting to the evolving constraints imposed by the pandemic, what have we learned about the way we work in this fundamentally creative and collaborative industry? We’ll explore how roles and responsibilities may have changed, how to manage the transition from remote to on-site, and how early-career professionals can forge relationships and find mentors in the new world of work.
NAIQUAN GREENE, SENIOR DIGITAL PRODUCER, PARAMOUNT / BET NETWORKS
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Hailing from the planet of Brooklyn, NY, Naiquan is a Senior Producer at Paramount (BET Networks) who currently resides in Harlem, NY. When he’s not running point on all things BET dot com and the BET Now app, he’s helping to provide service and advocacy through his membership in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. In his spare-time, Naiquan enjoys anime, trying his best to dress like Andre 3000, and making people laugh.
JENNIFER LENIHAN, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, PRODUCTION RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION, NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE OF MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT
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Jennifer Lenihan joined the NYC Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting in 1995 as a permit coordinator. Over the course of her 20+ year tenure, she has helped grow the agency from its film production permitting function into what is now known as the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), which serves the city’s broader creative and hospitality sectors and operates the municipal broadcast television and radio network. Lenihan was one of the architects of the “Made in NY” Production Assistant Training Program, which has certified more than 1,000 New Yorkers to work as Production Assistants, and the “Made in NY” Discount Vendor Program, which connects productions to more than 1,200 local businesses. As Assistant Commissioner, she serves as MOME’s chief administrator overseeing agency operations and human resources, and primary advisor to the Commissioner on film production policy and business development. Lenihan graduated from State University of New York at Geneseo with a Bachelor’s in Communication.
VANESSA SANDOVAL, SENIOR DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES, HEARST MAGAZINES
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Vanessa is passionate about talent management, leadership development, change management and transformation. Driven by curiosity and continuous performance improvement, she values experiences that allow her to help lead the discourse on Talent, creatively problem solve, and most importantly, have fun while advising and promoting businesses and their people. With over 15 years of both private and nonprofit HR experience, she is a great resource for understanding how to build programs that drive change and keep employees invested and engaged.
As a Senior Director of Human Resources at Hearst Magazines, Vanessa provides talent management, organizational design and core HR knowledge to senior leaders as a strategic business and talent coach. Previous positions include Global Director of People at tech startup SeatGeek, Director of Human Resources for national health non-profit Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Talent Management Manager for 24 Seven, a fashion and creative recruitment firm. In these roles she led multiple areas of the Talent agenda including Talent Acquisition, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Performance, and Learning and Development. Before working with executives to unlock their team’s potential, Vanessa was a proud Teach for America AmeriCorps member committed to unlocking the potential of students in the classroom by closing the achievement gap in low income and low resourced communities. In every position she has held, whether in the nonprofit or private sector, she has led teams that work to support and advance the strategic intent of those organizations, positively promote their employer brand, and ultimately help create a great place to work.
Vanessa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Business from Georgetown University and a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. She sits on Tannenbaum’s Workplace Advisory Council, a non-profit promoting Interreligious understanding, she is an Executive Coach and member of Chief, an Executive Women’s Leadership group, and has also been a mentor for NFTE: the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, an international nonprofit organization providing entrepreneurship training and educational programs. She lives in Brooklyn and in her spare time, runs marathons and cycles to stay active.
MODERATOR: NIKKI BETHEL, PRESIDENT & CEO, EMMA BOWEN FOUNDATION
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Nikki Bethel is a dynamic, results-driven senior leader with 20+ years of experience in strategic planning, diversity, equity & inclusion, talent management, leadership development, and public speaking. She is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Emma L. Bowen Foundation (EBF). In this role, Nikki is responsible for leading the development and implementation of the overall EBF mission to prepare students of color for the workforce and increase and sustain diversity in the media industry. She is the primary spokesperson for the Foundation and works with the Board of Directors, staff and stakeholders to develop the future strategic direction of EBF and oversee the execution and communication of that strategy across the organization, with corporate partners and the broader industry. Nikki also guides and oversees the financial sustainability of the Foundation, maintains the EBF brand identity, and successfully implements operational improvements to support the long-term success of the Foundation’s mission.
Prior to the Emma Bowen Foundation, Bethel was the Senior Vice President of Talent Management for Home Box Office, Inc., and was responsible for overseeing the areas of talent acquisition and organizational effectiveness, which encompasses executive leadership and coaching, management training and professional development, employee communications and initiatives. She also oversaw integrated business solutions, including culture, talent assessment, succession planning and organizational strategy. In addition, Bethel represented HBO at Time Warner and WarnerMedia councils in the learning and development areas. She was named to this position in August 2015. Bethel joined HBO in 2003 as a recruiting associate and was named manager, Human Resources, in 2004, responsible for employee relations for eight internal departments. In 2006, she was promoted to director, Human Resources, adding several internal clients to her responsibilities. She was elevated to vice president and then senior vice president, Organizational Effectiveness, in 2008 and 2013, respectively.
In 2001, Bethel was a consultant at A-List, where she developed, coordinated and managed strategies designed to help college students and professionals find placement and/or transition across industries. Between 1998 and 2001, she worked in the financial sector as an associate, Global Diversity at Morgan Stanley and as an associate, Human Resources at Merrill Lynch, responsible for various strategic initiatives including career development, recruitment and retention. She began her career in 1997 as a teacher at English High School in Boston, where she also managed an after-school tutoring program for elementary grade students through the B.E.L.L. Foundation.
Bethel is a member of the Brooklyn Chapter of The Links, Inc., a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and is an honorary member of the Women’s League of Science and Medicine, Inc. She also sits on the board of The Apollo, is a former board member of the Emma L. Bowen Foundation, and is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC).
She holds a BA degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park, an MA in Education from Harvard, and received a Human Resources Management Certificate from the City University of New York (New York City College of Technology). Nikki is happily married to the love of her life and they live between Sag Harbor and Brooklyn with their daughter.