JY MURPHY is currently the research editor at Country Living magazine. Previously he worked for three and a half years as a freelance researcher for Popular Mechanics, and for 12+ years as a news clerk at The New York Times. Throughout his eighteen years in New York he has also pursued an acting career. Credits include everything from free Shakespeare in Washington Square Park, to a two-year off-Broadway run in The Countess and three and a half years in the flying ensemble of De La Guarda, as well as numerous national commercials and film and TV appearances. His education includes a degree in history from Harvard College. He is a founding member and current president of Gorilla Repertory Theater Company.

COREY WILSON is currently the Associate Director of Publicity at GQ, where he manages the national media relations surrounding the magazine’s editorial content. Prior to joining GQ, Corey worked in the consumer brands division at Edelman Public Relations in Chicago, handling a variety of high-profile clients including Burger King and Captain Morgan rum. He began his career as a reporter at the Chicago Tribune City News Bureau. Corey graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2003. He lives in New York City.

CALETHA CRAWFORD is the editor in chief and publisher of Earnshaw’s, a business publication covering the children’s apparel industry. Over the last four years, she turned around a flagging publication by filling it with informative and entertaining edit and giving it a definitive tone and point of view. She expanded the magazine’s reach by developing online vehicles and events such as industry roundtables and consumer focus groups. Each month she develops, assigns and writes balanced editorial that includes fashion updates, industry news and services articles designed to help both manufacturers and retailers increase sales. Caletha also served as publisher for two years elevating marketing materials, creating editorial and advertorial packages that appealed to clients.

LEONARD JACOBS is a writer, editor, blogger and critic with roots in arts and culture reporting. He is the founder and editor of The Clyde Fitch Report, a nationally recognized blog exploring the nexus of arts and politics. Leonard also contributes to a variety of digital and print publications, from the Huffington Post to Fox News.com (and Fox’s daily, live-streaming show the Strategy Room) to the entertainment trade publication Back Stage, where he served as national editor. His first byline ran exactly 20 years ago.

LARA LEA ALLEN Associate Director of Foreign Rights for the Trident Media Group and former Foreign Rights manager for Harpercollins Publishers, Lara found her way to publishing via a bookstore position, where she was in charge of shelving the reference section. One of the books was on the book publishing industry and the variouspossible positions within it. This led her to focus her publishing job search on international rights, since rights is one of the few positions within the industry that allows you to see the complete process of publication, from acquisition to bookstore sales Not only does this provide a good overview of the process to recent hires within the industry, but also allows these new book publishers to learn other, lesser known roles they could play in the process.

JEFF EGGLESTON has worked for Pepsi, Fox News, Food Network on set of ‘Emeril Live’ and ‘Iron Chef America’, He was 1st AD for Prelight Day Productions on a sitcom pilot and is currently working as a Casting/Field/StoryProducer for Millionaire Matchmaker season four for Bravo. He has worked in various Casting and Producing roles on shows like ‘Chain Reaction’, ‘Wife Swap’, ‘Project Runway’, ‘All Worked Up’, ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ (season 7), ‘Million Dollar Password’, ‘The Ultimate Design Project’, ‘Ultimate Recipe Showdown’ and Emmy award winning ‘Cash Cab seasons 5&6’.

MICHAEL FIORE has nationally-televised and theatrical credits as a producer, director, and editor. He is a versatile storyteller, craftsman, and team leader for film, television, home video, and the web. In 2008, Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett named him a “top 100 filmmaker” on their FOX filmmaker series “On the Lot”. Some of his recent works include: “Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door” (edit), the horror feature film which Stephen King called “the first authentically shocking American film [he] [has] seen since ‘Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer’ over 20 years ago”. “Rue Morgue Magazine” named the film “the Best Indie Horror Film of 2007”; national commercial campaigns (prod/dir/writ/edit) for brands like A&E’s “Biography Magazine” and Genealogy.com; test action sequences for the Columbia Pictures feature film “Battle: Los Angeles” (edit) starring Aaron Eckhart; “Stalking Delirious” (prod/dir/writ/shoot/edit), the behind-the-scenes documentary for Tom DiCillo’s feature film “Delirious” starring Steve Buscemi and Alison Lohman; “Making Game 6” (prod/dir/writ/shoot/edit), the behind-the-scenes featurette for the Michael Keaton and Robert Downey Jr. feature “Game 6”; new product pitch industrials and documentaries for various product lines (dir/edit) at G2 Branding and Design — the last of which secured G2 with a multi-million dollar deal with Heineken; and the Warner Bros. documentary “Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman” (edit) which appears on the Blu Ray 70th Anniversary re-release of “The Wizard of Oz”.

ANGELA BOWERS is currently a casting director for VH-1 in New York City. She has previously worked for the East Coast talent department at Nickelodeon; casting kids and teens for Nick at Nite and Nick Jr. original programming. Ms. Bowers also spent 2 years as a comedy scout for the HBO Comedy Arts festival in Aspen, Colorado. She casts voice-over, reality programming, Hosts, and books celebrities for on air clip shows on Vh1.

RON MAESTRI has been a freelance producer/director with over 2 decades with his experience creating commercials (local, regional and national), TV and radio station promos, entertainment, news/public affairs programming and very successful national celebrity infomercials, he will speak from the inside out in this fast paced communications business. In front of the scenes, he has been a host on QVC, Q2 and Shop-at-Home TV shopping networks, along with “Quicksilver” and “Hit The Deck!” game shows airing on USA Network and The Travel Channel respectively. Having pitched practically every studio and every network new original programming in Los Angeles during the 15 years he lived/worked there, he can also speak to what makes a buyer buy.

TRACY STEDMAN Freelance Photo Stylist: Created a freelance styling business specifically for the photo industry. Specializing in room interiors, soft goods and propping. Clients include: Avon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Bloomingdales, Blue Fly, Brylane, Caldor, Cat Cora “Iron Chef”, Dan Marino, Domestications, Ethan Allen, Four Seasons Hotel, Fourtunoff, Good Samaritan Hospital, Horvath Studio, Kohls, Lilly Pulitzer, Linens n’ Things, Macys, Mayo Studio, Metrokane, Newport News, People Magazine, Rachael Ray, Sheraton Hotels, Silhouettes, Spiegel, Sprint, St James Hotel, Style Magazine, The Company Store, The Food Network, Time Magazine, Waldorf Astoria, Westin Resorts.

OMAR GRANT Senior Director A&R at Epic Records is a graduate of Adelphi University, where he earned his Bachelor Degree in Business Marketing, he always maintained an internship at one of the major record companies; having worked for the Warner Music Group, Arista International, and in Columbia Records’ Media Relations and A&R departments—which led to his eventual meeting of Matthew Knowles (father/ manager of Beyonce Knowles and Destiny’s Child and CEO of Music World Entertainment). His first official job right out of college was as Assistant Tour Manager to Destiny’s Child. After accompanying Destiny’s Child as a collective and eventually becoming Tour Manager for Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams and Beyonce as individuals—Omar is directly responsible for a host of songwriters and producers contracted under EMI. His first signings include Solange Knowles (sister to Beyonce, who has had a number of placements on the multi-Platinum B-Day album), and a producer-songwriter out of Miami by the name of “Street Runner” (Terror Squad, Lil Wayne).

CLARIBEL CARABALLO is a manager and consultant at Silent Partner, Inc. Caraballo founded the company in 2007 as a conduit to support the careers of emerging and established artists and producers. She has partnered with entertainment industry professionals and companies to guide clients across various facets of the music business,helping to secure publishing, recording, touring, and merchandising deals, among other opportunities. Her work has taken her abroad to Europe and other destinations, including most recently on a series of trips to Jamaica, where she is spearheading the US project and bridging the gap between international and domestic activity of the living, top-selling reggae artist of all-time, Grammy Award-winning artist Shaggy. She has worked on behalf of upcoming producers, including Sean C & LV, the duo responsible for chart-topping tracks on rapper Jay-Z’s American Gangster (2007). From 2005 to 2007, Caraballo served as a senior manager of foreign copyright at EMI Music Publishing, where she oversaw the company’s foreign deals, catalogs, and new signings, both domestic and international. At Zomba Label Group, she worked from 2000 to 2003 as a publishing manager for creative and copyright administration, handling negotiations, disputes, and sample clearance concerns related to the JIVE label and Zomba Music Publishing’s urban and gospel catalogs. She had her first exposure to legal work, when she was selected to serve as part of the litigation team defending the music publisher in Zomba vs. MP3. She continued to build on those efforts at Razor & Tie Direct, LLC, joining the independent entertainment company as a paralegal and administrator for Legal/Business Affairs. There she focused on drafting and negotiating a variety of licensing and clearance agreements. Caraballo’s early start in the music industry included stints at Jelly Bean Music and Profile Records. A classically trained musician, she is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she was enrolled in the university’s College of Visual and Performing Arts program.

DON YOUNG is a versatile and accomplished professional audio engineer/mixer/recordist with many years experience in television, radio, sport, live events and music production.M.S.N.B.C.— Daytime News,‘Sky Vegas Live’ – BSKYB (U.K.), ‘Sky Poker’ – BSKYB (U.K.) (U.K.), ‘Sky Sports News’ – BSKYB (U.K.), ‘The Winning Post’ – Sky Sports (U.K.), Satellite Information Systems (U.K.), The Ricki Lake Show Paramount, Biography A&E Stage A&E, Preview Paramount, National Newscasts ABC/Cap. Cities, Spotlight Café WOR/Comedy Central, Greatest Hits VH1, Scoreboard Central Newsport, London News Networks Local Newscasts, 120 Minutes MTV, The Week in Rock MTV, Fame Academy, Endemol UK, Auction World TV (U.K.), Bid-Up TV (U.K.), Q.V.C. (U.K.)

RYAN PRESS Warner/Chappell Music’s Senior Director, Urban A&R was a manager and record producer at Day One Productions along side Chad “Wes” Hamilton, writing and producing tracks that were placed on records by recording artists including Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records and Warner/Chappell artists T.I. and Young Dro, Asylum Records’ Cam’Ron and Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, Freeway, Mase, Young Gunz, Beanie Siegel and Twista. He then founded Press Conference Management in 2004, an artist, songwriter and producer management firm with a number of successful clients including songwriter Frankie Storm, who penned Rihanna’s worldwide hit “Please Don’t Stop The Music” as well as songs recorded by Britney Spears, Ciara, Enrique Iglesias, Jay Sean and Jordin Sparks; producer Warren Felder, professionally known as “Oak,” who has written songs for Warner Bros. Records’ Ashley Tisdale, Jennifer Lopez, Fantasia, Toni Braxton, Chris Brown and Mario; Warner/Chappell’s own Don Cannon whose songs have appeared on albums by Young Jeezy, 50 Cent, Fabolous, Ludacris and Busta Rhymes; and recording artist Freeway, known for his hit songs “What We Do,” “Roc the Mic” and “Flipside;” among others. While running Press Conference Management, Press also held several additional posts including the position of creative consultant at Notting Hill Music Publishing where he was responsible for signing top-tier producers including The Runners, DJ Khaled, Tommy Gunz and Ron Browz, and securing various placements on records. In addition, he served in a co-management capacity at the J. Erving Group where he assisted in day-to-day management. The J. Erving Group was home to several recording artists including Mario, Marsha Ambrosius, Cassidy and Danity Kane.

WALTER JONES is Director of Urban A&R, SONY/ATV Publishing and an R&B Member Representative for ASCAP As graduate from Clark Atlanta University with a BA in Mass Media Arts/Public Relations, Jones interned with ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul team in New York before accepting an opportunity to DJ shows for multi-platinum selling recording artist and ASCAP member Montell Jordan. He then became a touring road manager and traveled to several countries, including Greece, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Australia. In addition to his work with Montell Jordan, Jones has worked with a variety of songwriter/artists, including Eric Roberson, Algebra and Deitrick Haddon.

SHANI GONZALEZ National Director A&R at Def Jam Universal was a dedicated student at Temple University with a master plan to become an intricate part of the music industry. After college and an invaluable internship experience, she began working for BMI; a music performing rights society in NYC. From there, she moved on to start PR&Stuff and landed a client list that included Coca-Cola, Dyana Williams, The International Association of African-American Music, Kemet Collective, and more. As an A&R Coordinator at Warner Brother Records and Warner Chappell Publishing, her responsibilities included finding talent, developing artists, and working with them through the album process. She is dedicated to providing opportunities for the many aspiring youth that have chosen music as their business.

JAN LEGNITTO has worked as an independent television and film producer/director/writer,together with her work at CBS News (60 MINUTES and THE CBS EVENING NEWS) and her teaching experience at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and independent workshops, has allowed her to gain a wide range of experience that seems to resonate strongly with young people who want to become filmmakers. During her career, she has been lucky enough to work with some of the most talented people in film and television. She is passionate about passing on the important lessons that she has learned over the course of her career.

ERNIE SCHULTZ is a television professional with over 25 years in the business as a producer/director/editor/developer/person trying to make their way in this wacky business. He has mentored editors who have come up in the business when he owned a post-production facility and developed production talent for the last 16 years. He always been one to want to impart his knowledge and experience to people as they enter the business.

KELLEY J. BROWER “It’s A Go Productions” Is a grass roots film and television production company built from the ground up. Partners Kelly Brower, Lawrence Patti and Summer Hyde joined creative forces to form their own company. They are committed to produce supreme quality, innovative, and recession-friendly productions. DIRECTOR Peter Pan (Music Video) for Belgium Artist featured in Elle Magazine Rhombus School of Drama (Pilot) Writer/ Director The Fantasy Sports Show (Pilot) Producer/Director Seal Tricks Short Film (Writer/Director/Producer) Astra Zeneca Corpora video WRITER Saturday Night Special Sketch Comedy – Fox Television (Rosanne & Queen Latifa) That 70’s Show Launch Promos – Fox Television Cosmopolitan Feature Article – Nov. 96 issue AstraZeneca Corp Videos – Red Thread Prods Tropical Depression Feature Mercury 13 Feature PRODUCER,PROD MGR, COORDINATOR Cartoon Netwook Promo Pink Panther 2 (Steve Martin) Sony Pictures Comedy Central Promo 4 Hamlet 2 Producer Focus Features Shrink Rap Scottish TV Coordinator (Kathleen Turner/ Joan Rivers) Good Morning America Promo Prod Mgr Big Chief (Diane Sawyer) LocateStocks.com Commercial Prod Mgr Garden Prods. CBS Viacom , CBS Court TV.

JEREMIAH KIPP has been a partisan for independent filmmaking, associated with supporting New York filmmakers such as Abel Ferrara, Tom Noonan, Michael Almereyda and Larry Fessenden through his work as a producer, assistant director, and journalist for FILMMAKER MAGAZINE, FANGORIA and other publications. Film work includes directing THE POD; THE CHRISTMAS PARTY (over 50 int’l film fests including Cannes & Clermont-Ferrand); SNAPSHOT; THE APARTMENT (commissioned first narrative project shot on CANON XL2 camera; premiered at DV Expo 2004); UNDERWORLD filmed in NYC’s Grand Central Station. Producing credits include feature films THE JONESTOWN DEFENSE (Nigrita Films); GOD’S LAND (Vindaloo Philm Wallah); SATAN HATES YOU (Glass Eye Pix); GHOSTS OF PARISER PLATZ (Michael Blackwood Productions); short films BED-THING (Pulitzer Prize winner Matt Zoller Seitz) and THAT’S WHAT SHE TOLD ME (Siren Films) and CONNECT, CONSPIRE, CREATE (Philadelphia Independent Film & Video Association). He is a graduate of the NYU film program with honors.

ELKE BLASI recently wrote the screenplay for the film “Blood Night”: The legend of Mary Hatchet(starring Bill Moseley and Danielle Harris.) She was also a producer on the film. It came out on DVD in Oct. She is currently working on a supernatural thriller called *69, which she wrote, produced and directed. This film is currently in post-production. Her dreams of being a filmmaker started at age 12, when she wrote her first screenplay. Her writing followed her into her adult years, when she decided that she also wanted to dive into directing and producing. She attended the New York Film Academy, and after graduating, she immediately dove into making her first feature, which was really the best education she could ever have. “ No film school could have taught me what I learned on a real film set.” After *69, she plans on producing/directing her next feature “The Two Percent Club”, which she also wrote.

PAUL DEL VECCHIO – Director Triple E Productions Most recently, he has a film that is featured on The Weinstein Company’s & George Romero’s latest DVD release as Grand Prize winner, an award winning feature film under his belt (Audience Award – Best Feature Film), as well as a television commercial that aired during last season of the popular television series, MIAMI, INK. In total, he has worked on seven feature films in addition to numerous short films and television commercials. Attendees will benefit from his advise as he is a director, writer, producer, and visual fx artist and he has an in-depth understanding of storytelling and timing as well as having an understanding of the entire process. He has also writen and has taught seminars for Video Maker Magazine.

SONYA MAGETT is an experienced fashion and lifestyle editor currently working at Time Inc.’s ESSENCE magazine in the fashion department. She wrote fashion and beauty news, red carpet reviews, and interviewed celebrities for AOL prior to becoming Fashion Content Producer for Tyra Banks’ website www.tyra.com. She has worked with several print publications including ROLLING STONE, SUEDE, VIBE VIXEN and HONEY magazines working with the luxury and ready-to-wear brands for shoots with celebrities.

NINA DORNHEIM is a fashion designer with international work experience in Berlin, Barcelona, Milan and New York. She has worked as a designer for the ZARA-group in Spain, and for several ready-to-wear companies in NY. She is currently working for Kiki de Montparnasse, a high-end lingerie and ready to wear collection.

PAUL BLASCAK Print Model Agent Click Model Management was born to the corn fields of Ohio when hemp was chic. He came to New York City to party at STUDIO 54 and never went home. Job offers came from VANITY FAIR and SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, but this buckeye chose fashion. Paul has been an agent and model scout for the past three decades. He has spent the last TEN HAPPY YEARS at the CLICK MODEL AGENCY IN NEW YORK CITY.

GLORIA MCPIKE TAMLYN has a unique combination of a firsthand knowledge of fashion and luxury goods enhanced by PR agency and senior management experience. She is currently a Freelance Fashion Director for M Booth & Associates, a boutique Public Relations firm. She is an accomplished Public Relations/Marketing/Advertising professional with more than twenty five years of experience in all aspects of Womenswear, Menswear, Accessories and Home products – including tenure at such renowned international and domestic labels as Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, Anne Klein and TSE Cashmere. She is responsible for the development and implementation of promotionalinitiatives for the Kempt Fine Handbag collection, the Liz Mannette Jewelry Collection and Sofia Cashmere, a highly acclaimed producer of luxury Home products.

SILKE DEBLER German born Fashion Designer Silke Debler graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2004 with a BA with Distinction in Womenswear Fashion Design. Subsequently, her outstanding Final Collection featured in several exhibitions and magazines. Upon Graduation, Silke worked for several London designers, such as Vivienne Westwood and Luella Bartley. Soaking up the creative and experimental environement, these times shaped Silke’s sense for design and aesthetic. She then decided to move to New York, to experience a more commercial and business like approach to Fashion. After gaining experience and working for designer Jill Stuart, Silke finally decides to officially launch her own accessory line.

MARLENE ROSENZWEIG She attended Queens College and after studying economics in school, she went on to work in the Fashion Industry and ultimately became an Operations Manager. Her first job was in the corporate office of Federated Dept. Stores. From there she went on to become a production assistant and ultimately became a production manager, traveling to countries that she never could have imagined going to. At the same time she married and had two children who are now young adults and soon will be starting their own careers. She spent twenty years in production while learning merchandising,patterns and so much about the fashion industry. She basically learned all facets of the industry at the company that the spent twenty years at. She was hands on in everything she did and always believed that she should learn something new every day. Looking back she would not trade her past opportunities for anything. Almost six years ago she was given an opportunity to work on the fmance end,. collecting the receivables, fighting chargeback’s and doiñ everything needed to make a company successful. Over the years as she learned and worked all departments ofthe business she was put in a position to teach most new incoming employees how to handle and react to all situations. She was always hands on and always loved learning something new.

CHRISTOPHER PAWLOSKI has over 17 years of experience in the design industry with over 9 years providing online solutions helping companies strategize, define, and design web and enterprise products and applications. He has extensive strategic and hands-on experience across a wide range of industries from concept to deployment. He Has been involved on projects with Disney, Nike, Bed Bath and Beyond, Lance Armstrong Foundation, Time Warner, Wired, Everlast, Merck, Wyeth, Pfizer and more. Currently Christopher is employed by JUICE Pharma Worldwide as the chief user experience designer. He is charged with being the surrogate eyes, ears, mind, CPU and heart of their clients. This responsibility is to insure that creative executions match the expressed, implied, inferred, articulated or commonly understood needs and expectations of the user.

FAITH KINSLOW is a Copywriter/Creative Director adept at developing copy for every media vehicle (from the Internet, direct response, and print to broadcast, collateral and promotion). Winning several awards including Advertising Age’s Best Commercials of the Year, she is skilled in writing both traditional, new and social media; She has learned best practices for the rapidly changing world of online advertising and marketing. In this arena, she writes email campaigns, website content, banner ads, landing pages, and Search Engine Marketing ads for Google’s Adwards and Yahoo. She continues to educate herself through seminars in optimizing landing pages and emails, and staying current in the online arena.

DOREEN SCHONFELD Advertising Traffic Professional. She is a survivor of more than twenty five years experience at various agencies on an array of accounts. Currently she is at JWT where she has been for the past six years. Her prior two agencies do not exist anymore Wells, Rich, Greene and Bares were once big names of the industry. Adaptability and flexibility are the key ingredients to survive in this biz. Fortunately Doreen can go with the flow without skipping a beat.

MICHAEL KAMINSKI Vice President, Director of Technology and Production Services. Executive Producer for all Photography and Video Production from concept to completion Directing creation of HTML, video, Flash, and interactive content as well as database architecture for websites, conventions, and sales rep tactics Assessing emerging technologies and their practical applications in the pharmaceutical industry Area of expertise: Multiple channel production and project management services More than 20 years’ experience in all aspects of print production, from prepress to fulfillment, in a variety of industries including packaging, pharmaceuticals, and publishing; extensive experience in production of journal ads for both professionals and consumers More than 10 years of online/interactive experience, including creation of photography, video, streaming video and Flash animations for the web, management and production of ecommerce sites, and QuickTime VR production for interactive web experiences Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from St. John’s University, Jamaica, New York

ADAM REGAN is a 25 year veteran of the industry. He began his career in London, and have since lived and worked in Australia,Germany, Hong Kong, South Africa, Paris France, Chicago and New York. He has worked on many Brands, Nissan, Norelco, Revlon and Macy’s and his work has been recognized by all the international awards festivals.