2024 Agenda

We kindly ask all NYU Ticketholders to enter at the Gould Plaza Entrance, at 44 West 4th Street to pick up their lanyards & name badges, which will be required for entry to all Summit activities.

Check-In & Breakfast

9:00am - 9:30am KMC 1-100

9:30am - 10:00 am KMC 1-100

Al Lieberman, Executive Director, Entertainment, Media & Technology Program at NYU Stern School of Business
Miranda Soong, Summit Director at NYU STEBA
Selin Dursun, Summit Assistant Director, Co-President at NYU STEBA
Andrew Zhong, Summit Assistant Director, Co-President at NYU STEBA

Opening Remarks

10:00am - 10:20am KMC 1-100

Keynote Speaker

Charting Your Path: When Preparation Meets Opportunity with NBC News Savannah Sellers

Savannah Sellers, Anchor at NBC News Now

Savannah Sellers anchors Morning News NOW on the network’s streaming service NBC News NOW, and is a co-host of Stay Tuned, NBC’s twice-daily news show on Snapchat and a correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC. Sellers has covered an array of politics and pop culture topics, ranging from the issue of gun violence in America to climate change and politics, focusing on the trends and social issues most vital to the millennial and Gen Z populations. She has interviewed notable public figures, politicians, celebrities and athletes.
Sellers is the recipient of a News & Documentary Emmy for her work as a producer on the NBC Nightly News series “Hooked: America’s Heroin Epidemic.” She co-hosts the Global Citizen Festival and works closely with Red Nose Day, as part of NBCUniversal’s partnerships with the charity organizations. Sellers is also a co-host of the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers conference.

10:20am - 11:10am KMC 1-100

Executive Panel Session

Can’t choose what to watch? Hear from top entertainment executives about how consumer choice interacts with the content development process in a rapidly evolving media ecosystem. Learn more about how content stands out amidst the competitive pool of stories in the industry.

Moderated by Scott Schiller, Principal S350 Media Advisory, Adjunct Professor, Entertainment, Media & Technology Program at NYU Stern School of Business

Navigating the Cannibalization of Content

Mark Gordon, Founder, Mark Gordon Pictures; President Emeritus, Producers Guild of America (PGA)

Mark Gordon is an award-winning motion picture, television, and theater producer. He has over 100 projects to his credit, including serving as an executive producer for television series Grey’s Anatomy & Criminal Minds, producing films Saving Private Ryan & Steve Jobs, and producing Broadway theater productions Life of Pi & the Piano Lesson. In 2015, Gordon was honored by the Producers Guild of America with the Norman Lear Award for Lifetime Achievement in Television having served as president from 2010 to 2014. He is a five-time Emmy nominee and two-time winner, as well as the winner of Golden Globes for Saving Private Ryan and Grey’s Anatomy, and a BAFTA award for best children’s film for Paulie.

Ryan Heller, EVP, Film & Documentary; Topic Studios

Ryan Heller leads the Topic Studios’ film and documentary feature business. Recent projects Ryan has overseen include Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain starring Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin, acquired at 2024 Sundance by Searchlight Pictures; Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool starring Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth; and Ben Platt and Molly Gordon-starring musical comedy Theater Camp (Searchlight Pictures). Documentary projects include PGA Award and Emmy-winning HBO series 100 Foot Wave; Ry Russo Young’s acclaimed series Nuclear Family; and Lucy Walker’s California wildfire exposé Bring Your Own Brigade. Upcoming projects include David Lowery’s pop music melodrama Mother Mary starring Anne Hathaway with A24.

Christine Vachon, Producer & Founder of Killer Films

Christine Vachon is an Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award winner who co-founded powerhouse Killer Films with partner Pamela Koffler in 1995. Over three decades, they have produced more than 100 films, including some of the most celebrated and important American independent features: Kids, I Shot Andy Warhol, Happiness, Boys Don’t Cry, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Far From Heaven, One Hour Photo, Still Alice, Carol, Beatriz at Dinner, and Dark Waters. In television, Vachon executive-produced the Emmy and Golden Globe-awarded miniseries Mildred Pierce for HBO as well as the Emmy Award-winning limited series Halston for Netflix. Recent releases include Todd Haynes' May December (Netflix), starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, and Celine Song's Past Lives (A24), which earned Vachon her first Oscar nomination in the Best Picture category this year.

11:10am - 11:50pm KMC 1-100

Moderated by Paul Hardart: Director, Entertainment, Media & Technology Program at NYU Stern School of Business

Fireside Chat

Richard Plepler, Founder & CEO of Eden Productions, Former Chairman & CEO of HBO

Richard Plepler is Founder of EDEN Productions, a film and television production company formed in January 2020 with an exclusive multi-year deal with one of the hottest new streaming services, AppleTV+.
Since its launch, EDEN has produced such critically acclaimed fare as the riveting and award-winning limited series Black Bird (July 2022) written and produced by best-selling novelist Dennis Lehane, starring Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser (winner of a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award); the powerful four-part documentary series Lincoln’s Dilemma (February 2022); and the highly provocative talk show The Problem with Jon Stewart (2021-), which has already impacted change in government policy.
Plepler had a 28 year career at Home Box Office, Inc., where he started as Executive Vice President from 2002 -2007, Co-President from 2007 - 2012 and was named Chairman and CEO in September 2012, leaving the company in March 2019. Under Plepler’s leadership, HBO greenlit some of the most successful series including Emmy® Award-winners Game of Thrones, Veep, Silicon Valley, Big Little Lies, Girls, True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, Newsroom, Barry, Succession, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Notably, Game of Thrones, HBO’s most viewed series ever, continues to hold the record for the most Emmy Awards® ever won by a scripted series with a lifetime total of 59 Emmys®. Overall during Plepler’s leadership, HBO was recognized with 190 Emmy Awards® with wins in all major categories and 9 Golden Globe Awards®.

11:50am - 12:30pm

Concurrent Panel Sessions

The Digital Lifecycle of Audiences & Experiences

Have you noticed that consumer trends are reshaping how new audiences are reached? From first contact to loyal listener, get the scoop on how audience engagement curates content and experiences in the digital world of music. Learn about the opportunities that arise as the industry adapts to meet the evolving demands of its audience.

Moderated by Miranda Soong: Summit Director at NYU STEBA

KMC 1-100

Jess Carei, Lead, Global Marketing Experiences at Spotify

Jess has over ten years of experience in media and content that spans commercial and business development to audience growth and brand marketing. In her role at Spotify, Jess is responsible for bringing the iconic, global Wrapped moment to market, working across myriad business and R&D missions to ensure it delights users every year. Prior to Spotify, Jess was the Head of Revenue Strategy at Overtime and Executive Director of Marketing at Vox Media.

Bailey Gore, Digital Marketing Manager, Arista Records at Sony Music Entertainment

Bailey Gore (‘21) grew up in Los Angeles before moving to New York to study Music Business at NYU. During his studies, he interned in A&R and Digital Marketing at various music companies before joining Arista Records, where he had worked in various capacities across the A&R, Marketing and Digital departments. He now is a Digital Marketing Manager there, overseeing Digital for a roster of artists including UPSAHL, Beach Weather, Jade LeMac and BUNT. When he isn’t creating social rollouts or on content shoots, Bailey enjoys spending his free time cooking, writing comedy sketches and exploring different areas of New York.

The Expansion of The Streaming Landscape

How do streaming services keep you subscribed in the age of audience fragmentation and continuous content releases? Leading experts will dissect the competitive landscape of streaming platforms, including the strategies used to measure customer retention, engagement, and how the success of content has changed.

Moderated by Selin Dursun: Summit Assistant Director, Co-President; NYU STEBA

KMC 1-70

Suzanne Bruderman, SVP, Finance, Paramount+

Suzanne Bruderman is a finance executive with over 20 years of experience, including the full P&L management, forecasting, budgeting and financial planning for the Paramount + Subscription service. Her expertise is in subscription and streaming digital finance, with a focus on SVOD and AVOD businesses.
Suzanne is currently SVP, Finance, for Paramount+, leading the department responsible for the financial and strategic management of the streaming service. Her team is responsible for the forecasting, budgeting, modeling, as well as the long-range financial planning for Paramount +.

Emily Kwok, Sr. Director, Primary Research & Experimentation; NBCUniversal

Emily Kwok is the Senior Director, Ad Experience Measurement at NBCUniversal. In her own words, she has the privilege of collaborating with a talented group of researchers on the Data, Measurement & Insights team. Her group's charter is to amplify the customer's voice in NBCU Ad Sales strategies by building proprietary insights and solutions to address the industry's unanswered questions and reinforce NBCU's position as a thought leader. Before joining NBCU, Emily worked in a similar capacity for over a decade at Hearst Magazines. Before Hearst, she worked on the vendor side, crafting consumer insights for media and technology clients.

Sean O’Neill, Sr. Original Content Analyst at Prime Video & Amazon Studios

Sean O’Neill is currently the Sr. Original Content Analyst for Amazon Studios. Prior to Amazon, Sean served as SVP at Paramount Global, overseeing Analytics for Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT and also worked in similar roles at NBC and CBS. In addition, Sean worked in Programming Development for NBC Enterprises and as a Writer for the Emmy-nominated game show Weakest Link. A graduate of Fordham University, Sean also has an MS in Sports Business from NYU, MBA from Columbia University and is currently pursuing a J.D. from Rutgers Law School.

Lunch

12:30pm - 1:00pm KMC 1-100

1:00pm - 1:50pm

Concurrent Skills Workshops: Session #1

Behind the Scenes: Day in the Life of a Producer on Set

Curious about what it’s really like on a movie or TV show set? Step in the shoes of a producer and learn about all the behind-the-scenes elements that go into a production to bring content to your screens. Unlock all the mechanisms and logistics that go into running a successful day on set.

Moderated by Sarah Zhou: Summit Corporate Relations Chair, NYU STEBA

KMC 2-70

Tom Glinkowski, Producer; Prev. at Netflix & Marvel Studios

Tom is a creative producer who has deliered fifty-six episodes of television including Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why and Echoes. His career began at Marvel Studios during the first three phases of the MCU (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man 3). He’s also worked directly with a number of accomplished filmmakers including writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, Oscar-winning writer/director Tom McCarthy, and Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning writer/showrunner Brian Yorkey.

Race to the Finish Line: Marketing the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

What do you, Snoop Dogg, & Megan Thee Stallion all have in common? You’re all excited to watch the world’s finest athletes compete in Paris this July! Learn how NBCUniversal is going for the gold with a strategic cross-platform marketing strategy that will engage audiences all summer long!

Moderated by Vanessa Camarra: Sr. Manager, Trade Marketing at NBCUniversal

KMC 2-90

Jennie Thompson, VP, Consumer Engagement, NBC Sports at NBCUniversal

She is responsible for identifying and engaging consumers across NBC Sports properties, namely the Olympics, Paralympics, Sunday Night Football and the Kentucky Derby.
A graduate of Princeton University with a degree in History, Jennie joined NBC in 1995 as a Production Assistant for the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics. She then spent nearly 2 decades at NBC News, most of those years working in production for TODAY Show. Jennie’s proudest accomplishment is having attended in person the last 14 Olympics for NBC, including the last two in Tokyo and Beijing during the COVID pandemic. Jennie has won 10 News & Sports Emmy Awards.

2:00pm - 2:50pm

Concurrent Skills Workshops: Session #2

The Business Analyst’s Toolbox in Entertainment: Skillsets & Mindsets

Want to pursue a more analytical or technical role in entertainment? Through in-depth walkthroughs of softwares like Excel, explore the functional skills and business mindsets you can develop as a student preparing for a business career that drive key business decisions and strategies.

Moderated by Selin Dursun: Summit Assistant Director, Co-President; NYU STEBA

KMC 2-70

Cecily Exline, Sr. Analyst, Streaming & Data Products at NBCUniversal

Cecily Exline is a Senior Analyst on the Streaming & Data Products team at NBCUniversal. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a MS in Marketing Analytics, and from Ohio State with a BS in Psychology and minor in Business.

Rachel Niswander, Sr. Analyst, Primary Research & Ad Experimentation at NBCUniversal

Rachel Niswander currently works as a Senior Analyst on the Primary Research & Ad Experimentation team at NBCUniversal. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Statistics and a minor in Business Analytics. In college, she worked part-time as a Business Analyst for a local comedy production company before moving to New York City to join the team at NBCUniversal. Outside of work, Rachel produces and performs stand-up and sketch comedy all over NYC.

YOU GOT THIS! How to Confidently Land Your Dream Opportunity in Media

Hear directly from NBCU’s Early Career programs leader about available opportunities at the company and how you can rise to the top of the candidate pool. Christina will also debunk common myths and misconceptions about the job and internship application process, as well as give you tangible tools and tips to land your dream opportunity.

Moderated by Camilla Ruiz: Manager, Ad Sales Client Team at NBCUniversal

KMC 2-90

Christina Noval, VP, Talent, Early Careers at NBCUniversal

Christina Noval oversees NBCUniversal premier US based early career programs – the NBCU Page Program and the NBCU Internship Program. In her role, she is responsible for the identification, recruitment and development of over hundreds of early-career employees and interns across all of NBCU’s unique businesses.

3:00pm - 4:00pm Patron’s Lobby

Hear from the directors and producers of the Summit as we close out the Summit with an open networking mingle and reception!

Closing Remarks & Networking

Check out our speakers from last year’s Summit, The Power of Content!