Agenda

April 10th, 2025 | 9:00am-2:00pm | 44 W 4th St

All events will be held in Gardner Commons (KMC 1-100) at NYU Stern. For easiest access, enter Stern’s Kaufman Management Center (44 W 4th St) through the Schwartz Plaza Entrance.

8:50am - 9:00am

Doors Open

We kindly ask all ticketholders to enter at the Schwartz Plaza Entrance, at 44 West 4th Street to check in. Check-in will be in front of NYU Stern KMC 1-100 (Gardner Commons), by the Schwartz Plaza Entrance.

Breakfast

9:00am - 9:30am

Breakfast will be provided for all ticket holders.

9:30am - 9:40am

Opening Remarks

The STEBA Summit Team welcomes you to our 3rd Annual Summit!

9:45am - 10:25am

Fireside Chat

Moderated by Scott Schiller, Summit Executive Producer; NYU Stern EMT Adjunct Professor

Phil Sarna, Senior Managing Director at PS Business Management
Business Manager for Billie Eilish, Lebron James, Tate McRae, Chappell Roan, and more

  • Phil Sarna built his career by bringing financial discipline to one of the most unpredictable businesses in the world: entertainment. An NYU Stern graduate in economics and accounting, he began in major accounting and financial firms, moved into entertainment-focused business management in 1993, and later led the New York office of American Express’ financial and business management practice. In 2002, he founded PS Business Management, creating a firm designed to help artists and entertainment professionals manage complex financial lives and build durable careers.

    Website

10:30am - 11:15am

Panel Session #1

Navigating the New Era of Film and Television

Moderated by Fran Shea, NYU Tisch Adjunct Professor of Film Marketing and Distribution

Kimberly Francella-Faver, SVP of Marketing & Brand Partnerships at NBCUniversal

  • Kimberly Francella serves as Senior Vice President, Brand Partnerships in NBCUniversal’s Advertising & Partnerships division. She is responsible for strategizing, preparing and executing NBCUniversal’s go-to-market vision for brand monetization and all sponsorship opportunities across the company’s Entertainment and News divisions including Las Culturistas Culture Awards, the Met Gala, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Peacock Pay-One blockbuster films such as Wicked, the highly successful Love Island franchise and much more. She oversees the full-funnel pitch strategy curation all the way through post-sale execution with a white glove, client- first approach.  

    Kimberly has worked at NBCUniversal for nearly 20 years and has sold high-value properties across the company’s portfolio including Sports, Entertainment and more. Forming the Brand Partnerships team in 2023, Kimberly manages major tentpole events including BravoCon, Premios Billboards, E! Red Carpet Events, Peacock Originals and the Primetime Holiday corridor across English and Spanish Language. Kimberly has helped drive the coveted fan marquee event – BravoCon - to its most profitable year ever in 2023 and was integral in the monetization success of Saturday Night Live’s 50th Season in 2024, where her team integrated the show's iconic IP as well as present and past cast members into marketing campaigns for the first time in its 50-year history.  

    Before joining NBCUniversal, she held positions at Viacom/MTV Networks and FX Networks in roles ranging from Sales Planner to Account Executive. Outside of work, she is an active member of She Runs It and the Association of National Advertisers and also volunteers at her local food pantry and animal shelter. Kimberly resides in Katonah, New York with her husband Seth, son Drew, and dog Piper. Kimberly graduated from Hofstra University in 2000 with her Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business and a minor in French Cultural Studies. 

    LinkedIn

Rachel Orbach, Director of Finance and Strategy at Bleecker Street

  • Rachel Orbach is the director of finance and strategy at Bleecker Street Media, the independent film distributor that has grossed over $200 million at the domestic box office since 2014. In just two years, Orbach has become the youngest director in company history. She oversees company-wide financial strategy, evaluating new projects through both a fiduciary and creative lens. Recent box office successes include festival darlings "The Friend" and "Relay," plus the re-release of "This is Spinal Tap." Slated for 2026 is the first-ever theatrical feature film from the World of Wonder's Drag Race universe and "Musk," the Elon Musk documentary. The company also recently launched Crosswalk, a bespoke division for event cinema and live-capture distribution.

    LinkedIn

Regina Breslin, VP of Global Content Distribution at Roku

  • Regina Breslin leads the global distribution and business development team that negotiates Roku’s third-party app and premium subscription distribution deals, while sourcing content and advertising inventory for Roku’s first-party video and audio initiatives. Regina and her team are also responsible for all Roku content partnerships, including YouTube, Netflix, Apple, Paramount+, Vix, Spotify, and more, helping partners grow and scale on the Roku platform while driving revenue across domestic and international markets.

    Prior to joining Roku, Breslin served as Vice President, Content Distribution at Univision Communications, where she was responsible for negotiating affiliate distribution, digital media, and content licensing agreements.  Prior to joining Univision, she spent 16 years with the Walt Disney Company, in Affiliate Sales and Content Distribution roles, negotiating complex distribution agreements across the Disney, ABC, and ESPN portfolios of broadcast, kids, and sports content.  Breslin earned her BA from the University of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, NY.  She is a graduate of CTAM’s Cable Executive Management program at Harvard Business School and the WICT Betsy Magness Leadership Institute.  A board member of the Consumer Technology Association’s Content and Entertainment Council , Breslin was named one of Cablefax’s Most Powerful Women in Media in 2025.

    LinkedIn

Jared Sheer, Principal at Tribeca Creative Partners

11:45am - 12:45pm

Panel Session #2

Marketing and Publicity at the Intersection of Culture and Technology

Moderated by Darren Campo, NYU Stern EMT Adjunct Professor; Former SVP of Programming at truTV

Victoria Sobel, VP & Business Director at Giant Spoon

  • Victoria is a VP-level Account expert who has led precedent-setting and award-winning creative work, delivering exceptional business results for some of the world’s largest clients. Over the past eight years, she has also played a pivotal role in shaping and expanding the experiential practice at Giant Spoon. With a proven track record of delivering high-profile, culturally resonant campaigns that blend creativity and storytelling with business impact, her expertise spans entertainment, tech, retail, and luxury sectors. Victoria is known for fostering long-term, trusted client partnerships and providing calm, decisive leadership from brief through execution.

    LinkedIn

Brooke Schwartz, Senior Publicist at Searchlight Pictures

  • Brooke Schwartz is a Senior Publicist at Searchlight Pictures, developing and executing publicity campaigns across film titles. A Penn State graduate who began her career interning in entertainment (ICM, AMC Networks, Steiner Studios). During her nearly eight years at Searchlight, she has worked on titles including NomadlandJojo Rabbit, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Poor Things, and A Complete Unknown. Brooke has always loved movies and it’s a dream to get to work in this industry!

    LinkedIn

Kiyana Marsh, Social Media Manager for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at Digital Media Management

1:15pm - 1:50pm

Keynote Address

Moderated by Scott Schiller, Summit Executive Producer; NYU Stern EMT Adjunct Professor

Ziad Ahmed, Founder & Head of UTA Next Gen

  • Ziad Ahmed, 27, is a social entrepreneur, strategist, speaker, and Head of Next Gen at UTA Marketing. At 16, he founded JUV Consulting, a leading Gen Z agency connecting brands to youth culture. JUV collaborated with over 30 Fortune 500 companies, launched the Gen Z-focused conference ZCON, and gained media attention from The New York Times and Refinery29. In 2024, UTA acquired JUV, forming Next Gen, where Ziad now leads award-winning work at the intersection of content, community, and culture. A Yale graduate (‘21), he researched social media’s impact on policymaking and often speaks on Gen Z's influence. Ziad has appeared at Cannes Lions, the White House, and VidCon, and has been featured by CNN, The Guardian, and more. Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 at 19, he’s also an Obama USA Leader (‘23) and one of WWD’s “Most Influential ESG Leaders.” You can keep in touch with him via @ZiadAhmed.

    LinkedIn

1:50pm - 2:00pm

Closing Remarks

Max Gross, NYU STEBA Summit Director

Plus, we’ll be drawing winners for our raffle! Take a look at some of our raffle prizes here.