2021 Speakers

Since 2004, Agnes Augustin has been driving the Shaw Rocket Fund’s ongoing commitment to champion
Canadian children’s and youth programming through strategic investments in linear and digital content
and spearheading industry initiatives such as the much celebrated Shaw Rocket Prize. Her dedication to increase the profile of the Canadian children’s and youth media industry, both domestically and
internationally can be seen through Fund’s activities and strategic global partnerships. In her role at the Shaw Rocket Fund, she is proud to support the Canadian children’s media sector by supporting the creation of high quality content for children and their families to enjoy on all platforms around the world.

Prior to assuming her position at the Shaw Rocket Fund, Agnes worked in many sectors of the Canadian
film and television industry. She held senior management positions in business affairs with a number of production and distribution companies, starting her career as a Financial Analyst with Telefilm Canada.
Agnes also held the position of Head of Production for Country Music Television (Corus Entertainment)
and was a production accountant and independent producer. As a consultant, Agnes worked with
many organizations including PwC and the BC Economic Development Association.

Bilal Baig (they/them) is a queer, trans-feminine, Muslim playwright, performer and workshop facilitator. Bilal’s first play, Acha Bacha, had its world premiere in 2018 and has been published by Playwrights Canada Press. Other written work in development includes Kainchee Lagaa, Kitne Saare Laloo Yahan Pey Hain, and I want that free mind! Bilal is a core team member at non-profits such as Story Planet and Rivers of Hope, where they develop and facilitate workshops for youth in under-resourced neighbourhoods in Toronto focused on creative writing and literacy (Story Planet), and combatting Islamophobia through the arts (Rivers of Hope).

Judith Beauregard has an enviable 20-year track record of developing award-winning digital media for kids. She has collaborated with many world-class junior brands such as PBS Kids, Sesame Street, NickJr, The Jim Henson Company, CBC Kids, Radio-Canada and Télé-Québec. As a founder of Tobo, she is dedicated to creating intelligent, inspiring, and engaging entertainment for kids and teens.

Mark Bishop is Co-CEO and Partner at marblemedia. An accomplished entrepreneur, brand-builder and trusted media industry advocate, Mark, alongside co-founder Matt Hornburg, has grown marblemedia into one of Canada’s leading independent production, distribution and digital media companies.

In addition to serving as executive producer across marblemedia’s successful portfolio of television and interactive digital media properties, Mark leads the company’s strategic growth and management of all divisional and corporate undertakings, including global distribution and sales (Distribution360), finance, marketing, digital media and new business ventures, such as marblemedia’s YouTube digital channels, marblekids and marblejr.

Recognized as an industry leader for breaking new ground in mobile and interactive entertainment, Mark is a forward-thinker and champion of content and technologies that are noisy, unexpected and innovative. He serves as Vice-Chair of the CMPA board of directors (Canadian Media Producers Association) and as a board member of the Canadian Association of Content Exporters. He is also past-chair of the IDM Digital Working Group for Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and past-chair and Executive Board member of Interactive Ontario. A proud Ryerson University RTA Wall of Famer and Alumni Achievement Award recipient, Mark lends his time to various universities and colleges as a guest lecturer and curriculum advisor. He is also a member of the peer advisory group The Insight Council and is a Campaign Cabinet member for OCAD University.

Mark and Matt have been honoured by Playback with the Outstanding Achievement Award, recognized as Top Next Gen Producers by The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate Innovative Producer’s Award and have won Producer of the Year at the Canadian New Media Awards, in addition to receiving many program-specific accolades from Canadian Screen Awards, Interactive Emmy Awards, Gemini Awards and more.

Originally from Saint John, New Brunswick, Mark is based in Toronto and is a self-professed media junkie. He’s a proud father, and like his heroes Walt Disney and Jim Henson, a big believer in the power of imagination.

David Bloom of Words & Deeds Media is a Santa Monica, Calif.-based
writer, podcaster, and consultant focused on the transformative collision of
technology, media and entertainment.

Bloom is a senior contributor to Forbes, columnist for Tubefilter, and writes
regularly for NextTV, TVRev and other publications. He is producer and host
of the Bloom in Tech podcast, and consults on content and communications
strategy with an array of clients. He has taught digital media at USC School
of Cinematic Arts, and guest lectured regularly at schools such as UCLA,
USC, Boston University, Syracuse, California State University-Northridge,
Pepperdine, and Chapman.

Bloom previously was an award-winning staff writer and editor for
Variety, Deadline, Red Herring, and the Los Angeles Daily News, among others.
He formerly was VP of corporate communications at MGM and associate
dean and CCO at the USC Marshall School of Business.

Bloom graduated with honors from the University of Missouri School of
Journalism. He is blessed with two remarkable progeny and a forbearing
spouse. He counts among his wide range of interests an abiding affection for
Bungie’s Destiny 2.

Rohan Campbell is a Canadian actor, born and raised in the small-town of Cochrane, Alberta, surrounded by farmland, cowboys, hockey and the Rocky Mountains.

His acting career began at the age of seven and some of Rohan’s early credits include a role in Ridley Scott’s TV series, Klondike, as well as a starring role opposite Scott Eastwood in the film Diablo.
His later film credits include The Professor, starring Johnny Depp and Boundaries opposite Christopher Plummer and Vera Farmiga. While in between films he was also cast in several TV shows such as Mech X4, The 100 and iZombie, as well as an emotional turn on the Netflix Original series Virgin River and most recently, in Sacred Lies (Facebook Watch) and Operation Christmas Drop (Netflix). Rohan returns as ‘Frank Hardy’ in Season 2 of The Hardy Boys on Hulu and YTV.

When Rohan isn’t in front of the camera, he spends time with family and friends and enjoys skating, playing hockey and exploring the wilderness near his home in Vancouver.

Sally Catto is the General Manager of Entertainment, Factual and Sports for CBC. She oversees the strategic direction for all programming across all platforms including CBC TV and CBC Gem, and all entertainment and factual genres including drama, comedy, factual entertainment, arts, documentary, sports and podcasts. This includes a wide range of series including Coroner, Family Feud Canada, Kim’s Convenience, The Nature of Things, The Porter, Pretty Hard Cases, Run the Burbs, Schitt’s Creek, Son of a Critch, Sort Of, TallBoyz and Workin’ Moms.

Catto has an accomplished history at the CBC from her earliest days in 2001 as an Executive in Charge of Production, Drama to her subsequent positions including Creative Head, Drama and Executive Director, Commissioned & Scripted Programming. During her tenure she has overseen such series as Being Erica, The Book of Negroes, Heartland and Mr. D. Catto has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to Canadian storytelling, including being named Playback’s Programmer of the Year in 2015 and WIFT-T’s Crystal Award Winner for Creative Excellence in 2014. With Catto at the helm of programming, CBC was recognized as Playback’s Media Company of the Year in 2016. Catto started her career as a lawyer at Stikeman Elliott and Goodmans. She also worked as a literary agent for film and television and at production companies including Accent Entertainment, and spent a year overseas at Australian broadcaster SBS working in scripted and business affairs.

For more than 20 years, Chuck has been living his dream working as a television producer, host and actor. He is a proud member of l’Union Nationale Métisse St. Joseph du Manitoba and he lives in Winnipeg with his wife and their two daughters. Chuck is a graduate of the University of Manitoba (B.Sc.), Ryerson University (B.A.A) as well as the International Institute for Television Leadership in Banff, Alberta. Along with his brother Patrick and their production companies Media RendezVous and Manito Média, he has produced hundreds of episodes of television in English, French and Indigenous languages across many genres including children’s, documentary, music & variety, drama, cartoons and sports.

Rick Clodfelter, lead, Disney Branded Television (DBT) Content Acquisitions and Partnerships, is responsible for sourcing, identifying and negotiating third party content opportunities for Disney Branded Television and the Disney kids and family platforms. His responsibilities include establishing and managing strategic partnerships with third-party content providers based on Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution’s needs and brand positioning. He also represents DBT at markets and events to source new content opportunities and meets with current partners.

Prior to this role, Clodfelter founded Garden Place Media, a consulting firm specializing in identifying, acquiring and executing strategies for kids and family content to drive revenue across media platforms.

Clodfelter is formerly senior director of Content Strategy And Acquisitions for Universal Kids, where he sourced and acquired programming and identified content partnerships necessary to build the channel brands. He also assisted with long-term strategic planning by negotiating and securing rights when appropriate content was identified. He represented the U.S. network at all major programming markets, including MIPTV, MIPCOM and Kidscreen Summit.

Previously, Clodfelter was director, Content Acquisitions and Co-Productions, for Cartoon Network and Boomerang. In this capacity, he was responsible for acquiring pre-produced series, specials, short-form products and series co-productions that fit the Cartoon Network and Boomerang brands for exposure on all platforms.

Clodfelter grew up in Missouri, where he attended Culver-Stockton College and received a Bachelor of Science in elementary education and a Bachelor of Arts in music. His Master of Arts degree in teaching is from Webster University.

Cosentino is a senior media leader and content champion with an extensive background in programming and production across Canada’s biggest Network, Cable and Streaming brands. In Spring 2021, he launched Cosentino Media Inc., a media and content company, focusing on international content, production and distribution partnerships and strategy.

The former President, Content & Programming enjoyed an accomplished 25-year career at BCE’s (TSX: BCE) Bell Media (1996-2021) and was a key figure during a 20-year period of unprecedented success. He led CTV to an unprecedented 14 consecutive broadcast years as Canada’s #1 broadcaster (2007-8 to 2020-21), led the content strategy for the launch of Crave (2014) and in 2018 he restructured Bell Media’s key entertainment services under a unified branding strategy to create a powerful portfolio of CTV-branded Specialty Channels. He was instrumental in greenlighting Canada’s most brand defining Original programs including international hits Letterkenny (Crave/Hulu), Transplant (CTV/NBC), Cardinal (CTV/Hulu) and Flashpoint (CTV/ CBS) along with overseeing the development and creation of some of Canada’s most successful International formats including The Amazing Race Canada, Masterchef Canada and most recently, Canada’s Drag Race.

Cosentino is a founding Board Member of Entertainment Industry Foundation Canada, served on the Boards at WOW! Unlimited Media and the Discovery Channel Canada.

Valerie Creighton is an industry leader in arts, culture and media, recognized for reenergizing some of the country’s most important organizations in the sector over the last thirty-five years. An expert in organizational change, Valerie has been recognized as a visionary in promoting Canada’s cultural wealth.

Currently serving as President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund, Valerie positions Canadian programming at the forefront in world markets advocating successful, innovative Canadian content and software applications for current and emerging digital platforms. Valerie has taken part in foreign trade missions and is regularly called upon to present the CMF model internationally.

Valerie was invested into the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 2016 and the Order of Canada in 2019. She was named one of 2016’s 20 most powerful women in global television by The Hollywood Reporter, was recognized in 2017 by Women in Television and Film – Vancouver for her major contribution to promoting gender equality in media and was bestowed the Honorary Maverick Award at the 2017 Female Eye Film Festival. Most recently, she received C21’s 2020 Content Canada Impact Award.

Valerie holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Saskatchewan, has served on a variety of regional, national, and international juries and boards and has produced radio dramas for the CBC in Saskatchewan, where she owns and operates the Red Horse Ranch.

From Prime Ministers and Premiers to movie stars and celebrities, Mark Critch proves that everyone has a funny side. One of the hardest working comedians in show business, Mark has won multiple awards for both writing and performance. In addition to 15 years starring on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Mark has appeared in CBC’s Winnipeg Comedy Festival and is the host of CBC’s Halifax Comedy Festival and has written for and appeared in CBC’s world-renowned Just for Laughs series. Mark’s role in the highly-acclaimed feature film, The Grand Seduction, garnered him Best Actor Award at the 2013 Atlantic Film Festival. Mark has also been involved in many film and television shows, including acting in Newfoundland’s own Republic of Doyle and co-writing a special for The Muppets. Mark is now in production in Newfoundland on his new CBC original comedy, Son of a Critch, inspired by his memoir.

Michela is the head of Fremantle’s Canadian office. Michela is responsible for developing and maximizing prospects for Fremantle IP. Her ability to work across finished tape, formats, brand integrations and co-productions in both English and French Canada is key to driving Fremantle’s growth in Canada’s evolving media landscape. She joined Fremantle in 2014 and has overseen hit brands across tape and format including Canada’s Got Talent, America’s Got Talent, American Idol, Family Feud Canada, Jamie Oliver, Wellington Paranormal, Farmer Wants A Wife, Grand Designs, My Brilliant Friend, Project Runway and The Luminaries.

Christa Dickenson is the Executive Director & CEO of Telefilm Canada. She has over three decades of experience spanning broadcast television, technology, telecommunications and interactive digital media, having worked at CTV, CPAC, Rogers and Interactive Ontario. Ms. Dickenson possesses an un-paralleled talent for change management coupled with a strong business acumen. With brand advocacy expertise honed over many years, she is a highly effective screen-based industries advocate and spokesperson. In addition to a professional background spanning both the creative and business sides of the broadcast, technology, telecommunications and interactive digital media industries, Ms. Dickenson has a BAH and Masters of Fine Arts in Film Studies.

Alexander Elliot is a Canadian actor who began acting and dancing at age six. At the outset of his acting career, he was a member of a local theatre troupe, performing in a series of new productions each year. His early days in the theatre prompted him to start training vocally. In 2018, Alex played the role of ‘Winthrop Paroo’ in a 10-month run of Stratford Festival’s production of The Music Man.

Alex has many TV shows and movie credits to his name. His performances include roles in: Detention Adventure (CBC), Odd Squad (PBS), Trapped: The Alex Cooper Story (Silver Screen), as well as a roles in the Netflix Series’ Locke and Key and Workin Moms. He is currently filming Season Two on the TV drama series, The Hardy Boys (Hulu/YTV) in which he plays ‘Joe Hardy’.

When Alex isn’t performing, he loves spending time with his family and his cat, Agador. He enjoys skateboarding, snowboarding, and playing basketball. Alex also loves good books and a good night’s sleep.

Sheri is best known for her work as an Executive Producer-Writer on the hit dramedy Lucifer (Fox/ Netflix) and as creator of the award-winning Call Me Fitz (HBO Canada/ Audience Network). She is developing the dark half-hour comedy Bitches for WBTV and the one-hour drama Shitshow for WBTV, Elizabeth Banks and her Brownstone Producing shingle. Sheri is currently in production on her semi-autobiographical one-hour dramedy Moonshine for eOne and CBC, on which she serves as showrunner, writer and director.

As President, Cineflix Media, Peter is focused on the company’s growth initiatives. In addition to building on the existing revenue streams and brands, Emerson is driving the dramatic expansion of the scripted television slate at Cineflix Studios and Cineflix Rights. Emerson is currently executive producing three series for Cineflix including Tehran for Apple TV+, Coroner Season 4 (CBC, The CW, and NBCUI), and Wynonna Earp Season 4 (Syfy, Netflix, and NBCUI).

Previously, Peter was President of eOne Television International where he oversaw all aspects of the company’s international television activities, including the global roll-out of The Walking Dead, and many other high-profile shows through an output deal with AMC Studios. Prior to eOne, Peter built Oasis International and was a partner in Blueprint Productions, which were both acquired by eOne in 2008 to form eOne Television.

A creative and business mind with over 20 years of experience in the video game, animation, and the toy industry sectors. Fred, formerly Founder, President and Chief Creative Officer of mobile game company Hibernum, was leading and influencing all of the creative, artistic and R&D aspects of the studio. He built Hibernum from a one-person start-up in his apartment to a 160 people company who entertained more than 75 million players worldwide.

Fred’s rich expertise and key learnings take their roots in various creative industries which lead him to bring a fresh perspective and new approach to create, develop and push original IP’s at DDEG. Fred has been honing his creativity, artistic and business skills collaborating with high-profile partners such as Cartoon Network, Disney, Eidos, EA Mobile, Konami, Lego, Ubisoft, Megabloks, Mattel, Warner Bros and more.

Morghan Fortier is the Co-Owner and CEO of Skyship Entertainment; an award-winning entertainment company focused on original song and series content for preschoolers and early learning audiences.

Skyship’s YouTube channels (including flagship channel Super Simple Songs) reach over 40+ million subscribers globally, with 35+ million daily views, making Skyship one of the world’s top digital content creators.

Today, Skyship Entertainment’s distribution has expanded to avenues beyond YouTube, including our Super Simple App (featuring our series and song content, alongside ebooks and digital games). And partnerships with companies like Warner Chappell Music help expand our reach as one of the world’s most prominent children’s music artists.

Our goal is to produce content for preschoolers and kids alike that is fun & entertaining and help make parents’, teachers’, and caregivers’ lives easier.

Before Skyship, Morghan produced projects for clients such as Playhouse Disney, The Comedy Network, CBC, BBC, ABC, and PBS over her 2+ decades in the Canadian entertainment industry.

Athena Georgaklis is the Head of Development for Nelvana. A highly respected executive in the kids & family entertainment industry, Athena leads the acquisition of rights and the development of all original content for Nelvana. Athena is committed to develop creator-driven content, working with the studio’s producers, creators, and talent around the world that will resonate with kids of all ages, and find a home in all markets. She helmed the creation of Nelvana’s The Most Magnificent Thing, D.N.Ace, Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe, and many more to come.

Athena has worked in Canadian broadcast and production for more than 22 years. Prior to Nelvana, she oversaw all original animation production for Corus Entertainment’s kids’ networks, supervising the development and production of Canadian content in both English and French. During her time, she led the production and development of hit shows like Johnny Test, Camp Lakebottom, Mysticons, 6TEEN, Cupcake and Dinosaur, Rocket Monkeys, and the Total Drama Island franchise.

KC Goundiam is the founder and CEO of B2BeeMatch.com, a business matchmaking platform launched in 2020 where small and medium enterprises can connect in order to outsource, scale, network and find clients.

KC is also the founder and CEO of Red Dot Digital, a digital strategy and management consulting firm that she launched in 2014 to bring her forward-thinking, data-driven approach to the world of digital transformation.

KC has twenty years of international integrated campaign and project management experience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she managed digital and social media for Deloitte Canada and its global team, and she directed social media for Ford.

In spring 2020, KC was invited to join Ontario’s Comité de travail de relance économique, a working group that aims to advise Ontario and federal ministers on economic relaunch in the context of COVID-19. In 2019, KC founded Tech Canada Advocates, part of the Global Tech Advocates network. In 2018, she received the JoAnna Townsend Excellence Award from the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT).

KC does business around the world, including to France and the UK. As well, B2BeeMatch has recently established a number of significant partnerships, including with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and with the global aerospace industry via the Ontario Aerospace Council (OAC). In addition to the other boards she sits on, in June 2021, KC became the Regional Coordinator for Africa with ICC.

Most recently, KC began contributing to The Globe and Mail.

As Head of Prime Video Canada, Magda Grace is responsible for the company’s development and expansion efforts into Canada. She previously held positions at Starz and ICM Partners. Magda has a Master of Laws from UCLA School of Law and a Juris Doctor degree from McGill Law.

Lon Hall has been practicing law in Toronto since 1982. Originally a securities and corporate-commercial lawyer, he began working exclusively in the entertainment industries in 1986. From 1987-1992, Lon worked at Atlantis Films (predecessor of Alliance Atlantis Entertainment) as Vice-President, Business Affairs where he initiated and headed up the business & legal affairs department. At the end of 1992, Lon left Atlantis to start what is now known as Hall Webber LLP: a law firm dedicated to entertainment law.

Lon practices primarily in the areas of production, distribution, talent, financing and business transactions, as well as errors & omissions, on behalf of corporate and individual clients in the film, television and digital media sectors.

In addition to his legal practice, Lon acts as an Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) Arbitrator; and has executive produced the television series Pet Project (life network, Canada; Animal Planet, USA) the Gemini Award (now the Canadian Screen Awards)-winning The Surreal Gourmet (Food Network, Canada and USA), Crash My Kitchen (Food Network, Canada) and Tooned! (Teletropolis, Canada); as well as the recent television program Omega Man (for Bell Media’s Engraved on a Nation series) and the feature documentary film Meeting The Beatles in India.

Christine Hill is a champion for disability inclusion. She has taken the Dear Everybody movement, launched by Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, to new heights and is determined to see the 22% of Canadians who have disabilities represented on screen and in print. As the parent of four kids with disabilities and facing her own, this work is especially meaningful.

Joan is the inaugural Executive Director of the Black Screen Office which supports, nurtures and promotes the creation of Black Canadian stories globally.

Joan was Vice-President of Independent Production for VisionTV where she commissioned, developed and executive produced hundreds of hours of award-winning creative content in all genres. Joan spearheaded VisionTV’s ground-breaking DiverseTV/NSI initiative which helped to launch the careers of Black producers and creatives.

For five years, Joan served as Executive Director of Women in Film and Television – Toronto (WIFT-T), where she established professional development training and networking opportunities for women in screen-based media

Johnny Kalangis is Vice President of Digital for Cream Productions. In his role, Kalangis oversees Cream’s global digital efforts with an emphasis on expanding the company’s reach into emerging digital content and distribution spaces. He is currently an Executive Producer for the upcoming CNN podcast Behind The Desk: The Story of Late Night and a writer and Executive Producer on the recently announced VR drama production Dark Threads with Dominic Monaghan.

Raja is the CEO and Co-Founder of Dark Slope, a metaverse company developing new forms of entertainment using game-engines, motion capture, virtual production and immersive technologies. Dark Slope produces prime time “hyper reality”-TV productions and near real-time animation for streamers globally. The company also develops and publishes immersive experiences in VR and MR for entertainment centres, theme parks and home use. Raja is the former CEO, Television & Digital, for Blue Ant Media Inc. where he oversaw the company’s growth from inception to becoming a global producer, distributor, digital network operator and broadcaster. Previously Raja was the co-founder of QuickPlay Media, a mobile technology company enabling TV-everywhere capabilities for global telecom companies (acquired by AT&T). Raja is active on the boards of the Canadian Film Centre, OCADU Co, and FortyTwo Properties, a real estate company he co-founded focusing on developing real estate for the creative industries.

Strategist, analyst, author, speaker, connector — David Kleeman has led the children’s media industry in developing sustainable, child-friendly practices for 35 years. He began this work as president of the American Center for Children and Media and is now Senior Vice President of Global Trends for Dubit, a strategy/research consultancy and digital studio.

When he began this work, “children’s media” meant television. Today, he is fascinated by, and passionate about, kids’ wide range of possibilities for entertainment, engagement, play and learning. David uses research, insights and experience to show that much may change, but children’s developmental path and needs remain constant.

David is advisory board chair to the international children’s TV festival PRIX JEUNESSE, on the board of the Children’s Media Association and the Advisory Board of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. He has served as a Senior Fellow of the Fred Rogers Center and Board Vice President for the National Association for Media Literacy Education.

When we used to travel, David looked worldwide for best practices in children’s entertainment and learning. He has spoken (and, more important, listened!) on six continents and writes extensively for varied audiences.

As President of Lambur Productions Inc., Joan Lambur has an extensive history of creating and producing globally successful programming.

Since launching the company in September of 2017, Lambur Productions has worked with top tier talent to develop and produce iconic titles. The company has currently completed production of Season 1 of The Hardy Boys, a 13 x one-hour dramatic series with Corus Media (YTV) and Hulu, based on the universally beloved mystery book series.

In addition to proprietary projects, the company has also acquired the rights to best-selling author Sophie Kinsella’s Fairy Mom & Me book series and is in active development on a series of television movies. Most recently, Lambur acquired the rights to Farley Mowat’s Lost in the Barrens novel.

Prior to the launch of Lambur Productions, Lambur served as the Executive Vice President of Family Entertainment at Breakthrough Entertainment, where her responsibilities included acquisitions, creative development and financing of premium animation, kids’ live action and family programming as well as overseeing all licensing and merchandising activities for the studio’s extensive catalogue.

Notable projects include: Star Falls (Nickelodeon, YTV) Max & Shred (Nickelodeon, YTV), Ride (Nickelodeon, YTV), and L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables (PBS, YTV).

Prior to working at Breakthrough, Joan founded Lambur & Associates, a Toronto based television development, distribution and brand management company specializing in children’s and family programming.

Before founding L&A, Joan was President of OnScreen Entertainment for New York-based production company The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company (Teletubbies) where she managed the company’s entertainment divisions including international television distribution, television and film acquisitions, development and presales.

Aron Levitz is President of Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, where he leads a visionary team of global entertainment and publishing experts to create data-backed, fan-driven hit TV shows, films, and books from WEBTOON and Wattpad. Levitz pioneered Wattpad’s adaptation business, launching Wattpad Studios in 2016 and serving as the company’s global studio head until the creation of Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. In just a few short years, Levitz grew Wattpad Studios from a concept to global leader in creating can’t-miss entertainment.

A fan culture fanatic and engineer by training, Levitz combines analytic thinking with a lifelong passion for storytelling.

Prior to his role as Head of Wattpad Studios, Levitz was Head of Business Development at Wattpad, building the company’s monetization strategy and native advertising solution. He was also instrumental in launching the Wattpad Stars program that gives top influencers access to a variety of opportunities.

Throughout his career, Aron has connected the entertainment industry with emerging technology and mobile platforms. As Senior Director of Strategic Alliances at Xtreme Labs, Aron developed business and mobile strategies for the world’s top media brands including MTV. Prior to Xtreme Labs, he was Director of Entertainment and Global Content Acquisition at BlackBerry where he worked with artists and other talent, as well as launched innovative music, movie, TV, and gaming services. Aron received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Waterloo.

Anne Loi is WildBrain’s Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing content production and financing, key external partnerships and business analytics. Anne has been a core member of our leadership team since 2006, when WildBrain’s predecessor company, DHX Media was formed. She was previously Vice President of Financial Strategy at Extend Media and before that, she held various management positions at IMG Group (now Lavalife), Proctor & Gamble and Deloitte.

Judy Lung is a Communications & Marketing executive with 20 years of experience creating PR, marketing, and social media campaigns for some of Canada’s leading arts & entertainment organizations. Known for developing innovative audience-building strategies and championing Canadian content and talent both at home and on the international stage, Lung has held roles in all areas of the industry and has worked in-house and agency-side with broadcasters, producers, distributors, and cultural institutions. Currently, Lung is Vice President, Communications & Marketing for Touchwood PR, an entertainment PR firm whose clients include Netflix, Cineplex, Focus Features, Fan Expo, and the Toronto Reel Asian International Festival. Lung is a frequent speaker at industry events about current trends, best practices, and the evolving role of entertainment PR & marketing. Recent speaking engagements include presentations for the Toronto International Film Festival Industry Conference, Canadian Film Centre, Ryerson School of Journalism, and Women in Film & Television. Lung sits on the board of BIPOC TV & FILM, a not-for-profit organization committed to increasing representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour in front of and behind the camera. In this capacity, she spearheaded HireBIPOC, an initiative to change hiring practices and increase opportunities for BIPOC creatives and crew in the media industry, which launched in Fall 2020.

At just three years of age, Canadian actress, Keana Lyn pursued a career in acting, falling in love with the art of portraying dynamic characters for TV and film.

Keana Lyn spent her primary years working on various series for TVO Kids and Family Channel. Keana Lyn is also known for starring in the Canadian Screen Award nominated role of the fearless playground commander, ‘Suzi’, in HBO/TMN’s The Yard, Executive Produced by Paul Gross. Other credits include MGM’s feature, Every Day, starring Angourie Rice, and YoutubeRed’s web series, Wayne. Most recently, Keana Lyn starred as the charismatic ‘Callie Shaw’ in The Hardy Boys.

Keana Lyn was born and raised in Toronto and is of mixed Ecuadorian-Canadian descent. She is currently completing an undergraduate degree at Ryerson University’s reputable media program—Radio & Television Arts (RTA). She is also working on her first self-produced and directed short film called Like Sisters. Did you know? Keana has an identical twin…and she’s an actress too!

Mary-Anne Taylor is the Head of Content Distribution Canada for Roku, responsible for building and nurturing content distribution partnerships with Canadian publishers. A seasoned entertainment executive with 20+ years of industry experience in content licensing, affiliate sales and product management, Mary-Anne’s work has spanned broadcast, subscription, video on demand, and OTT platforms.
She began her career as a production technician and project manager. Her passion for broadening Canadian content then led her to content acquisitions for Shaw Direct, chairing cross-functional teams responsible for launching channels at Rogers Cable, leading Affiliate sales for TELETOON and Cartoon Network, and most recently as Director of Content Distribution Canada for Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Mary-Anne has received scholarships to the Media Executive Management Program at Harvard Business School and Schulich School of Business and holds a degree in Radio & Television Broadcasting from Algonquin College, and a Theatre Arts degree from Sheridan College.

Marie McCann is the Senior Director of Children’s Content for CBC Kids. Marie oversees the development, production and acquisition as well as in-house production of CBC’s award-winning content for Canadian children and their families.

CBC Kids creates and curates content for children and youth that entertains, informs and inspires, reaching kids aged two to 13 on multiple platforms including CBC TV, CBC Gem, cbckids.ca and cbckidsnews.ca.

Ian McKee is the Founder and CEO of Vuulr, the online global Film & TV content marketplace. Vuulr connects buyers with distributors worldwide, allowing them to negotiate and complete deals online in days, not months.

Originally from the UK, Ian has more than 20 years’ experience in the field of technology, digital marketing and disruptive innovations under his belt. In his first entrepreneurial venture, Ian founded Vocanic, a social media and digital marketing firm in 2004 and led the business to become the largest social media technology business in Southeast Asia. WPP Group acquired Vocanic in 2014 and integrated it to GroupM the media investment arm of WPP.

Grounded in data and technology, Ian always had a knack for trendspotting new technologies in their nascent stages – whether it was championing artificial intelligence at Sun Microsystems, or witnessing the transformative effects of the first big data revolution at IRI, and seeing how social media was going to disrupt the advertising sector.

In 2020, Ian was named by Business Insider as one of the top 10 leaders transforming media and advertising in Asia in 2020.

Emmy and Bafta Nominated, Michelle has 30 years’ experience in the kids and family production business with hundreds of episodes produced and over 50 awards and nominations.
In 2015, Michelle became a partner at Radical Sheep in 2015 and was promoted to President when Boat Rocker Media acquired the company in 2016. In 2018, Michelle launched Headspinner Productions with Showrunner and Husband Ken Cuperus in 2018. Their first production, Denis and Me airs on Family Channel, CRAVE and Youtube where it has already racked up over 20 million views. Their newest series Happy House of Frightenstein launches in
September 2021. Michelle has won the Canadian Screen award, the Grand Prize of the Youth Media Alliance, Multiple Kidscreen Awards and Cynopsis Awards. She also has a
Juno Award for producing the Stella and Sam Album. In 2019, Michelle was inducted onto the Ryerson Radio and Television Wall of Fame. And in 2021 she was the Youth Media Alliance Outstanding Achievement Award Recipient. Michelle is also the Founder of Women Drawn Together-a free organization that fosters learning, networking and mentorship for Women in the Animation community. In the past 7 years, the group has grown to 4 cities and over 1800 members.

Beloved for her outgoing and lively personality, Traci Melchor (@stayfabulous) has been an icon on the Toronto entertainment scene for more than a decade. Vibrant, witty and fab, this Pickering, Ont. native is a senior correspondent for Canada’s most-watched entertainment program, ETALK.

Melchor has years of experience interviewing hundreds of stars, including Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Madonna, Denzel Washington, Jennifer Lopez, John Travolta, Channing Tatum, Joan Rivers, Ryan Gosling, Zac Efron, Jamie Foxx, Dolly Parton, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Janet Jackson. When she interviewed Oprah Winfrey for Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Oprah told Melchor her question made her “salivate.” Melchor has travelled to her native St. Lucia to interview The Jacksons – Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon – and she has also travelled to seven countries in seven nights on a chartered jet as part of Rihanna’s “777” tour in support of the singer’s seventh album, Unapologetic. She also covered both Michael Jackson’s public memorial service in Los Angeles and Joan Rivers’ funeral in New York City following their deaths. Melchor is seen in Crave Original series, CANADA’S DRAG RACE.

Before joining CTV’s ETALK as an entertainment reporter, Melchor covered high-profile events including the OSCARS® and Super Bowl. Delivering daily entertainment news hits on CP24, Melchor was named one of the National Post’s “Worthy 30” for her contribution to the television industry. Melchor was also part of the launch of CTV’s daytime talk series, THE SOCIAL, which she co-hosted for two and a half years. Now a senior correspondent for ETALK, Melchor also contributes regularly to CP24 BREAKFAST, THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW, CTV NEWS CHANNEL, and CHUM 104.5.

Melchor kicked off her career as host of the legendary RAPCITY on MuchMusic, followed by a move to Citytv Toronto as the station’s entertainment specialist. Melchor thrived in L.A.’s celebrity scene, guest-starring on hit series CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION and LIZZIE MCGUIRE, and reporting from countless red carpets as the Hollywood correspondent for Star! (now E!). Melchor also hosted weekly F.Y.E. – FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT, celebrity profiler EXTREME CLOSE UP, and STYLE VIP. Melchor returned to Canada from Hollywood to host MuchMoreMusic, a move that kept her in the celebrity spotlight and plugged into multi-platinum superstars like INXS, Sheryl Crow, and Shakira. She also spoke one-on-one with multi-award-winning music icon Madonna in New York for the specialty station’s primetime TV special, MADONNA: CONFESSIONS. A seasoned writer, Melchor has contributed entertainment stories to magazines such as Elle, Essence, and The Source.

A true renaissance woman, Melchor has received the Harry Jerome Award and the Champions of Mental Health award both in the media category, and supports various charitable organizations that support mental health including Kids Help Phone. Melchor has also walked the runway in support of various causes including the Dare To Wear Love fashion show in support of The Stephen Lewis Foundation and The Heart Truth Fashion Show at Toronto Fashion Week in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Off camera, the graduate of Seneca College’s Radio and Television Program spends most of her time with her twins Phoenix and Phoebe, and her two adopted cats Charles and Raven. Melchor loves balancing being a mom and covering the business. From the hair salon, to fashion shows and red carpets, to driving the twins to hockey, fencing, and cheerleading, Melchor’s days are hectic, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Follow Traci Melchor on Twitter (@stayfabulous) and Instagram (@tracimelchor).

Laura oversees creative, while also co-managing and facilitating the growth of Blue Ant Studios. She has been tasked with bolstering strategic growth in unscripted and scripted, notably in the U.S. market. Recently for Blue Ant Studios she served as executive producer on Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell and Canada’s Drag Race Seasons 1 and 2. Over the course of her career, Laura has led programming and production teams, run cable channels and worked as a producer, partnering and consulting for top-tier talent, production companies, studios and networks all over the world. Laura served as President of Sundance Productions, which she co-founded with Robert Redford and together they executive-produced the Emmy winning Momentum Generation (HBO) Death Row Stories (CNN), Chicagoland (CNN), All The President’s Men Revisited (Discovery), The American West (AMC), Ocean Warriors (Animal Planet) and The March (PBS), to name a few. Additionally, Laura produced Bobby Kennedy for President, a critically-acclaimed Netflix documentary series, released in 2018. Laura has held senior executive roles at Sundance Channel, Alliance Atlantis and Discovery where she commissioned hundreds of hours of scripted and non-scripted content including Iconoclasts, Fabulous Beekman Boys, Elvis Costello Presents, Slings and Arrows and Trailer Park Boys. Laura has won three News and Documentary Emmys, as well as awards from the Canadian Screen Awards, GLAAD, IDA, Banff TV, the Environmental Media Association and the Peabody Awards.

As Chief Strategy Officer of 9 Story Media Group, Natalie Osborne oversees strategic partnerships, worldwide sales, acquisitions, consumer products and marketing. Natalie has been a significant driver of the company’s dramatic growth over the last decade, helping transform 9 Story into one of the world’s leading independent creators, producers and distributors of children’s content. Upon joining the company in 2006, Natalie founded the global distribution division, building it into a multi-million dollar, internationally recognized enterprise. Her executive producer credits include BBC’s Wibbly Pig, the live-action film Harriet Spy: Blog Wars for Disney, and most recently, the Netflix Original holiday special, Angela’s Christmas.

Prior to joining 9 Story, Natalie served as Vice President of Acquisitions for Universal Pictures based in London where she initiated the acquisition and production of new IP. Natalie previously held the position of Vice President of Worldwide Children’s Programming for NBC Universal, where she managed the worldwide sales and marketing rollout of the studio’s children’s programs. Prior to her time in London, Natalie was based in New York as Director of International Sales for film company Fox Lorber.

Riley O’Donnell is a Canadian actor, based in Toronto, ON. From a very early age Riley was passionate about performing. With an undeniable musical talent, she began her career singing in local competitions and music festivals. She was awarded several scholarships and music awards and it seemed only natural that Riley expand her creative pursuits to include acting.

Riley landed her first role as ‘Young Fiona’ in a community production of Shrek The Musical. At the age of 10, she was cast in the role of ‘Lavender’ in the US National Broadway tour of Matilda The Musical. Riley’s performance in Matilda was quickly followed with a role in the musical The Hockey Sweater under the direction of Donna Feore, and earned Riley two nominations for her role as ‘Ginette’, for ‘Outstanding Supporting Performance’ from the Montreal English Theatre Awards and for ’Best Performance by a Female in a Featured Role’ from Broadway World.

In 2018, at the age of 11, Riley launched her television career in Montreal with a lead role in Big Top Academy; a show produced in partnership with Cirque du Soleil, for TVO Kids, and Discovery Kids. As a French immersion student, gymnast, singer, and actor, this role provided Riley with the perfect outlet to display and refine her diverse set of skills. Along with filming, she trained weekly with professional circus artists from Cirque du Soleil which enabled her to execute her stunt work for the show. Using her musical background, Riley also lent her voice to record most of the original songs on the show’s soundtrack.

Following her year in Montreal, Riley took on her first voice-over role as ‘Spark’ in Pup Academy, and a small role in Apple’s Ghostwriter (2019). In the summer of 2019, Riley traveled to North Bay, ON to join the cast of When Hope Calls (Hallmark Movies Now) as ‘Helen’.

After spending her summer in North Bay, Riley returned home to Toronto to join the cast of The Hardy Boys (YTV/Hulu). In the short break after season 1, Riley was able to participate in 2 feature films and is now excited to be back on set and recording season 2 of The Hardy Boys.

When Riley isn’t in front of the camera, she’s busy studying for school and in her spare time she plays various musical instruments and loves photography, enjoys hanging out with friends, and she continues to take classes in dance and gymnastics.

Cristian Perri is a Canadian actor who was born in Mexico and re-located to Toronto at the age of 11 with his Canadian-born parents. He has been pursuing his acting career and appearing on screen since he was 10 years old.
Cristian’s early credits include Detention Adventure (CBC), Damnation (USA/Universal Cable Productions) and A Simple Favor (Lionsgate). He then went on to guest star on the hit series, Nurses (Global) and Odd Squad (PBS). Most recently Cristian appears on the original drama series The Hardy Boys (YTV/Hulu) playing Joe Hardy’s friend, ‘Phil Cohen’.

When Cristian isn’t busy working, he enjoys being with family and friends. In his spare time, he loves boxing, working out and playing soccer. Cristian also enjoys a wide variety of music and loves to play both the trumpet and the piano.

Andrew Phung is an actor, improviser, and emcee hailing from Calgary, Alberta. Andrew has been performing improv at the Loose Moose Theatre Company since he was 16. He is an alumnus of Avenue Magazines Top 40 under 40 list and is four-time winner (2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021) of the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Kim’s Convenience. His recent credits include The Beaverton and Little Italy, and he is now in production on his new CBC original comedy, Run The Burbs. Andrew is father to two wonderful boys, and husband to the amazing Tamara. Andrew also has over 400 pairs of sneakers…no, seriously.

Jordan Pinto, based out of Toronto, is the North American editor for C21 Media, reporting on all aspects of the US and Canadian television sector. Prior to joining C21, he spent more than six years with Canadian trade publication Playback, most recently as associate editor, covering Canada’s film and television sector.

Adina Pitt is Vice President of Content Acquisitions, Partnerships and Co-Productions for the Americas, WarnerMedia Kids and Family. She is responsible for identifying, negotiating, and acquiring pre-produced series, specials, movies, and short-form product that fit WarnerMedia Kids and Family brands for exposure across all platforms. She continues to oversee those programs once they have been acquired and positioned at each of the networks. Pitt also serves as a liaison internationally to coordinate global acquisition contracts, and she represents the U.S. networks at all major programming markets including MIPTV, MIPCOM, Kidscreen and NATPE.

Previously, Pitt was Vice President of Acquisitions for Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. In this position, she developed acquisition strategies that supported current and long-term programming plans for Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Nick Jr, Nick at Nite, The N and Noggin. In addition to these duties, she oversaw channel inventory, cable and network television series and movie deals, competitive pricing, theatrical and made-for-TV movie availability, and competitive inventories, both domestically and globally. She previously worked in film programming acquisitions at HBO.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Pitt earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Brandeis University and a master’s degree in educational communication and technology from New York University.

Nicole Power, a native of Middle Cove, Newfoundland, caught the attention of critics and audiences alike as the hilarious Shannon Ross in hit comedy Kim’s Convenience, and is now continuing Shannon’s journey in new CBC comedy Strays. Nicole is a graduate of Sheridan College’s Musical Theatre program, Second City’s conservatory and the Soulpepper Academy. She has performed on stage all across the country. Selected credits include roles in “Wedding at Aulis,” “Sisters,” “Chasse Gallerie,” “La Cage Aux Folles” and “Legally Blonde.”

Shabnam founded Big Bad Boo Studios to produce and distribute quality family programming.
Shabnam has produced and directed Hulu Original Series “The Bravest Knight”, winner of 2020
GLAAD Award. She has also created and directed original shows such as “16 Hudson” (Amazon
Prime/TVOKids), mini-series “Lili & Lola”(Oznoz/ICI TV), and “ABC with Kenny G” musical series.

Shabnam started her career producing series “Mixed Nutz”, and her first creation was “1001
Nights”, currently airing in 80 countries on Disney, Teletoon, Discovery Kids, Gloob Brazil, RTBF
Belgium, and MTV3 Finland

Kaleb Robertson (he/him) is a Toronto based Cultural Producer who does workshops for youth and adults on identity, body positivity, queerness, trans issues, drag, and creating diverse inclusive spaces. He has recently done a series of workshops on Trans and Non-Binary Representation in the Media. His multimedia workshops include sharing personal experiences and spark discussions around intersectionality and privilege.

Kaleb is a queer transgender man who performs as Fluffy Soufflé (they/them), a non-binary drag character. Kaleb has been exploring gender since the age of two when he declared he was a boy. Both on stage and in daily life Kaleb has performed various aspects of masculinity and femininity. Fluffy is half of the magical children’s entertainment duo, Fay & Fluffy’s Storytime. Fay & Fluffy recently wrapped filming on a 26 episode preschool show for Family Junior, expected to air beginning in January. When producing events and performing, their goal is to make drag accessible to all ages, and to foster a fun, inclusive environment.

As VP, Content Development & Programming, Justin Stockman is responsible for English TV programming including CTV, Crave, and Bell Media’s English-language specialty channels Discovery, MTV, E!, Much, CTV Drama, CTV Life, CTV Comedy, CTV Sci-Fi with a focus on developing groundbreaking new content.
Stockman’s role includes the ongoing negotiation and development of Bell Media’s Original Production programming content for all platforms with local producers and international studios. Additionally, Stockman retains oversight of the day-to-day operations and growth of Bell Media’s ad-supported creator and influencer network Much Studios.

Stockman also leads Bell Media’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, both internally as a member of the organization’s Diversity Leadership Council and with external partners like HireBIPOC, the definitive and ubiquitous industry-wide roster of Canadian BIPOC creatives and crew working in screen-based industries.

Formerly Vice-President, Brand Partnerships and Client Strategy on the Bell Media Sales team, Stockman role included oversight of the Sales team in leveraging Bell Media’s competitive advantage in content, production, data and platforms with clients, agencies, and internal stakeholders while driving new revenue opportunities through strategic brand integrations and data-driven client strategies.

Previously Vice-President, Premium SVOD and OTT, Bell Media, Stockman was responsible for strategy, management, programming, content licensing, merchandising, and marketing partnerships for Bell Media’s premium subscription video on demand (SVOD) services, Crave, Crave + Movies + HBO, and STARZ as well as driving direct-to-consumer revenue including customer acquisition and retention. Additionally, Stockman’s portfolio included oversight of English and French customer care centres for Crave, and Bell Media’s over-the-top (OTT) services including TSN Direct, RDS Direct, and STARZ, as well as Much Studios

Prior to this, Stockman worked as Vice-President, Specialty Channels, where he oversaw all brands and day-to-day activities affecting Entertainment Specialty Channels Much, MTV, Gusto, E!, Bravo, Space, The Comedy Network, and their complimentary digital networks, as well as Pay channels TMN and HBO Canada.

Stockman was previously Executive Director, Marketing, Specialty Channels, where he oversaw all brand-positioning, consumer and trade marketing, social media marketing, and social media communities for Bell Media’s Specialty properties.

Stockman has worked at Bell Media for more than a decade in various capacities including creative services and production as creative director, supervising producer, producer, writer, editor, and web designer.

In 2015, Stockman was recognized with the 2015 Digital Play of the Year by Playback.

Stockman graduated in 1996 from York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with Specialized Honours in Visual Arts Studio. In 2009 he earned his MBA through a joint program at Cornell University in New York and Queen’s University in Kingston.

Christina Summers serves as Regional Sales Manager, Roku Canada, where she oversees sales and audience development for Roku’s advertising business. In her role, Christina helps drive successful strategies and measurable results for brand campaigns and content partners on the Roku platform.

An accomplished and results-driven sales leader within Canada’s digital advertising industry, Christina has a successful track record of building relationships, designing winning sales strategies and driving teams to reach challenging revenue goals in highly competitive markets. She brings 15+ years of combined technology and telecom industry experience across digital, advertising, and sales.

Christina holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Guelph, Canada.

Born in Chicago, IL and raised in Vancouver, BC, Adam Swain is a gifted young actor who began his career in the industry to earn money to support his training as an elite competitive snowboarder.
Adam’s first major role was on the drama series Riverdale performing alongside the series lead Cole
Spouse, and according to Cole, it is one of his favourite scenes in the first season of the hit CW series. It was from that point that he began to develop his passion for acting; at the same time, he continued to pursue what he thought would be a professional snowboarding career.

In his senior year while ranking 32 in Canada and as a member of the BC Provincial Snowboard team,
Adam chose to hang up the board and pursue his new passion for acting. Following his transition into full time acting, Adam landed roles in the Amazon Prime drama series The Man in the High Castle and a
supporting role in the Hallmark film Memories of Christmas starring Christina Milian. Shortly after, he
and had the privilege of being a supporting role on the drama series The Hardy Boys as the role of Chet
Morton. He has been fortunate enough to continue to work in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and
landed a guest starring role in season three of the ABC hit drama A Million Little Things as Tyrell Epps. He is currently working on production of season 2 of The Hardy Boys and season 4 of A Million Little Things.

Adam has the desire to continually develop his dramatic and comedic acting skills and would eventually
want to pursue writing and developing his own projects. Outside of acting, he is a gifted rapper and
songwriter under the moniker ‘Swoop’ and enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Independent consultant, advisor and thought-leader across the gaming, esports, anime, and live streaming space. With 10 years of marketing in gaming, Tatiana consults with brands, gaming organizations and entertainment properties across creative strategic partnerships, sponsorships and marketing initiatives that optimize on trends, whitespaces and the most valuable opportunities in the gaming space.

Previously, Tatiana had led Momentum Worldwide’s esports & gaming practice, leading the entire agency’s strategic approach to the gaming space, and consulted across all brand clients as a subject matter expert in gaming. She has developed deals with Twitch, Riot Games, FaZe Clan, Activision Blizzard, Andbox, TSM, Cloud9, content creators, and more, and worked with numerous clients, including United Airlines, Mondelez, Zytara, sweetgreen, Buffalo Wild Wings, eFuse, Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Verizon, Fios, Merck, Visa, T-Mobile, William Grant, Subway, Refresh Allergen, Samsung and more.

She was also the marketing lead on 20+ licensed mobile titles, driving the core marketing strategies of each title’s launch and update and working directly with the licensors, including Marvel, Disney, Pixar, NBA, NFL, MLB, Fox, Lucasfilm, MLS and the Premier League.

Andrew Thomas serves as the Director, Content (Kids & Family) at Hulu where he oversees Original content and library acquisitions for the streamer. Andrew applies over a decade of experience in kids/family entertainment with an enthusiasm for emerging talent and creatives to enable the availability of unique, compelling content for young audiences. Prior to Hulu, he served as the Director, Global Distribution, Sales & Marketing at The Jim Henson Company. [Andrew holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.]

Amanda is a Production Executive at Corus Kids, where she uses her passion for children’s programming to assist in the production and development of live action and animated series for Corus’s YTV, TELETOON, and Treehouse networks.

Previously, she has held other roles at Corus Entertainment on the Kids Original Content team as well as the Kids Programming team. In her programming role, she assisted in content curation for YTV, TELETOON, Treehouse and Disney Channel Canada, among others.

In addition to her kids content expertise, Amanda was also actively involved with the launch of the first ever 24-hour Adult Swim network. Some of her production executive credits include Esme & Roy, Miss Persona, and Ranger Rob.

Jonathan Webdale is a journalist with more than two decades of experience covering digital media and the international television business. He joined C21Media in 2004 from New Media Age, has written for The Guardian, The Independent and The Daily Telegraph, and oversees C21’s online presence, audiovisual output and special reports.

A native of Atlanta, GA (though most of her childhood was spent in Stone Mountain, GA if we’re being official), Rachelle was raised by her schoolteacher, single mom and TV. She started writing some terrible fanfic and scripts during her emo early teen years and decided this was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Rachelle is ashamed to admit she’s never had a “real” job. Not retail, not a fast food chain, not a theme park, nothing, though she definitely tried. After college, she immediately jumped into the entertainment industry, first working as an office and set PA, then as a Production Coordinator/Clearance Coordinator for various reality TV shows. She was also a ghost writer, web series maker, babysitter and punch up writer. Then, in 2015, Rachelle got her “first” big break on the STARZ series SURVIVOR’S REMORSE. Since then, Rachelle has become a go-to talent for multiple series. Currently she is the showrunner for season two of the STARZ hit RUN THE WORLD and is also a Co-Showrunner for the HBO Max anthology series LOVE LIFE. Previously, she worked on a wide range of series, including the BLACKish spinoff MIXEDish, the animated series TUCA AND BERTIE, Tracy Oliver’s FIRST WIVES CLUB on BET+ and TACOMA FD on TruTV. She is married to her other half Ben and they have a two year old son, Zisha, who is the manifestation of all of their wildest dreams. One day, Rachelle hopes to live in a chateau in Switzerland, near or around Tina Turner.

Winder is a Canadian entrepreneur and the CEO/EP of Wind Sun Sky Entertainment https://windsunsky.com, a Vancouver-based, multi-media production company focused on building creator-driven global franchises. She is also the CEO/Partner of Skybound North Entertainment in partnership with Skybound Entertainment (The Walking Dead/Outcast). Setting up and managing studios in both Vancouver and L.A. and collaborating with partners in Europe and Asia, she is in production and development on a diverse slate of multi-platform media content in all genres including linear and interactive (My Singing Monsters Fandemonium), as well as a kids’ mobile app and several ROBLOX games.

Throughout her career, Winder has worked on iconic brands with leading film-makers and creators. At WSS she adapted the Invincible comic book created by Robert Kirkman into the smash hit animated series for Amazon Prime. Setting up studios/teams in Vancouver and L.A., she also adapted the Angry Birds game into the global event hit film, The Angry Birds Movie ($350 million WWBO) and Executive Produced the sequel (Sony/Rovio). Previously as President/Executive Producer for Rainmaker Entertainment she produced Escape from Planet Earth (The Weinstein Company) and worked with the Barbie executives at Mattel to develop a new look for the property for home video.

Adam has nearly 30 years media and marketing experience, 10 years of which was spent in senior operational roles.

Initially spending time in audience research for LWT, he then moved into creating content for broadcasters firstly working in the US and subsequently in the UK. In 2001 he retuned to an audience insight as Group Head of Research coordinate research in support of Emap’s (now Bauer) broadcast properties. Following a period of time spent with Guardian Media Group, he went on to work in insight on many global and kids’ brands for BBC Worldwide.

Adam joined Dubit in 2013 bringing his knowledge of programming, content creation and media research to the many client projects he’s managed. He also heads up Dubit Trends – the largest global children’s media trends tracker, now covering 17 countries. He works closely with broadcasters, publishers, media buyers and content creators advising on strategy based on media consumption and emerging trends.