The Digital Hollywood Experience

Watch Videos From Digital Hollywood

Monday, January 5th, 2015

Track II - DH1 - Digital Hollywood

9 AM - 10 AM

Location: LVCC, North Hall, Room N262

Multichannel Networks & the YouTube Phenomenon

The hottest Internet content sector is the Multichannel Network. Like a conglomerate with multiple cable properties, this iteration of MCN refers to aggregators of YouTube programming. Reaching millions of viewers each day is a clarion call to the entertainment industry.

Urs Cete, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, L.P.

Eunice Shin, Director, Manatt Digital Media

Reza Izad, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Collective Digital Studio

TJ Marchetti, CMO, AwesomenessTV

Stephanie Horbaczewski, CEO, Stylehaul

Shahrzad Rafati, Founder & CEO, BroadbandTV

James M. Burger, Partner, Thompson Coburn LLP, Moderator

Reza Izad is a co-founder and CEO of Collective Digital Studio (CDS), a next generation media company focusing on empowering creators, growing brands and building audiences. It oversees one of the leading YouTube multichannel networks with over 700 channels delivering nearly a billion views a month. Previously leading The Collective’s Music Management, Reza transitioned to digital as the opportunity arose for Talent and Brands to engage directly with dynamic entertainers in reaching audiences with scale in today’s shifting landscape.   Prior to CDS, Reza was an agent at United Talent Agency, where he launched the firm’s music and branded entertainment divisions. He signed Eminem, and later worked with producer T-Bone Burnett on the multi-Platinum, triple-Grammy soundtrack to the Coen Brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou? He then

packaged and managed the Down From The Mountain Summer Tour, featuring artists from the movie. At UTA, he worked with clients Justin Timberlake and Prince on projects in film, television, merchandising, and home video. He also founded the agency’s New Ventures/Entertainment Marketing division, which helped create award-winning brand integration campaigns for Fortune 500 companies such as Ammirati Puris Lintas, Kenneth Cole, Bausch & Lomb, and Loews Theatres. He went on to co-found BOX Entertainment. He produced and packaged shows in Las Vegas, including Gloria Estefan — Live At Caesars Palace and Gordie Brown At The Venetian.

Urs Cete serves as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, L.P. Mr. Cete joined the Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments in 2006. He serves as the Principal and Head of Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments at Mojiva, Inc. Prior to BDMI, Mr. Cete worked in Bertelsmann AG's Corporate Controlling and Strategy Department, where he was in charge of group controlling and group strategy. In that capacity he worked on strategic projects in all of Bertelsmann's media categories (television, radio, music, books, magazines and services). Prior to that, he worked and lectured for the Finance Department of the Handelshochschule Leipzig specializing in Corporate Valuation. Mr. Cete serves as a Member of Advisory Board at BLUE LION mobile GmbH. He serves on the Boards of Skimlinks since November 11, 2011; Mojiva, Inc., Qeep and Exit Games. He holds an MBA from Tulane University and graduated from the Handelshochschule Leipzig.

Eunice Shin is a director for Manatt Digital Media, a division of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, which offers innovative full-service business consulting and legal services, as well as venture capital. She advises media, digital media, technology and emerging growth companies on business strategy, organizational priorities and business development. Ms. Shin also analyzes and assesses potential digital media and technology investment opportunities for Manatt Venture Fund, an investment fund that focuses on early-stage participation in promising companies in the digital media space. Ms. Shin is based out of the Los Angeles office. Ms. Shin's project work has included leading the assessment and strategy for customer data privacy principles for a major entertainment conglomerate, partnering with a major entertainment studio in various projects building the foundation for an end‐to‐end digital media supply chain, including metadata servicing, technical operations servicing and media management, and enabling the social analytics, digital analytics and CRM operations for the digital division of a major studio. Prior to joining Manatt, Ms. Shin was the director of business development, consulting partner, and entertainment segment practice leader at Cognizant Business Consulting, where she provided business consulting to the media and entertainment industries. Prior to Cognizant, Ms. Shin was at Strategic Vision Consulting and Accenture, where she provided management and technology consulting for leading media and entertainment clients.

T.J. Marchetti is CMO of AwesomenessTV, a leading multi-platform media company that serves the global teen/tween audience, and which is responsible for one of the most subscribed-to teen destinations on YouTube. AwesomenessTV was acquired by DreamWorks Animation in May 2013, and is now a wholly owned subsidiary that continues to operate independently. Marchetti joined AwesomenessTV in March 2014.  Marchetti has crafted and executed strategic roadmaps to develop massive online communities, ecommerce initiatives, and rich content experiences for Fortune 100 companies, digital brand pioneers, and early stage start-ups. As CMO of AwesomenessTV Network, Marchetti oversees strategic media planning and audience development, engaging more than 90 million subscribers, and also manages the brand's aggressive expansion into new markets.  During his tenure as SVP of digital marketing for The Walt Disney Studios, Marchetti delivered award-winning campaigns ranging from the No. 1 animated movie of all time, "Frozen," to Pixar's Oscar-winning "Brave," to 2012's box office champion, "The Avengers."  Prior to his position with Disney, Marchetti guided the social media strategies for MTV Network's programming, and facilitated development of Viacom's social, mobile, and second-screen platforms. As VP of eHarmony's singles service, Marchetti founded the product development and lifecycle marketing teams. Previously, Marchetti launched a word-of-mouth marketing campaign at GeoCities while managing production, editorial, customer service, QA, and design. His efforts contributed to GeoCities' eventual sale to Yahoo! for $5 billion.   Marchetti made the leap from national print media to website production with the launch of AOL/Digital City. He holds a B.A. in Communications from Boston University.

Stephanie Horbaczewski is the Co-Founder, President and CEO of StyleHaul, the leading multi-platform marketing solution for global fashion and beauty brands with scale. The StyleHaul network on YouTube has more than 140 million network subscribers and attracts more than 53 million monthly unique visitors to the content being created and curated by StyleHaul’s 4000 channels, across 60 countries.   A fashion industry alumnae with nearly a decade of experience working with iconic brands like Saks Fifth Avenue, Horbaczewski established StyleHaul in 2011 with the vision of translating the fashion editorial space to digital, social and multi-platform trends. StyleHaul speaks directly to the influential and engaged 18 to 34 year-old female demographic.  Horbaczewski has expanded StyleHaul to more than 50 employees and offices in New York and London, with headquarters in Los Angeles. Under her leadership, StyleHaul has partnered with marquee beauty brands on premium content programs, executed successful rounds of funding and recently announced an unprecedented deal with FremantleMedia to develop 10 original content series over the next two years.  Stephanie was named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in 2013. She holds a BA in Classics from Trinity College and a JD/MBA from Suffolk University.

Shahrzad Rafati is the founder and CEO of BroadbandTV Corp., a leading media and technology company that drives success for online video creators by leveraging its proprietary technology and massive online reach. Recognized by Fast Company as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business, Shahrzad is accredited with pioneering both the technology and business model that made peace between big entertainment entities like the NBA and their fans that were uploading premium content online.  Shahrzad has been the spirited drive and energy that has propelled BroadbandTV to success. She has personally driven successful deals with major media companies, telcos, professional sports leagues and Internet giants. In 2013, Shahrzad closed a strategic partnership and investment with RTL Group, Europe’s largest entertainment network, and a unit of Bertelsmann, one of the world’s largest media companies. At the time, the $36 million investment marked the largest private placement into an Internet media company in Canada since 2007.  Shahrzad has been broadly recognized by numerous industry and community groups for her contributions to the media industry, and entrepreneurship. In 2013 Shahrzad was awarded Executive of The Year by The Digi Awards, named Ernst & Young’s, Pacific Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year, voted Business In Vancouver’s CEO of The Year and BroadbandTV was Playback Magazine’s Digital Company of The Year.  In addition to BroadbandTV achievements, Shahrzad actively pursues ways to encourage social change. She is also the co-founder of the world’s first Chopra Yoga in partnership with Dr. Deepak Chopra.

James M. Burger, Partner, Thompson Coburn: Jim is a member of the Thompson Coburn Lobbying & Policy and Intellectual Property Groups. He has worked extensively on legal and policy issues arising from the intersection of digital technology, intellectual property protection, communications, and government regulation. Jim has represented the Computer Industry Group and other information technology entities in efforts to secure copy protection rules for DVDs, Blu-ray discs and digital music downloads. He has also represented technology clients before the Administration, Congress, and the FCC in regard to the Digital TV Transition, the Broadcast Flag, and international agreements affecting U.S. intellectual property law. His efforts in the copyright law arena include his work leading negotiations to exclude the computer industry from the Audio Home Recording Act, to avoid passage of the Digital Video Recording Act, and prevent passage of analog hole legislation. In addition, Jim has worked with the semiconductor industry in its efforts to prevent the importation of dangerous counterfeit semiconductors. Jim served seven years as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia Law School, where he taught Advanced Administrative Law.