The Digital Hollywood Experience

Watch Videos From Digital Hollywood

"The Conference that Defines the Future of the Industry"

PDF of Summit Program

Thursday, March 5th, 2015

3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Session A: Grand Ballroom (4th Floor) - Live Webcast

Broadcasting without Borders: Players in the New Guard of Broadcasting, Branding and Content Networks

Heidi E. Lehmann, Founder - SWSIMedia,  "QueenBee" on OraTV

Janet Brown, CEO, FilmBuff

Malcolm CasSelle, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Digital Media, SeaChange

Jeffrey Thompson, VP, Head of Market Development, Parrot Analytics

Greg Diefenbach, Co-founder, XiveTV

Nathan Coyle, VP of Business Development, Refinery29

Natan Edelsburg, SVP, Sawhorse Media, Moderator

Malcom CasSelle is CEO of Timeline Labs, a leading social media curation platform that enables its customers to discover, curate and display geographically targeted news stories that are trending across social media sites (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) with visualizations that are ready for air on television and over-the-top. In December, under Malcolm's leadership, Timeline Labs entered a binding agreement to be acquired by Sea Change International, Inc., a leading global multiscreen video software innovator.  A charismatic thought leader and veteran in the digital industry, Malcolm has led a who's who list of start-ups, including MediaPass, a leading digital subscription solution to major media companies; Xfire, a gamer social network of 22 million users; and Groupon's joint venture with Tencent in China.  He has also been an active early stage investor in companies

like Facebook, Zynga, and, most recently, Bitcoin-related companies.  He holds degrees in Computer Science from both MIT and Stanford University and speaks Japanese and Mandarin.

Natan Edelsburg is the SVP at Sawhorse Media where he's the supervising producer of the Shorty Awards (honoring the best of social media) and handles the business side of Muck Rack (where journalists and sources connect). Edelsburg covers social TV for Adweek's Lost Remote, The Next Web and The Drum where he interviews top executives at TV networks about the impact social is having on their companies. He's previously worked on influencer marketing campaigns for Nokia, Showtime, WellPoint, PepsiCo, BIO, A&E and more. Edelsburg’s also worked at 360i, Bain & Company, Showtime and LinkedIn.

Heidi E. Lehmann, Founder - SWSIMedia,  "QueenBee" on OraTV:  Heidi is a digital media + tech entrepreneur, advisor, and new market maker.  She is Co-Founder of SWSI Media a new network of original multi-screen programming focused on “Smart Women with Smart Ideas”.  SWSI’s first show, “QueenBee,”a reality competition that incorporates crowdfunding, launched this past Fall on Ora.TV, a collaboration between Larry King and Carlos Slim.  Heidi is also strategic advisor to Trellie a Smart Jewelry Company and Healthy You Now a Wellness Subscription Service founded by Tonya Lewis Lee.  Additionally, she consults with venture capital firms to assist consumer-facing start-ups with market entry.  Heidi’s previous endeavors include Founder and CEO of MoxieQ, a cross-media network of influential lifestyle celebrity experts in partnership with most all US mobile carriers and BravoTV, and Co-Founder and VP Strategic Alliances of Third Screen Media, a mobile ad network and ad delivery platform that was acquired by AOL in 2007.    She has led business development at venture-backed Start-Ups such as Kaon Interactive, Artificial Life; as well as Head of Ad Sales at AutoSite.com, which sold to Autoweb in 2001.  Heidi was also a partner at Emerging Interest, a NYC business accelerator that brought together Ad Agencies and Brands with Emerging Technology companies in a "speed dating" like format (over 500 events were produced).  Heidi has been featured and quoted in the Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Ad Age, Adweek, Mediapost, ClickZ, The Daily Dot, The Advocate, SheWired, The Kansas City Business Journal, Curve Magazine and in multiple Mobile Marketing publications and spoken on and moderated panels at events such as CTIA, AdTech, OMMA, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, New York Economic Development Council, Reuters Media Day, SXSW, Start-Out, iMedia Summit and Digital Hollywood.  Heidi was voted a 2014 Most Influential Woman by The New York Business Journal, 2014 Most Influential Woman in Tech, A 2011 Female Founder to Watch by Women 2.0, a 2011 Most Influential Woman in Wireless by Fierce Wireless, and a 2010 Woman to Watch by Mobile Marketer.   Heidi is on the advisory board of Women in Wireless, Level9 Advisors, Start Out, where she is also a mentor to aspiring LGBT entrepreneurs, + Cincinnati based The Brandery.   She is on the Investment Committee for Venture Out Capital, a Venture Fund focusing on LGBT Entrepreneurs   She is a contributor to The Huffington Post and Curve Magazine.  Heidi splits time between New York City and Kansas City.

Janet Brown, CEO, FilmBuff:  Janet Brown is CEO of FilmBuff, a leader in the digital distribution of independent films and episodic branded content.  Founded in 2008, the company has distributed more than 1,500 critically acclaimed titles, including “Exit through the Gift Shop,” “The Internet’s Own Boy,” “The House I Live In,” “Artifact,” “All This Mayhem” and others, across Comcast, DirecTV, iTunes, Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and dozens of other platforms. FilmBuff draws on its deep relationships within the creative community to provide access to cutting-edge content that connects with audiences around the world.  FilmBuff lives at the intersection of today’s best filmmakers, brands and distribution channels, navigating the opportunity that exists for each of them in the rapidly growing digital entertainment space. The company is uniquely positioned to identify synergies among them in content financing, production, distribution and marketing, and has proven success in managing the complexities of these multi-party projects.  Janet was part of the media and entertainment strategy consulting practice at Accenture in London where she worked from 1998 until 2004 with clients including News Corp., Warner Music, Film Four, Telewest and Granada. After moving back to the U.S., she was a strategy consultant for Yahoo! Media Group.  A year later she joined Cinetic Media in New York as head of research. When FilmBuff started in 2008, Janet became its Chief Operating Officer and in 2010 was named CEO.   She serves on the Influencer Advisory Board at Sparks + Honey and is a mentor at the Founder Institute, the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, which helps aspiring founders across the globe build enduring technology companies. A native of Toronto, Janet received a B.A., Joint Honors in economics and political science from McGill University and her MBA from Columbia University.

Jeffrey Thompson is a Digital, Strategy & Business Development executive who specializes in emerging platforms within media & entertainment. He has more than 15 years experience across a range of functions including management, planning,marketing, operations & strategic partnerships, with global brands such asThe Walt Disney Company, Conde Nast and two media startups.  Jeffrey is currently Vice President - Head of Market Development at Parrot Analytics, a media analytics company focused on providing unprecedented insights that accurately predict global demand for pre-released media & entertainment content. Thompson brings years of experience within the traditional and digital media industry, including serving as Vice President, Digital Strategy & Business Development for Shout! Factory Entertainment, where he launched several premium content channels, including the Shout! Factory Music Channel in partnership with Vevo, Scream Factory TV (horror) and the James Brown Channel in partnership with the James Brown Estate.  He previously worked with Conde Nast Entertainment to develop digital business extensions with well-known brands such as Vogue, GQ,Vanity Fair, Glamour and Wired. He also served as Vice President, Global Business Development at The Walt Disney Company, charged with developing incremental revenue on a number of emerging media initiatives, including the launch of Blu-ray disc, streaming strategy and strategic alliances with Pixar, HP, IBM, Sony among others.  Jeffrey currently serves on the Board of Advisors for Digital Hollywood and previously served on the Board of the Congressional Awards Foundation and NYC’s Latin Entertainment Commission having been appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He is based in Los Angeles, California.

Greg Diefenbach, Co-founder, XiveTV:  Greg Diefenbach is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer, and a recognized leader in the creation, production and distribution of high-end factual programming.  He is driven by his vision of a world in which smart, curious viewers with a passion for any subject can have instant access to high-quality films from the world’s finest documentary filmmakers. With his partner, Thomas Lucas, Greg created XiveTV in 2014, a digital video network offering one of the most extensive collections of high-quality, long-form documentary entertainment anywhere online.  XiveTV debuted as the first internet-based, general-interest documentary network and can be viewed through popular streaming services including Hulu, YouTube, Amazon, and as a free app download for Apple iOS and Android devices.  Greg’s career has spanned both the creative and business sides of the documentary industry, from his early days as a filmmaker for the National Geographic Society’s weekly documentary series, “Explorer,” to his global co-production and distribution work for Disney/ABC subsidiary Devillier Donegan Enterprises.  As the Senior VP of Television Programming for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Greg was instrumental in funding first-class filmmakers such as Ken Burns, iconic series such as “Nova” and “Masterpiece Theatre,” and for building innovative, cross-platform digital collaborations between PBS and NPR.  Passion and curiosity have been the hallmark of every position Greg has held.  In his nine years with National Geographic, Greg served as producer, director, researcher and writer.  With Disney/ABC, Greg cultivated a large network of international co-production finance partners, including the BBC, Discovery, National Geographic NHK, and many others. Over a period of more than two decades, Greg has created over 100 successful programs across many genres – from history to science, and nature to docudrama.  “Most of my career it’s been my job to convince people how completely cool and amazing the world actually is,” notes Greg.   In 2001 Greg was awarded the coveted George Foster Peabody Award for his work on the landmark history series, “EMPIRES” – a staple on PBS since the fall of 1999.  In 2010, Greg and his partner Thomas Lucas founded Alliant Content, a new-media company dedicated to expanding the distribution of high-quality factual television from around the world.   Within two years, Alliant Content emerged as an industry leader in the programming of factual film and television content across VOD platforms.  Greg speaks regularly on the subject factual television and the media business landscape, at gatherings such as WildScreen, the RealScreen Summit, AFI Silverdocs, and others.  He has served as a board member for the CINE organization, and as judge for many festivals and foundations, including the National Science Foundation and the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.  Greg is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, and is a graduate of Stanford University.

Nathan Coyle, VP of Business Development, Refinery29: Nathan Coyle, a senior technology, entertainment and media executive with more than 15 years experience, joined Refinery29 in 2013 to oversee video initiatives and business development through strategic partnerships and alliances, creating cross-platform distribution for digital video content. Recognized for building transformative business models in digital media—Nathan has secured financing and distribution for a number of original digital video programs. Nathan was previously with Hollywood’s leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency as a Business Development Agent focusing on digital content and, later, youth entertainment site Cambio as its General Manager.