Wednesday, May 22nd, 2019

3:50 PM - 5:00 PM

Track I: Haas Conference Center, Room 171

Leveraging Content and Celebrity For Cross-Platform Success: From TV, Mobile & Internet to Social Media

Evelyne Ouellet, CEO, SAFIRA, a Cirque du Soleil company

Raphael Leopold, Founder/Executive Producer, Rodeo Show

Sarah Malkin, Industry Expert, (TraceMe, New Form Digital, Maker Studios)

Brittani Kagan, Head of Talent, Portal A

Adam Boorstin, Chief Business Officer, Studio71

Marlene Sharp, Director, Production, LEVEL-5 abby, Moderator

Brittani Kagan, Head of Talent, Portal A: At Portal A, Kagan leads the digital studio’s in-house talent team and oversees talent relations, deal-making, and casting strategies across branded and original projects. Kagan has over 5 years of experience working in talent management and development with companies such as Thunder Road Pictures and APA Talent Agency. Additionally, Kagan spent time as a freelance producer, writer, and director for brands and media companies including Budweiser, Quilted Northern, Coppertone, and Lighthearted Entertainment. Portal A is independent, with a team of 50 based in its San Francisco and Los Angeles offices. Portal A works with top global brands

and develops original programming for digital and linear networks. Portal A's work has been seen over 1 billion times, and was recently named Content Agency of the Year by Digiday and Content Studio of the year by Cynopsis. Kagan grew up in South Florida and currently resides in Los Angeles. She is a Kappa Kappa Gamma and proud alumna with Distinction of the University of Michigan.

Sarah Malkin is a senior media executive who advises companies at the intersection of media and technology on their content and partnership strategies. Current clients include MasterClass and Powderkeg. Sarah's previous roles include Head of Content, Talent and Marketing at TraceMe (Russell Wilson founded, Jeff Bezos backed), VP of Programming and Development at New Form (Ron Howard and Brian Grazer- founded), and several leadership positions including GM of Life + Style at Maker Studios (acquired by The Walt Disney Company). She is expert at driving programming strategy, branding and positioning, video creative and production, audience development, branded entertainment and revenue generation, product merchandising and optimization, and data-based decision making. She holds an MFA from Brown and a BA from Pomona College (Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude).

Adam Boorstin, Chief Business Officer, Studio71: Adam Boorstin manages Studio71’s original content, distribution, and podcast business units. Prior to joining Studio71, Adam was the Head of Partnerships for BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, where he led a team that grew BuzzFeed's reach and revenue on over 25 video platforms. Adam started at BuzzFeed in 2013 as the fifteenth video employee, managing video operations and partnerships for the entity that now produces over 100 videos/week and earns billions of views/month. Prior to BuzzFeed, Adam worked at a number of traditional media companies including Disney in its Theatrical Marketing Department, CAA in the Film Finance Group and Paramount as a Unit Production Manager on a feature film. Do to his robust career in digital media, Adam is a true authority in the digital space and would, like Reza, be able to give valuable insights. An LA native, Adam also holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Cornell University.

Evelyne Ouellet,MBA, Head of Global Marketing at 4U2C, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group: CEO of Safira Entertainment Marketing: Evelyne Ouellet is a French Canadian Experiential Marketing expert based in Los Angeles, California. With the strength of her experience at the front line of high-profile campaigns, she has developed solid expertise in branding and an intimate knowledge of the Live Entertainment and media industries. She has built an extensive global network and has proven herself as a brilliant strategist and value creator. As Director and Manager of Public Sales for world-renowned Cirque du Soleil, Evelyne worked at a grassroots level in the key hubs of most core U.S. markets. She moved on to become the Senior Marketing Director for 24 radio stations and launched the Virgin Radio brand in Canada. Then, as Vice President of Marketing at Canadian media company Astral/Bell, she oversaw two music-based TV Networks, MusiquePlus and MusiMax. English-French bilingual, Evelyne has an MBA from HEC Montreal. In addition, she studied in Europe - Université Canadienne en France, Nice, and the Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Denmark - and completed a Graduate Degree in the Business and Management of Entertainment at UCLA (awarded with distinction). Prior to founding Safira, Evelyne was selected for an assignment with Creative Artists Agency in the Digital Marketing department. Evelyne's is currently acting as the Head of Global Marketing for 4U2C, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. In addition, she has created a group of VR experts designed to identify business opportunities in this dynamic and emerging market.

Raphael Leopold is one of the few Founder/EPs of an award-winning production company who is under the age of 30. Leopold brings a young, digital-friendly and artistic lens to branded content. His company’s work and talent roster are driven by the new media landscape and are constantly adapting with industry shifts. Since its launch in 2015, Leopold has forged a creative incubator where directors enjoy artistic freedom yet are backed up by resources necessary to collaborate closely with agencies and brands. With a roster of directors born from a digital age who have found success through the use of social media and online platforms, Rodeo Show has been an influential production partner to brands looking to resonate with young viewers in an authentic way. Most recently, Leopold produced an integrated holiday campaign, “This is the Time,” for Abercrombie & Fitch that includes two :30 and :60 ads that tell several stories through the lens of diverse, young adults who are maturing. The spots spearheaded the 125 year-old brand’s new 21st Century direction and featured millennials as they embark on a number of “firsts” in their lives: first apartment, first heartbreak, first job. The campaign spots authentically capture the experience-driven journey that today’s youth values so much and therefore, went on to receive industry acclaim in the trades, awards and beyond. It was recently awarded with a  Epica Award in the Luxury & Premium Brands category. Leopold has thoughtfully assembled a roster of highly-skilled directorial talent who have helmed spots for such top brands as Nike, ESPN, Adidas, Subaru, Verizon, Abercrombie & Fitch, Michelob, Jeep, HP, Honda among numerous others. As an Executive Producer, he has collaborated with top talent including Gal Gadot, Katherine Heigl, Steven Wright, Arielle Vandenberg, Elisabeth Rohm and MLB stars Chris Sale, Josh George, David Price, among others.

Marlene Sharp, Director, Production at LEVEL-5 abby: Marlene Sharp is a creative and business-savvy entertainment multi-hyphenate who originally hails from New Orleans but is now a Valley girl. She currently is Director, Production at LEVEL-5 abby, home of YO-KAI WATCH, INAZUMA ELEVEN, SNACK WORLD, and LAYTON DETECTIVE AGENCY. As former Producer, TV Series, at Sega of America, Marlene worked on much more than the Teen Choice Award-nominated cartoon “Sonic Boom.” For example, her Hedgehog duties took her to the heights of nerd-dom as an official San Diego Comic-Con 2017 panelist. As a freelance journalist, Marlene concentrates on popular entertainment for Geekified.net. As a short filmmaker, she has snagged recent prizes at the Canine Film Festival and the San Luis Obispo Film Festival. And as a human being, basically, she loves dogs.