Center for Communication Presents
The 9th Annual Media Career Summit
In Partnership with
Thursday, June 11th, 2026
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
BRIC Arts Media
647 Fulton Street, Brooklyn
Tickets
Student: $20
Recent Grad: $35
Join us for inspiration, motivation, and connection at our 9th Annual Media Career Summit. The Summit is designed to help students and recent graduates break into the business and be successful in their early careers through keynotes, panels, and skill workshops. You'll hear wisdom and actionable advice from trailblazers across the industry and have the opportunity to network with representatives from leading media organizations.
Our thanks to our sponsors A+E Global Media, Disney, Hearst, Mattel, Nielsen, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Special thanks to our Knowledge Partner, McKinsey & Company.
Presented In Partnership With
The Center's programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
2026 Media Career Summit
Program Agenda
8:30 AM — Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 AM — Welcome Remarks
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Camila Brango is the Director of Community at the Center for Communication, where she leads the strategy and execution of marketing initiatives for the organization’s annual forums and summits, connecting students and emerging talent with leaders across the media industry. She also serves as a spokesperson and on-stage host, moderating conversations and creating spaces where ideas, stories, and opportunities come to life.
She is also the host of Make It in Media, a podcast she pitched and helped develop to expand access to industry insights while equipping fellows with hands-on experience in content production, storytelling, and digital media.
She is currently a Master’s student in Strategic Communications at Columbia University (Executive cohort), deepening her expertise at the intersection of media, leadership, and impact.
With a background in marketing, advertising, and real estate, Camila has worked with organizations including AOL, Johnson & Johnson, Ogilvy, and UXPros, contributing to brand development and digital strategy. Her experience also includes coordinating the expansion of Johnson & Johnson’s global partnership with Costco and leading the growth of Avenues Real Estate as its former Chief Operating Officer.
A bilingual communicator in English and Spanish, Camila is passionate about storytelling that informs, uplifts, and connects.
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J. Max Robins is a veteran journalist, media analyst and producer with extensive editorial experience in a variety of sectors in the industry. Before joining the Center for Communication in 2014, Max was the Vice President/Executive Director of the Paley Center for Media. Prior to this, Max was the editor-in-chief of “TV industry bible," Broadcasting & Cable. Before joining B&C, Max was senior editor and columnist at TV Guide. Prior to TV Guide, he was TV editor and columnist at Variety.
Max’s work has appeared in myriad publications, including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and New York. He has commented on media-related issues for many major news outlets, including NBC, CBS, CNN, CNBC, Fox News, MSNBC and NPR. You can follow Max on Twitter at @jmaxrobins.
9:15 to 10:30 AM – Opening Panel: The Leadership Blueprint: Insights from the Top
The best careers aren't just built, they're intentionally shaped. Hear from leaders across the media industry as they reflect on the decisions, detours, and defining moments that brought them to where they are today, with practical insights for young professionals ready to make their mark.
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As Magnite’s President, Product & Operations Strategy, Katie Evans oversees the company’s product, client success, and business intelligence teams. She is responsible for scaling the company’s global operations and works closely with the revenue and engineering organizations to drive innovation and success for our clients. Katie was promoted to the position of President, Operations in December 2024, with product added to her scope in April 2026. She previously served as Magnite’s Chief Operating Officer.
Katie was instrumental in the integration between Rubicon Project, SpotX, Telaria, and SpringServe. Before Telaria’s merger with Rubicon Project in 2020, Katie was Chief Operating Officer at Telaria, where she drove the company operations and the alignment of its global strategy, roadmap, and processes. At Telaria, Katie built and led teams that helped transform the company’s business to focus on providing the best solution for CTV.
Katie’s tenure dates back more than 15 years to Tremor Video. She was an instrumental part of the company’s strategy to focus on the sell side, which led to the creation of Telaria.
She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Richmond and lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.
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Diane Houslin is a New York City-based Executive Producer and Showrunner whose work has appeared on HBO, Apple TV+, ESPN, NBC, Disney, PBS, and at domestic and international film festivals.
In 2010, Diane partnered with best-selling novelist Walter Mosley to found B.O.B. FilmHouse, Inc., dedicated to adapting Mosley’s fiction for screen and stage. She served as Executive Producer/Showrunner on the Apple TV+ limited series The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, starring Samuel L. Jackson. She recently produced The Man in My Basement for Disney/Andscape — starring Corey Hawkins and Willem Dafoe — now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. A Sundance Institute Creative Producing Lab Fellow and Trans Atlantic Partners International Fellow, Diane serves on the board of the Producers Guild of America, is a member of NYWIFT, and teaches in Columbia University’s MFA Film program.
Diane is a proud Brooklynite where she still resides.
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Samantha (Sam) has been a leader at Horizon Media for over 19 years, bringing deep expertise in media investment across the video and advanced TV landscape. She began her career in linear television and has continuously evolved alongside industry shifts, overseeing investments in linear TV, streaming, and digital video for clients across diverse categories. For more than 13 years, she has led the Capital One Investment team, delivering innovative and customized solutions in a rapidly changing marketplace.
Sam founded and built Horizon’s advanced TV practice over a decade ago, positioning the agency at the forefront of data-driven and audience-based television buying. Under her leadership, the team executed several first-to-market initiatives, including early business-outcome guarantees and the adoption of alternative currencies.
Today, Sam oversees Horizon’s Integrated Investment practice, which includes leading the agency’s Upfront approach and negotiation strategy. In this capacity, she sets investment priorities and negotiation guardrails, aligns client goals with marketplace dynamics, and leads cross-functional teams through planning, deal structuring, and final agreements with media partners. She ensures commitments are structured to maximize flexibility and performance, and partners closely with client teams on upfront recommendations, pacing and stewardship throughout the year, and post-upfront reporting and learnings.
In addition to overseeing the integrated investment group, more recently, Sam has also taken on the programmatic practice, advancing efforts to more fully integrate programmatic capabilities across the agency’s investment approach. She works closely with clients, internal teams, and partners to drive more effective, efficient, and measurable media outcomes. Notable achievements in this area include implementing customized CTV programmatic approaches for her clients, resulting in better frequency distribution, a +10–30% increase in campaign reach, and KPI improvements such as 2x stronger brand health metrics and ~15% better CPAs.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Sam is widely recognized for her commitment to mentorship and talent development, fostering learning and collaboration across Horizon and within the industry. She holds leadership positions within two of Horizon’s EIG groups, “Limitless” (Women Employees & Advocates for Gender Equality), and “Shalom” (Jewish Employees and their allies). She is lucky to spend time balancing her career with her role as an active parent to her two spirited children, Zachary (11) and Alexandra (9).
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Raeshem Nijhon is an Emmy, NAACP, Critics Choice, IDA, Webby, Shorty and Gotham Award nominated filmmaker and activist and Co-Founder of Culture House - a Black, Brown and Women owned media company and cultural consultancy.
Select projects include Netflix Top 10 docu-series, Ladies First, about women in hip hop featuring artists like Queen Latifah, Tierra Whack, Latto, and MC Lyte. The Hair Tales, a premium doc series for Onyx/Hulu about Black hair and beauty hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross and EP’d alongside Oprah Winfrey, Growing Up, a doc-narrative hybrid series for Disney+ with Brie Larson, about adolescent mental health and revisiting our teen years with a fresh eye and Black Twitter for Hulu, directed by Prentice Penny and in partnership with Conde Nast.
Raeshem sits on the board for the New York Center for Communication, an organization dedicated to bringing more diversity to the media and entertainment industry, serving over 4500 students from 185+ colleges and universities annually. She serves on the Creative Council for EMILY'S List and is the recipient of the 2024 Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision Award alongside her Culture House co-founders.
Select pro-social work includes partnerships with Planned Parenthood, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Committee to Protect Journalists. Raeshem was named one of InStyle magazine’s Badass 50, Worth magazine's Worthy 100 and select press features include The New York Times, Fast Company, The Cut, and Variety.
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Rebecca Aronson is an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, where she partners with media companies on growth strategy, revenue acceleration, and navigating the evolving advertising ecosystem. Prior to McKinsey, Rebecca was an editor at HarperCollins Publishers, where she acquired and developed middle grade and young adult fiction. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in Comparative Literature and Economics from Barnard College.
10:30 AM Break
10:40 AM Networking and Breakout: Round 1
Attendees will begin this session in either the Partner Networking or one of two Skill Workshops.
Networking
Representatives from BRIC, CenCom, DGA Assistant Director Training Program, Emma Bowen Foundation, Mattel, Parlé, Project Feel, Reel Works and Warner Bros. Discovery
Choice of two Skill Workshops:
From Inbox to Impact: Communication Skills for the Workplace (Artist Studio)
Navigating a media career takes perseverance fueled by strong communication skills. This workshop is designed for early-career media professionals who want to communicate with clarity, confidence, and intention across every channel. From crafting a concise, actionable email to delivering the perfect pitch, participants will receive a practical toolkit for navigating the moments that matter most at work. Using real-world frameworks and hands-on practice, here is an opportunity to explore different communication styles and how understanding each one can help build stronger, more productive professional relationships from day one.
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Alexandra M. Merceron is a communications executive and thought leader with 20 years of experience transforming how organizations connect with audiences through media. Currently, she’s the Executive Vice President of Insights at Rubenstein Communications, where she leads research, digital analytics, talent development and AI transformation initiatives for the iconic PR firm.
Alex is also an award-winning educator with 15 years of experience teaching graduate courses in public relations, digital strategy, and strategic communication. In addition to teaching at NYU School of Professional Studies, Alex is also an affiliated faculty member at Wake Forest, Georgetown and the University of Colorado-Boulder. Previously she taught at Columbia University and the University of Connecticut, among other institutions.
Born and raised in New York City, Alex received her BA In English from Pace University and MA in Integrated Marketing Communication from Emerson College in Boston.
Contact Email: Alexandra.Merceron@gmail.com
Linked In Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-m-merceron/
Thinking Your Way Out of Imposter Syndrome
Imposter Syndrome affects countless individuals, making it difficult to fully own their achievements and feel confident in their roles. This workshop is designed to help participants embrace their capabilities, understand the impact of feeling like a fraud, and develop ownership over their successes. Through engaging learning exercises and the sharing of personal stories, participants will explore practical strategies to better understand themselves and make changes that support their growth. By addressing these barriers head-on, attendees will be equipped to navigate imposter syndrome and foster a mindset that empowers them to thrive in their careers.
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Reema Elghossain is a proud Lebanese-American and lifelong Jersey Girl with a passion for celebrating people and creating lasting relationships. On her journey, she has gained experience working in higher education, talent & leadership development, diversity, equity, and inclusion, programming & partnerships in the creative industry. Her passion is to empower, engage, and equip others to believe in the possibilities. She led the 4A's Foundation, guiding and supporting the advertising industry with DE&I and talent initiatives, transforming programs like MAIP and VANGUARD. She now works at Netflix focusing on creating space for underrepresented emerging talent.
11:40 AM Rotation Break
11:50 AM Networking and Breakout: Round 2
Attendees will begin this session in either the Partner Networking or one of two Skill Workshops.
Networking
Representatives from BRIC, CenCom, DGA Assistant Director Training Program, Emma Bowen Foundation, Mattel, Parlé, Project Feel, Reel Works and Warner Bros. Discovery
Choice of two Skill Workshops:
From Inbox to Impact: Communication Skills for the Workplace (Artist Studio)
Navigating a media career takes perseverance fueled by strong communication skills. This workshop is designed for early-career media professionals who want to communicate with clarity, confidence, and intention across every channel. From crafting a concise, actionable email to delivering the perfect pitch, participants will receive a practical toolkit for navigating the moments that matter most at work. Using real-world frameworks and hands-on practice, here is an opportunity to explore different communication styles and how understanding each one can help build stronger, more productive professional relationships from day one.
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Alexandra M. Merceron is a communications executive and thought leader with 20 years of experience transforming how organizations connect with audiences through media. Currently, she’s the Executive Vice President of Insights at Rubenstein Communications, where she leads research, digital analytics, talent development and AI transformation initiatives for the iconic PR firm.
Alex is also an award-winning educator with 15 years of experience teaching graduate courses in public relations, digital strategy, and strategic communication. In addition to teaching at NYU School of Professional Studies, Alex is also an affiliated faculty member at Wake Forest, Georgetown and the University of Colorado-Boulder. Previously she taught at Columbia University and the University of Connecticut, among other institutions.
Born and raised in New York City, Alex received her BA In English from Pace University and MA in Integrated Marketing Communication from Emerson College in Boston.
Contact Email: Alexandra.Merceron@gmail.com
Linked In Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-m-merceron/
Stability Under Visibility: Staying Present and Engaged in High-Stakes Conversations (Ballroom)
This session focuses on how to stay grounded, clear, and connected in moments where attention is on you—networking, interviews, and high-pressure conversations.
We’ll break down the internal patterns that lead to overthinking, self-consciousness, and disconnection, and introduce a simple framework to help guide attention back to the present moment.
Students will leave with practical tools to regulate their nervous system in real time, stay engaged in conversation, and build more natural, confident interactions.
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Todd Young is an Identity and Performance Coach who works at the intersection of attention, behavior, and nervous system regulation.
He helps students and professionals improve performance under pressure by stabilizing their internal state, clarifying what matters, and acting with consistency.
He is the founder of Lion & Lotus Collective, an emerging platform focused on identity and nervous system performance.
12:50 — PM Lunch
1:45 PM to 3:00 PM – Afternoon Panel: Adapt and Advance: Advice for a Changing Media World
The media landscape looks different than it did five years ago — and it will look different again five years from now. So how do you build a career on shifting ground? Speakers share their own paths into the industry and the lessons they've learned along the way, with honest perspective on today's challenges and practical strategies for emerging professionals ready to carve out their place in it.
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Tyler Crowe is a Recruiter & Program Manager on the Early Talent team at Warner Bros. Discovery, where he has been making an impact for five years. He leads internship recruitment and programming across multiple departments and teams, including Finance, Accounting, Creative & Content, Documentary Production, MBA, Legal, and other corporate functions, while supporting many of WBD’s iconic brands such as HBO Max, CNN, TNT Sports, Food Network, Warner Bros. Pictures, WBTV, Warner Bros. Games, and more.
In addition to his core recruiting work, Tyler leads the team’s HBCU strategy. He developed and runs Make Your Mark, a quarterly virtual and in-person series that provides students from leading Historically Black Colleges, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and other minority-serving institutions with critical recruitment resources and professional development opportunities, covering topics such as navigating imposter syndrome, building a creative portfolio, and how to stand out in the interview process. He also serves as the primary liaison for several of WBD’s diversity partner organizations, including the Emma Bowen Foundation and the Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program (EICOP).
Tyler also plans and leads the annual WBD MBA Trek, an event he has managed for the past five years. This full-day, on-site event offers first-year MBA students valuable insights into jumpstarting their careers at Warner Bros. Discovery, featuring sessions with recruiters, alumni, and hiring managers.
Tyler earned a B.A. in Psychology and Business Management from Skidmore College.
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David Francois is an active BRIC Brooklyn Free Speech community producer. David received the coveted Most Valuable Producer at the 2016 BRIC Brooklyn Free Speech B Free Awards. David has risen in the ranks of multiple key production roles as a freelancer with BRIC TV from 2016 - 2022. David’s recent notable accolades: Four time New York Emmy nominated Cinematographer/ Audio Engineer in 2022 & 2023.
David in September 2022 transitioned from Adult Education Instructor to serve as the new Adult Media Education Specialist. In David’s role he oversees all in-person classes here at BRIC and at the Central Brooklyn Public Library. David provides technical support to the BRIClab Cohorts, and Documentary & Podcast Intensive Students, Reel Sisters Scriptwriting workshops and Master classes. David has produced the Reel Sisters Table Readings since 2022, the Red Carpet Shows during the 2023 BRIC Brooklyn Free Speech B Free Awards and the 2023 Alliance For Community Media Conference held here at BRIC. David looks forward to meeting with you at The 9th Annual Media Career Summit.
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Samantha M. Wender has been creating award-winning and nominated stories for two decades. She’s a multi-Emmy Award winner that has traveled to every state in the U.S. and more than one hundred countries.
Samantha came to CBS News as an Executive Producer to lead development, production, and execution of multi-part live and taped series as well as studio and field-based special projects for CBS News Streaming. She most recently produced for the CBS Evening News franchise “Eye on America.”
While a Senior Producer at Vice News, she oversaw and produced smart, in-depth and contextual storytelling that married people and their voices to global headlines and stories for Vice News Tonight and VICE on Showtime.
At NBC News, she wrote and produced feature stories for TODAY, TODAY Food and Sunday Today with Willie Geist. She also produced breaking news and pitched, developed and booked much of her work, spearheading multi-platform series and sponsored content.From 2005-2012, at ABC’s News Magazines (Primetime & 20/20), Samantha produced, field produced and supported major newsmaker interviews and process hours including Diane Sawyer’s Hidden America series. She spent the better part of two years following the lives of five homeless teens, eight months on the Lakota Sioux Pine Ridge Reservation and several months with the Amish, heroin addicts and foster youth, chronicling the stories of those living in poverty, out of the mainstream and on the fringes of society.
In 2012, Samantha left ABC News to produce a 90-minute feature documentary for MTV while simultaneously producing for their True Life series at Gigantic! Productions. She also spent time helping to develop series, pilots and special pitches for a variety of networks and outlets including Yahoo! Where she produced sponsored digital video content.
In June 2025, her independently produced documentary JUST KIDS world premiered at Tribeca Film Festival. The film was acquired by Prime Video for international distribution and will be available to stream, rent, and buy on that platform and Apple TV in June 2026.
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Mary Noonan is a News and Broadcasting agent with United Talent Agency where she represents network, cable and local on-air talent.
Mary joined UTA after nearly a decade at ABC News as the Vice President of Talent Strategy and Development where she hired on and off-air talent for the network shows including Good Morning America, World News Tonight and ABC News Live streaming. With a discerning eye for quality and competitive talent, Noonan brought in dozens of correspondents, anchors and contributors. Her development, mentoring and strategic skills helped retain and promote many of ABC News’ award-winning talent during her time with the network.
Before joining ABC News, Noonan served as a Senior Producer in CNBC’s Long Form unit, overseeing and producing business documentaries with CNBC premiere talent. In 2012, she received the Edward R. Murrow Award for “Billions Behind Bars: Inside America’s Prison Industry.”
Noonan began her career at CBS News as an intern in the Washington DC bureau and went on to roles in New York at newsmagazines West 57th, 60 Minutes and 48 Hours. During her time producing at 48 Hours, she received two news Emmys. Noonan spent her last few years at CBS News as the Director of Talent Development.
She is a graduate of Catholic University in Washington, DC and currently lives in Stamford, Connecticut.
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Rachel Kay serves as senior vice president and chief people officer at Hearst. In this capacity, she leads enterprise-wide talent strategy across Hearst’s multifaceted businesses, which include media, healthcare, transportation and financial services. With a focus on building and nurturing exceptional teams, Rachel partners with business leaders and HR executives to recruit, develop and promote top talent across the organization. She heads the team that provides centralized support in human resources information systems (HRIS), people analytics, learning and development, recruiting strategy and operational support. Her work also encompasses advising senior leadership on employee engagement, the future of work, talent development and the integration of emerging technologies like generative AI.
Before joining Hearst, Rachel spent 15 years at McKinsey & Company, where she held a variety of leadership roles spanning talent strategy, professional development, operations and diversity. As Global Leader for Partner Talent, she oversaw the performance, development and succession planning of McKinsey’s partner group. She advised the firm’stop leadership on partner evaluations and future leadership pipelines and led a team delivering data-driven insights and development programs for the partnership. Earlier roles included operational leadership of the Mid- Atlantic region, national leadership of McKinsey’s entry-level consulting program and spearheading diversity recruitment efforts across North America. Her career at McKinsey began in client service, where she led strategy and operations projects as an engagement manager.
Rachel holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School and an undergraduate degree in history from Harvard University.
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM — Break
3:15 PM Keynote
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Vanessa Freeman is an anchor for the PIX11 Morning News weekdays from 4:30 – 6 a.m.
Prior to joining the PIX11 team, she was a national host and news anchor for Cheddar News and Cheddar Business.
Vanessa was also an anchor and reporter for News 12 Networks in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Throughout her career, Vanessa has covered every aspect of news, from hard-hitting stories, and politics, to celebrity red carpet interviews.
She is a former co-host of NBC’s local lifestyle show, Living Dayton, and has also been featured on MSN, AOL, and CNN.
Vanessa is also founder of a non-profit, 1 Woman 4 All, Inc. and resides in New Jersey.
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Camila Brango is the Director of Community at the Center for Communication, where she leads the strategy and execution of marketing initiatives for the organization’s annual forums and summits, connecting students and emerging talent with leaders across the media industry. She also serves as a spokesperson and on-stage host, moderating conversations and creating spaces where ideas, stories, and opportunities come to life.
She is also the host of Make It in Media, a podcast she pitched and helped develop to expand access to industry insights while equipping fellows with hands-on experience in content production, storytelling, and digital media.
She is currently a Master’s student in Strategic Communications at Columbia University (Executive cohort), deepening her expertise at the intersection of media, leadership, and impact.
With a background in marketing, advertising, and real estate, Camila has worked with organizations including AOL, Johnson & Johnson, Ogilvy, and UXPros, contributing to brand development and digital strategy. Her experience also includes coordinating the expansion of Johnson & Johnson’s global partnership with Costco and leading the growth of Avenues Real Estate as its former Chief Operating Officer.
A bilingual communicator in English and Spanish, Camila is passionate about storytelling that informs, uplifts, and connects.
4:15 PM Closing Remarks and Peer-to-Peer Networking
5:00 PM - Summit concludes
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