Media Industry Conversations
The Media Industry Conversations speaker series invites students to meet and learn from a diverse array of professionals in the media and entertainment industries. Guests discuss their career trajectories, give advice for the next generation of media leaders, and share insights on today’s entertainment landscape.
Media Industry Conversations are a joint initiative between the Department of Radio-Television-Film and the Center for Entertainment and Media Industries.
Spring 2025 MIC Lineup
February 10 - Mark Shapiro
President and COO, Endeavor and TKO
5:00-6:15pm
Note: Seating is not guaranteed; it is first come, first served.
March 25 - Anatomy of a Production Company
Maddy Bilder and Michael Garcia
Leadership at 26 Keys Productions
5:00-6:15pm
Tune In to MIC
Interested in Speaking?
We'd love to hear from you! Connect with Dr. Alisa Perren, RTF Professor and Director of the Center for Entertainment and Media Industries.
Past MIC Sessions
Podcast recordings of MIC sessions are linked in the session title, where applicable. The positions and titles of speakers indicate what they were at the time of their visit.
James Emmanuel Shapiro - President, Domestic Distribution, XYZ Films
Lucy Huang - Senior Production Executive, Amazon MGM Studios
Michelle Trujillo McKibben - Senior Manager of Post Production, UCAN Scripted Series, Netflix
Don Mischer - CEO, Executive Producer, Don Mischer Productions
PJ Shapiro and Greg Slewett - Partners, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole
Brent Weinstein - Chief Development Officer, Candle Media
Ashley Brucks - President, Screen Gems/Sony
Business of Music: The Agent/Artist Relationship
Vince Staples - Musical Artist
Kevin Shivers - Partner, WME Music Division
Tom Schatz - Professor Emeritus, UT Austin Radio-Television-Film
Elaine Frontain Bryant - EVP, Head of Programming, A&E,Lifetime, LMN, A+E Television Networks
Lee Solomon - Partner, Apollo Global Management LLC
Breaking in: The Screenwriter/Agent Relationship 2024
Jim Ehrich - Partner Agent at Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston
Cindy McCreery - RTF Chair and Screenwriter.
Breaking In Panel 2024
Katie Hoovestol - Entertainment Research Analyst, National Research Group
Alberto Medina - Manager and Producer, BASH Media
Zachary Smith - Producer Director's Assistant, Station 11
Rachel Wang - Associate Producer, UP Entertainment.
Lee Solomon - Partner, Apollo Global Management LLC
Austin-Based Film Festivals Panel
Neha Aziz (Artistic Director, Austin Asian American Film Festival)
Alka Bhanot (Co-Founder, Indie Meme)
David Finkel (Director, Austin Jewish Film Festival)
Todd Hogan (President, aGLIFF)
Gabriel Ornelas (Executive Director, Cine Las Americas)
Austin Animation Panel
Carrye Glazar (Executive Producer, Austin Community College Television)
Brad Graeber (CEO and CCO, Powerhouse Animation Studios)
Austin Harper (Supervising Producer, Rooster Teeth)
Evan Narcisse (Senior Writer, Brass Lion Entertainment)
Craig Staggs (CEO, Director, and Producer, Minnow Mountain)
Austin Entertainment Industry Panel
Alfred Gomez (Director, Programming & Development, Blind Nil)
Jennifer Hutchins (Producer)
Laura Kincaid (Director of Operations, ATX TV Festival)
Attia Rasul (Content Hub Editor, Atmosphere TV)
Vince Robinette (Controller, Amazon Studios and 20th Century Fox/Disney)
David Tran - VP, Distribution Strategy and Analysis, Lionsgate
Lucy Huang - Senior Production Executive, Amazon Studios
Emerald Fennell - Actress, Writer, Director
Amanda Barclay - Director, Comedy Series, Netflix
Business of Music Panel
Wofford Denius - Attorney, Eisner, LLP
Jonathan Eshak - Co-Owner and Partner, Mick Management
Margaret Galton - Talent Buyer, C3 Events
Dan Goscombe - Managing Director, Cal Financial Group
Kevin Shivers - Partner, WME Music Division
Gail MacKinnon - Senior Executive Vice President, Global Policy & Government Affairs, MPAA
Brent Weinstein - Chief Development Officer, Candle Media
Breaking In: The Screenwriter/Agent Relationship 2023
Davia Carter - Writer, Tulsa King, Snowfall
Jim Ehrich - Literary Agent, Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston
Cindy McCreery - RTF Interim Chair & Associate Professor
Breaking In Panel 2023
Ben Harizman - Executive Assistant to the CEO, OBB Media
Zachary Smith - Line Producer's Assistant, 20th Television
Hemrani Vyas - Assistant Manager of Programming, TCM
Rachel Wang - Associate Producer, Up Entertainment
Michelle Trujillo McKibben - Manager, Original Series Post Production, Netflix
PJ Shapiro and Greg Slewett - Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole
Elaine Frontain Bryant - EVP & Head of Programming, A&E
Lucy Huang - Senior Production Executive, Amazon Studios
Barry Dale Johnson - Senior Vice President, National Publicity, Fox Searchlight
Johannes Larcher - CEO, Storytel
Andrew Wang - Head of Development & Production, Juvee Productions
Akilah Green - Writer, Producer, Actress
Tom Schatz - Chair Emeritus of the Department of Radio-Television-Film at The University of Texas at Austin
Breaking In: The Screenwriter/Agent Relationship 2022
Jim Ehrich - Literary Agent, Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston
Cindy McCreery - RTF Interim Chair & Associate Professor
Bob Iger - CEO, Disney (Retired at the Time of Visit)
Please note that two months after this MIC talk and podcast recording, Mr. Iger rejoined The Walt Disney Company as Chief Executive Officer.
Breaking In Panel 2022
Ben Harizman - Assistant, William Morris Endeavor
Daniel Tuggle - Chief of Staff, Moment
Hemrani Vyas - Assistant Manager of Programming, TCM
Rachel Wang - Project Artemis Office Production Assistant, Apple Studios
Jesse Anderson - Brand Manager for BioWare, Electronic Arts
Morgan O'Brien - Quality Assurance Tester, Aspyr Media
Gracie Arenas Strittmatter - Technical Art Director, EA Sports
Hall Hood - Senior Writer, Aspyr Media
Jordan Levin - General Manager, Rooster Teeth
PJ Shaprio - Entertainment attorney, Ziffren Brittenham LLP
Kyle Davies - Davies Entertainment Group, Owner
Maru Buendia-Senties - Senior Post Production Executive, Amazon Studios
Michelle Trujillo McKibben - Manager, Original Series Post Production, Netflix
Lucy Huang - Production Executive, Amazon Studios
Brian Edwards - President, TV Operations, MGM
Brandt Joel - Agent & Partner, WME Endeavor
Colby Gaines - Executive Producer and Founder, Back Roads Entertainment
Keli Lee - Founder & President, Infinite Possibilities Enterprises
Kevin Jarzynski - Senior Development Executive, Amazon Studios
Tahirah Gooden - Manager, Original Studio Films at Netflix
Mindy Kaling - Actress, Writer, Producer (The Office, The Mindy Project)
Ginny Morris - Chair/CEO, Hubbard Media
Mark Hoffman - Chairman, CNBC
Breaking In: The Screenwriter/Agent Relationship 2021
Davia Carter - Executive Story Editor (Debris)
Jim Ehrich - Literary Agent, Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston
Kim Tran - Staff Writer (Space Force)
Cindy McCreery - RTF Associate Professor & Screenwriting Area Head
Breaking In Panel 2021
Caterina Nasr - Senior Manager, A&R, Elektra Music
Vance Nguyen - Assistant to VP & Executive Director of Development, 20th Century Animation
Lauren Zimmer - Television Scripted Assistant at Creative Artists Agency
Hemrani Vyas - Assistant Manager of Programming, TCM
Scott Grogin - Executive Vice President, Communications, CBS Distribution
Casey Cannon and Van Ling - Producing Partners
Casey Cannon - RanchWorks Picture Show, Producer and VFX
Van Ling - Writer, Director, and VFX Supervisor
Tery Lopez - Director, Inclusion and Equity, WGA
Shira Rockowitz - Director of Creative Producing and Artist Support, Sundance Institute
Kevin Rowe - Literary Manager and Producer, Elia
Tahirah Gooden - Manager of Original Studio Films, Netflix
Raymond Mansfield - Producer and Founding Partner, QC Entertainment
Luis Ribeiro - Managing Partner and Executive Producer, LOBO
Gaylyn Fraiche - Vice President, Film and Television, Hello Sunshine
Felicia Henderson - TV Writer, Producer, Director (Soul Food, The Punisher)
Catherine Hardwicke - Director (Twilight, This is Us)
Breaking In: The Screenwriter/Agent Relationship 2020
Davia Carter - Writer, Katy Keene
Jim Ehrich - Literary Agent, Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston
Britta Lundin - Writer, Betty
Cindy McCreery - RTF faculty member, Writer, Haven
Breaking In Panel 2020
Nora Bess - Marketing Coordinator, HBO
Caterina Nasr - A&R Manager, Elektra Music
Daniel Tuggle - Associate, Content Strategy & Analysis, Netflix
Lauren Zimmer - Creative Department Manager, The Third Floor
Jordan Levin - General Manager, Rooster Teeth
Jamie Moore - Senior Vice President, Branded Content, Viacom Velocity
Gaylyn Fraiche - Vice President, Film & Television, Hello Sunshine
Kyle Davies - President of Domestic Distribution, Paramount Pictures
Felicia Henderson - TV Writer, Producer & Director (The Punisher, Empire)
Christine Vachon - Producer (Carol, Mildred Pierce)
Michael Grillo - Producer (Avengers: Endgame, Ant Man)
PJ Shapiro - Attorney, Ziffren Brittenham LLP
Lucy Huang - Production Executive, Amazon Studios, TV Comedy
Ross Richie - CEO, Boom! Studios
Carrye Glazar - Executive Producer, ACCTV
Panel: Stephanie Simon and Taylor Kitsch
Stephanie Simon - Founder and Manager, Untitled Entertainment
Taylor Kitsch - Actor (Friday Night Lights, True Detective)
Screenwriting Panel 2019
Kell Cahoon - Writer (Psych)
Andrew Logan - Writer (Chappaquidick)
Cindy McCreery - Writer, RTF Associate Professor
Shireen Razack - Writer (New Amsterdam)
Chris Berend - Senior Vice President of Digital Video, CNN
Matt Stein - Brand Marketing & Partnerships Advisor, Philo
Kyle Davies - President of Domestic Distribution, Paramount Pictures
Diana Alvarez - Co-Producer (The Hunger Games); Executive Producer (Ocean’s 8)
Carl Effenson and Sally Jo Effenson - Producers (Mudbound)
Angela Cheng Caplan - Literary Manager, Cheng Caplan Company
Carrye Glazar - Head of Original Content & Executive Producer, Mighty Coconut Animation Studio
Tommy Paul - Director, Original Programming, Marvel Studios
Jordan Levin - Former CEO, Awesomeness
Kevin Shivers - Music Agent, WME
ATX Panel: Caitlin McFarland, Emily Gipson, and Laura Kincaid
Emily Gipson - Co-Executive Director and Founder, ATX Television Festival
Caitlin McFarland - Co-Executive Director and Founder, ATX Television Festival
Lauren Kincaid - Director of Operations, ATX Television Festival
Amy Tenbrick - VP & Associate General Counsel, Revenue/Business Development, Univision
Felicia Henderson - TV Writer and Producer (The Punisher, The Quad)
Screenwriting Panel 2018
Matt Cook - Writer (Patriots Day)
Tamar Laddy - Writer (Pretty Little Liars)
Cindy McCreery - RTF Assistant Professor, Writer (Haven)
Anne Rapp - Writer (Cookie's Fortune)
Gloria Fan - VP of Creative Affairs, Fox 21 Studios
Courtney Kivowitz - Manager and Partner, MGMT Entertainment
Rooster Teeth Panel
Matt Hullum's - CEO, Rooster Teeth
Chris Demarais - Lead Creative, Rooster Teeth
Laura Rister - Producer & Manager, Untitled Entertainment
Todd Nienkerk & Aaron Stanush - Partners, Four Kitchens
Todd Nienkerk - CEO, Four Kitchens
Aaron Stanush - Partner and Creative Director, Four Kitchens
Heather Page - Director, TX Film Commission
Tery Lopez - WGA Director of Diversity
Panel: Chris Lockhart & Julie Richardson
Christopher Lockhart - Story Editor, WME
Julie Richardson - Writer, Director, Producer, Imaginarium Entertainment
Deborah McIntosh - Agent, WME Global Finance & Distribution Group