2025 Keynote Speakers Include:

Daniel Ives
Managing Director, Global Head of Technology Research
Wedbush Securities

Haiyan Zhang
GM, AI Innovation and Science
Xbox

Joanna Popper
Media & Technology Executive
Laurel Beach

Michael Pachter
Managing Director, Equity Research
Wedbush Securities

Sarah Parvini
Technology Writer
The Associated Press
2025 Speakers Include:

Alessandra Catanese
CEO
Smosh

Alice Ma
CEO & Co-Founder
Mad Realities

Andrew Wallenstein
President & Chief Media Analyst
Variety Intelligence Platform

Ben Jones
Founder & CEO
Sundogs

Bill Stanton
Head of Enterprise and Affiliate
Later

Chang Kim
Co-Founder & CEO
Saywise

Chris M. Williams
Founder & CEO
pocket.watch

Daisy Stall
EVP & Group Head, Entertainment Finance
California Bank & Trust

Dan Bunting
Venture Partner
1AM Gaming

Dave Davis
GM, Protege Media
Protege

David Bloom
Senior Contributor,
Forbes

David Fink
Partner
Venable

David Higley
Partner
Perella Weinberg

Derek Douglas
Head of Games
CAA

Elaine Low
Staff Writer
The Ankler

Ethan Fassett
Co-Founder & CEO
glystn

Fran Helms
Senior Client Partner & Sector Leader, Media and Entertainment Practice, North America
Korn Ferry

Frank Handy
President, LA Chapter
Association of Independent Music Publishers

Gabriel Berger
Strategic Growth Advisor
HAND

Hemal Thaker
Managing Director, Global Head of Gaming Investment Banking
Goldman Sachs

Jacob Clarke
VP. Customer Success
Aspire IQ

Jacqueline Charlesworth
Partner
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz

Jake Beaumont-Nesbitt
Director, Innovation & Education
International Music Managers Forum

James Creech
Founder
Quartermast Advisors

Jamie Gutfreund
Founder
Creator Vision

Jamie Howard
Managing Director
Perella Weinberg

Jamil Moledina
Strategic Advisor
XP Consulting

Jason Birke
Managing Director
East Wind

Jay Tucker
Executive Director, Center for Media, Entertainment & Sports
UCLA Anderson School of Management

Jeff Clanagan
President & Chief Distribution Officer
HARTBEAT

Jeonghee Jin
CEO
NC America
COO
NC West

Jess Hunichen
Co-Founder
Shine Talent Group

Joe Anderson
Partner
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Joey Chowaiki
Co-Founder & COO
Open Influence

Jonas Lee
Chief Commercial Officer
ProRata.ai

Josh Gutfreund
General Partner
GOAL Ventures

Kalon Gutierrez
Managing Director, Manatt Ventures Consulting
Manatt, Phelps & Phillps, LLP

Katja Reitemeyer
Director, Data Science and AI, Media & Entertainment
NVIDIA

Kayla Comalli
CEO & Co-Founder
Lovelace Studio

Ken Gerstein
VP, Sales
Nagravision

Leonard Rosenthol
PDF Architect & Sr. Principal Scientist
Adobe Systems, Inc.

Matthew Dysart
Partner
Greenberg Glusker LLP

Matthew Gielen
CEO
Silver Berry Studios

Michael Eames
President & Co-Founder
PEN Music Group, Inc.

Michael Grecco
Founder & Board Member
The American Society for Collective Rights Licensing, Inc.

Michael Metzger
Managing Partner
Drake Star

Moritz Baier-Lentz
Partner & Head of Gaming
Lightspeed Venture Partners

Nate Harris
VP, Product Innovation
CreatorIQ

Ned Sherman
Chief Business Affairs & Legal Officer
Skybound
Founder
Digital Media Wire

Nika Nour
SVP, International Business Development
Savvy Games Group

Olivia McNaughten
Sr. Director, Product Marketing & Partnerships
GRIN

Paul Sweeting
Co-Founder
RightsTech Project
Founder & Principal
Concurrent Media Strategies

Phil Quist
Music + Emerging Tech Agent
CAA

Rachel Webber
Chief Commercial and Brand Officer
11:11 Media

Richard McDerby
Partner
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Roanie Levy
Licensing & Legal Advisor
CCC

Ryan Horrigan
President
London Alley

Sean Atkins
CEO
Dhar Mann Studios

Seth Hallen
Managing Partner
Hallstone Ventures

Sharon Tal Yguado
Founder & CEO
Astrid Entertainment

Simone Heard
Sr. Director, Recruiting
Jam City

Steph Money
SVP, Client Development, AI
Edelman

Tamay Aykut
CEO
Sureel.ai

Taylor Rodriguez
Global VP, Customer Experience
Traackr

Virginie Berger
Chief Business Development & Rights Officer
Matchtune
2025 Agenda:
Ned Sherman, Chief Business Affairs & Legal Officer, Skybound
Jay Tucker, Executive Director, Center for Media, Entertainment & Sports, UCLA Anderson School of Management
GENERAL SESSION: THE POWER OF PEOPLE: BUILDING & RETAINING HIGH-PERFORMING TEAMS IN DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT
Speakers:
Kalon Gutierrez, Managing Director, Manatt Ventures Consulting, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Simone Heard, Sr. Director, Recruiting, Jam City
Fran Helms, Senior Client Partner & Sector Leader, Media and Entertainment Practice, NA, Korn Ferry
Moderator:
Ned Sherman, Chief Business Affairs & Legal Officer, Skybound
Speakers:
Moritz Baier-Lentz, Partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners
Daisy Stall, Executive Vice President, Head of Entertainment Finance, California Bank & Trust
Hemal Thaker, Managing Director, Global Head of Gaming & Interactive Entertainment Investment Banking, Goldman Sachs
Moderator:
Andrew Wallenstein, President & Chief Media Analyst, Variety Intelligence Platform & Luminate
MORNING BREAK: SPONSORED BY VENABLE
GENERAL SESSION: KEYNOTE CONVERSATION WITH Haiyan Zhang, xbox
Keynote Speaker:
Haiyan Zhang, GM, AI Innovation & Science, Xbox
Interviewer:
Joanna Popper, Media & Technology Executive, Laurel Beach
INVESTMENT, DEALMAKING AND M&A: INVEsting in artificial intelligence for digital entertainment
Speakers:
Kayla Comalli, CEO, Lovelace Studio
Seth Hallen, Founder & Managing Partner, Hallstone Ventures
Chang Kim, Co-Founder & CEO, Saywise
Katja Reitemeyer, Director, Data Science and AI, Media & Entertainment, NVIDIA
Moderator:
Jamil Moledina, Strategic Advisor, XP Consulting
Speakers:
Jacob Clarke, VP, Customer Success, Aspire IQ
Nate Harris, VP, Product Innovation, CreatorIQ
Olivia McNaughten, Sr. Director, Product Marketing & Partnerships, GRIN
Taylor Rodriguez, Global Vice President, Customer Experience, Traackr
Bill Stanton, Head of Enterprise and Affiliate, Later
Moderator:
Steph Money, SVP, Client Development, AI, Edelman
What role does data transparency play in the debate? A panel of leading licensing, copyright and AI executives will discuss the latest developments around AI licensing and litigation, and where the respective industries go from here.
Speakers:
Jake Beaumont-Nesbitt, Director, Innovation & Education, International Music Managers Forum
Virginie Berger, Chief Business Development & Rights Officer, MatchTune
Dave Davis, GM, Protege Media, Protege
Moderator:
Paul Sweeting, Co-Founder, RightsTech Project
LUNCH BREAK
Speakers:
Sean Atkins, CEO, Dhar Mann Studios
Alessandra Catanese, CEO, Smosh
Chris M. Williams, Founder & CEO, pocket.watch
Moderator:
David Bloom, Co-Founder, Next TMT
Speakers:
Jason Birke, Managing Director, East Wind Advisors
Joey Chowaiki, Co-Founder & COO, Open Influence
Ethan Fassett, Co-Founder & CEO, Glystn
Moderator:
Jamie Gutfreund, Founder, Creator Vision
Speakers:
Tamay Aykut, CEO, Sureel.ai
Jonas Lee, Chief Commercial Officer, ProRata.ai
Leonard Rosenthal, PDF Architect & Sr. Principal Scientist, Adobe Systems, Inc.
Moderator:
Jay Tucker, Executive Director, Center for Media, Entertainment & Sports, UCLA Anderson School of Management
Speakers:
Dan Bunting, Venture Partner, 1AM Gaming
Derek Douglas, Head of Video Games, CAA
Jeonghee Jin, CEO, NC America, COO, NC West
Moderator:
Josh Gutfreund, General Partner, GOAL Ventures
BRANDS & CREATORS: The rise of the independent studio
Speakers:
Ryan Horrigan, President, London Alley
Andrew Kenward, President & COO, Almost Friday Media
Alice Ma, CEO & Creative Director, Mad Realities
Moderator:
Matthew Dysart, Partner, Greenberg Glusker LLP
Speakers:
Gabriel Berger, Strategic Growth Advisor, HAND
Ken Gerstein, VP, Sales, Nagravision
Phil Quist, Music & Strategic Development Agent, CAA
Moderator:
David Fink, Partner, Venable LLP
Speakers:
Jeff Clanagan, President & Chief Distribution Officer, HARTBEAT
Rachel Webber, Chief Commercial & Chief Brand Officer, 11:11 Media
Brent Weinstein, Chief Development Officer, Candle Media
Sharon Tal Yguado, Founder & CEO, Astrid Entertainment
Moderator:
Elaine Low, Staff Writer, The Ankler
Speakers:
James Creech, Founder, Quartermast Advisors
Matthew Gielen, CEO, Silver Berry Studios
Jess Hunichen, Co-Founder, Shine Talent Group
Moderator:
Joe Anderson, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Speakers:
Jacqueline Charlesworth, Partner, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz
Michael Eames, President & Co-Founder, PEN Music Group, Inc.
Michael Grecco, Founder & Board Member, American Society of Collective Rights Licensing
Roanie Levy, Licensing & Legal Advisor, Copyright Clearance Center
Moderator:
Paul Sweeting, Co-Founder, RightsTech Project
AFTERNOON BREAK: Sponsored by venable
Speakers:
Jamie Howard, Managing Director, Perella Weinberg
Michael Metzger, Managing Partner, Drake Star
Nika Nour, SVP, International Business Development, Savvy Games Group
Moderator:
Richard McDerby, Partner, Manatt Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Keynote Speakers:
Daniel Ives, Global Head of Technology Research, Wedbush Securities
Michael Pachter, Managing Director, Equity Research, Wedbush Securities
Interviewer:
Sarah Parvini, Technology Writer, The Associated Press