MSLCE Speaker Series
We introduce you to top creative industry professionals from across the country to meet students, discuss changes occurring in the industry, and provide guidance for students looking to enter the sector. All events are free + open to the public.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Kevin McCollum
Founder + President
Alchemation
12:15 – 1:15pm
Register
PAST EVENTS
We have video clips from many of our events! Visit our YouTube page to view.
The Northwestern community can view full-length speaker series videos via Panopto.
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Ira Deutchman
Independent Film Producer
Deutchman Company
12:30 – 1:30pm
Friday, March 14, 2025
Michele Ganeless
CEO
Comic Relief
11:30am – 12:30pm
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Fri Forjindam
Co-Owner, Chief Development Officer + Executive Creative Director
Mycotoo, Inc.
5:30 – 6:30pm CT
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Angela Goding
Senior Director of Advancement
National YoungArts Foundation
5:00 – 6:00pm CT
Thursday, January 14, 2021
Michelle Byamugisha
External Communications Manager
PricewaterhouseCoopers
4:00 – 5:00pm CT
Monday, October 12
Jeanne Sparrow
Emmy-winning television host, reporter and radio personality
4:00 – 5:00pm CDT
Wednesday, October 21
MSLCE Alumni Panel
Hayley Bullock ’16, Digital Transformation Consultant, Accenture Interactive
Haley Baker ’18, Media Relations Coordinator, FX Networks
Kayla DeSouza, Individual Giving Manager, The People’s Music School
12:00 – 1:00pm CDT
Thursday, October 22
Lisa Trifone
Founder + Principal
Bright Iris Film Co
4:00 – 5:00pm CDT
Monday, October 26
Pepe Vargas
Founder + Executive Director
International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago
4:00 – 5:00pm CDT
Co-sponsored by the Latina + Latino Studies and the Caribbean and Latin American Studies programs
Thursday, October 29
Gabe Brotman (SoC ’12)
Chief Operating Officer
PRIOR
4:00 – 5:00pm CDT
Thursday, November 5
Development + Production at Disney
Jay Francis, VP – Current Series, Diversity + Inclusion, Disney Television Animation
Pilar Flynn, Producer, Disney Junior
4:00 – 5:00pm CST
Monday, November 9
Faiz Razi
Educator, Composer + Designer
4:00 – 5:00pm CST
Thursday, November 12
Mara Webster
Co-Founder, Head of Programming
In Creative Company
4:00 – 5:00pm CST
Thursday, November 19
Mike Knobloch
President, Global Film Music and Publishing
Universal Pictures
4:00 – 5:00pm CT
Co-sponsored by the MA in Sound Arts and Industries program
Thursday, February 11
Nicholas Austin
Director of New Media & Emerging Platforms Development
Sony Pictures Television
Speaker Series 2018-2019 Archive
Thursday, January 16th
Erica Daniels, Executive Director of Victory Gardens Theater
Al Heartley, Managing Director of the Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts
5:30pm-6:45pm
Thursday, October 17th
Lauren Moffat, SVP of Drama Development at Sony Pictures Television
Aaron Kaplan, Owner/Manager Kaplan Perrone Entertainment
Moderated by: Laverne McKinnon
April 18th, 2019
Charles Adler, Co-Founder of Kickstarter
Moderated by: Jennifer Kim-Matsuzawa
May 9th, 2019
Xiaoming Zhang, international art market expert and founder of W. Ming International Ltd.
Moderated by: Larissa Buchholz
February 21st, 2019
Brian + Jan Hieggelke, Founders of Newcity and the Chicago Film Project
Moderated by: AJ Christian
January 17th, 2019
Gigi Pritzker, Founder/CEO of MWM (Madison Wells Media)
Moderated by: Gregg Latterman
November 14, 2018
Jane Chu, PBS Arts Adviser and former NEA Chairperson under the Obama administration
Moderated by: Jennifer Novak-Leonard
October 18, 2018
Greenlight: Idea to Script to Screen
Dan Farah, Producer, Ready Player One
Janet Yang, Producer, The Joy Luck Club
Sam Bailey, Director/Producer Brown Girls, You’re So Talented
Moderated by: Laverne McKinnon
Speaker Series 2017-2018 Archive
October 5, 2017
Rob Luchow, Vice President, Drama Development, CBS TV Studio
November 2, 2017
Angelique Power, President, Field Foundation
November 30, 2017
Greg Cameron, Executive Director, Joffrey Ballet
January 11, 2018
Deana Haggag, President + CEO, United States Artists
February 1, 2018
Criss Henderson, Executive Director, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
March 12, 2018
Adam Tucker, President, Ogilvy & Mather Advertising New York
April 5, 2018
Jake Trussell, Creative Director, World Business Chicago
5:15PM, McCormick Foundation Center Forum, 1870 Campus Drive
Reception to follow
Click here to register!
May 21, 2018
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Fringe Festival Society
5:30PM, McCormick Foundation Center Forum, 1870 Campus Drive
Reception to follow
This event is co-sponsored by the Buffett Institute for Global Studies and the Kaplan Institute for the Humanities.
Speaker Series 2016-2017 Archive
October 6, 2016
Adam Sachs, Former CEO of Midroll Media
Co-presented with the School of Communication MA in Sound Arts and Industries program.
November 3, 2016
Brigette Whisnant, Executive Producer, Havas Worldwide Chicago
December 1, 2016
Chris Meador,
Global Business Brand Strategy Lead at Facebook
January 12, 2017
Erica Daniels, Managing Director, Victory Gardens Theater
February 2, 2017
Jeffrey Jacobs, Co-Head of Television, Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
March 2, 2017
Glendon Palmer, Senior Vice President, Development & Production, IM Global
April 6, 2017
Mary Sherman, Director, TransCultural Exchange
May 4, 2017
Andy Bohn, Co-Founder + Partner, The Film Arcade
Speaker Series 2015-2016 Archive
October 1, 2015
Mara Webster, Panels + Programs Manager, Tribeca Film Festival
November 5, 2015
Len Kasper, TV Play-by-play Announcer, Chicago Cubs
December 3, 2015
Erica Labovitz, Indiegogo
January 7, 2016
Jane Gottlieb, VP/Executive Producer, CBS Marketing Group
February 4, 2016
Harry Gottlieb, Founder, Jellyvision
March 3, 2016
Christine Dudley, Deputy Director, Illinois Film Office
April 7, 2016
Femke Speelberg, Associate Curator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
Dan Danzig, Private Consultant + Member, The Museum Group
May 5, 2016
Mark Hoebee, Producing Artistic Director, Paper Mill Playhouse
Speaker Series 2014-2015 Archive
October 1, 2014
Stacey Schulman, EVP of Strategy + Analytics, Katz Media Group
November 5, 2014
Kevin Crotty, Partner + Board Member, ICM Partners
December 3, 2014
Matthew Schwartz, Adult Swim
January 7, 2015
Martha Lavey, Artistic Director, Steppenwolf Theatre
February 4, 2015
Sheetal Prajapati, Assistant Director of Learning + Artists Initiatives, MoMA
March 4, 2015
Mike Knobloch, President of Film Music + Publishing, Universal Pictures
April 8, 2015
Marie Davidheiser, SVP + Director of Operations, Jack Morton Worldwide
May 7, 2015
Jake Nickell, Founder + CEO, Threadless