Global Industry Spotlight

Global Industry Spotlight is a conversational series focused on providing resources and insight for the creative entrepreneur.

Sam Hulick is CEO of ReelCrafter, a platform for musical artists including composers, musicians, and songwriters, to showcase their music to potential clients. He has a dual background as both a BAFTA-nominated and NBC News award-winning composer, most known for his work on the Mass Effect Trilogy, and as a web developer, having worked with global brands such as Coach, 1-800-Flowers, Diageo, and Crate & Barrel, among others.

Over a decade of art directing for national and regional brands has built Sara Pocius's experience in all aspects of advertising strategy and design. Her integrated experience stretches from Las Vegas to Kansas tourism, fried fish to lactose-free milk, fine spirits to peanut butter—and covers social, digital, broadcast, eCommerce, and print.

Bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, she co-founded ReelCrafter, a SaaS for audio professionals to showcase their work to potential clients, and heads creative & strategy.

Global Industry Spotlight is a conversational series focused on providing resources and insight for the creative entrepreneur.

Bio: CHAN C. SMITH is a multi-platform filmmaker and content creator. She is currently a represented Director with Tessa Films. Her work includes narrative filmmaking, documentary, editorial and branded content.

Chan has created content for brands such as Nike Chicago, Parents Magazine, the NBA, and the Biden/Harris campaign. She is committed to exploring unique methods of storytelling, from the inception phase to final deliverables.

Previously, she served as the Multimedia Producer at EBONY and JET Magazines. Chan has directed, captured and produced interviews and cover shoots with high profile celebrities such as Ava Duvernay, Kevin Hart, John Legend, Jurnee Smollett, Chance the Rapper, NBA Stars Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook, and notable public figures including Nikki Giovanni, Van Jones and Sandra Bland’s mother, Geneva Reed-Veal.

Chan is passionate about telling stories that are centered around the human experience in an effort to inspire, inform, and invigorate the masses. Chan can pivot from being a one “Chan” band to directing vast stories with her trusted ensemble.

Global Industry Spotlight is a conversational series focused on providing resources and insight for the creative entrepreneur.

Mario Rubén Carrión is a Puerto Rican filmmaker & photographer based out of Brooklyn, NY. Mario has worked with Fania Records, Museo del Barrio, Discogs, Jameson, Remezcla, Tasting Table and the Caribbean Cultural Center and African Diaspora Institute.

He has curated and directed teams of visual artists for the New York Latino Film Festival and Afro Latino Festival NYC.

Mario has been resident documenter for nightlife events such as Rosa Perreo, Oriza, Vibras NYC, Que Bajo?! and has been published by Rolling Stone, Vibe, Complex, El Nuevo Día and Okay Africa, among others.

Global Industry Spotlight is a conversational series focused on providing resources and insight for the creative entrepreneur.

Anthony Spina is a highly creative and collaborative beverage leader, with a proven record of success in leading innovative marketing initiatives for nationally recognized organizations.

Together with Matt Sievers, he is creating SYSTEM ELECTROLYTE CHARGED SELTZER - The First Inclusive Drinking System, meant to fill the void in a rapidly changing beverage industry and give choice, control and consciousness to the modern beverage drinker, a variety 9 pack that includes (3) 12oz cans of 0% ABV, 5% ABV and 8% ABV.

Prior work experience has included senior brand manager for White Claw hard seltzer, brand manager for Old Style beer and field + culture marketing for Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Global Industry Spotlight is a conversational series focused on providing resources and insight for the creative entrepreneur.

Bio: Melissa Thornley is a leadership consultant, content producer, and writer specializing in emotional intelligence and media arts. She is also the Director of Marketing for Pravda Records, one of Chicago’s longest running indie record labels celebrating its 38th year working with artists across a wide variety of genres including indie rock, alternative, pop, soul, experimental, alt country and punk.

Over her two decades in advertising and film production, she led world-renowned creative editorial and visual effects teams in Chicago, New York, and London. She also represented music houses and production companies for broadcast and content projects.

She is Chair of the Board of Directors for Free Spirit Media, a not-for-profit whose mission is to transform media and society by partnering with emerging creators primarily from Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood.

Global Industry Spotlight is a conversational series focused on providing resources and insight for the creative entrepreneur.

Michelle Breyer is the Chief Marketing Officer at SKU, the nation’s first CPG accelerator. She joined SKU after spending 20 years in the beauty industry.

Named one of the 50 Most Influential People in the Multicultural Market by Women's Wear Daily in 2015, Michelle Breyer is a visionary entrepreneur who took a personal frustration over her curly hair and built it into the largest social-media platform for hair. Numerous haircare brands launched on NaturallyCurly.

The company, which grew to include an ecommerce site, a consumer insights division and an experiential marketing company, was acquired in 2018 by Essence Ventures.

Over the past two decades, Michelle has consulted with numerous beauty companies to help them develop, position and launch right products and to create the most effective communication strategies to connect with this valuable consumer.

Before launching NaturallyCurly, Breyer was a business reporter with daily newspapers in Texas and California, focusing on retail, real estate and consumer products. A year-long special project on the explosive growth of Whole Foods Markets won several state and national awards.

Global Industry Spotlight is a conversational series focused on providing resources and insight for the creative entrepreneur.

Bio: Aimy Steadman is a Co-Founder and COO at Future/Proof, creators of BeatBox Beverages - the World's Tastiest Portable Party Punch™ one of the best-selling US RTD cocktails. Future/Proof, recently awarded one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 Fast-Growing Privately Owned Companies in America, is a disruptor in the beverage alcohol market that provides innovative solutions that drive incremental profit in high-growth categories. 

Aimy Steadman serves on the following nonprofit boards: Naturally Austin, Naturally Network, and Entrepreneurs Organization: Austin.  Steadman has also received a handful of notable national as well as global accolades, most recently Austin Chamber’s A-List 2020 in addition to being featured in a recent book entitled The Immigrant Hustle.

The Only 3 Questions You Need to Answer to Develop Your Marketing Strategy.

Dakota has developed and implemented marketing strategies, campaigns and events for start-up companies as well as Fortune 500 businesses across a variety of industries including hospitality, gaming, healthcare, technology and philanthropy. His personal hall of fame includes developing two highly recognizable citywide art campaigns, fundraising videos for cancer research, and enduring original concept creations within well-established industries.

CEED’s mission is to develop and connect entrepreneurs who want to grow as leaders, build their companies and give back to their community. At CEED they get access to mentors, networks, knowledge and capital they need to grow. 
Building a community of entrepreneurs is paramount in their approach, as their work is based connecting entrepreneurs into peer groups, for learning and networking. CEED is present in 11 countries in South-East Europe and Africa and have engaged over 20,000 leaders through different learning activities.

Global Industry Spotlight is a conversational series focused on providing resources and insight for the creative entrepreneur.

Bio: James VanOsdol is a podcaster, broadcaster and journalist whose media career found him on the air and behind the scenes at some of Chicago’s most celebrated radio stations (WKQX, WGN, WXRT, WLUP). As a digital reporter, he’s earned multiple Lisagor awards in Chicago, as well as a national Edward R. Murrow award.

Podcasting since 2006, he’s now entering his ninth year of hosting the celebrated hyperlocal Chicago podcast, “Car Con Carne.” James isn’t always behind the podcast mic; he’s also produced podcasts for Double Door, Accenture, Deloitte and Rivet 360.