NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Announces 2023 Spring "Made in NY" Talks

Signature Series Returns to Highlight Career Pathways and Job Opportunities for New Yorkers in Entertainment Industry

PBS NewsHour’s Charlayne Hunter-Gault to Moderate Panel featuring 2023 George Polk Award winners

NEW YORK - The NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) announces six new "Made in NY" Talks for Spring 2023:

• The Show Must Go On: New Rules of Broadway
• How to Launch a Career in Video Games
• Sound Advice: Breaking Into the Music Business
• The George Polk Awards Seminar: When Covering War Gets Personal
• Multicultural Marketing: Meaningful Engagement
• Making Social Content: A Creators Conversation

Presented in partnership with the Center for Communication, the "Made in NY" Talks series brings together industry leaders to share insights, information and news with New Yorkers looking to work in the media and entertainment industries. The talks are in-person, free and open to the public. Interested attendees are encouraged to register in advance here. Spring 2023 panels include:

The Show Must Go On: New Rules of Broadway
Wednesday, March 8, 6:30 to 8:00 PM ET
SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Hear from writers, directors, producers, and promoters about reopening Broadway after shows were dark for 18 months. Panelists share how they navigated this challenging time, and where the opportunities are for young people who’d like to break in.

Panelists:

• Annie MacRae, Associate Artistic Director, Atlantic Theater Company
  
• Amanda Pekoe, Owner & Founder, The Pekoe Group
• Cynthia J. Tong, Associate Producer, Tom Kirdahy Productions (Grey House, New York, New York); Co-Founding Member, The Industry Standard Group

Moderator: Adam Natale, Director, SVA Theatre
RSVP to attend "The Show Must Go On: New Rules of Broadway"

How to Launch A Career in Video Games
Wednesday, March 15, 6:30 to 8:00 PM ET
SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues)
The game industry is the fastest-growing area of media and entertainment, as big tech companies are investing in gaming. Whether you want to be a developer, producer, marketer, or editor, find out how you can build your skills to pursue your passion in this thriving field.

Panelists:

• Emily Pantofel, Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition, Take-Two Interactive Software
• Catt Small, Game Maker, Developer; Co-Organizer, Game Devs of Color Expo
• Kurt Young, Founder & CEO, Mokuni Games
• Omar Shakir, Game Director, Avalanche Studios

Moderator: Krysti Pryde, Head of Community, Playcrafting
RSVP to attend "How to Launch A Career in Video Games"

Sound Advice: Breaking Into the Music Business
Monday, March 20, 6:00 to 7:30 PM ET
BRIC, 647 Fulton Street, Brooklyn
Music industry professionals share what it’s like to work in this evolving industry and the challenges that come along with it. With many routes into the biz, find out what skills you need to break into this dynamic industry.

• Diane Eber, Executive Producer and Artistic Director, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival
• Xavier “X” Jernigan, The Voice of Spotify; Head of Cultural Partnerships, Spotify
• Michelle Martinez, Agent, Creative Artists Agency

Moderator: DJ Rekha, DJ, producer, curator, and educator
RSVP to attend "Sound Advice: Breaking Into the Music Business"

The George Polk Awards Seminar: When Covering War Gets Personal
Thursday, April 13, 6:00 to 7:30 PM ET
Library Learning Center (LLC), Ground Floor, LIU Brooklyn, Flatbush Avenue Extension between DeKalb Avenue & Willoughby Street, Brooklyn
Polk Award winning photojournalists and writers share their experiences from covering war and delve more deeply into their stories.

Panelists:

• Mstyslav Chernov, photojournalist, filmmaker, war correspondent and novelist, Associated Press. Winner of the Polk Award for War Reporting for groundbreaking exclusive coverage of the siege of Mariupol at the outset of the war in Ukraine.
• Alex Perry, Contributing Editor, Outside Magazine. Winner of the Sydney H. Schanberg Prize for his vivid investigative account of an ISIS attack on a remote town in Mozambique.
• Lynsey Addario, Photojournalist, The New York Times. Winner of the Polk Award for Photojournalism for an iconic image of the bodies of a woman and her two children struck by a Russian mortal shell that narrowly missed Ms. Addario.

Moderator: Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Special Correspondent, PBS NewsHour
RSVP to attend "The George Polk Awards Seminar: When Covering War Gets Personal"

Multicultural Marketing: Meaningful Engagement
Thursday, April 20, 6:30 to 8:00 PM ET
St. Francis College, 179 Livingston Street, Brooklyn
Given that 40% of the US population is composed of racial and ethnic minorities, brands need to reflect those demographics with campaigns that are uniquely communicated for them. Marketing pros share what it takes to reach diverse audiences and make authentic connections with staying power.

Panelists:

• Jackie Gagne, SVP, Multicultural Marketing, Warner Bros. Discovery
• Debbie King, SVP, Sales Strategy, Paramount Advertising

Moderator: Alexandra Merceron, EVP, Rubenstein Strategic Communication; Lecturer in Discipline, Strategic Communication, Columbia University
RSVP to attend "Multicultural Marketing: Meaningful Engagement"

Making Social Content: A Creators Conversation
Monday, April 24, 6:30 to 8:00 PM ET
St. Francis College, 179 Livingston Street, Brooklyn
From TikTok and Instagram to YouTube and Twitch, video-driven social media platforms have fostered an explosion of independent content creation, attracting keen interest from brands and media companies looking to collaborate with, hire, and learn from the influential creators. Join us for a conversation with digital creators, influencers, and marketers about what it takes to make breakout social content.

Panelists:

• Alyssa Francois, Associate Content Lead, Dove Masterbrand; Health and Wellness Influencer, The Alyssa Effect
• Sarah Funk, On-Air Host and Travel Expert, GoDaddy and Travel + Leisure
• Mariya Moseley, Social Media Manager, Vice TV
• Gabriela Rodiles, Social Media Manager, Food Network; Content Creator, Gourmet Gab

Moderator: Vanessa Santana, Associate Brand Manager-Dove, Unilever; Co-Host, Out of Office

RSVP to attend "Making Social Content: A Creators Conversation"

Previous "Made in NY" Talks can be viewed on MOME's website here.