Chris Epple

As the Vice President of Marketing for HARMAN, Chris oversees consumer & customer marketing, media & PR, digital & social, retail and new product marketing in North, South and Central America. This leadership role spans globally recognized brands such as JBL, Harman Kardon and AKG. Prior to that, Chris was Vice President, Marketing, A+E Networks®, where he was responsible for launching the National Women’s Soccer League on broadcast partner, Lifetime. In this capacity, Chris oversaw league marketing, media, on-site activation and social media targeting both consumers and advertisers. Prior to this role, Chris was Head of International Marketing at A+E Networks®, where he was accountable for setting the global strategic vision and marketing plans across all A+E Network brands. Earlier, Chris ran Consumer Marketing for the HISTORY® channel in the U.S.; where he led brand strategy, paid media, digital and social media, experiential marketing and multi-platform planning. Chris worked to build the HISTORY® brand through strategic partnerships and overhauled the Network’s social media footprint, growing it’s followers by 70% and overall reach by 126%. HISTORY® was voted the fourth most trusted US brand and number one Network in the UGov survey during Chris’s tenure. Prior to A+E Networks®, Chris spent nine years at PepsiCo in Beverage Marketing with roles across Brand Management, Innovation, Media Strategy and Digital Marketing, including starting Pepsi’s first Social Media and Branded Entertainment departments. Chris has launched more than 20 product and packaging innovations and worked on the execution of Pepsi’s Super Bowl Half-Time show promotion. Before PepsiCo, Chris held brand management roles at Kraft Foods, working on Altoids, Creme Savers and Capri Sun; he managed the launch of the highly successful Altoids Sours business which is still in market 20 years later. Chris received his BS in Business Management from Binghamton University and his MBA from the Fordham University School of Business. He was recipient of the MBA Student Leadership Award and was President of the Fordham Marketing Society and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. He is a multi- award-winning marketing executive with recognitions including Marketing Team of the Year from PR Daily, NY Addy Award winner for JBL True Summer, Platinum PR Winner for JBL x Giannis, Promax Gold winner for creative excellence on History Channel’s Vikings and Houdini and in 2023 was named one of PR Comms most influential marketing executives. Chris and his family live in Westchester County in New York, where he enjoys tennis (he is a former member of a nationally ranked college tennis team), running, and spending time with his wife and two sons.

Bennie Johnson

Bennie F. Johnson is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Marketing Association. AMA is the largest community-based marketing association in the world, trusted by marketing and sales professionals to help them discover industry trends. AMA’s community of local chapters spans more than 70 cities and 320 college campuses throughout North America. AMA is home to award-winning content, PCM® professional certification, five premiere academic journals, and industry-leading live and virtual training events. He most recently served as the Executive Director of AIGA, the largest professional association for design. AIGA grows the power of design as a professional craft, strategic advantage, business driver and catalyst for positive impact. While at AIGA, Bennie hosted the acclaimed Design Adjacent podcast and the design leadership fireside chat series from 2020 to 2022.

Currently, he serves on the Board of Overseers for Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, as a Trustee of the Smithsonian Archives of American Art and is a former Board Chair of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. Bennie is also a special advisor to the People’s Graphic Design Archive. Bennie thrives on the connections between marketing, technology, education and innovation. With experience in strategic and consumer marketing, brand management and innovation management, he is drawn to opportunities that allow him to lead and create new modes for business engagement. He has broad experience growing brands, businesses and organizations with a special focus on venture launch and brand relaunch business environments.

Bennie graduated from Yale University with a B.A. and from Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies with a M.S., Strategic Communications.

Fahad Ahmed

Fahad Ahmed is the Director of Deloitte’s Chief Marketing Officer Program. From an aspiring video jockey to a healthcare compliance and privacy officer, Fahad had worked and lived entirely in the right- or left-side of his brain. It wasn’t until joining Deloitte that he found the chance to live equally in both mindsets, becoming a relationship first, creative thinking, intentional and deliberate leader. Fahad received his BS in Chemistry at SUNY New Paltz in 2006. From there, he earned his MPA in Healthcare Administration at Mercy College in 2008 and then his MBA at Columbia Business School in 2017. Most importantly, Fahad is a father, husband, son, and brother. In his free time, he enjoys working on his podcast, Columbia Bizcast, and cheering for his beloved New York Mets. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife Jennifer and son Rami.

Jenn Bane

Jenn Bane is an author, producer and the creative director of M. Harris & Co. Her book, Everybody Needs an Editor, is available now for pre-order on Amazon. Her first book, Friendshipping, is a feel-good guide to making friends as a busy and anxious adult. Previously Jenn was the first-ever hire at Cards Against Humanity where she earned a Clio Award for Excellence in Advertising, a fact she intended to omit from this bio but added it because Melissa ordered her to.

Mel Barry

Mel Barry is the director of brand marketing for New Orleans’ NBA team, the New Orleans Pelicans. Prior to this role, she was the brand marketing manager for New Orleans’ NFL team, the New Orleans Saints, and worked at creative agencies in New Orleans as well as New York. She has managed campaigns for organizations such as Tulane University and Kennedy Space Center, and also developed creative projects for various live entertainment and events from Cirque du Soleil to Broadway.

Pavan Chennamaneni

Pavan Chennamaneni is a Professor of Marketing and Associate Director of the Institute for Sales Excellence at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Dr. Chennamaneni is an expert on the use of AI in sales research and education. He has published in numerous journals, including the Journal of Marketing Education, Management Science, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Research in Marketing, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Service Research, and Marketing Letters.

Andrew Dahl

Andrew Dahl is an Assistant Professor of Marketing and Coordinator of the Masters of Marketing Science at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Dr. Dahl is an expert in the use of AI, and teaches AI at the graduate and undergraduate level. He has multiple AI publications, and has published in numerous journals, including Journal of Marketing Education, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Journal of Consumer Behavior. Dr. Dahl is Partner at APR Research and Marketing and is past President of the AMA Collegiate Chapters Council.

Vannesia Darby

Vannesia Darby is an award-winning entertainment marketer who has launched campaigns for Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, the YMCA, and more. A dynamic public speaker and writer, her works have been featured in publications such as Teen Vogue, Thought Catalog, and The Drake Management Review. In 2016, Darby founded the consultancy MOXIE Nashville, which provides services to clients in the entertainment industry. Her impact has garnered recognition, including the 2022 and 2023 Volunteer of the Year award from the Nashville Chapter of the American Marketing Association, inclusion on the 2021’s 50+ Black Marketers on the Rise from the African American Marketing Association, and the prestigious 4 under 40 Emerging Leaders Award from the American Marketing Association Foundation. Darby is currently a Digital Marketing Manager for Shondaland and is pursuing a PhD in Management with a marketing concentration at Kennesaw State University

Julia Silverman Dinhofer

Julia is the Senior Manager of Club Marketing at MLS sitting within the Brand and Integrated Marketing team. She works with each of the MLS clubs on their branding and marketing strategy. Before joining MLS, Julia was a Marketing and Communications Manager at Sovereign Brands where she oversaw marketing for Wiz Khalifa’s gin brand, McQueen and the Violet Fog. Prior to her time at Sovereign Brands, Julia spent 5 years at the agency, Endeavor (160over90) where she handled marketing and communications for the Under Armour and Michelob ULTRA accounts. She graduated from The Johns Hopkins University in 2015 and got her MBA at night from Baruch College Zicklin School of Business in 2021.

Robin Feinman

Robin Feinman is a senior manager, Deloitte Services LP, in Deloitte’s Executive Accelerators’ Executive Networking group providing networking assistance to companies with senior talent needs and senior executives undergoing a career transition. In addition to Executive Networking, Robin also leads well-being initiatives for the Executive Accelerators’ community. Robin joined Deloitte in 2012 and led marketing efforts for the greater Washington DC area and eventually C-suite programs. She led efforts related to partner performance management and a role-based performance management process for the organization. Prior to Deloitte, Robin spent over ten years in various consulting firms where she led all aspects of client delivery including strategic planning, financial management, business development, and solution recommendation, planning and implementation. Robin holds a BS in management science and information systems from Pennsylvania State University.

Bradley Lewis Foster

Bradley Lewis Foster spent 15 years in marketing for some of the best brands in the world including companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Disney, AT&T, and MillerCoors and has helped hundreds of small businesses around the world. He is currently a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer and marketing trainer, teaching people how to think like the best marketers and navigate their careers to land their dream job. He is originally from a small town in Montana and is now based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Eddie Francis

Eddie Francis is a brand strategy consultant, speaker and award-winning broadcaster, he hosts “I Wanna Work There!,” one of Hannon Hill’s best higher education podcasts of 2024 and “For Our Edification,” a personal leadership podcast. Eddie is also a frequent contributor to WBOK radio in New Orleans. His work is driven by his belief in ethical leadership and that being valued matters. Eddie’s career launched in broadcasting with WQUE, New Orleans’ top hip hop and R&B radio station and later moved on to WYLD, the market’s top old school R&B radio station. Eddie went on to host “The HBCU Lifestyle Podcast,” one of Podbean’s top 10 education podcasts, and he contributed to “The HBCU Nation Radio Show” on SiriusXM. Ironically, Eddie found his voice in education. It was as a speaker with Monster’s Making It Count programs that Eddie reached over a quarter of a million high school and college students about educational and career success. He then stepped into higher education marketing and communications as the director of public relations at Southern University at New Orleans. There, he crafted the university’s brand and spearheaded the public relations campaign to defeat a state legislative bill that threatened the institution’s future. Eddie moved on to Paul Quinn College where he helped spark an enrollment increase of nearly 80 percent. At Dillard University, he led the “Write Your Legacy” brand evolution campaign, expanded the university’s licensed merchandise offerings, and led the institution’s website rebuild. In a career pivot, Eddie entered talent acquisition where his appreciation for leadership, employer branding and personal branding grew. He worked with more than 300 hiring managers and recruited from the entry to executive levels. Eddie’s recruited for such brands as Quest Diagnostics, Staples, Lowe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Tyco SimplexGrinnell. He also recruited for Cielo, an HRO Baker’s Dozen award-winning global recruitment firm. Eager to inspire, Eddie uses his highly respected public speaking skills to share lessons about leadership, philanthropy, and career preparation with college students. He also enlightens professional audiences with talks about: employer branding; talent recruitment and retention; and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. He has spoken at such institutions and organizations as Southern Methodist University, the University of North Alabama and the Urban League of Louisiana; and he has presented at such events as the American Marketing Association’s Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity’s Southwestern Leadership Retreat, and the Big XII Conference on Black Student Government. Eddie has been quoted and featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, The Times-Picayune, The Huffington Post, Inside Higher Ed, Careers in Government, Watch the Yard and AFLV Connections in addition to “The Higher Ed Marketer,” “Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO,” “The Fraternity Foodie Podcast,” and more. Eddie also contributed to the Greek University book “From Letters to Leaders: Perseverance and How to Be a Great Fraternity or Sorority Alumnus.” Among Eddie’s honors and recognition are New Orleans Magazine’s “30 People to Watch,” the Press Club of New Orleans’ Excellence in Broadcasting Best Radio Entertainment Feature Award, (one of) 25 Twitter Pages Diverse Students Should Follow, and two nominations for the AMA Foundation’s Higher Education Marketer of the Year. A native of New Orleans, Eddie earned his Master of Professional Studies in strategic leadership from Tennessee State University and he earned his Bachelor of Arts in mass communication from Loyola University New Orleans. Eddie is a member of the American Marketing Association, the International Leadership Association, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. He is the proud husband of Dr. Halima Leak Francis and the proud father of Stevie.

Liza Goldstone

Elizabeth (Liza) Goldstone is an Account Manager at Google, specializing in Advertising Sales to US Federal Government bodies. With a background in International Studies and Marketing & Communications from Johns Hopkins University, her role blends marketing expertise with an understanding of the political landscape, effectively navigating the intricacies of government advertising. At Google, Liza leads strategic initiatives to optimize Google & YouTube advertising campaigns, leveraging innovative solutions to drive impactful results for government agencies. Her role involves fostering strong client relationships, understanding their unique needs and delivering tailored advertising solutions that align with their objectives. Prior to her current role, Liza worked in the nonprofit and political campaign space, leading to a fellowship at Google on the Political Advertising team during the 2020 election. In this position, she worked with Google’s political candidate clients to help them take advantage of Google & YouTube’s ads products to motivate voters to head to the polls. After this, in 2021, Liza joined the SMB department at Google, educating small & medium-sized business owners about the value of acclimating to digital advertising tactics within the Covid landscape.

Melissa Harris

Melissa Harris is the founder and CEO of M. Harris & Co., a marketing agency that makes our clients unforgettable. She spent 15 years as a journalist at the Orlando Sentinel, Baltimore Sun and Chicago Tribune. She serves as an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and on the governing board of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Her first book, Everybody Needs an Editor, published by Simon & Schuster, is available now for pre-order on Amazon.

Christopher Hydock

Chris Hydock came to the Freeman School in 2023 from California Polytechnic State University, where he served as the Richard and Julie Hood Assistant Professor of Marketing. Prior to his time at Cal Poly, Hydock was an assistant professor of research at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and worked with the Georgetown Institute for Consumer Research. At the Freeman School, Hydock will teach Advanced Marketing Strategy, and he has also previously taught Marketing Fundamentals. His research spans the domains of brand activism, consumer reviews, behavior in queues and retail pricing. He employs a variety of methods in his research, including secondary data, surveys, field studies and experiments. Hydock’s research has been published in journals including the Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Marketing Research, Management Science, the Journal of Consumer Research, and the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. He received his PhD from George Washington University and a BA from the University of Colorado.

Whitney Headen

Whitney Headen didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur, but after seven years of leadership experience at media companies like Viacom, iHeart, Defy and ESSENCE Magazine, Whitney realized that in order to see the impactful change she wanted, she’d have to build her own bridges. Witnessing resistance to industry-wide disruption throughout her career inspired Whitney to found creative agency 19th and Park, where she’s currently CEO, as an agency that thinks critically across issues facing the field and turns them into opportunities to innovate. This has led brands like Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Samsung and many more to entrust 19th & Park with their strategic direction and creative campaigns. With an uncanny ability to recognize talent and a passion for mentorship, it prompted her to start to The Life Currency, an empowering, education-first cross media company that focuses on creating digital first mentorship. The Life Currency provides resources for young people entering the workforce who lack the community needed to foster exponential growth in their personal and professional lives garnering over 1 million views within the company’s first year.

Leslie Kendrick

Senior Lecturer & Internship Director, President, AMA Collegiate Chapters Council

Following 12 years as a marketing practitioner at Harper-Collins, Londontown Corporation and Williams and Wilkins—in sales to marketing management roles—Leslie transitioned to teaching for more work/life balance. She developed the first marketing course for the W.P. Carey Minor in Entrepreneurship & Management/Center for Leadership Education at JHU, and a few years later, added several upper-level classes. The JHU AMA, which she has advised since its establishment in 2008 by two Co-Presidents, has grown from 10 members to 70+ today. She served two 3-year terms on the CCC prior to her current role as President. Two of her cases (“BP’s Deepwater Horizon: Ethics and Environmental Effects” and “Selling College Textbooks”) were published in “Marketing” by Roger Kerin.

Stephen Marshall Ph.D.

Stephen Marshall, Ph.D. is the chief marketing officer of the ETSU Research Corporation as well as a professor in the Department of Media and Communication at East Tennessee State University. Marshall is the education director for Brand Storytelling; the premier community for global professionals passionate about creating amazing brand stories and experiences that exceed organizational goals. Marshall also serves with industry professionals representing Google, HubSpot, Meta, Coca-Cola and others on the Digital Marketing Institute’s Global Industry Advisory Council. Marshall has extensive client-side as well as agency-side experience working in the B2B, B2C, research, marketing technology, and education spaces for brands like Adobe, Coca-Cola, Nielsen, Texas Pete, Siren Marine, Armadillo World, and Tennessee Hills. Marshall is also an experienced corporate trainer in digital marketing strategies. His Digital Experience Strategies course for Adobe Digital Learning Services has been taught virtually for Americas, APAC, and EMEA customers and he has trained professionals from the likes of Delta Airlines, Marriott, Dow, Verizon, Monsanto, Harley Davidson and hundreds of others.

Rory McCallum

Rory McCallum is a research manager in Deloitte’s Chief Marketing Officer Program, part of Deloitte Services LP. Rory delivers actionable insights on emerging marketing trends and the evolving role of the CMO through quantitative and qualitative research methods. Some of Rory’s areas of experience include the skills and attributes of the modern CMO, C-suite dynamics and using creativity to transform businesses. Rory earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Drake University and a Master of Business Administration with a marketing focus from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Rory currently lives in Milwaukee, WI.

Aileen McManamon

Aileen McManamon is the Founder and Managing Partner of 5 Tool Sports Group, a global sports management firm and certified B Corp. 5T focuses on futureproofing the sports industry by aligning team and league revenue models to the environmental, social and economic realities of today. 5 Tool Sports Group (5T) is headquartered in Chicago with representation in Vancouver, Amsterdam, London, Copenhagen, Lausanne and Melbourne. 5T also works with global brands bringing their ESG goals, targets and messaging forward through their sports partnerships. The firm’s Sports Partner Score Card™ is an industry first due-diligence tool for assessing ‘values alignment’ of sponsorships. The Score Card’s data-driven approach provides guidance in bringing credible social and environmental partnership activations to life. Aileen began her career in Europe, directing brand strategy for FIAT and Alfa Romeo, including sports partnerships with the Tour de France and motorsports. After a 10-year stint in the technology sector, she returned to sport, working with the Olympic Games, FIFA Women’s World Cup, MLB, NHL, Motorsports and the NFL, and brands such as Microsoft, EA Games, Hewlett-Packard and Mercedes-Benz. In addition to 5T, Aileen serves as Board Chair of the Green Sports Alliance, a membership-based organization of over 400 professional sports leagues, teams and corporate partners around the globe, committed to achieving to net zero energy, water & waste and advancing climate and social action through their operations and influence. She has been recognized by the United Nations for her leadership on the Sustainable Development Goals, is a coauthor of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework and co-led the Sport@COP Program during COP26. On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, she was named a Sports Business Journal Gamechanger, for her pioneering work in socially and environmentally responsible sports management. She serves on the Boards of Equal Play FC, the Women’s Independent Soccer League and as an Advisor to Women in Sports Technology and the Sports Ecology Group. Ms. McManamon speaks frequently on sports and sustainability at global conferences and as a guest lecturer at UCLA, Temple University, University of Oregon and Capilano University. She is a native of Cleveland, Ohio; a diehard Guardians, Cavs and Browns fan and lives in Vancouver, BC, where she can usually be found on the ball diamond, the ski slope or her bike.

Céili O'Connell

With a passion for bridging the digital skills gap, Céili plays a pivotal role in DMI by exploring and cultivating new partnership opportunities with universities, colleges and institutions since 2019. Through these partnerships, Céili helps new DMI Partners to enhance existing marketing programs or develop new ones, leveraging the support and expertise of the DMI.
With a keen understanding of the evolving landscape of digital marketing as well as professional certifications, she is committed to empowering educational institutions to stay ahead in the field. By fostering collaboration between academia and industry, as the Head of Partner Acquisition, Céili strives to equip students and institutions with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in today’s digital economy.

Josh Owen

Josh Owen, co-founder of Comfystone in New Orleans, has played a pivotal role in the agency’s focus on creating impactful social media videos and video podcasts. His journey with Comfystone has been fundamental in shaping his expertise in business development, sales leadership, and creative strategy. The hands-on involvement in video production and his effective problem-solving skills have significantly contributed to forming lasting relationships with local leaders and achieving the agency’s objectives. His approach is practical and effective, ensuring Comfystone consistently meets and exceeds client expectations while keeping their experience as comfy as possible.

Jimmy Peltier

James (Jimmy) Peltier is Professor of Marketing, Department Chair, and Director of the Institute for Sales Excellence at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He has over 35 years of business experience as a consultant, Research Director in an Advertising Agency, and as President and Founding Partner at APR Research and Marketing. Jimmy has over 130 articles in highly rated journals, and in excess of 10,000 Google Scholar Citations, including many in the area of AI and digital Marketing. Dr. Peltier oversaw the full transition to AI in the marketing curriculum at UW-Whitewater. Jimmy has received life-time Achievement Awards from the Collegiate AMA and the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation, and is the only person to have received UW-Whitewater’s top three Lifetime Awards, including the Roseman Teaching Excellence, University Research, and University Service Awards.

Mercedes Posey

Mercedes Arielle, a proud Dallas, Texas native, holds degrees in Journalism and Business Administration from Texas Southern University, further complemented by an Advanced Marketing Certification from SMU Cox School of Business. As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Junior League Dallas, and a Charter member of The Society, Incorporated’s Texas Pearls Chapter, Mercedes has cultivated a rich tapestry of community outreach and personal development. Her collaborations with esteemed brands such as Hilton, Coca Cola, the National Civil Rights Museums, Virgin Voyages, Amazon Fashion, Tourism Ireland, AMA Waterways, and Memphis Tourism underscore her versatility and strategic acumen. Before transitioning to full-time content creation, Mercedes excelled as a Clinical Research Associate in the biotech industry, bringing a meticulous attention to detail and a passion for innovation to her work. Mercedes’s journey into content creation and social media strategy represents a natural progression from her diverse background. Her expertise in experimental marketing, showcased at events like NFL Experience and NBA All Star, reflects her ability to captivate audiences and drive engagement. As the founder of Calculated Opulence, Mercedes is not only an advocate for affordable luxury travel but also a champion for empowering women to explore the world with confidence and purpose. Through media features in prominent outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and Essence Magazine, Mercedes amplifies her message of inclusivity and possibility. Her commitment to building a community dedicated to immersive travel experiences and meaningful connections resonates deeply with her audience, inspiring them to embrace adventure and authenticity.

Adam Reese

Director of Campus Relations

David Rosenstein

David Rosenstein (he/him) is an award-winning marketer, talent strategist and speaker. Founder of DR Consulting and Rosenstein Speaks, David’s career consulting helps students and young professionals land their dream careers. Known for his extremely tactical and energizing presenting style, David’s trainings are consistently called “The best career workshop I’ve ever attended.”

Beyond his coaching work, David is a Talent Account Executive at LinkedIn, partnering with recruiters and HR leaders to modernize how they find talent on LinkedIn.

As a student, David was awarded “AMA Student Marketer of the Year” for his work transforming the University of Maryland’s AMA chapter (UMD AMA).

When he’s not helping students refine their job search approach, you can find David running half/full marathons in NYC or scavenging for the next best Pad Thai dish.

Steven Scebelo

Steve Scebelo is the Immediate Past President of NFL Players Inc., a leading and influential licensor in the world. As the for-profit licensing and marketing business of the NFL Players Association, NFL Players Inc. represents the exclusive group player licensing rights of over 2,000 active NFL players through more than 80 licensees. These licensees have generated a staggering $2.75 billion in retail sales across categories via e-commerce, mobile, and brick-and-mortar outlets. With over 30 years of experience as a sports licensing and marketing authority, Scebelo is an expert in building successful programs from the ground up. He joined the NFLPA in 2013 and served as vice president of licensing and business development for six years before becoming president in 2020.
During his time at NFL Players Inc., Mr. Scebelo has overseen nine consecutive years of revenue growth for the union’s global group licensing business, resulting in a record-breaking $300 million in revenue generated in 2023 across various services such as consumer products, sponsorships, advertising, endorsements, and promotions. Under his leadership, the NFLPA and its for-profit arm have been recognized on five separate occasions by Licensing International as the Best Sports Licensing Program of the Year.
As President, Mr. Scebelo is responsible for guiding the strategy and operations of the commercial business. He plays a crucial role in managing and developing key licensing relationships with industry leaders such as OneTeam Partners and Fanatics. He also oversees the Partner Services division and was instrumental in negotiating the new 10-year Commercial Agreement with the NFL through 2031. In addition, he has oversight of Player Services, who work closely with partners to identify players for brand activations, campaigns, and promotions. In 2022 alone, Player Services engaged with over 130 licensees and sponsors to facilitate and execute appearances, content, and social media activations.
Under his guidance, the business development team signed several creative new license agreements, including nine early-stage companies across various industries such as health and performance, consumer products and sports retail, mobile games, and beauty. In exchange for equity, these companies received NFLPA intellectual property rights. He is also known for his ability to identify new markets for growth. To that end, he engaged agencies with category expertise to expand the licensing business in the collegiate space and to grow globally throughout Europe and Latin America.
He has been instrumental in leading NFL Players Inc. to become one of the most innovative B2B operations in the sports industry. As a result of his direction, the NFLPA has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the “Most Innovative Companies.” Under Mr. Scebelo’s leadership, NFL Players Inc. launched DRIVEN in 2021, a business accelerator that advocates for the inclusion of diverse entrepreneurs and their consumer products in licensing. In addition, Scebelo also started REP Worldwide, which provided group licensing and brand management services to athlete-driven properties, including founding partners such as the USWNT Players Association and WNBPA. Mr. Scebelo was also involved in the launch of OneTeam Partners, a transformative business co-founded by the NFLPA and MLBPA. OneTeam helps athletes maximize the value of their rights through group licensing, marketing, media, and venture. In 2020, OneTeam assumed operations of REP Worldwide and has since grown into a multibillion-dollar entity.

Over the course of his distinguished career, Mr. Scebelo has increased domestic and international merchandise licensing revenues for world-class brands in the sports, consumer products and media industries, including directing the $500 million North American retail licensing program for The Coca-Cola Company and extensive work in licensing via management positions at the NBA, the 1996 Olympic Games and with MLB. Prior to joining NFL Players Inc., he was principal in TM317, a boutique licensing and merchandising agency that served a roster of sports and entertainment properties. He also spent several years as senior vice president of cross-platform marketing at Gemstar-TV Guide, and built the merchandise licensing program from a start-up to a $50 million endeavor.

A graduate of Western Connecticut State University, Scebelo serves as Chair on the board of directors of Licensing International, the leading trade organization for the global licensing industry. Additionally, he serves on the boards of NFL Players Inc. and OneTeam Partners.

Connor Seidenschwarz

Connor Seidenschwarz is a research lead in Deloitte’s Chief Marketing Officer Program, part of Deloitte Services LP. Connor delivers actionable insights on emerging marketing trends and the evolving role of the CMO through quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Some of Connor’s main areas of focus currently include the content creator economy, martech, and broader trends in marketing and CMOs.
Prior to Deloitte, Connor was a researcher and he led projects focused on the prioritization and deployment of technology within customer service, and B2B customer service, and how the customer service function can provide consumer value.

Jenifer Skiba

Molly Soat

Eric Van Steenburg

Eric Van Steenburg is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Montana State University, where he joined the faculty in the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship in 2015. Prior to at MSU, Dr. Van Steenburg was a visiting professor at James Madison University, and an adjunct lecturer at Southern Methodist University. He received his Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of North Texas and his master’s degree in Humanities with a concentration in Marketing Communications from the University of Texas at Dallas. His undergraduate degrees are in Journalism and History from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Van Steenburg’s primary teaching area is Integrated Marketing Communications, which focuses on leveraging all the communications vehicles available to marketers to connect their messages to their target audiences. In addition, he has taught Digital Marketing, Nonprofit Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Brand Management, New Product Introduction, and Marketing Research. Before embarking on a career in academia, Dr. Van Steenburg spent 20 years at corporate, agency and nonprofit environments leading strategic planning and integrated marketing communications efforts to support business objectives and brands. His practitioner experience includes managing corporate branding, marketing communications campaigns, business-to-consumer product introductions, corporate name change, business-to-business marketing strategy, financial communications, and managing the operations of two multi-million dollar businesses.

Chase Westover

Marcia Zimmerman

Marcia Zimmerman is a Senior Manager, Growth Marketing Analytics, at CHANEL. She has been at CHANEL for one year, leading traffic forecasts for CHANEL.com and driving data-driven decisions for marketing channels. Prior to CHANEL, Marcia was at Dagne Dover for three years, collaborating with marketing, finance and operations teams to improve product launch strategy, forecasts and advertising budgets. Marcia graduated from The Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Writing Seminars and a double minor in Marketing and Entrepreneurship.