Speakers
Komal Bhukhanwala, CBS Sports, Senior Art Director
Komal Bhukhanwala is a senior art director with CBS Sports. A two-time Sports Emmy Award winner, she has spent the past 12 years designing show packages and on-air graphics for all CBS Sports properties. As an art director, Bhukhanwala oversees the on-air graphic look for the department’s game and studio broadcasts, which included the redesign of Super Bowl 53.
During her time at CBS, she has expanded the use of AR in The NFL Today studio show and has art-directed the Augmented Game Open and halftime stats, as well as the QB comparison during Super Bowl 53.
Bhukhanwala also won a Promax Silver for her art direction of the Final Four Team Runouts.
Bhukhanwala is passionate about her chosen field. She believes that sports graphics has a key role in enriching the viewer’s experience and the promotion of the underlying event.
Andy Blondin, Unreal Engine, Director of Product Management, Broadcast
Andy Blondin is a seasoned veteran of the broadcast industry, specializing in real-time computer graphics and augmented reality. During his tenure at Fox Sports in Los Angeles, he lead a team of real-time designers that helped Fox to earn six Emmy nominations and one Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Design/Art Direction FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015.
Blondin has a strong background in augmented reality and in blending traditional media with live computer graphics. Several years ago, he joined Epic Games to build the tools necessary for pioneering the next generation of television and gaming. This led to virtual production becoming a mainstream approach to filmmaking. Blondin is passionate about combining both gaming and live production to bring new and exciting technology to the broadcasting world.
Isa Bristol, ESPN Creative Studio, Manager, Animation, Graphics Innovation & Production Design
Isa Bristol is a manager for the graphics innovation team at ESPN where she has worked for 11 years. She has been a key contributor to some of the latest rebrands at ESPN such as College Basketball, Monday Night Football, NHL, and NBA.
Bristol’s expertise include real-time graphics development, project management, and motion graphics. Her work at ESPN has led to two Emmy awards, a nomination for WICT’s Up-and-Coming Leader in 2019, and most recently the co-lead of ESPN’s Content Operations and Creative Surround DEI Council. Before joining ESPN, Bristol worked for QVC and the Paleontology Museum of Guadalajara, Mexico.
Charlie Collin, ESPN Creative Services, Senior Manager, Motion Graphics and Production Enhancements
Charlie Collin is the senior manager of the Production Enhancements team within ESPN Motion Graphics and Production Planning. His responsibilities include product development, implementing new graphics technologies within the live production environment, and providing sustainable solutions that enhance the storytelling experience. In other words, he finds ways to leverage the skills and expertise of the many outstanding designers, animators, and engineers at ESPN who are involved with real-time graphics systems.
From the early days of virtual studio production in New York to being at ESPN for the past 10 years working on AR, virtual, mixed reality, and interactive graphics projects, Collin is passionate about and grateful to be involved in the ever-changing landscape of opportunities that persist for real-time graphics executions. With a BFA from SCAD in computer animation, he combines a design background with technical expertise from the school of hard knocks.
Brandon Costa, SVG, Director of Digital
Brandon Costa covers the sports video production industry with a focus on live streaming, over-the-top (OTT), social media, and other digital distribution technologies and platforms. He also directs SVG’s internal digital strategies launching the company’s video outfit, ‘SVG On Demand,’ designing and overseeing its mobile application, ‘SVG Mobile,’ and serving as executive producer and host of The SVG Podcast. Costa serves as program director of networking events serving the SVG College and SVG Digital communities. Prior to his time at SVG, Costa spent five years producing digital content for MLB Advanced Media.
Jason Dachman, SVG, Chief Editor; SVG Sports Graphics Program Director
Jason Dachman oversees all aspects of SVG’s North American editorial operations, including the thrice-weekly SVG Insider newsletter and SVG’s annual print publications. A member of the SVG team since 2009, Dachman also serves as program director for SVG’s RSN Summit, Sports Content Management Forum, Sports Graphics Forum, and TranSPORT event. Prior to joining SVG, he spent three years covering local sports for The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, MA, and two years on the production staff of SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s The Ron & Fez Show. Dachman began his career in the Sports Information Department at Northeastern University in Boston, where he also earned a B.A. in media communications and cinema studies.
Nick DiNapoli, |drive| Studio, Founder & Executive Creative Director
Nick DiNapoli is the executive creative director and co-founder of |drive| studio, with offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Nashville. DiNapoli’s early creative career established a unique emphasis in designing and directing brands for international audiences. During the early 90s, he designed and directed network branding campaigns that spanned the globe from Scandinavia to Southeast Asia.
Since founding |drive| along with partner Marco Bacich, DiNapoli now oversees the design, direction, and on-air branding of some of the world’s most watched events for clients including Fox Sports, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Amazon Prime, Turner Sports, Showtime Sports, YES, Big Ten Network, Formula 1, and Bally Sports – among many others.
His creative direction and leadership has helped |drive| to become recognized as an international leader in design and animation for sports and network branding. The company has garnered a dozen Emmys and over 50 other industry awards. It was most recently nominated for two Emmys for set design and graphic design for the 2022 World Cup on Fox Sports. The studio prides itself in pushing beyond ordinary thinking and a design approach that is process focused. This creative formula balances out with a unique technical expertise that pushes new realities (AR and VR) and has allowed the accomplished agency to thrive for over 23 years, manifesting a family, culture, and resource that is unparalleled in our industry.
DiNapoli attended design school at Arizona State University and is a graduate of Pepperdine University with a Bachelor of Science in business management. He currently resides in Nashville, TN with his family.
Dana Drezek, ESPN, Supervisor, Motion Graphics
Dana Drezek is a senior manager of graphics innovation at ESPN, where he has worked for the last 25+ years. His expertise includes project management, motion graphics, and graphics playout with an overall focus on real-time graphics software. Drezek is a four-time Emmy winner with experience working on hundreds of events ranging from The Masters to the Running of the Bulls and on marquee shows such as SportsCenter and College GameDay. Prior to ESPN, he worked at other outlets in radio and television, and was a writer for multiple newspapers and magazines.
Gideon Ferber, Pixotope, Senior Product Director, Motion and Production Graphics
Gideon Ferber is the senior director of motion and production graphics for Pixotope. He delivers broadcast workflow solutions that are accessible, easy to use, and fast to adopt.
Before joining Pixotope, Ferber was the broadcast product director at disguise. He has been instrumental in bringing XR productions into the studios of major broadcasters across the globe. Prior to his time with disguise, Ferber was the director of marketing product management and business development for virtual solutions at Ross Video. He started his broadcast career as a product manager and product specialist in Orad Hi-Tech systems (now part of Avid).
Ferber ’s greatest strength is his creativity, drive, and ability to build excellent connections on all levels.
Zac Fields, Fox Sports, SVP, Graphics Technology and Integration
Zac Fields oversees Fox Sports’ real-time graphic development and integration, software development, and new technology. This team provides design, implementation, and support for all of the Fox Sports Media Group. Along with the daily workflows across all FSMG networks, this group provides high-end graphic design with new ways to display information for large events such as the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, MLB World Series, the U.S. Open, and the FIFA World Cup.
Mark Friedman, Chyron, VP, Strategic Accounts
Mark Friedman has an extensive background across various roles in the sports broadcast industry. Prior to leading Chyron’s creative services group for the past three years, Friedman worked at NBC Sports Washington for 10 years fulfilling duties as a creative director using a mix of innovation and design. He was instrumental in creating innovative viewer experiences using Chyron’s PRIME and Paint Graphics Platforms.
Phil Guthrie, Two Fresh Creative, Executive Creative Director / Founder
As founder and ECD of Two Fresh, Phil Guthrie has had the opportunity to lead a variety of projects that range from music videos, film, installations, sports rebrands, and network broadcast packages. Over the years, the hard work by Guthrie and his team have earned a MTV Music, People Choice, Clios, and multiple Promax BDA and Webby awards, while also being nominated for multiple Sports Emmys and a Grammy.
The vision for Two Fresh is to produce projects that everyone is proud of, and to create a work environment where people not only have fun, but also grow their skills at the same time. In between client projects or to just take a mental break, Guthrie encourages his artists to work on internal creative exercises which are referred to as “Freshies” – which allow the team to keep their mind fresh by creating fun projects without any limitations or mandates of a brief. From time to time, the studio will also hand out 2Fresh Awards to artists for their hard work and creativity.
Steve Hart, RT Software, Development Director
Steve Hart is the development director at RT Software. He has 30 years of experience in software/hardware development and has been in the broadcast industry for 20 years. Hart has a BSc/Msc in electronics and computing.
Kurt Hartman, Nickelodeon Marketing, VP, Motion Graphics & Animation
Kurt Hartman is vice president of motion graphics and animation for Nickelodeon’s Creative Marketing Department, based in NYC. He has nearly 25 years of experience in the industry. Hartman started as a motion graphics animator at Nickelodeon shortly after graduating from college. He went on to work for multiple brands over the years, as well as starting his own company before coming back home to Nickelodeon in 2016. At Nickelodeon, Hartman leads a team of animators/designers responsible for all marketing and brand endeavors across the company’s various brands and channels. In 2020, he and his team at Nickelodeon were awarded a Sports Emmy for Best Live Graphics in a playoff game for their work in that year’s Wildcard Game that was simulcast on Nickelodeon. Hartman had previously won a Daytime Emmy for his contributions to a Black History Month campaign at Nickelodeon. He looks forward to continuing to break new ground while finding ways to bring a younger audience to professional sports.
Gary Hartley, Fox Sports, EVP, Graphics
Since 1995, Gary Hartley has been responsible for conveying Fox Sports’ signature irreverent attitude through its on-screen innovation. Currently, as executive vice president, graphics, creative director, Hartley oversees the make, model and feel for nearly every on-screen graphic, across Fox, FS1, and FS2.
A seven-time Emmy Award-winner, Hartley has been behind some of the greatest innovations for Fox Sports including its design approach for presenting real-time race information for its inaugural season of NASCAR coverage in 2001 – a style and feel that informed hardcore race fans simultaneously enlightening casual viewers.
Hartley and his team have constructed some of the most recognizable on-screen graphics including updates to its original “Fox Box,” an on-screen graphic that shows the score and clock, an innovation that has become the industry standard for televising sporting events. As technology improved throughout the years, Hartley has had to balance the urge of cramming too much information into the “Fox Box” with a sleek yet informative look.
One of Hartley’s best-known creations is Cleatus, the football-playing robot, which has become an unofficial mascot and symbol of Fox Sports’ NFL coverage since its debut during the 2005-06 season.
A Michigan native, Hartley graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in graphic design from Central Michigan University in 1983. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his family.
Laura Herzing, Silver Spoon, Executive Producer
Laura Herzing is executive producer at Silver Spoon, a leading provider of real-time content and experiences built on Unreal Engine. She plays a key leadership role in developing the company’s corporate strategy and oversees all production. With a background in design, Herzing got her start working in small advertising agencies. After moving to the vendor side, she led global teams producing live action commercial and animation jobs around the world.
Herzing has been working in real-time and virtual production since its infancy. From using Unreal Engine to animate Chester Cheetah in real-time in 2017, to producing the world’s first real-time avatar singing competition in 2021, she has witnessed firsthand how utilizing gaming tools for real-time production is fundamentally changing the way content is being created across industries.
Herzing resides in Brooklyn, NY.
Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial
Ken Kerschbaumer is co-executive director of editorial services for the Sports Video Group and SVG Europe. He was a co-founder of SVG along with Paul Gallo and Marty Porter in 2005 and has been writing about how sports networks and leagues use video and audio technology to deliver a quality TV experience since 1991. Kerschbaumer began his career in 1991 at Television Broadcast magazine before joining Cahners where he was founding editor of Digital Broadcasting magazine. In 2000, he joined Broadcasting & Cable magazine as senior editor of technology where he covered all aspects of broadcasting, cable, and internet content creation and distribution.
Lorenzo Lamadrid, ESPN, Coordinating Director
Lorenzo Lamadrid, the coordinating director at ESPN, oversees ESPN Studio Design & Development and ESPN Lighting. His team is responsible for the design and fabrication of all of ESPN’s domestic studios and studio remote environments. In addition, Lamadrid oversees all directorial aspects of College GameDay and studio coverage of the College Football Playoffs.
Lamadrid joined ESPN in 2006 as a studio director, working on programs including NFL Live and SportsCenter. He directed College GameDay from 2007 – 2011. As a supervising director, Lamadrid was a part of the team that launched Longhorn Network in 2011 and the SEC Network in 2014.
Prior to ESPN, Lamadrid worked at KNBC in Los Angeles and WTVJ in Miami.
A native of Miami Beach, FL, Lamadrid graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1993 with a degree in marketing.
David Lehanski, NHL, EVP, Business Development and Innovation
David Lehanski is the executive vice president of business development and innovation for the National Hockey League, responsible for leading the League’s technology and innovation initiatives through the establishment of corporate partnerships, state-of-the-art technology solutions, and new revenue.
Lehanski joined the NHL in 2005 and has been instrumental in building the most advanced technology solutions in sports. He has been a key driver in establishing the League’s world class technology infrastructure through creating partnerships with tech giants Apple, Amazon Web Services (AWS), SAP, Sportradar, Rogers, and Verizon. These partnerships and tremendous advancements in technology and innovation have not only well positioned the NHL to expand and advance both the game and the fan experience, but they have also helped to fuel the League’s remarkable business growth and record revenues.
Lehanski has been at the forefront of the development and implementation of the NHL’s innovative EDGE (Puck and Player Tracking) technology, which received a prestigious Alpha Award for Best Sports Innovation at the 2022 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Under Lehanski’s leadership, the League and NHL EDGE made history alongside ESPN and the Disney Channel with the NHL Big City Greens Classic, the first-ever live, animated NHL game telecast, featuring the Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers. The hugely popular NHL Big City Greens Classic demonstrated how data from NHL EDGE can create entirely new fan experiences for a younger audience in collaboration with best-in-class partners.
Over the past several seasons, Lehanski has been focused on developing new solutions with industry-leading technology providers including Apple, AWS, SAP, Sportradar, Rogers and Verizon to improve and enhance the game for players, coaches, and officials, as well as for fans and for the League’s broadcast and corporate partners. This has included the debut of AWS’s Shot and Save analytics and Face-Off Probability and leveraging Verizon’s cutting-edge 5G technology in-arena.
Lehanski was instrumental in the creation and implementation of the NHL’s groundbreaking in-arena coaching system introduced in 2017 – in collaboration with Apple – delivering real-time video highlights to coaches on the benches of every NHL arena. He also helped to develop the next phase of the NHL’s in-arena coaching system with the launch of the SAP-NHL Coaching Insights App for iPad, providing access to real-time, customized data, and player statistics during the game on home and away benches in all 32 arenas.
Inside the NHL, Lehanski leads the NHL’s internal Innovation Team. Made up of internal experts from business development, strategy, and information technology, the Innovation Team helps to advance the game of hockey by developing and implementing technology-driven solutions focused on the business and the game. Under Lehanski’s leadership, the Innovation Team has hosted three technology showcases – one during CES in Las Vegas in 2019 at T-Mobile Arena showcasing Puck and Player Technology; the second in 2022 at Prudential Center in New Jersey, demonstrating how the League can leverage 5G technology; and the most recent in March 2023 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, exploring new experiences leveraging cloud technology. Each showcase was a pilot of futuristic technology solutions being developed by the NHL in collaboration with several leading technology providers to enhance the in-arena and at-home viewing experience.
Since joining the League in 2005, Lehanski has played an important role in the League’s path to close to $6 billion in annual revenues, establishing landmark partnerships for the NHL with some of the biggest global brands including AWS, Verizon, Apple, SAP, Dunkin, Honda, PepsiCo, Geico, Discover, Enterprise, Cisco, and MillerCoors, among many others. Lehanski was also one of the drivers in the League’s progressive approach to sports betting, helping to secure strategic partnerships with sportsbooks including MGM Resorts International, FanDuel, and Caesars.
Before joining the NHL, Lehanski served as vice president of marketing solutions at Clear Channel Advantage where he worked with Fortune 500 advertisers/marketers to develop, sell, and activate fully integrated media/marketing solutions that leveraged all of Clear Channel’s assets. Previously, Lehanski was the co-founder and vice president of HallOfSports.com, an online company focused on the distribution of sports memorabilia and collectibles with a long-term goal of consolidating the industry. He also spent several years as a consultant on the agency side at SFX Sports and Clarion Sports & Entertainment.
Lehanski was named to SportsBusiness Journal’s Forty Under 40 Class of 2012, recognizing executives for excellence and innovation in their industry before the age of 40. He earned a B.A. with a major in economics from Bowdoin College and currently resides in Ridgewood, NJ with his family.
JP LoMonaco, CBS Sports, VP, On-Air Graphics & Design
As VP of on-air graphics and design, JP LoMonaco oversees all of the design, production, and execution of graphics for the largest sporting events on CBS Sports Broadcast and CBS Sports Network – including the NFL, College Football, the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the March Madness Tournament.
With over 25 years of motion graphics leadership and graphics production under his belt, the Parsons School of Design graduate has accumulated a skill set that puts him at ease either animating or designing at a workstation or delivering concepts, pitching, and planning his team’s next big project in a board room. An Emmy Award winning art director, LoMonaco has lead creative teams for the likes of UPN, Fox, and CBS over the past two decades. He has also directed and mentored many great designers in that time.
As an ever-curious student of the industry, LoMonaco brings passion and excitement to every project, big or small. He always tries to stay on the forefront of what is possible while pushing himself and his team forward.
Zack Malet, ESPN, Director, Business Development & Innovation
Zack Malet is ESPN’s director of business development and innovation. He negotiates and manages ESPN’s existing and new third-party business agreements, with a specific focus on strategic innovation, revenue, and technology partnerships. Since joining ESPN in 2012, Malet has worked in Disney Platform Distribution where he managed distribution of Disney properties (including ABC, ESPN, Disney+) with cable and streaming partners and in ESPN’s programming and acquisitions’ content strategy and college sports groups.
Malet has been on the Board of Directors for The Village for Families & Children in Hartford since 2020 and a member of the ESPN V Foundation for Cancer Research Committee since 2013. Prior to ESPN, he worked for the sports agency Shapiro Negotiations Institute and graduated from Brown with a degree in economics and Georgetown University’s SIM Program.
Eduardo Mancz, Vizrt, SVP, Global Broadcast Strategy
Eduardo Mancz is the SVP of global broadcast strategy at Vizrt. He is responsible for developing and executing Vizrt’s commercial strategy in the broadcast industry, including integrating the recently acquired Flowics HTML5 graphics platform within Vizrt’s commercial organization.
Vision-driven and customer-focused, Mancz has served in different roles driving business growth and leading business units during his 15-year career at Vizrt. Before joining Vizrt, he worked for other companies in technical sales, IT, and as a broadcast engineer on a variety of projects, including the Olympic Games, Pan American Games, other major sports events, and elections graphics projects.
Chris Mollomo, Ross Video, Business Development Manager, Virtual Production Solutions
As an experienced business development manager for virtual production solutions at Ross, Chris Mollomo collaborates closely with the product management and creative teams to deliver top-notch graphics solutions, with high production value, to a range of broadcasters. Ross Video’s graphics portfolio includes Voyager, an AR/VS rendering solution based on Unreal 5 for AR, VS, and XR; XPression for insert graphics and real-time data; and PIERO, an award-winning sports analysis tool that overlays tactical graphics on sports content using image recognition or encoded camera heads.
Having joined Ross in 2014, Mollomo previously held the role of manager of virtual design where he supported Augmented Reality and Greenscreen Studio Productions. Before joining Ross, he gained valuable experience as a producer at Douglas Trumbull’s Entertainment Design Workshop, where he worked on film, commercial, and location-based entertainment projects with a focus on high-framerate and high-resolution productions.
Lucas Nickerson, ESPN, Creative Director
Lucas Nickerson is a creative director, within ESPN’s Creative Studio. Along with fellow creative director colleague Tim O’Shaughnessy, the two lead ESPN’s creative teams in re-imagining and re-defining on air visuals for sports television.
Nickerson has most recently led the creative endeavors of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, NFL Studio, NFL Draft, NBA, NBA Draft, PGA, and Major League Baseball properties.
His proficiency of visualizing the combination of design, animation, augmented reality, and live action has helped lead his teams to nine Emmy Awards, 14 Promax Awards, and 11 NY Film Festival Awards.
With a passion for sports and design, the 19-year ESPN veteran and Rochester Institute of Technology alum, is excited to continue pushing where the talented internal ESPN creative teams can expand the visual boundaries, while innovating and elevating the sports fans’ viewing experience.
Tim O’Shaughnessy, ESPN, Creative Director; 2023 SVG Graphics Committee Chair
Timothy O’Shaughnessy is a creative director in the Visual Storytelling division of ESPN. In his current role, he focuses on combining creative strategy, process, and direction within his team. O’Shaughnessy is primarily responsible for guiding teams of creatives through large-scale animation and insert design projects.
In his 16 years at ESPN, O’Shaughnessy has garnered numerous Emmy nominations and several Promax BDA awards. Noteworthy projects include the NHL on ESPN; college football on ESPN/ABC; college basketball on ESPN; The SEC Network; the ACC Network; NBA on ESPN/ABC; World Cup 2010 and 2014; Euro 2012, 2016, and 2020; Outside the Lines; Olbermann; and Mike & Mike 2016.
Before coming to ESPN, O’Shaughnessy worked at Ghostmilk Studios in Toronto, where he designed show title sequences. He received a B.S. in psychology from Binghamton University and an M.F.A. in design from The Rochester Institute of Technology.
Dan Pack, Silver Spoon Animation, Founding Partner and Managing Director
Dan Pack has been working in NY production and post for the past 20 years. As a founding partner and managing director of Brooklyn-based Silver Spoon, Pack oversees all production, client relationships, and R&D, notably in the ever-expanding field of AR and virtual production. Pack and his team have contributed their motion capture and animation services to numerous commercials, video games, television shows, and features, with recent innovations in real-time character animation, broadcast AR, and XR/LED production.
Prior to Silver Spoon, Pack held the position of director of business development for Click 3X, and served as an executive producer for ASB, a global 3D previz shop.
Shawn Robbins, CBS Sports, Producer/Director; Nickelodeon, EP/Showrunner, NFL Nickmas Game & NFL Slimetime
Shawn Robbins is a six-time Emmy award-winning producer, director, and writer whose career spans two decades of production work with preeminent names in professional sports, music, entertainment, and business. He currently works as the executive producer/showrunner/writer of five-time Emmy nominated NFL Slimetime; the executive producer of the two-time Emmy nominated NFL Nickelodeon “Nickmas” Day Game; and as a producer/director at CBS Sports, where he has been with the network since 1998. In 2007, he also founded Robbins Media, a full-service production company.
As the executive producer/coordinating producer of the 2021 Nickelodeon NFL Wild Card game, Robbins led the team to two Emmy wins as the broadcast earned unanimous praise among critics for its ability to reframe the NFL in a manner that appeals to younger audiences. For the second season in a row, NFL Slimetime has earned multiple Emmy nominations, including back-to-back nominations for Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly. Robbins currently produces content for Nickelodeon and multiple CBS Sports productions, including the Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four, and The NFL Today.
As the former CBS Thursday Night Football pregame show producer, Robbins led the team to a 2017 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly. He was also the creator and co-writer for an animated sports vignette series, which garnered Emmy nominations in 2017 and 2018. Those vignettes aired within NFL Thursday Night Football, CBS’s NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament coverage, and Sunday’s NFL pregame show, The NFL Today.
Other notable accomplishments include multiple commercial and promotional campaign projects for AT&T and CBS. Working alongside The Marketing Arm, Robbins directed over 20 music videos for the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack. Those featured artists included Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey, and Rascal Flatts. He also wrote and directed a commercial featuring the Dave Matthews Band for AT&T’s World’s Loudest Pep Rally. For the London Olympic Games, Robbins directed seven short films for AT&T’s “My Journey” Campaign, which starred Alex Morgan, Allyson Felix, and Kerri Walsh-Jennings, among other Olympians. In projects for CBS Sports, he has collaborated on multiple promotional campaigns, including a 2006 Super Bowl commercial starring Prince, which Robbins wrote and directed, and a 2018 NFL AFC Championship spot featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Robbins has maintained an active membership within the Directors Guild of America (DGA) since 1996.
Brad Rumler, Zero Density, VP of Sales & Business Development, U.S. & Canada
With more than 20 years of experience working in the broadcast, media, and entertainment industries in APAC and North America, followed by 10 years in virtual production and real-time graphics, Brad Rumler has a strong track record of driving regional growth.
Early in his career, Rumler worked as an agent of change for companies such as Apple and A&T. He also led the sales and business development efforts of Brainstorm and as a Zero Density creative partner in the U.S. He then focused on providing virtual production and broadcast technology advisory services for his consultancy company.
As Zero Density’s new VP of sales and business development, Rumler is leading Zero Density’s continued expansion in North America and enhancing the company’s network of regional partners.
Ruben Ruiz, Brainstorm, EVP, Sales, U.S. & Canada
Ruben Ruiz is EVP of sales for the U.S. and Canada at Brainstorm Multimedia, the provider of industry-leading real-time 3D interactive graphics solutions for broadcast, feature film production, and corporate presentations. His primary responsibility is growing Brainstorm’s core business in the traditional and digital media technology broadcast markets across the U.S. and Canada, while also diversifying its portfolio by introducing Brainstorm products into market segments. These segments include corporate, education, state and local government, house of worship, live events, and social media professionals.
Ruiz has a proven track record of leading successful sales programs and has been instrumental in growing sales and expanding marketing channels for companies such as NewTek and Avid Technology.
Ruiz holds a master’s degree in business administration from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also a certified Business and Life Coach, trained in the Strategic Intervention Method focused on transforming individuals, businesses, and organizations.
Alexis Salinas, Univision Deportes, Senior Director, Technical Creative Services
Alexis Salinas serves as senior director of technical creative services for Univision, the leading media company serving Hispanic America.
Salinas is responsible for developing, producing, and deploying real-time graphics and graphic content for TUDN, Univision’s leading sports media brand. His additional responsibilities include overseeing all graphics functional groups and processes with the ultimate aim of bolstering the TUDN brand on-air and enhancing the production’s ability to tell compelling stories and engage with viewers. Salinas is also charged with creating the bridge between the production, production operations, and engineering teams for the sports graphics pipeline operation, as well as project manager for technology projects.
During his tenure at Univision, Salinas has served as manager of graphics management technology, technical manager, VizRT programmer, and senior 3D animator. Prior to joining Univision in 1996, he worked as a CGI director at EDEFX Group, where he was accountable for the operations, graphics systems, and network management and administration for the computer graphics department. He also worked as a 3D animator at Canal Uno Producciones in his native Venezuela.
Salinas earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Universidad Simón Bolívar in Venezuela. He has also been a certified project management professional since 2012.
Chris Schlosser, MLS, SVP, Emerging Ventures
Chris Schlosser is an experienced leader focused on building new business and revenue opportunities for MLS and its 29 Clubs. Schlosser has a track record of developing, incubating, and launching new business categories over his time at MLS.
Most recently Schlosser delivered new revenue growth through the development of League-wide strategies for Blockchain (including crypto, nft, and tokens) and sports betting. Working closely with the MLS Board of Governors, Schlosser launched the League’s first blockchain partnership, supported multiple new club partnerships, and delivered significant new revenue through a host of groundbreaking sports betting partnerships around the League.
Previously at MLS, Schlosser launched comprehensive OTT partnerships, including MLS Live on ESPN+, the first full League partnership on ESPN’s marquee streaming service. He also negotiated the League’s first live streaming deal with Twitter and built and sold KICKTV in partnership with YouTube. Schlosser joined the League in 2008 as the League’s first digital employee after consulting with the League on digital strategy while finishing his MBA at Columbia Business School. He was named to SportsBusiness Journal’s 2016 “Forty Under 40” class.
Prior to joining MLS, Schlosser worked at Microsoft, where he helped develop advertising sales strategies in markets around the world. Additionally, Schlosser worked with many of Microsoft’s largest advertising partners to deliver groundbreaking digital marketing campaigns across MSN’s product suite. Schlosser is a graduate of Colby College in Maine.
Thom Stevens, Deltatre, Senior Director of Solution Engineering, Sports
With a background in real-time graphics production, Thom Stevens has worked on many of the world’s biggest sports properties. From deliveries including World Cups, Olympics, and Super Bowls, he has led operations, design, and development teams for over 15 years. He now leads the Solutions Engineering team for all broadcast, data and officiating opportunities.
Stevens’ specific focus is on graphics projects. He specializes in the design of systems for broadcasters, leagues, and federations, covering live match productions, venue services, and studio deliveries. His love of impactful design and a focus on always finding ways to enhance the story telling through production workflow and data visualization, drive his passion for the work in the broadcast market.
Michael "Spike" Szykowny, ESPN Creative Studio, Senior Director – Animation, Graphics Innovation, & Production Design
Michael Szykowny (better known as “Spike”) has worked at ESPN for 26 years and is a 10-time Emmy Award winning visionary, team builder, and problem solver. He leads a team of designers, animators, and graphic innovators who focus on creative ways to improve the art of storytelling.
