A Mentorship Program

Music Brand Partnerships Executive at UTA

Melissa Newhart is a seasoned music and entertainment executive with over 15 years of experience in advertising, marketing, and strategic branding. As a leader in UTA's Music Brand Partnerships group, she oversees the East Coast business, securing over 350 deals for artists like Anitta, Karol G, Jonas Brothers, Ms. Lauryn Hill, and Young Miko with top brands such as Google, Mastercard, Louis Vuitton, and Cadillac.

She has been instrumental in UTA's expansion into Hip Hop and Latin music, partnering with stars like Rauw Alejandro and Romeo Santos while championing emerging talent like Latto and Tierra Whack. Recognized by Billboard, Variety, and Pollstar, Melissa is also an adjunct professor at NYU, teaching strategic music branding. A Clio Awards juror and mentor, she continues to shape the future of music and branding through innovative partnerships and education.

Development & Production Manager at AMC Networks

Sean Charles is a Scripted Development & Production Manager at ALLBLK/WE tv an AMC Networks property. He is responsible for producing and developing all original content for the streaming service, in addition to assisting in acquisitions and scheduling.

Sean most recently worked in Corporate Communications as a Production Coordinator working on all cross branding and marketing assets, across internal and external communications from Sundance Film Festival to Offsite meetings.

He also formed and led the inaugural Black employee resource group, Vested Interest in Black Employees (V.I.B.E) from 2018 through 2021, as Co-Chair. He received his B.A in Media Communications from Queens College, CUNY and holds an M.B.A from Mercy College.

Producer | Senior Manager at Sony Pictures

Annie Huang is a first-generation Asian American who grew up in Vietnam, Taiwan, and Hong Kong before immigrating to the States at age 11, where she started learning English as her 4th language with the help of American subtitled films.

She has over 7 years of experience working in creative development, film production, and marketing strategy at Warner Bros. Studios, Universal Pictures, Searchlight Pictures, CBS Studios, and Sony Pictures. Annie has produced a slate of indie projects with creatives from across the globe, with the goal to help rising filmmakers break into the studio realm. 

Annie is a member of the inaugural class of the Academy of Motion Pictures GOLD program, a Forbes 30 Under 30 Scholar, a Women In Film Independent Producing Fellow, a Soho House x Creative Futures Fellow, and an APIA NBCUniversal Award recipient.

TV Show Runner

Bill Langworthy began his career as an intern for Late Show with David Letterman. He went on to work as David Letterman’s Stupid Pet & Human Trick Coordinator, booking guests on The Ricki Lake Show, and as a writer/producer for Animal Planet.

In 2005 Bill was hired to work on the pilot for MTV’s The Hills, which he produced from premiere to finale, and he’s worked in reality television ever since.

His credits include the first nine seasons of Vanderpump Rules, The Real Housewives of Orange County, MTV’s The City, History’s Decoded, and Bravo’s Southern Hospitality.

TV Productions & Creative Partnerships at NBCUniversal

Shambhavi Mishra is an award-winning entertainment professional passionate about authentic storytelling and innovation. As the Coordinator of TV Productions and Creative Partnerships at NBCUniversal, she champions diversity in scripted and unscripted television. A Carnegie Mellon alum with degrees in Entertainment Industry Management and Sonic Arts, she is recognized for exploring the intersection of storytelling, culture, and data.

Recipient of the 2021 DEG Hedy Lamarr Emerging Leaders in Entertainment Technology Award, Shambhavi co-founded Ted & Togo Productions, blending music and storytelling to create impactful works. Her Boston debut, Dreams, Queens & Everything in Between, featured four original micro-operas and supported Women’s Lunch Place through charitable contributions.

Assistant Producer at Saturday Night Live

Danielle Gould is originally from Los Angeles but traded palm trees for skyscrapers when she moved to New York to study film and television at NYU Tisch. As a lifelong fan of comedy, she feels very lucky to work with comedians every day.

Currently, she is a Producer’s Assistant at Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show, where her responsibilities include coordinating her boss’s schedule, office upkeep, helping manage the intern program, and assisting staff and writers wherever needed.

In addition to her work at SNL, Danielle has gained experience at the PGA, Neon, Broadway Video, and Universal Pictures. During her time at NYU, she found her niche as a producer for friends’ short films and looks forward to continuing to produce more projects in the future.

Film & Video Director | CEO of Films with a Cause

Yazmeen Kanji is an award-winning Muslim Indo-Caribbean filmmaker and cultural consultant, Hot Docs Accelerator Fellow, the former Advocacy and Outreach Lead at BIPOC TV & Film and the founder of Films With A Cause - a consulting startup for cultural specificity and authentic on-screen representation.

Her first documentary, From Syria To Hope (2019), was awarded Best Short Doc at the 2019 Toronto Short Film Festival. Yazmeen directed With Love From Munera (2020), which premiered at the 2020 Inside Out Film Festival and was an official selection at TIFF Next Wave 2021, the 2021 Toronto International Reel Asian Film Festival and the Audience Choice winner at the 2021 Breakthroughs Film Festival.

She was also a cohort member of Inspirit’s 2022 Narrative Change Lab alongside other Muslim creatives. Yazmeen recently co-produced a documentary for CBC’s The Passionate Eye and has marketed several CBC projects. 

Entertainment Host at 1497

Sarah Anwer Khan is a passionate social media enthusiast and pop culture aficionado with a decade of experience in the entertainment industry. She currently works at 1497, where she organizes events, labs, and initiatives centered on TV and film for the South Asian diaspora. Previously, she also worked at NBC, Fuse TV, and BuzzFeed.