Engagement Starts

Nina is a creative business leader with a background in entertainment and the media advertising and consulting industries. She has a record of leading teams on interdisciplinary ventures to help propel companies to the forefront of innovation. She has advised and worked within creative and digital intelligence agencies, consulting firms, real estate brokerages, retail brands, performance organizations, and academic institutions. Landmarks of her career include consulting on innovation-based revenue streams for brands and startups, the building of Choreo Theatro, a non-profit arts center in New York, receiving two ARF Ogilvy Awards in Innovation and Big Data and working for USC’s Creative Media & Behavioral Health Center. Nina holds an M.F.A. in Choreography from Tisch School of the Arts — New York University.

Jared is the Founder and CEO of August Point and, a New York-based strategy consultancy servicing clients across the food and beverage sector of Senseos. He has more than two decades of leadership experience, having worked for and advised many of the most esteemed Food & Beverage operators as well as private equity funds, family offices and real estate developers. Jared received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his Masters from NYU’s Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism.

Andrew is a creative leader with a background in advertising and film. He served as the advertising director at the prestigious media magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, where he oversaw sponsored events and sales – as well as, director, brand partnerships at Narratively, where he oversaw their branded content studio. As a writer and director, his first short film, "Idee Fixe" screened at Cannes and at the Time Inc Theater in New York City and his theatrical debut of "A Rat in a Trap in a Cage" premiered at the Linda Gross Atlantic Theater. He co-wrote and directed “White Arab Problems, a 21-episode digital series currently in post production. A graduate of Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and a mentee of media icon Victor Navasky, Bell has written for the USA Today, The Atlantic Magazine and others.

James is an award-winning journalist with a passion for the written word, history, culture and the arts. He recently finished penning his first two screenplays, which are currently being marketed to agencies and studios. During his two-decade career, he’s written for The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger's Personal Finance and The Shreveport Times. He currently writes content and develops narrative and messaging for Prosek Partners, a New York-based public relations and marketing firm. James graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in history and from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Erica is a multidisciplinary graphic designer and founder of design collective See You Friday. Running her own practice for the better part of a decade, she’s touched a myriad of industries including lifestyle, entertainment, and national defense; working in branding, advertising, and product design— to name a few areas of specialization. With a background in fine art and a passion for science, Erica uses the gaps between concepts to inform the shape of a brand. She’s worked with clients like Nike and Wieden+Kennedy, and holds a degree in graphic design from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Marita founded Sensyle, the European-based event planning company known for creating indelible memories. She has 20 years of experience in live event management, theme development, creative design and execution. Whether designing corporate settings, brands or high-profile private events, her aesthetic, attention to detail and ability to create magical concepts has enchanted clients from around the world. With a background in graphic design and a mission to create worlds that transport people to beautiful spaces and happy places, she thoughtfully approaches each experience as an opportunity to surprise and delight.

Dacia is a risk-taking, rabble-rouser committed to liberating the humanistic + heroic spirit of individuals and organizations. She has spent over two decades developing fit for purpose teams, programs, and processes that help people be better, bolder, and more bad-ass. Always driven to innovate new ways of working, now more than ever, she’s passionate about writing a new playbook for activating, motivating, and developing a company’s most valuable asset; their people. She whole-heartedly believes that Human Resources is long overdue for a redesign. A modernizing. A humanizing. A total rebranding. To not just challenge the status quo, but change it. Organizations that she has held leadership positions at include Starbucks Coffee Co., Apple Retail, Pandora Media, SYPartners, Etsy and Cityblock.

Vita is an internationally acclaimed creative director and designer who has worked extensively in live entertainment and digital media. She designed for clients ranging from Lady Gaga to Joyce DiDonato, for companies ranging from the Bolshoi Theater to the Norwegian Opera, and for brands ranging from Qualcomm to DirectTV. Her work was given a solo exhibition at Opera America’s National Opera Center in NYC and has been featured in group exhibitions worldwide. She has been profiled by publications including Entertainment Design and Lighting & Sound America, and was nominated for Designer of the Year by the International Opera Awards.

Alexandre Corazzola has been working as a set and costume designer at some of the most prestigious opera houses and theatres across Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France for the past 13 years.  After having received his MFA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the German-Italian designer first assisted at such companies as Schaubühne Berlin, Tanztheater Pina Bausch, the Salzburg Festival and the Vienna State Opera, before becoming a freelance artist in his own right working at Opera Frankfurt, Munich Kammerspiele, Volkstheater Vienna, Theatre Athenée Paris, among many others.  Alexandre was nominated for a FAUST award in 2018 and is an alumn of the Deutsche Bank opera scholarship program.

Vinny is a theater-maker and mentalist who uses a combination of psychological tricks, illusion, visual art, and immersive storytelling. His most recent off-Broadway stage show Charlatan was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Production. New York Times says, “Mr. DePonto’s craftsmanship consistently impresses.”  New York Daily News calls his one-man performance "breathtaking.” In addition to his live performances, his consulting work was featured in the most recent production of Angels in America on Broadway, in Lincoln Center’s Ghost Light, and in hit television shows on the Discovery Channel, NBC, and Netflix. He’s also a member of the award-winning theater group Third Rail Projects. His solo work has been supported by Ars Nova, American Conservatory Theater, American Repertory Theater at Harvard, and The Orchard Project. He enjoys burrata, whimsical socks, and your deep, dark secrets.

 Tim has more than two decades of experience as a lighting designer and his work includes touring as lighting supervisor for the Martha Graham Dance Company and the Reggie Wilson/Fist & Heel Performance Group. He has taught at Hunter College, Providence College, Dalton School, Bard College, and is currently on the faculty of Long Island University’s Dance Department, Brooklyn Campus. Tim holds an M.F.A. from Tisch School of the Arts — New York University.

Mariza is a choreographer and movement director with over 25 years of experience. As Bessie Schönberg’s mentee, she assumed an active leadership role at NYU’s Choreography Alumni Workshops. She co-founded XIPóLYTOS Dance Theatre, which produced works across London, New York and Athens. In 2011, she became President of the Committee for Dance for the Greek Ministry of Culture. Mariza has taught choreography at the State School of Dance and various other private dance schools. Mariza holds an M.F.A. from Tisch School of the Arts — New York University.

Gabi is an award-winner designer of interactive, immersive experiences that blend the physical and digital worlds. Gabi was an Annenberg Fellow at USC's Game Innovation Lab and was part of Sony Pictures Entertainment's VR Innovation Program. Gabi is the creator of Healing Spaces, an immersive experience and app which received worldwide media coverage and was a Top Idea at OpenIDEO's Caregiving for Dementia Challenge. Her work has been exhibited at E3, IndieCade, Tokyo Game Show and Playstation Experience. She is currently (an is she's coming back, make no mistake.... ) an Experience Designer at Deutsche Telekom’s Innovation Hub. Gabi holds an M.F.A. in Interactive Media from the School of Cinematic Arts — University of Southern California.