Local community and business leaders work together to advance our mission to ensure public schools are places all students can thrive.
Glenn Gritzner brings two decades of experience with local governments throughout Southern California to his work in political outreach, policy analysis, communication and media strategy, education and urban planning and development.
Previously, he founded the Los Angeles office of a major public affairs firm, where he oversaw external advocacy and outreach for billions of dollars in development projects, including the largest development in the history of Hollywood. Glenn has run successful ballot initiatives for the four largest local school bonds in U.S. history, resulting in over $20 billion in funding for new school construction. He has provided crisis communications support and media training for a wide range of corporate and nonprofit clients. Glenn serves on the boards of City Year Los Angeles and Heart of Los Angeles Youth and was an appointee to the Citizens’ Unit for Participation in Housing and Community Development, providing citizen oversight for over $165 million in annual community development block grant funding. He received his bachelor’s degree in Communications from UCLA, where he graduated magna cum laude, and earned his master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Since January 2021, Jim Burtson is the President of Creative Artist’s Agency (“CAA”). Jim leads the company’s strategy for the growth and evolution of CAA’s representation business and the continued diversification of the company. Previously, from July 2015, Mr. Burtson served as Chief Financial Officer.
Prior to joining CAA, Mr. Burtson served as Time Warner, Inc.’s Senior Vice President, overseeing the company’s global mergers and acquisitions efforts. At Time Warner, Jim led the spin-offs of Time Warner Cable, AOL and Time Inc. that transformed the company into the focused content and networks media enterprise it is today. In addition, Jim oversaw multiple strategic networks, content, and new media acquisitions and investments. Previously, he led Time Warner’s Investor Relations initiatives, earning the company Institutional Investor magazine’s highest ranking in the sector. Prior to re-joining Time Warner in 2002, Jim spent four years at Clear Channel Communications (and its predecessor companies), where he served as vice president of strategic development and CFO of the company’s online business. He previously worked for J.P. Morgan as an investment banker and began his career at Time Warner working in corporate finance and M&A. Jim earned his M.B.A. and B.A. from Columbia University.
Dwight Caines serves as the President of domestic marketing for Universal Pictures, where he is responsible for all areas of the domestic marketing department at the Studio, and directly oversees media, digital marketing, multicultural marketing, data analytics and publicity. Caines previously served as the President of marketing at Sony Pictures Entertainment. In his various roles as a marketer, Caines has worked on hundreds of movies including global franchises such as James Bond, Spider-Man, Jurassic World and The Fast and the Furious Saga.
Caines is co-chair of the Universal Pictures Inclusion Committee, which strives to enhance the Studio’s commitment to inclusivity for all among its workforce and its creative endeavors. Caines graduated from the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University with a Bachelor’s degree in Television, Radio and Film production. As an alum, Caines gives back to the school as a mentor and adjunct professor in Newhouse’s Los Angeles Program where he teaches marketing in addition to being on the Newhouse advisory board. Caines has been an active member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences Marketing and Public Relations Branch since 2010.
Kevin Demoff is in his 17th year as President of the Los Angeles Rams and in 2024 was named President of Team & Media Operations for Kroenke Sports and Entertainment.
As President of Team and Media Operations, Demoff oversees operations of all KSE teams including the Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Colorado Rapids (MLS), and Colorado Mammoth (NLL), as well as operations of all KSE Media properties including Altitude Sports and Entertainment, KSE Radio, and Outdoor Sportsman Group. In this role, he reports to KSE Vice Chairman Josh Kroenke.
As President of the Los Angeles Rams, Demoff serves as the team’s top front office executive and liaison to owner and chairman, Stan Kroenke, on all organizational matters.
After serving on the working group that helped Kroenke return the Rams – Los Angeles’ original professional sports team – home to L.A., Demoff is playing a significant role in delivering on Kroenke’s vision to design and construct Hollywood Park, the 298-acre sports and entertainment district in Inglewood that features SoFi Stadium, the home of the Rams. Beyond the stadium, the campus includes the 6,000-seat YouTube Theater, an office complex that is the home of the NFL’s West Coast headquarters, a retail district that is under development, and is currently the largest entitled real-estate project in Southern California. Demoff has also joined forces with the LA24 Olympic Bid Committee to help deliver the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games to Los Angeles along with other marquee events like the FIFA World Cup 26™ and Super Bowl LXI in 2027. Beyond the impact of Super Bowl and other major events hosted in LA and Inglewood, the Hollywood Park development is expected to generate hundreds of millions in new annual economic activity across the region. In Demoff’s tenure with the Rams, he has shaped the club’s business efforts with a focus on delivering a best-in-class experience for fans and partners, building a team that reflects Los Angeles, and increasing the club’s presence in the community. He has spearheaded the organization’s efforts to become one of the strongest philanthropic partners in professional sports and has intentionally built one of the most diverse front offices in sports. The Rams rank in the top quartile of all NFL teams in terms of racial and gender diversity across the organization. Demoff has also expanded that commitment beyond LA and helped launch the Black Sports Business Symposium, which aims to create new opportunities for diverse professionals in sports, and to increase Black representation in the industry. He also regularly supports programs aimed at increasing diversity across the NFL, including the Ozzie Newsome General Manager Forum and Quarterback Coaching Summit. Reinforcing the Rams’ commitment to the Los Angeles community, Demoff was selected to sit on the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce’s CEO Council and serves on multiple boards including the Los Angeles Sports Council, and the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission, as well as its philanthropic initiative, ChampionLA. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Calif., Demoff received a bachelors’ degree in history and a Masters in Business Administration from Dartmouth, where he serves on the MBA Leadership Council.
During her career in the entertainment industry, Laura was responsible for overseeing business and legal affairs for theDreamWorks SKG movie division, and was the VP of Legal Affairs for Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures. She currently teaches in the field of social entrepreneurship at USC Marshall, and is President of the Fox Foundation.
In addition to City Year Los Angeles, she serves on the boards of Cedars-Sinai, Otis College of Art and Design, P.S. Arts, and Visionary Women, as well as the USC Marshall Board of Councilors, University of Chicago Law School Council, and University of Michigan Dean’s Advisory Council. She received a B.A. in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Michigan, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.
Kam Ghassemieh is a seasoned professional with a breadth of experience and a proven track record of success across multiple areas of business. Since 2008, Kam has been with First Credit Bank in Los Angeles where he currently serves as Senior Vice President and as Member of the Board of Directors.
Prior to his experience with First Credit Bank, Kam was a founder and vice president of a boutique IT services firm in Dallas TX between 2002 and 2008. In 2017, Kam joined the Associates Board of City Year Los Angeles, an education based non-profit organization, where he served as Co-Chair of the Associates Board from 2022-2024. Kam has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from U.C.L.A (with a concentration in International Relations), where he also completed the Hansard Scholars Program through the London School of Economics. Kam is a long time Los Angeles native, where he lives with his wife, son, and dog.
Jennifer Gonring brings nearly 30 years of experience navigating at the highest levels the intersection of Hollywood, politics, philanthropy, and public relations. Her experience connects unique insights with sharp perspectives to help advance key initiatives, drive campaigns, and develop creative projects.
In 2025, Jennifer launched Principle Partner, a strategic consulting and executive coaching firm dedicated to helping organizations, C-suite, creative, and elected leaders strengthen growth plans to reach new audiences, expand partnerships, and increase supporters. Establishing a distinctive model in the advising world, she offers both embedded strategic direction with select clients and external guidance to others. She is a member of the leadership team at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, serving as their Chief Strategy Officer. As co-founder and former CEO of boutique public affairs firm Gonring Lin Spahn, Jennifer was a lead strategist in positioning key philanthropic and policy objectives. She directed message development, formulated communication tactics, and managed execution in partnership with individual executives, major institutions, non-profit foundations, and corporations. She continues to consult with Gonring Lin Spahn on select efforts. Previously, Jennifer worked at DreamWorks SKG where she oversaw corporate affairs, directed special projects, managed the Spielberg Family Living Trust, the Katzenberg Family Trust, and the David Geffen Foundation, as well as key public relations efforts and events for the studio and its principals. Jennifer is a member of the California Film Commission, the Pacific Council on International Policy, and is a Trustee of the Charles Edison Fund.
Marc "Tryndamere" Merrill is Co-Founder, Co-Chairman, and Chief Product Officer of Riot Games, the developer and publisher behind League of Legends, VALORANT, Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, Wild Rift, and more. Beyond games, Riot is a pioneer in esports and an emerging force in entertainment, all united by a mission to make it better to be a player.
Marc co-founded Riot in 2006 with Brandon Beck with the vision to revolutionize how games are developed, published, and supported by putting players at the center of everything. He co-led the development and launch of League, which went on to become one of the most-played games in history, the foundation of the world’s largest esport, and a global phenomenon still played in nearly every country on earth more than 15 years after its debut. Along the way, he helped shape Riot’s culture, championed a player-first philosophy, and played a central role in building the company’s publishing, esports, and international operations from the ground up. As Riot grew, Marc was a key force behind the company’s expansion into new genres and esports. He also served as an executive producer on Arcane, Riot’s first animated series. The show premiered concurrently on Netflix and Tencent Video in 2021 to widespread acclaim, winning four Emmy Awards (including Outstanding Animated Program), multiple Annie Awards, and international recognition for its storytelling, visual artistry, and cultural impact. Following its second season in 2024, Arcane topped charts in over 60 countries. Today, as Riot’s first Chief Product Officer, Marc guides the company’s strategy and product direction, supporting a growing portfolio that includes upcoming titles like 2XKO, Riftbound, and multiple R&D projects in development—including Riot’s in-progress MMO set in the world of Runeterra, a passion project that reflects Marc’s lifelong love of worldbuilding and immersive games. Beyond Riot, Marc serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including Unite America, City Year Los Angeles, Represent.US, and the Seal Family Foundation. His contributions to gaming and entertainment have been recognized with honors including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, the Game Developers Choice Pioneer Award, and a BAFTA. Marc lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Ashley, and their two children. A lifelong gamer, he loves Warhammer 40K, World of Warcraft, D&D, and countless other games—and always makes time for sports, philosophy, and good conversations with friends.
Kimberley H. Monasterio is a Senior Business Leader and Senior Vice President of Investment Operations at Capital Group. She leads the Global Investment Control teams and is a member of the Investment Operations Management Committee. Kimberley has been with Capital Group for 10 years.
Before joining Capital Group, Kimberley held several senior roles at Fidelity Investments in Boston, Massachusetts, including President and Treasurer of the Fidelity Funds, Head of the Treasury and Board Group, and Head of the Fund Administration group. Prior to that, she was a Senior Vice President at Franklin Templeton Investments in San Mateo, California, where she served as Chief Financial Officer and Fund Treasurer for their mutual funds. Kimberley began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in San Francisco, California. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Commerce degree from Santa Clara University and is a registered CPA in California. Kimberley is married with two daughters and is originally from San Francisco, California.
Erik Moreno currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Growth and New Initiatives at Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE). His role involves spearheading growth strategies and identifying new business opportunities for SPE and other Sony Group Companies (SGC) globally. His focus areas include emerging markets such as India, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as growth sectors like sports and emerging technologies like AI and the Metaverse.
Prior to his Growth role, Moreno was the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and M&A at SPE, where he led growth strategies for the LA-based studio. He built and managed the Integration Management Office. His extensive experience includes serving as Executive Vice President and President of Corporate Development, New Ventures, and Investments at Time Inc., as well as senior Corporate Development and Strategy roles at 21st Century Fox, News Corp, , eBay Inc., and Level 3 Communications. Moreno began his professional career as an advisor at the M&A boutique of Gleacher & Co. In addition to his corporate roles, Moreno is active in several philanthropic and educational organizations. He is a Trustee of Strada Education Foundation, serves as a Board Overseer for The School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Board member of CityYear Los Angeles. Moreno is an alumnus of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Pedro Noguera is the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education. Prior to coming to USC Noguera served as a professor at UC Berkeley, Harvard University, New York University and UCLA. He is the author of 13 books. His most recent books are The Crisis of Connection: Roots, Consequences and Solutions with Niobe Way, Carol Gilligan and Alisha Ali (2018) and Race, Equity and Education: Sixty Years From Brown with Jill Pierce and Roey Ahram (2015).
Nkem Ogbechie is the Head of Operations Strategy and Business Resilience and is responsible for planning Amgen’s internal network capacity and investments to enable the proper technology, platforms, and modalities for Amgen’s commercial portfolio and pipeline of emerging products. Nkem previously served as Global Product General Manager (GPGM) for the Bone Health franchise (comprised of Prolia® and EVENITY®), surpassing $3 billion in annual revenues. Nkem brings over 15 years of industry leadership as well as unique enterprise, portfolio, and product strategy experience. In addition, Nkem’s execution experience in biopharma spans therapeutic areas, drug development stages, and regions.
Before his GPGM role, Nkem served as Amgen’s Head of Corporate Strategy where he led enterprise-wide strategic planning efforts and supported critically integrated actions across the portfolio, target disease areas, and key geographies. Nkem also served as Chief of Staff to the CEO and supported the CEO staff in the implementation of Amgen’s executive governance system, enabled resource allocation that connected strategy, transformation, and financial performance, and directed CEO regional operating reviews. Nkem joined Amgen in 2011 and led numerous mergers & acquisitions, licenses, collaborations, equity investments, and R&D agreements as a Transaction Lead in Business Development. Nkem joined Amgen following eight years in investment banking, starting with Goldman Sachs & Company in New York City as part of the healthcare finance group and then in mergers & acquisitions in Los Angeles. Nkem has a bachelor’s degree in Human Biology from Stanford University, an M.B.A. in Finance and Healthcare Management from Rice University, and a graduate certificate in Biotechnology Management from Harvard University. Nkem serves on the Board of Regents at California Lutheran University and is engaged in numerous mentoring and outreach opportunities in the greater Los Angeles area. Nkem and his wife, Angela, have three daughters and two sons and live in Santa Rosa Valley.
Tracy Schwartz-Ward is Managing Partner of Schwartz Capital Group (SCG), a private investment firm and family office. Its platforms include Strand Equity, a growth-equity fund focused on emerging and dynamic consumer brands, direct real estate and OppFi, a financial technology platform focused on financial inclusion. Tracy serves on SCG’s Investment Committee and oversees the firm’s operations.
Previously, Tracy was Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of OppFi. Tracy began her career as an investment banker with Goldman Sachs. Her passion for social impact led her to Bangalore, India, where she worked with Unitus Labs to build the capacity of microfinance institutions. Tracy has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
David Shaheen is a Managing Director and Head of J.P. Morgan’s Media & Communications Global Corporate Banking group, which provides traditional banking services, investment banking solutions and international capabilities to private and public companies.
Based in J.P. Morgan’s Los Angeles office, Mr. Shaheen has been with the firm 30+ years and specializes in highly structured financings and advisory assignments for intellectual property/content companies globally.
During his tenure with J.P. Morgan, he has been engaged in the structure, negotiation and arranging of capital for leading companies in film, television, music, gaming, exhibition, diversified media and communications. Key financial services provided to clients include loan syndications, public and private debt placements, public equity, asset-backed securitizations, derivatives, foreign exchange and other risk management products. Mr. Shaheen has led many of the entertainment industry’s most important financing and advisory assignments for Lionsgate, MGM Studios, Skydance Media, Legendary Pictures, Amblin Partners, Entertainment One, UTA, Wasserman and Concord Music Group. Prior to joining the Entertainment team in Los Angeles, David was part of the firm’s Investment Banking team in New York, responsible for coverage of Diversified Industries and leveraged buyout portfolios. David holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Anderson School at UCLA and a BA in Economics from Boston College and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for the nonprofit organization City Year Los Angeles, he also serves at America SCORES LA.
One of Hollywood’s most sought-after talents, Spencer has become a familiar fixture in both television and the silver screen. Her performance as Minny in the DreamWorks feature film The Help won her the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, SAG Award and Broadcast Film Critics’ Choice Award among numerous other accolades. She has since received two additional individual Academy Award nominations and recently served as an executive producer on the critically acclaimed drama, Green Book, which won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Picture and Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy.
Most recently, Octavia starred in Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, a limited series for Netflix about entrepreneur and social activist, Madam C.J. Walker, which she executive produces along with LeBron James and his production company, Springhill Entertainment. Her performance earned her, her first ever nomination for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie” at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards. Additionally, Spencer was also recently seen in Apple’s thriller, Truth Be Told, which follows America’s interest in true crime podcasts. In addition to starring in, she also serves as an executive producer via her Orit Entertainment banner alongside Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and Chernin Ent/ Endeavor Content. On the silver screen, Spencer was most recently featured as one of the voices in the Disney adventure animation, Onward, alongside Chris Pratt, Tom Holland and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. This past year, Octavia also starred in the fantasy comedy film, The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle with Robert Downey Jr., Rami Malek, Emma Thompson, Antonio Banderas, and Selena Gomez. Additionally, last year, Spencer starred in Luce, an independent drama about an African teenager and former child soldier now living in a suburban neighborhood who finds himself struggling with very strong views on political violence that also includes performances by Naomi Watts and Tim Roth. Her performance in the film earned her a nomination in the category of “Best Supporting Female” at the 35th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards. Soon, Spencer will also star in The Witches, Robert Zemeckis’ adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic book, along with Anne Hathaway; and the Netflix comedy Thunder Force with Melissa McCarthy. Additionally, she is set to produce the upcoming film Coffee Will Make You Black with Tate Taylor and John Norris, which stars Gabrielle Union, who will also produce through her I’ll Have Another banner and will be scripted and directed by Deborah Draper.
Fernando Szew is President & Head of FOX Entertainment Studios, FOX Entertainment’s centralized global studio business. Formed in early 2024, the division is comprised of in-house scripted and unscripted studios, celebrated animation house Bento Box Entertainment, Studio Ramsay Global in partnership with iconic chef Gordon Ramsay, Harvey Levin’s entertainment studio TMZ, and the new independent film label Tideline, as well as an expanding roster of international studio investments with creative partners such as Canada’s Neshama Entertainment and Ireland’s Bigger Stage.
Under Szew’s leadership, highlights from the studio’s growing portfolio of studio engines include upcoming midseason scripted series such as the lighthearted-yet-heartfelt drama Best Medicine starring Josh Charles and Annie Potts, and the biblical event series The Faithful with Minnie Driver and Jeffrey Donovan. These highly anticipated series join a growing comedy slate that includes the company’s first owned live-action comedies Animal Control starring Joel McHale and Denis Leary’s Going Dutch, as well as FOX-owned animated comedy series Universal Basic Guys, Krapopolis and Grimsburg, in addition to the hit animated musical Hazbin Hotel on Prime Video, all of which come from the Emmy Award-winning Bento Box.
Additional scripted entertainment includes popular Hallmark drama series The Way Home with Andie MacDowell and The Chicken Sisters starring Lea Thompson and Wendie Malick, and under the Tideline banner, the moving anthology series One Day in October on HBO Max and inaugural film releases First Time Female Director, Ponyboi and Slanted. The studio is also the world’s leading producer of holiday movies, creating dozens of festive Christmas films for partners such as Hallmark, Lifetime and OWN. On the unscripted side, FOX Entertainment Studios is home to musical competition juggernaut The Masked Singer and Studio Ramsay Global’s summer hit Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, fan favorite Kitchen Nightmares, and the wildly popular cooking competition Next Level Chef, as well as its first franchise extension, Next Level Baker, debuting this holiday season. Previously, Szew launched and served as CEO of FOX Entertainment Global (FEG), which was established by FOX Entertainment in 2022 to oversee the company’s growing worldwide, multiplatform sales and distribution pipeline. The division was formed to distribute all intellectual property owned and produced by FOX Entertainment and quickly expanded its scope to include other Fox Corporation business units, such as its new AVOD streamer Tubi and Fox Nation. At the same time, Szew was also CEO of MarVista Entertainment (MVE) -- one of the world’s leading independent studios that created, acquired and distributed content seen around the world -- which he co-founded in 2003 and continued to lead following its acquisition by FOX Entertainment in 2021. Key content distributed by FEG under Szew’s leadership included animated series Krapopolis, created by Emmy Award-winner Dan Harmon, and Grimsburg, starring and executive produced by Jon Hamm; and the comedy series Animal Control. On the feature side, Tideline’s first comedy First Time Female Director, starring Chelsea Peretti, Megan Mullally and Amy Poehler, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was sold to Roku. Szew was also responsible for the global distribution of MVE’s ever-expanding library of made-for-platform movies. Under Szew, MVE became a fast-growing studio, producing over 2,500 hours of content and expanding its portfolio to a distribution footprint of over 125 global territories. The studio became a preeminent supplier of content to U.S. platforms such as Disney, Lifetime, Hallmark, NBCUniversal Channels, Nickelodeon, BET, OWN and streamers Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Tubi and Pluto. As a native Spanish-speaker, Szew leads a growing slate of Spanish-first content that includes, the Vix (TelevisaUnivision) original movies ¿Quieres Ser Mi Hijo? (Do You Want to Be My Son?), which set a record for streaming time across its opening weekend, and El Robo del Siglo (Heist of the Century), a crime story based on true events which became Argentina’s highest grossing movie of 2021 and ranked in the market’s Top 5 of all time. Szew serves on the Board of City Year LA and as Co-Chair of the CYLA governance committee. He is a movement partner of the Starts with Us foundation, a member of Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA), a long-standing member and board member of The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and a member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) - alumni of the Santa Monica Bay Chapter and currently on the Mosaic Chapter. He is a former committee member of the Lincoln Center Corporate Fund and Media Council and a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) and member of The Paley Center Media Council. He was also a founding member of World Jewish Relief USA and is a significant contributor to causes that provide support to the worldwide Jewish community, offer vital resources to parents of children experiencing mental health challenges, and assist local Los Angeles communities. Szew was the recipient of the prestigious Cayton Children’s Museum’s Discovery Award. A native Argentinian, Szew is an alumnus of the Huntsman International Studies and Business Program at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated cum laude from the Wharton School of Business and the College of Arts & Sciences.
