Contributors

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Host

Shari Holly

Shari began her work in the DE&I space at PromaxBDA. She implemented several development and training programs to prepare emerging talent for the entertainment marketing industry and creative careers. She was the Program Administrator for the first-ever Commercial Directors Diversity Program; created and endorsed by both the Association of Independent Commercial Producers and the Directors Guild of America. There, she made an immersive program that provides more access and opportunity to underrepresented directors in commercial production. Currently, she runs operations for Pipelines, a mobile app and web platform that connects underrepresented talent directly to jobs and training opportunities, and companies to a vast pool of historically-excluded talent. She is a Detroit native, board member of ArtworxLA and the BRIC Foundation and on the advisory councils for the CSU Entertainment Alliance and the CA Department of Education Arts, Media, and Entertainment sector.

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Producer

Ashley Adams

As the Founding Executive Director of the AME Institute non-profit organization, Ashley is committed to supporting AME teachers and administrators through professional learning experiences that are relevant, engaging, meaningful, and transformative. Ashley's career began in the educational departments of the Old Globe Theatre and Pasadena Playhouse, and she later taught high school theatre in the San Dieguito Union High School District in San Diego. She was a founding staff member at Canyon Crest Academy and its first Envision Director. Ashley's consulting work has encompassed strategic planning and curriculum support for various schools and districts throughout California including Rancho Santa Fe, Vista Unified, and Oakland School for the Arts. Ashley holds a BA in English and Theatre from Middlebury College and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver’s Morgridge College of Education.

https://ameinstitute.org
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Producer

Jessie Vacchiano

Jessie Vacchiano is a theatrical stage manager with a passion for education. Jessie graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts with a degree in Theatrical Production with a focus in Stage Management in 2009. In 2010 Jessie joined Actors Equity as a Union Theatrical Stage Manager and has freelanced the country as a theatrical stage manager working on theatrical productions from Off-Broadway to large regional theaters to small intimate black box workshops. In 2020 Jessie began lecturing with University of California Los Angeles in their Department of Film and Television. In the summer of 2022 Jessie developed UCLA Summer Institutes first Stage Management Institute for high school and college students interested in pursuing careers in stage management. Jessie is very excited to join the AME team as the Event and Communications Coordinator after working on the June 2022 Shock of the Now Event.

https://www.ameinstitute.org

Guests

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Guest

Brian Dickman

Brian is a thought-leader in the realm of using video games in education. His team has created educational games played by over 80 million students and they produced popular standards-aligned learning activities for Minecraft, Fortnite, and Unreal Engine. They have delivered professional learning to thousands of educators for Microsoft and Epic Games. Their unique view of the entire student journey from K through 12 along with the challenges of educators using video games in the classroom has shaped their vision for student success.

He is leading the launch of Cleverlike School, an online program to connect video game skills to curriculum engagement and career readiness. Educators can connect on LinkedIn or DM on x.com/cleverlike for information.

https://www.cleverlike.com/

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Guest

Claire Labeaux

Claire LaBeaux is the Chief Advancement Officer for NASEF. She has helped raise awareness of the benefits of scholastic esports as NASEF grew from a small regional pilot in 2018 to its current status as the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (headquartered in the United States with affiliates around the world). Claire amplifies the work of educators who leverage esports for combined play and meaningful learning. She oversees implementation of NASEF’s programs and spearheads NASEF’s global partnerships in the industry, education, and sports sectors. She is a communicator and strategist with 20+ years of experience helping non-profits reach their goals by driving involvement and support. Her work spans STEM education and youth leadership organizations including NASEF, SciStarter, STEM Learning Ecosystems, US Army Educational Outreach Program, and Chief Science Officers.

https://www.nasef.org

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Guest

Marco Pinter

Marco Pinter is the founder and CEO of MindClay, creating mental wellness interventions based in visual art, music, movement and writing. He has a PhD in Media Arts and Technology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an undergraduate degree from Cornell University. His artistic research has been supported by grants from the David Bermant Foundation, the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative, and the UC Institute for Research in the Arts. He has exhibited artwork and performances at cities around the world, including Dubai, New York, Montreal, Tehran, Hong Kong, Anaheim, San Diego and Santa Barbara. He is also founder and co-curator of the Museum of Sensory & Movement Experiences, a Santa Barbara-based museum dedicated to interactive and media artworks. Pinter is a contributing author to The McGraw Hill Multimedia Handbook and The Ultimate Multimedia Handbook. 

https://www.mindclayhealth.com

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Guest

Margaret Chandra Kerrison

Born in Indonesia and raised in Singapore, Margaret Chandra Kerrison has spent more than seventeen years shaping narratives across multimedia, games, brand storytelling, location-based entertainment, and immersive experiences. After earning her MFA in Screenwriting from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, she went on to serve as a Creative Lead, Writer, and Disney Imagineer, contributing to multiple award-winning projects worldwide. She is the author of Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds (2022), Reimagined Worlds: Narrative Placemaking for People, Play, and Purpose (2024), and The Art of Immersive Storytelling: Strategies From the Gaming World (2025). A frequent speaker and a creative consultant, Margaret lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son—and is always seeking her next adventure and invitation to play.

http://margaretkerrison.my.canva.site

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Guest

Matt Dombrowski

Matt Dombrowski is the Assistant Director of the School of Visual Arts & Design at the University of Central Florida and the Creative Director of Limbitless Solutions, a nonprofit blending art, design, and engineering to create 3D-printed prosthetics for children with limb differences. An award-winning educator and digital artist, Matt specializes in harnessing creativity and storytelling to drive social impact and inclusion. His work has been recognized by Adobe, Unity, Epic Games, the Smithsonian, and the Gates Foundation. Passionate about empowering the next generation of artists, Matt integrates real-world experiences into teaching to inspire students to design with purpose.

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