MEDIAVILLAGE® - Key Persons
Alli Romano is a media pro who has covered digital media, radio, and broadcast and cable TV in her MediaVillage column, "Alli on Audio," as well as for numerous industry publications, including Inside Radio, Broadcasting & Cable, TVNewscheck.com, and Multichannel News. She has also worked as a digital producer and content manager for FoxSports.com and NBA.com, as well as a web design firm and an educational institution. While writing is her preferred medium, Alli has also voiced hundreds of radio commercials for small businesses and nonprofits in her adopted hometown of Ithaca, NY.
Bill Harvey, who won an Emmy® Award in 2022 for his invention of set top box data, has spent over 35 years leading the way in media research with pioneer thinking in New Media, set top box data, optimizers, measurement standards, privacy standards, the ARF Model; and inventions such as ADI/DMA, addressable commercials, passive peoplemeters, media/purchase singlesource by Big Data matching (4 U.S. patents assigned to TRA, Inc.). Bill's latest invention is a method, marketed by his company RMT (Research Measurement Technologies), of customizing media to creative, which has been proven by NCS, 605, Simmons, Neustar, ARF Cognition Council and others, to efficiently increase sales and branding effects per ad dollar.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Professor at UNLV
Brandie Feuer is an award-winning global marketing leader who helps dynamic lifestyle brands find success in the digital marketing and emerging media arena.
She is currently chairwoman of the Las Vegas Innovation Marketing Association (LVIMA) and Chief Marketing Strategist at B&E Partners. Through her consultancy, she supports top-tier retail and lifestyle brands and helps global nonprofits redefine how they leverage social media for social and behavioral change.
Her career has crisscrossed both the client and agency sides of the marketing and advertising industry, covering stops at renowned organizations that include MGM Resorts International, Choice Hotels, EILEEN FISHER and L Brands.
She has garnered top awards, like USA Today's Top 40 Brands that Twitter, L2's Top Social Media Presence in Retail and YouTube's #1 Video for her efforts in social media. Moreover, she's written excerpts for several social media books and is an Internationally recognized speaker, having given numerous talks in four countries on emerging media.
When not leading organizations through the ever-evolving digital landscape, Brandie is an Adjunct Professor at UNLV teaching "Managing the Consumer Experience in the Digital World" and helping to cultivate young, local talent.
Outside of the office, Brandie is an avid lover of Broadway shows and participates in dog sport competitions, with her award-winning chihuahua, Emma (@emmadoesvegas).
Job Titles:
- Founding Director of Enreach
Brian Jacobs spent more than 35 years in advertising, media, and research agencies, including spells at Leo Burnett (UK, EMEA, International media director), Carat International (managing director), Universal McCann (EMEA director) and Millward Brown (executive vice president, Global Media). Currently, he writes "The Cog Blog" on MediaVillage. He has worked in the UK, EMEA, and globally out of the USA. His experience spans shifts from full-service ad agencies to media agencies; from traditional single-commercial-channel TV to multifaceted digital channels; and from media planning to multidisciplinary communication planning.
In 2006, Brian started Brian Jacobs and Associates, a consultancy business whose clients include advertisers, media agencies, and trade bodies.
Active investor in several startup businesses, Brian is a founding director of Enreach, a supplier of advanced audience analytics to premium publishers; and Optisca, a UK consultancy focused on measuring, monitoring and quantifying reputation for company boards.
Brian has served on numerous UK and international media industry committees, including the BARB Management Committee. He is a past chairman of the UK Media Research Group and has spoken at many conferences and festivals in the UK, Europe, Asia, and the USA.
Brian has coauthored two books on the media industry: Spending Advertising Money, with the late Dr. Simon Broadbent, published in 1984; and Social Media Marketing, with Jouko Ahvenainen, Alan Moore and Ajit Jaokar, released in 2009.
Job Titles:
- Media Insights / Media Insights
- Media Research Executive
Charlene Weisler is a media research executive and MediaVillage columnist with experience that spans broadcast, cable, off-platform, non-linear, and broadband. She shares her expertise in set-top box data, SEO, metrics creation, and behavioral psychography in her "Media Insights" column. In addition, she writes about the media for several industry publications and hosts a blog at www.WeislerMedia.blogspot.com.
Job Titles:
- PR Consultant
- Public Relations Specialist
- AdvancingDiversity.Org PR Consultant
Diane Stefani is a results-driven public relations specialist with over two decades of experience garnering top-tier press placements and providing brand strategy for a broad range of innovative organizations, mission-based startups and legacy media companies.
Diane was brought on board to bring awareness to MediaVillage's AdvancingDiversity.org and annual Advancing Diversity Hall of Honors. The relationship has grown to include publicizing the growing number of content marketing channels, subject matter columnists, and multiplatform journalists.
Prior to launching Diane Stefani Public Relations, the born and bred New Yorker was Executive Vice President at the Rosen Group, managing clients as diverse as the James Beard Foundation, B. Smith Enterprises, One Club for Art & Copy, Barnes & Noble, National Magazine Awards, Etsy, and Fast Company. Stefani credits her earlier career as an entertainment reporter at The New York Post and Director of Communications at Playboy Enterprises for a passion for journalism.
E.B. Moss is an award-winning writer, podcaster and strategist who creates content that opens revenue doors and brings out the human to human side of B2B marketing.
An expert in explanatory journalism, E.B. served as an inaugural editor at media trades "MediaVillage," and Quigley's "The Continuum." She regularly crafts executive profiles and thought leadership for "Cynopsis," "The Customer" and others, and has interviewed dozens of C-suiters from Cadillac to The Clorox Company, and Danone to the NFL via her highly regarded podcast, "Insider Interviews with E.B. Moss."
E.B. currently runs Moss Appeal, a consultancy serving platforms and brands with content marketing, podcast development and activations. Her sample client list has included Angi, Artcraft Health, Audacy, DPAA, NBCU, Reelz, Sodexo, Wondery and other marquee companies. She has supported JDRF, Genesis Prize Foundation, Sustainable Brands, and others through her passion for cause-marketing.
Ed Martin is the chief television and content critic for MediaVillage. He has written about television and internet programming for several Myers publications since 2000, including The Myers Report, The Myers Programming Report, MediaBizBloggers and TV/Video Download on MediaVillage. He is also the current president of the Critics Choice Association's TV branch and has been a member of the Television Critics Association since 1990.
Ed is among the media's best-known and most respected commentators on television programming. His access to industry leaders assures MediaVillage readers unique insights into the behind-the-scenes influences that impact network programming. His "voice" is among the most influential in the television programming community.
Previously, Ed was a television critic and reporter for USA Today and was senior editor and television critic at the award-winning television and advertising trade magazine Inside Media. He has written features for Variety, TV Line, Advertising Age, Television Week, Broadcasting & Cable and TV Guide. Earlier in his career, Ed was publicity director for the independent feature film production and distribution company Vestron Pictures, where he orchestrated publicity campaigns and produced electronic press kits for dozens of movies, including the Academy Award-winning classic Dirty Dancing.
Ese Ofurhie is the owner/editor/publisher of ENSPIRE Magazine (Enlightening Newsworthy Subjects Providing Inspiration & Real Entertainment), a publication created to show the world that borders and limited opportunities in developing a better world no longer exist. She is a Bronx, NY native of Nigerian descent who has made a name for herself in this competitive world of media. She is self-taught in media but has her B.S. in Management Information Systems from Alabama A&M University and her Master in Business Administration (Business Technology Management) from the University of Phoenix.
In 2012 ENSPIRE was started with partners but later in 2018 rebranded as a sole owner. Over the past 10 years, Ese has grown as a media mogul working diligently to keep her brand on everyone's radar. Interviewing celebrities at red carpet premieres, album listenings, concerts, fashion shows and more is a weekly occurrence for the self-made woman who has made a name for herself in such a short time in this competitive field, but what sets her apart is that she continues to push the narrative about inspiring our community.
If you ever read or watched an interview of Ese's is clear that no matter whom she speaks to her focus is always to find a way for them to inspire others which is clearly her life's mission.
Interviewing public figures and celebrities like Morris Chestnut, Common, Monifah, Slick Rick, and being in rooms with the likes of Alicia Keys, Maxwell, Ashanti, Debbie Allen, Swizz Beatz, Naturi Naughton; covering red carpets at The Urbanworld Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Soul Train Awards, and more is the norm for ENSPIRE but what means more to her is being a mentor to kids and young adults. Ese has made it clear that she will always give back to the youth in any shape, way, or form she can as she has spoken on panels at schools and talks one on one with kids in the classroom.
If that wasn't enough, she also gives college students a chance to work in the field as interns for the publication but not just only there. Prior to the pandemic at any given moment, her interns were seen on the red carpet with her helping her put together an event for her.
From the beginning, Ese envisioned ENSPIRE's impact growing beyond just a magazine, and made it happen. In 2016, she partnered with her local small business association programs. This led her to a program first in Queens and then in the Bronx, mentoring 18-21 year-olds who weren't in school and looking for job skills. The young adults that Ese mentored even encouraged her to become a substitute teacher in New York, which she did from 2019-2021.
Through her work with New York City mentorship programs in 2018. Ese has been able to expand her "Experienceship," as she calls it, to college students across the country, helping them bolster their resumes by developing digital skills like social media management, editorial, marketing, and website development. This program took off during the pandemic as she conducted this program virtually and continues to do so. There has been mention of the impact of the mentorship program she created in a Google Adsense case study.
Ese continues to share her positivity and encouragement one interview at a time!
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Media Ecologist and Founder
- Media Ecologist and Founder of Media
Jack Myers is founder of MediaVillage, Advancing Diversity.org and The Myers Report. He's the nation's leading media ecologist, having dedicated his career to studying and reporting on the media business. His five decades of behind-the-scenes work with brands, agencies, content publishers, studios, emerging tech companies, non-profit organizations and educational institutions has made Jack one of the most influential leaders in the history of the media and advertising business.
Jack has received the Excellence in Education Award from the Global Forum on Education & Learning, the George Foster Peabody Award, and an Academy Award nomination for Documentary Filmmaking. He's written five books on the intersection of media and culture, including his visionary 2007 book Virtual Worlds: Rewiring Our Emotional Future; Hooked Up: A New Generation's Surprising Take on Sex, Politics and Saving the World in 2012; and The Future of Men in 2016.
Through his research on technological and generational trends, Jack anticipated the industry's need to invest in and train a new workforce, leading to his founding of MediaVillage and AdvancingDiversity.org. Today more than 100 content partners in the MediaVillage Knowledge Exchange connect with thousands of professionals, educators, students and job seekers who subscribe to free daily MediaVillage reports and rely on MediaVillage.com for meeting preparation and professional development.
Jack began his career in advertising sales and marketing with Metromedia Outdoor, ABC Radio, CBS-TV and UTV Cable. He majored in Radio-Television at the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University and has a master's degree in Media Ecology from NYU Steinhardt. Jack is Chairman Emeritus of the International Radio and Television Society Foundation (IRTS), founder of the Newhouse 44 Mentoring Program, serves on multiple advisory boards, and is the recipient of the Mac Dane Humanitarian Award from the UJA. Jack and his wife, Ronda Carnegie, have established the 501C-3 Jacaronda Foundation to provide college loan relief to deserving young professionals.
Jack is an entrepreneur, researcher, consultant, producer, and author who has been at the forefront of advancing media industry growth and cultural relevance for four decades.
He is among the industry's most respected leaders in trend forecasting, business innovation, and advancing diversity. He was the lead consultant developing new media business models for General Motors (GM MediaWorks), Aegis Group (Carat), Turner Broadcasting (Marketing Solutions), and others.
His decade-long activism in advancing the advertising community's collective commitment to diversity is well recognized.
Jack Myers is a media ecologist and founder of MediaVillage, the media and advertising community's leading resource for market intelligence, education, business connections and talent development. Over more than forty years Jack has influenced the decisions of hundreds of global, national and regional media, marketing, advertising and entertainment companies and organizations. More than 150 companies, organizations and industry leaders are members of MediaVillage.
Jack has founded three organizations focused on professional advancement: AdvancingDiversity.org, WomenAdvancing.org and 1stFive.org. He's Chairman-Emeritus of the IRTS Foundation, a trustee of She Runs It (formerly AWNY), founder of Newhouse 44, and longtime board member of John A. Reisenbach Foundation and TD Foundation. He and his wife, Ronda Carnegie, co-founded the Jacaronda Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides college loan relief grants to economically challenged young people in media and advertising professions.
Jack may be the only person in the history of the industry to hold executive roles in local, national and international media; broadcast and cable television; radio; out-of-home; print; digital media; TV producing and direct marketing. After serving in leadership roles at Metromedia Outdoor, ABC-Radio, CBS-TV and UTV Cable, Jack launched The Myers Report, which for more than three decades has been a go-to innovation partner for more than 200 companies across the marketing and media ecosystem and the industry leader in forecasting the impact of technological advances on culture, marketing, media and entertainment. In 2015, after a decade of development, he launched MediaVillage, now the industry's most influential platform for thought leadership and a global advocate for the role and value of media to society, culture and business. Combining The Myers Report, MediaVillage Knowledge Exchange online education center, TV/Video Download and AdvancingDiversity.org, MediaVillage empowers its network of member companies to confidently implement and amplify go-to-market B2B strategies that respond to changing market needs, engage their teams and clients in collaborative learning, build innovative partnerships, upskill and reskill talent, communicate their value proposition and measurably grow their brands and profits.
Jack has served in advisory board roles with the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University and Steinhart School of Culture, Education and Human Development at New York University. He majored in Communications at Newhouse and has a Masters Degree in Education and Media Ecology from NYU, where he has also served as an adjunct professor of advanced media.
In his spare time, Jack writes and produces, having authored five books on cultural transformation and produced several TV documentaries for which he's been honored with two International Book Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, and Academy and Emmy Award nominations for Best Documentary Feature. Jack's ground-breaking research on the first post-Internet generation (Gen Z) led to his two best-selling books on shifting gender norms and to his founding of the Advancing Diversity Hall of Honors.
Jack is recognized as a leading expert on the cultural and economic impact of technology advances on media and marketing. His 1993 book Adbashing: Surviving the Attacks on Advertising was a clarion call to the industry to beware of the headwinds that are now buffeting all of business and culture.
MediaVillage founder Jack Myers launched AdvancingDiversity.org to advance diversity from advocacy to activism in media, marketing, and advertising. For more than a decade, the industry leader has focused on guiding its members to achieve important goals for diverse talent acquisition and retention, while also demonstrating that diversity, equity, and inclusion are positive forces for business growth. Programs and initiatives include The Pool, a podcast series hosted by Philip McKenzie; the annual Advancing Diversity Hall of Honors launched in 2017; 1stFive, begun in 2014 to focus on helping young people navigate the first years of their careers; WomenAdvancing.org, a dual mentoring program started in 2011; The Age of Aging, featuring expert insights on targeting an under-leveraged audience; and Future of Men, about the state of gender relationships and fathering. For "The Case for Education & Diversity as Tools for Business Growth in Marketing & Media," download the White Paper here. For more information visit www.AdvancingDiversity.org and follow on @AdvDiversity and @WomenAdvancing.
Janet is the writer of magazine articles, books and several film scripts.
Jeff Minsky is editor of and lead industry analyst for The Myers Report at MyersBizNet. He also writes the Village Soapbox and But Wait,That's Not All ...columns for MediaVillage. He is a multi-award-winning advertising and digital media pioneer, innovator, strategist and respected media technologist. Jeff is one of only a handful in the industry with not only a strong mix of traditional and digital knowledge and experience, but also experience on all sides of the business, agency, client and media sales.
Throughout the course of his 25-plus years in the marketing communications industry, Jeff has driven media strategy, internal digital change management, and media negotiation/project management for brands as diverse as IBM, Intel, McDonalds, The CW, CBS, Showtime, Disney, Visa, Hilton, State Farm, Anheuser Busch, and Pepsi. He has been influential in creating the industry frameworks by which digital media is purchased as the coauthor and lead negotiator for the 4As/IAB Industry Standard Terms and Conditions for the Buying of Digital Media.
Jeff was born in Dallas and developed a deep love of technology, sparked when his beloved grandfather presented him with an Apple II computer for his bar mitzvah. Had he received the moped he wanted; his life could have turned out much differently.
Jeff graduated from Yeshiva University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and an Associate of Arts in Hebrew Language & Literature. He has taught Emerging Media as an Adjunct Professor at NYU's School of Continuing Education.
Joanne Tombrakos has been calling herself a Storyteller before it was the trendy thing to do. A Digital-First Marketing and Business Strategist, Assistant Professor of Marketing at NYU and above all a writer she is considered a SME in content marketing, social media, pitch-perfecting and personal branding. She is the author of three books, including the workbook,Getting Your Personal Brand Story Straight and the host of a weekly podcast - Marketing, Mindfulness and Martinis. In a previous life Joanne held senior management positions in media advertising and marketing at CBS Radio, Time Warner Cable and NY1 News. While she currently resides on the other side of the Hudson working on her next book, she is and always will consider herself a New Yorker. You can visit her website, >joannetombrakos.com. Read more
Job Titles:
- Social Media Director
- Writer
Juan Ayala is a Brooklyn-based writer, podcast producer and host at MediaVillage. Since 2017, under his column Multicultural TV, he has covered programming aimed toward diverse and multicultural audiences, as well as the LGBTQ+ and Latin communities. Since 2021, he has hosted the podcast "Multicultural TV Talk" for MediaVillage, where he interviews with stars of television and media, focusing conversations on diversity, representation and inclusivity in entertainment. In addition, he hosts "Actors With Issues" a podcast where he chats with rising and established stars from across entertainment, taking mini deep-dives into their careers and the lessons they've learned along the way.
He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association.
Juan Ayala is a Brooklyn-based writer, podcaster and columnist at MediaVillage. He covers programming aimed toward diverse, multicultural and LGBTQ+ audiences under his Multicultural TV column. His love for TV and film ranges from workplace comedies and political dramas to horror classics and comic book movies.
Job Titles:
- Chief Growth Officer for Community and Partners
Kate Byrne is the Chief Growth Officer for Community and Partnership at Goodlight Capital, creating the future of Venture Capital to be more equitable, scalable, and impactful by providing capital and more for under represented Founders and Advisor to PlusMedia Solutions and Emerge, as well as the podcast host for MediaVillage's WomenAdvancing.org, Rebels with a Purpose and African Tech Conversations. A leader in digital media and social impact for over 25 years, Kate has married her interest in technology and its ability to advance social good and has been recognized as one of the 40 Most Influential People in Media. She has held executive positions at SOCAP Global, Katapult X, Fast Company, BusinessWeek, INC., The Tides Foundation, The George Lucas Education Foundation, and Watermark. Kate is a contributor for Authority Magazine, MarketWatch, Conscious Company Magazine, and frequent speaker (SOCAP, The WellBeing Summit, Sustainable Brands, Future Fest, Rotary Club, Watermark Innovation, Leadership Summit, Shift Summit). Areas of expertise include Trust, Social Impact, Women and Power, Stakeholder Capitalism, Leadership Development. She is the Co-Founder of the Economy Next Stewardship Circle; former President of the Board for the UN Women USA SF Chapter; and Former Board member of CORO of Northern California. Kate is a Coro Women' Leadership Cohort alum, a member of the International Women's Forum, and Former Commissioner on the Marin Commission for Women and Girls. She graduated from Stanford with a B.A. in Psychology. Kate lives in Charlottesville, VA with her wonderful husband and is the proud mom of two amazing young women.
Maryann has been an integral part of the Myers team for over 30 years. She serves as the hub of MediaVillage, ensuring that members, readers, and staff are best served. On a daily basis she manages internal operations, including human resources and accounting; and she oversees such customer-facing operations as content distribution and web management. In her brief moments of "spare time" she dabbles with the company's research, supporting and working alongside the research team to deliver top-notch insights to the industry.
As the person with the most institutional knowledge (besides Jack, of course), she serves as a key mentor and supporter for all new team members. She thoroughly enjoys working with every member of the team to help them succeed individually, and to help them come together to ensure the success of MediaVillage and its members and readers.
Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for nearly 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for global entertainment marketing association Promax and reports and writes for TVNewscheck. She also has written for such publications as the New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B&C's Los Angeles bureau chief from Sept. 2002-04, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997-Sept. 2002. Read more
Raquelle M. Zuzarte is an award-winning global marketing leader, who has led brand campaigns at Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Accenture, Charter, Time Warner Cable and CBS. She also recently launched Equity Project For All, a social impact venture focused on maximizing growth through building great brands and empowering human capital. She is a global citizen and passionate storyteller, having lived in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Australia and the US. Zuzarte has spearheaded Leadership initiatives throughout her career, including as Board Member of the P&G Alumni Global Women's Forum, as a member of the Innovation & Inclusion Taskforce at J&J Global Marketing, as President of Time Warner Cable's Women's Collective and as Chair, "Do Digital Summits for Women Leaders" at She Runs It. She has been recognized with multiple awards including the Ad Age Business Advertising Award and leadership awards from Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, McKinsey & Co and KPMG. She has spoken at global venues including SXSW, Sydney Opera House and the Davos Congress Center. Raquelle earned her Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney and MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management UNSW and Kellogg Business School. Read her latest article on CMOs as Persuasive Leaders.
As MediaVillage's member services manager, Robin leads the business relationship with our member companies. She also works to help foster a sense of community for our members by managing events such as the 3rd Advancing Diversity Hall of Honors Induction Experience, the leading diversity & inclusion event at CES.
Robin started her career in movie advertising, working on behalf of New Line Cinema and Dreamworks. She moved to the nonprofit sector, where she worked in partnerships and fundraising for organizations including UJA-Federation of New York, Women in Need, and Urban Dove. Most recently, Robin was able to merge her love of media and entertainment with her passion for bringing people together while at The Paley Center for Media, where she ran membership and events for their industry executive group.
When she's not working, Robin can be found hanging out with her husband Paul and her kids Quinn and Noah.
Simon Applebaum has covered the TV medium for more than 38 years. Now a regular MediaVillage columnist, he produces and hosts Tomorrow Will Be Televised, a program all about TV, now in its 12th year. Previously, he was a senior editor for various TV-centric trade magazines, including Cablevision and Cable World.