CONFIRMED FOR SPEAKER SERIES
The Future of Media will also feature a Speaker Series presented by the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences on THE Studio 6A Stage, where students will hear from professionals across the media industry and have opportunities to ask questions and connect with speakers.
10 am: FIRST PANEL
Moderator: Craig J. Harris
Panelists: Lauren Drell, Joe “Jody” Williams, Vanessa Conway, Brian Schodorf.
Focus: Future Of Media Content Creation and the New Gatekeepers
11:30 AM: second panel
Moderator: ALICIA SITA
Panelists: Evrod cassimy, Monica Eng, Josh Frydman.
Focus:
Changing Landscape of News Media
click photos for BIOS
This College & Career Fair connects high school students with college pathways and college students with industry leaders in tV, radio, and digital media—providing direct access to mentorship, career guidance, and real-world opportunities.
Students can meet representatives from Colleges and
Universities with media-focused programs:
- Butler University
- Columbia College Chicago
- DePaul University School of Journalism
- Eastern Illinois University
- Illinois State University
- Lewis University Chicago
- Northwestern University
- Purdue University
- Roosevelt University
- University of Illinois, Chicago
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
- University of Illinois, Springfield
- University of Missouri .. and more!
Students can meet representatives from:
- ABC 7 Chicago
- NBC5 Chicago
- CBS2 Chicago
- WGN-TV/Nexstar
- Telemundo Chicago
- WGN Radio/Nexstar
- Cumulus Media Chicago Q101 (WKQX-FM, Alternative Rock)
- 94.7 WLS-FM (Classic Hits)
- WLS-AM 890 (News/Talk)
- Audacity Chicago (WBBM, WXRT, US99, The Score)
- Hubbard Radio Chicago (WDRV, WTMX)
- iHeartMediaChicago (103.5 Kiss FM (Top 40)
- 93.9 Lite FM (Soft Rock)
- 107.5 WGCI (Hip Hop/R&B)
- V103 (R&B) Rock 9.5)
Speaker
SPEAKER BIOS
Evrod Cassimy
Evrod Cassimy is the weekday morning anchor for NBC 5 News (WMAQ) and a seven-time Emmy-nominated journalist. A Rockford, Illinois native, he attended Columbia College Chicago, where he earned a degree in Television Broadcast Journalism.
He began his career as an intern at NBC 5 and went on to report in markets across the country, including Grand Junction and Denver, Colorado; Madison, Wisconsin; Orlando, Florida; Richmond, Virginia; and Detroit, Michigan, before returning to Chicago.
Outside the newsroom, Cassimy is a singer-songwriter and philanthropist. He has released several albums, donating the proceeds to charity. To date, his music has raised more than $200,000 for educational initiatives and causes important to him.
Speaker
Vanessa Conway
With over ten years experience, Vanessa is a skilled props artisan that can provide creative solutions on a budget through her background in theatrical scenic design and proficiency in an array of artistic mediums. A strong, organized leader and team player that collaborates seamlessly with all departments and personality types. On-the-fly problem solver that stays calm under pressure and pleasant at the eighteenth hour. She currently works in the prop department for Chicago PD and Chicago Fire .
Speaker
Lauren Drell
Lauren is a journalist and storyteller at heart. She is creator of award-winning commercial content as well as a media/booking producer. She has more than 15 years of experience that has taught her to pivot efficiently under rapidly changing circumstances and to always have backup plans. Nothing energizes her more than connecting with people through creative storytelling and leveraging her relationship-building and persuasive communication skills to turn ambitious, innovative ideas into a real-life production process, from location/talent scouting and bookings to celebrity interviews and organizing photo/video shoots. Most recently, she worked in an associate producer role on the Chicago Stories series Legendary Blizzards episode for WTTW, which aired in fall 2025. She also was an Associate Producer for the top-rated Beyond Chicago from the Air documentary (and earning a regional Emmy® Award) and Season 2 of The Great Chicago Quiz Show. She also won a regional Emmy Award for WTTW's The Race to Reverse the Chicago River.
Speaker
Josh Frydman
Josh Frydman is a co-anchor and reporter for GN Sports, WGN’s nightly half-hour show dedicated to all things Chicago sports. Josh joined WGN-TV and CLTV in October 2014 after spending more than two years as a sports anchor and reporter at KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Josh also spent time at the NBC affiliate stations in Memphis, Tennessee and Columbia, Missouri as a sports anchor, reporter and producer. His work has been nominated for a regional Emmy® and honored by the Illinois Broadcasters Association, Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters and Society of Professional Journalists.
Josh grew up in north suburban Buffalo Grove and attended Stevenson High School. He graduated from the University of Missouri Magna Cum Laude, where he was the sports director of the campus television station MUTV and worked several years at KOMU-TV, the local NBC affiliate owned and operated by the Missouri School of Journalism.
Outside of work, Josh is an avid pickleball player (he claims he helped start the trend that’s swept the nation), and loves traveling, spending time with family and exploring all the great food and entertainment options Chicago has to offer. He also enjoys volunteering his time with Nourishing Hope (formerly Lakeview Pantry), Junior Achievement and within the Chicagoland Jewish community.
Speaker
Craig J. Harris
Craig J. Harris is a veteran TV and film producer, screenwriter, actor, voice over artist, and stuntman with over twenty years of experience shaping compelling stories for major networks.
Craig's extensive credits include serving as Executive Producer for the Investigative Discovery/HBO Max docuseries All Access PD: Grand Rapids, the A&E hit franchises Hoarders and The First 48: Missing Persons, as well as Lifetime’s Chicago ER and CNN’s acclaimed series Chicagoland.
Craig started his career in front of the camera as a SAG-AFTRA actor on TV (Chicago PD, Empire, PrisonBreak), and in film (The Unborn, Eagle Eye, Fred Claus). Additionally, Craig performs voiceovers for video games, audiobooks, and national commercials (Mortal Kombat, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s) and works as a professional stuntman. (IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0364567/)
Speaker
Brian Schodorf
Brian Schodorf is a seven-time Regional Emmy® Award-winning producer, director, and writer known for crafting powerful, thought-provoking documentaries and television content. With 22 Regional Emmy® nominations and 13 National Telly Awards to his name, Brian’s work spans political storytelling, urban issues, and cultural commentary.
A graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Television Production and a master’s in Media Management, Brian founded Schodorf Media, a full-service production company based in Chicago. His projects include nationally broadcast films like The Wayman Tisdale Story, Greensburg on Planet Green, Poverty in Chicago, and the acclaimed Chicago at the Crossroad, which earned five Regional Emmy® Awards in 2020.
Brian’s storytelling is deeply personal—rooted in his Kansas upbringing and inspired by his uncle, legendary journalist Bill Kurtis. Today, he continues to explore America’s evolving identity through film, politics, and place, bringing a cinematic lens to the real-life struggles and triumphs of people across the country.
Speaker
Alicia Sitz
Alicia Sitz is a Chicago-based news producer and newsroom leader with nearly two decades of experience in some of the country’s top media markets. She’s worked in fast-paced newsrooms, leading coverage, mentoring producers, and making tough editorial calls when it matters most—all while figuring out how to tell stories that actually matter to people. Alicia cares deeply about the future of news, especially how it can stay relevant, trustworthy, and human in a constantly changing media landscape.
Speaker
Joe “Jody” Williams
From MiniDV to anamorphic film, Jody has used these and all formats in between to craft clear and purposeful images. For almost 30 years, he has worked on projects ranging from no-budget short films and music videos to mega-budget studio features.
After graduating from Ohio University with an MFA in Film, he began his journey in pursuit of working in the camera department on motion pictures.
These experiences have afforded him opportunities to collaborate with many up-and-coming talents, as well as some of his heroes and Hollywood “A-list” directors like Spike Lee, Debbie Allen, John Singleton, Ron Howard, Mario Van Peebles, and the Wachowskis, to name a few. Starting as a Camera PA right out of film school, he has progressed to his most current project in development as a DP on an HBO series.