SPEED MEET
CAREER DAY
Saturday, April 5,
10 am -12 pm
Cinecity Studios,
2429 W. 14th St., Chicago
Free Event!
This is a structured opportunity to meet accomplished professionals in the broadcasting, production or entertainment industries. It’s the perfect opportunity to network with both your peers, potential new mentors, and learn about the wide range of career paths in the media industry. BIOS of the professional attendees are below. Please know that this is not a job fair.
Questions? Email rcowing@emmyonline.tv
professional PARTICiPANTS
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 is scheduled to air in fall 2025.
CRAIG J. HARRIS
Craig J. Harris is a veteran TV and film producer, screenwriter, actor, voice over artist, and stuntman.
Harris has over twenty years of industry experience and has produced multiple television programs, including A&E’s Hoarders, and The First 48: Missing Persons, Lifetime's Chicago ER, CNN’s Chicagoland, and the upcoming Investigation Discovery series, All Access PD: Grand Rapids.
Harris 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 — along with performing voiceovers for video games and national commercials (Mortal Kombat, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s), Harris also works as a professional stuntman.
ColeTte Gabriel
Colette has over 20 years of experience working with cinematographers to bring their visions to the world through cameras and lenses. Before leading the Chicago branch of Keslow Camera, Colette was a Film Loader and Camera Assistant with Local 600 in Los Angeles. She is passionate about giving everyone equal access to education, which led her to her roll as Secretary of Filmscape Chicago.
She is also on the board of Women in Film Chicago. When she's not busy with the film industry you can find her enjoying the outdoors and documenting living on a boat on her YouTube channel "Water We Thinking."
TIM JACOBS
Tim Jacobs is a 1st Assistant Director on NBC’s Chicago Fire. He started as a production assistant on the pilot episode in 2012 and has been with the show ever since.
Tim has worked on numerous independent short films and features over the years which include An Acceptable Loss. Outside of his film work, Tim is a self taught blue grass guitarist and is a turtle racing enthusiast.
ELYSSA KAUFMAN
Elyssa Kaufman is a Digital News Producer at CBS News Chicago. She covers breaking news for CBSChicago.com while working closely with the morning show producers. Aside from writing the articles you see online, Elyssa handles the station’s social media sites. She has also worked on multiple investigations, including one focused on gun storage in Indiana. Elyssa feels lucky to grow the digital platforms with her team.
Elyssa earned a Bachelors degree in Journalism with a minor in Urban Planning at the University of Illinois. As a student, she served as a Daily Illini staff writer and interned for both WGN and NBC Chicago in the digital departments.
REBECA MARTINEZ
Rebeca Martinez is a Business Associate at Spirit Juice Studios, where she helps expand the company’s reach by networking at events and making sure people know the name behind some of the most compelling faith-based media out there. She also manages the studio’s internship program, overseeing curriculum, scheduling, and planning to help the next generation of creatives gain valuable experience in the field.
Rebeca is also the Development Director of Spirit Juice Entertainment Group, the company’s non-profit arm, where she helps foster donor relationships and manage fundraising campaigns to keep inspiring content freely available.
When she’s not busy making connections and keeping things running smoothly, Rebeca loves getting lost in a good book, singing her heart out, and spending quality time playing games with family and friends. She’s also the proud dog mom of Luna, her energetic German Shepherd puppy who keeps life exciting.
PHOEBE MURRAY
Phoebe Murray anchors The Morning Show, Monday to Friday as well as 15 News+, the station's morning streaming show that airs starting at 7 am.
She first joined the WMTV 15 News team in August 2022 as the morning show anchor and morning live reporter before being promoted to weekdays in October 2023.
She started her broadcast career in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in July 2020 working for WEAU.
Following in the broadcasting footsteps of her father, from a young age, Phoebe knew she wanted to pursue a career in TV news. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Broadcast Journalism degree.
As a regional Emmy-nominated reporter, she is passionate about inspiring the next generation of journalists. She is excited to launch the station's new podcast Behind the Story with WMTV.
Phoebe hails from Chicago, Illinois where her family still resides.
BrAndon Pope
Brandon Pope is a regional Emmy-winning journalist, host, podcaster, media critic and columnist, with experience covering a range of topics from politics to sports.
His work has been featured at CW26 Chicago, WBEZ, Entertainment Tonight, WGN Radio, WVON, Ebony Magazine, Medium, REVOLT and the Chicago Sun-Times. Brandon is currently the host of On The Block: Powered by Block Club Chicago on CW26, and the MAKING podcast series from WBEZ and NPR.
He is president of the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, where he focuses on shepherding in the next generation of journalists and raising money for scholarships. He's also an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago.
John Schippman
John Schippman is the former VP of Sports for NBCUniversal Chicago, overseeing WMAQ and WSNS sports departments and NBC Sports Chicago.
The eight-time regional Emmy winner was with NBC for over 20 years, involved in production for studio, live events and digital content. John was also the Executive Producer for the annual Chicago Marathon broadcast on WMAQ/WSNS.
After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he was a production assistant with ESPN at their headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, prior to coming home and continuing his career with NBC Sports Chicago.
John is also the President of NATAS, Chicago/Midwest Chapter, and has been the Executive Producer of the regional Emmy Awards for the past 10 years.
ALICIA SITZ
Alicia is an energetic and ambitious regional Emmy-winning producer at Weigel Broadcasting. She is committed to sharing informative and entertaining stories. She is highly adaptive to changing circumstances with a proven record of managing workloads, projects, and staff. Alicia is passionate about quality, organization, and viewer satisfaction. Exceptional at creating relationships with coworkers and thrives in a team environment.
Dylan Van Sickle
Dylan Van Sickle is a Streaming Producer at CBS News Chicago. He starts his days dark and early to produce two hours of live news for the station's digital streaming network. During that time, he handles breaking news as it comes in and tries to squeeze in a story to make you laugh at least once a day. Dylan takes great pride in giving viewers news on their own terms, whether it be through an app, tablet, phone or regular ole television.
Dylan was born and raised in Topeka, Kansas before moving to Chicago at age 20. After working at a UPS Store for several years, he decided to enroll in college and start doing homework for the first time in his life. He eventually graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from DePaul University in 2019.