Speakers: DCN Video Day 2018

Paul Cabana was named EVP, Head of HISTORY and Biography Digital in July 2017. In this entrepreneurial role, he leads the launch of both brands as standalone digital businesses. Independent from the channels, both brands will reach new audiences and advertisers through original, daily, video and social content.

Cabana has been with the History channel for ten years, rising from Executive Producer to Head of Programming for both HISTORY and H2.

As Head of Programming of HISTORY, from 2015 to 2017, he was responsible for the development and production of all content, bolstering the channel with more premium franchises like event series The Men Who Built America and The World Wars; scripted mini-series, Sons of Liberty; and exclusive doc specials like Barack Obama: In His Own Words.

As Head of Programming for H2, from 2011 to 2015, Cabana pursued a core history content strategy, through which the network doubled ratings, quadrupled revenue, and became the #1 emerging ad-supported cable network. He helped with the eventual sale and drove the transition of the channel to Viceland.

As Senior Executive Producer for History, from 2008-2011, projects he oversaw include the event series Mankind: The Story of All of Us, How the States Got Their Shapes, Life After People: The Series, and Top Shot. He has been nominated three times for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Work in Non-Fiction – but has never won!

Prior to History, Cabana was a producer, director and camera operator for Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, along with other science, lifestyle and history series on Discovery, TLC, and PBS. Prior to his work in television, Cabana spent four years as a Web Producer for Fast Company and The Atlantic Monthly magazines. He has an economics degree from Harvard University and an MBA from NYU.

Jean Ellen Cowgill is the General Manager of TicToc by Bloomberg, the first and only global news network on Twitter. TicToc by Bloomberg provides live video coverage of breaking news, live events, top stories and trending general interest news from around the globe, delivering a fast and verified news experience for the next generation of on-the-go news consumers. Jean Ellen is also the Global Head of Strategy and Business Development for Bloomberg Digital, defining innovative initiatives and spearheading Bloomberg Media's partnerships strategy.

Prior to joining Bloomberg, Jean Ellen was the president of Atlantic 57, the consulting and creative division of The Atlantic, where she helped clients transform and adapt for the modern world, using lessons from The Atlantic's own transformation from print magazine to multi-platform pioneer. Previously, she led Atlantic Media’s corporate strategy efforts, crafting business models for new ventures and charting the company's growth plans. Prior to joining The Atlantic, Jean Ellen was a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where she focused on organizational and investment strategy across the private, public and non-profit sectors.

In 2014, Jean Ellen was named to the Folio:100 list of the top 100 leaders in media. She speaks frequently on today’s media landscape and trends in branding, content, and user experience at forums such as SXSW, Techweek, General Assembly, and the Communications Network, among others. Jean Ellen graduated as valedictorian of Dartmouth College.

Robin Garfield is the Senior Vice President of Research and Scheduling for CNN. She is responsible for all consumer research and audience analytics for CNN Worldwide which includes CNN U.S., CNN Digital, HLN, as well as the domestic footprint of CNN International and CNN en Español. Additionally, she leads program scheduling for CNN television and non-linear products including TV VOD, CNNgo, SVOD, EST, and other emerging platforms.

Prior to joining CNN, Garfield was the Vice President of Sales Research and Strategy for Scripps Networks where she led Ad Sales, Affiliate Sales, Corporate Research and other efforts to position the 5 Scripps Networks (HGTV, FOOD, DIY, Fine Living & GAC) and emerging media (HDTV, VOD & Interactive) in the marketplace.

Prior to that, Garfield was the Vice President of Strategic Operations and Research for MSNBC where she led a group of 7 operational units including Audience Research, Program Scheduling, Documentary Production, Business Development and TV.MSNBC.com - MSNBC's television presence on the web - which she created and launched in 2003. Garfield started her 10-year NBC career in 1995 at NBC Cable. Through successive promotions she became responsible for research for NBC International, CNBC, and MSNBC, and other domestic and international entities, and she was ultimately named MSNBC's first Vice President of Research in 1997.

Garfield began her media career at AC&R Advertising and has also held positions at Harrington, Righter & Parsons, Inc. and Tribune Broadcasting.

Garfield was born and raised in New York City. She is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School and has a Bachelor's Degree in English from Colgate University. Garfield continues to live in New York City today.

Steve Hsu is the Director of Product Management, Video at CNBC. He is responsible for the video strategy and digital video experience across CNBC’s desktop, mobile web, OTT, and enterprise platforms. Previously, Hsu was the Director of Product Development at ABC News where he oversaw video product development across all of ABC News’s digital platforms and launched ABC News's first Apple TV and Roku app. Prior to that, he was Director of Business Operations at Viacom Media Networks.

Steve earned a B.S. in Industrial Management and History & Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.

As Chief Revenue Officer, Mike oversees Purch’s multiple advertising revenue streams. Most recently, he was the President and CEO of International Data Group (IDG) Consumer & SMB division, where he led the growth of PC World and Macworld, evolving both to digital media and more than doubling the audience size. He also launched a new brand, TechHive, built a marketing services business “Content Works,” and dramatically expanded IDG’s mobile and paid product offerings. Prior to IDG, Mike held high-level positions at CNET Networks, serving as SVP, Corporate Sales and Operations, where he led sales efforts and played an active role in implementing business strategies for every brand under the CNET Networks umbrella.

Brian Madden is the SVP of Development at Hearst Magazines Digital Media. In this role, he is responsible for accelerating audience growth, creating and developing new brands and digital initiatives, managing key strategic partnerships and finding new and innovative ways to drive revenue.

Over the past two years, he has grown affiliate commerce across Hearst’s portfolio of digital brands and led the publishing company’s expansion to emerging platforms like Alexa, Musical.ly and Snapchat. In 2017, Madden launched Hearst Originals, a division within HMDM that produces a 100 original videos a week and drives more than one billion views monthly. In 2016, he launched BestProducts.com, a site that has served as a valuable resource for learning the affiliate-commerce business. Since joining Hearst in 2010, he has served in a variety of audience development roles.

Previously, he spent more than nine years at Condé Nast Publications, where he built and led a business intelligence team that transformed the use of analytics, resulting in increased productivity, business insight and significant cost savings.

Michael Mraz is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Development at Hearst Magazines Digital Media. In this role, he works across all the company’s digital brands to build partnerships with social media platforms. He also co-leads Hearst Originals, a division dedicated to developing, creating and selling original video series for digital platforms and maintains oversight of Hearst Magazines’ enthusiast-focused brands, which include Runner’s World and Bicycling.

Previously, he was the the Editor of Esquire.com and Director of Content for Hearst Magazines Digital Media’s Men’s Group, overseeing five of HMDM’s sites: Esquire.com, RoadandTrack.com, CarandDriver.com, PopularMechanics.com and TownandCountrymag.com. During that time, he was responsible for all of Esquire’s digital presence, including editorial content, social media, and original video production and had oversight of the editorial teams for the other four sites in the group.

Ambika Nigam is Bloomberg Media Group’s Head of Product Innovation and Growth, overseeing emerging platforms while also leading the strategy for connected devices and apps. She partners with teams across engineering, design, editorial, sales, and analytics to architect and execute the product innovation strategy. In this role, Ambika defines the future of apps for Bloomberg Media Group with a focus on developing a seamless, cross-platform strategy and identifying new opportunities for audience growth, increased engagement, and native monetization. As part of her role, she also oversees BHIVE, Bloomberg Media's design and research team.

Previously, Ambika was the Business Design Lead at IDEO in NYC, where she worked on designing and building new products and services that drove strategic growth for her clients. Ambika helped launch new products and features for clients across a variety of industries including, digital media, financial services, retail, and hospitality.

Prior to IDEO, Ambika worked at Ogilvy and Mather, where she was an Associate Director in Marketing Strategy and focused on developing data driven marketing strategies for clients across a variety of industries. She began her career at OppenheimerFunds, starting off as a Financial Analyst and then moving into Integrated Marketing.

Ambika attended The University of Michigan, where she received a B.A. in Economics. She also holds a Master of Science in Strategic Communications from Columbia University. She lives in New York City with her husband and two young daughters.

Shachar Orren is Chief Storyteller at Disney-backed storytelling platform, Playbuzz. In this role, she oversees the company's global marketing and communications, as well as creative strategy for publisher and brand partners, and the creative studio. Prior to joining Playbuzz as the sixth employee, Shachar spent a decade as a journalist at Israel’s largest daily newspapers. This enabled her to transition well to a digital disruptor focused on creating technologies to solve the media’s pain points – such as how to capture fleeting attention spans and boost audience engagement. Shachar has been covered and published in Forbes, Fox News and Adweek, and enjoys lecturing at top-tier journalism universities in her free time on the future of the newsroom and the importance of content that impacts society's well being.

Mike is responsible for the Emerging Content Products team at Twitter, which helps publishers and creators grow their audiences and revenue. This includes content monetization through Twitter’s In-Stream Video Ads & Sponsorships business, and content solutions through publisher marketing, support and innovation programs. This business is built on Twitter Amplify, which he co-created in 2012 and grew to a global video monetization and distribution platform for brands and publishers. Prior to joining Twitter in 2011, Mike led product management at iHeartMedia, where he re-launched iHeartRadio and connected the music service to Facebook. Before that, he was director of business development at Thumbplay, a New York-based music startup that offered one of the first streaming music services in the U.S. He also worked at Weathernews and NewGate Internet.

Mike earned a degree in Environmental Science & Policy from Duke University. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son. He is @mep on Twitter.

Drew Silverstein is the CEO and co-founder of Amper Music. Founded in 2014, Amper Music combines the highest levels of artistry with groundbreaking technology to empower anyone to create unique, professional music, instantly. He is part of the Forbes class of 2018 "30 Under 30" list for music. Prior to Amper Music, Drew was an award-winning composer, producer, and songwriter for film, television, and video games in Los Angeles at Sonic Fuel Studios. Drew graduated from Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music, where he studied Music Composition and Italian, and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Evan Silverman, Executive Vice President, Digital Media, A+E Networks, leads the digital product, technology and design teams for A+E Networks, which includes A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime, FYI and Lifetime Movies. Silverman oversees the company’s consumer-facing websites, mobile apps, connected devices, and direct-to-consumer SVOD products, as well as emerging platforms including voice-activated skills.

Silverman also serves on the board of NWSL Media, the JV between A+E Networks and the National Women’s Soccer League, and manages the operations for the venture. He previously served as executive producer of NBCOlympics.com for the 2006 Torino Games and the 2004 Athens Games, as Director, Internet Services, at NBA.com, and worked in Media Relations for the NBA and the Utah Jazz.

A graduate of Bates College, he currently lives with his wife and two daughters in Brooklyn. Follow him on Twitter @EvanMSilverman.

Lisa Steiger is a Product Manager at CNBC where she manages all video services and experiences for desktop and mobile web, including the creation of the Warren Buffett Archive. Prior to joining CNBC, she was at Viacom, responsible for the creation of enterprise video catalog products.

Before branching into the media space, Lisa led the product strategy and development of Databrary, an initiative that grew out of her graduate work at NYU. Databrary is a media library and platform for academics to manage, store and analyze video and related data in order to increase the discoverability and reusability of scientific video.

Lisa received her Masters of Arts from New York University in International Development.

DCN Video Day 2018 Speakers

DCN Video Day 2018

Speakers