Carol Bash is the founder and president of Paradox Films, an award-winning documentary filmmaker with over 25 years of experience. Her most recent film — a short, titled Morning at Hemlock Hill Farm — showcases the natural beauty of a Peekskill, NY, local farm. The film was part of Putnam Arts Council’s Grass + Roots Exhibit (October 2021); Peekskill Arts Alliance “Re-emergence” exhibit (June 2021); and the Peekskill Arts Grants “Displays of Affection” exhibit (March 2021). Carol’s feature documentary, Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band, about a renowned yet unsung jazz genius, was broadcast nationally on public television in 2015. The film screened at international and domestic film festivals, where it garnered multiple awards.

Carol has worked with several prestigious documentary production companies in roles ranging from producer, director, cinematographer, archival producer, coordinating producer and associate producer. Most notably, she has worked as archival producer on Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities, which was broadcast nationally on PBS’ Independent Lens series. She’s also worked on Freedom Riders, which won three Primetime Emmy awards and premiered on PBS’ American Experience series; on Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise, a one-hour PBS documentary; and on A Place of Our Own, which aired nationally on PBS’ Independent Lens series.

Carol sits on the board of the Peekskill Arts Alliance and is an Organizer/Programmer of the annual Peekskill Film Festival. She also is a former Black Public Media artist-in-residence and a Firelight Media Documentary Lab fellow.

Diane Carr-Joseph serves as the Business Manager for National Black Programming Consortium. She is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the organization including human resources, financial forecasting, resource allocation, fund management, accounting and control. Diane holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Baruch College New York.

Leslie Fields-Cruz is the executive director of Black Public Media, the nation’s only nonprofit solely dedicated to the development of nonfiction Black content for distribution on public media. Leslie joined BPM in 2001 to manage its program development fund. She served as director of programs from 2005-2008 and as VP of programs and operations from 2008-2014 before being named BPM’s third executive director in 2014. Leslie is the creator of BPM’s award-winning anthology series, AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, now in its 14th season, which features contemporary stories from the African diaspora. Under her leadership, BPM has cultivated new partnerships, diversified revenues, and initiated vital new programs (360 Incubator+, PitchBLACK Forum & Awards, BPMplus, and the Black Media Story Summit) that support Black talent and content development. In 2021, Leslie was named to Crain’s New York’s list of Notable Black Business Leaders. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley (BA) and NYU (MA), she is a board member of New Era Creative Space, and in September 2022, was named board president of New York Women in Film and Television.

Denise A. Greene is an Emmy and Peabody award-winner with producing and directing credits on a range of projects such a tribute video for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in honor of esteemed filmmaker, Charles Burnett, NY Times-Op Doc: When Music Turns Deadly (Orlando Bagwell, dir),  Free Angela & All Political Prisoners (Shola Lynch, dir) and  Pioneers of Thirteen,  Blackside series, I’ll Make Me A World , and  Blackside’s Malcolm X: Make it Plain. Alongside her independent film projects, Denise joined Black Public Media (then known as NBPC) as the Director of the New Media Institute, an extensive program training professional filmmakers in the latest digital technologies. Preceding her documentary career, Denise started in children’s programming working in Casting and as a Senior Researcher for Sesame Street. Her most recent recognition in children’s programming includes a Parents’ Choice Award for her Nick Jr. Black History Month interstitial. Denise is thrilled to return to Black Public Media to direct funding and training initiatives such as 360 Incubator+

Eboni Johnson comes to BPM having served as director of education and outreach for the Denton Black Film Festival, where she helped launch the DBFF Institute, which offers interactive workshops, seminars and other educational programs. In that position, she worked closely with BPM staff to co-produce our Technically Brilliant Show, a DBFF and BPM collaboration.

Eboni holds a master’s degree in documentary filmmaking from the University of North Texas. Her filmmaking credits include having worked as director/producer on two short films, Songs Remembered and Unrequited Dreams; as director of photography/editor for The Last March; as sound recordist for The Straight Race and Somewhere In Between; and as producer/sound editor on Good Soil, Good Souls: The Story of Bonton Farms.

DeLynda Lindsey joined BPM as Contracts and Reports Specialist in 2022. She brings years of  professional experience as a grant writer and grant manager, having worked since 2005 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s rich foundation and nonprofit communities. Her professional aim is to advance the missions of nonprofits for the betterment of society and humanity through fundraising. Her passion for storytelling is informed by her experiences in human services, working directly with those in need and raising funds on their behalf.  DeLynda has spent most of the last decade fundraising for nonprofit public media by securing foundation, government and corporate grants on local, regional and national levels.

DeLynda currently resides in Pittsburgh, where she was born and raised. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and human services administration from Chatham College (now University), and her master’s in social work with a concentration in social administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

Alisa is the fund development manager for Black Public Media. With a background in corporate outreach and sponsorship, she is strengthening the foundation of the department and maintaining relationships with funders, foundations, and private industry. Alisa is a native of the Washington, D.C. metro area and an alumnus of Virginia Commonwealth University (B.S. Mass Communications).

Lisa Osborne believes that storytelling is a powerful change agent—for individuals, groups, and entire cultures. As Black Public Media’s Director of Emerging Media Initiatives, she introduces independent filmmakers to the storytelling potential of virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and similar technology. Her current priority is increasing Black creative participation in the VR industry. Early in her career, Lisa helped Turner launch its first online magazine, ran adidas.com while based in Germany and The Netherlands, and supervised productions at the American Film Institute’s incubator, working with ABC, NBC, MTV, ITVS, Cartoon Network, and PBS (Independent Lens, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Design:e2) to create interactive prototypes. After AFI, she worked independently for film and TV clients, plus created and taught a digital marketing class for Carnegie Mellon University. She earned a journalism degree from Northwestern University and has a strong interest in developing family, YA, science fiction, and fantasy content.

With roots in the Midwest, Steve Hissam mixes creativity and strategic agility with solid business acumen to deliver quantifiable results in the ever-changing marketing space.

He began his career on Madison Avenue where he worked on a range of product categories from Mercedes-Benz automobiles to Yoo-Hoo chocolate drink. At Kirshenbaum & Bond he propagated the agency’s distinctive under-the-radar approach to advocacy marketing for clients such as Duckhead apparel and CNBC cable network.

His pioneering social media campaign for Hennessy cognac not only garnered industry awards and praise from The New York Times and Business Week, but also changed the way spirit brands are marketed.

Accepting an offer to work for a client, Steve spent the next phase of his career working in brand management. Leading blue chip companies like Remy Cointreau and LVMH toward creative resolutions across a myriad of business challenges, Steve’s expertise in equity-building initiatives and innovative integrated marketing campaigns have become his hallmark.

Steve established film as an event marketing platform for Grand Marnier, and created strategic partnerships with major and independent film studios and film organizations. Sponsorship of the New York Film Festival achieved exceptional consumer outreach and awareness through a comprehensive public relations program that generated over 100 million impressions.

To fill in knowledge and data gaps in the multicultural space, Steve employed an anthropological approach to insight mining and leveraged his expertise to improve the cultural competency of the organizations.

At Geometry Global, Steve served as a key player in integrating and elevating best-in-class shopper marketing process and practice into the new Mondelez organization and SC Johnson.

Working directly with both brand and field teams, Steve identifies strategic opportunities to reinforce brand equity and drive category growth across multiple classes of trade.

Kat Walsh (they/them) is the social media manager for Black Public Media. The 2019 graduate of Ithaca College holds a B.F.A in film, photography, and visual arts. They also  minored in international politics.

As BPM’s social media manager, Kat works with marketing, communications and engagement partners Cheryl D. Fields and Eboni Johnson, and leads the planning, implementation and monitoring BPM’s social media strategy, which aims to increase brand awareness and audience engagement, and to improve BPM’s marketing and sales efforts.

Kat’s work as a filmmaker focuses on the discrepancies young people face regarding race, gender and sexuality. Their most recent film, Chick Flicks (where they worked as director of photography) is a documentary about the misogyny and sexism apparent in film school and how it translates into the entertainment industry.

Qiona Woffard is BPM’s manager of special programs. She joined Black Public Media in January 2020 as a program associate, working with Denise Greene, director of program initiatives. In that role she supported BPM’s Open Call, AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, and the 360 Incubator+ Program, among other projects.

In 2021, Qiona was instrumental in securing a partnership for BPM with the National Network to Innovate for COVID-19 and Adult Vaccine Equity (NNICE). NNICE is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of their National Partnering for Vaccine Equity Initiative. BPM’s focus within the initiative is to host Black Media Story Summits to facilitate the creation of media stories that inspire increased vaccination rates within Black communities. As BPM’s team leader on the NNICE Initiative, Qiona works with Eboni Johnson, BPMs engagement manager, and members of NNICE to support Black creatives and communities in the fight against COVID-19.

Chery’s storytelling career began as a journalist, where her work covering business and education appeared the Washington Post, Los Angeles Business Journal, Los Angeles Weekly, and Diverse Issues in Higher Education, among other publications. After years serving as Diverse’s executive editor, she left the newsroom to join the Washington-D.C. based Langhum Mitchell Communications, where her clients have included Black Public Media, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Education Trust, and think tanks at Harvard University, UCLA, Morehouse College, Clemson University, and the University of Southern California, among others.

An early entry into the world of podcasting led Cheryl to produce and host CLE OnAir for the Kellogg Foundation’s Leadership for Community Change initiative. She later served as producer and co-host of WOLB’s award-winning Lunch with Labor in Baltimore.

In her current role as director of BPM’s marketing, communications and engagement team, Cheryl spearheads efforts to broaden the organization’s reach, influence and visibility on the public media landscape, while also strengthening relationships with the Black media storytellers it serves as well as its funding and programming partners.

A Bryn Mawr College grad, Cheryl also holds a master’s in print journalism from USC, is a former media management fellow of the Poynter Institute of Media Studies, and an alumna of BPM’s New Media Institute. The proud mom of two teens serves her community as a county youth commissioner and a Girl Scout leader. She also is active in the music and dance ministries at her church, where she is a member of the parish board.

Allison Simmons is an award-winning television executive with more than thirty years of experience in the industry. Currently, she is Senior Director of Programming, Production and Development for TV ONE, where she oversees the network’s signature crime series (Fatal Attraction, Sins of the City and ATL Homicide). Previously, she was the Head of Development for startup TV company OZY Media. Allison spent three years as VP of Development for Releve Entertainment, a minority owned-production company known for its music and faith-based content including the Preachers of LA franchise and The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel movie for Lifetime. Allison’s always had a passion for telling stories about people of color. Over the years, she has developed shows for Amazon, Own and Lifetime including Black=Beauty Executive-Produced by Queen Latifah. As Senior Director of Unscripted Programming at BET, she launched Queen Boss, a business competition show for African-American women. She also worked as a segment producer on the popular daytime talk show Dr. Phil. Allison got her start in television at ABC NEWS when she worked as a desk assistant for Peter Jennings. Allison is a graduate of Princeton University. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, she now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Chris, a senior story analyst for Warner Bros. Discovery and their two college-aged sons.

Janis Smith-Gomez is an experienced Senior Executive of Fortune 50 companies and iconic brands, positioning global enterprises for competitive advantage and market leadership. She is a visionary commercial leader and marketing strategist driving transformation at the intersection of company purpose, go-to-market strategy and culture to deliver positive outcomes, accelerate sales and share growth, strengthen brand reputation and increase engagement for all stakeholders. She advances the importance of branding in a digital-first and ESG-principled world.

Over 30 years, Janis leveraged key areas of expertise to succeed as an accomplished innovator, talent champion and value creator at Johnson & Johnson, Mars, Kraft and PepsiCo. She established excellence in marketing and differentiation, used strong business acumen to balance strategy with operations as well as inspired and empowered others with her ethical leadership and DEI&A advocacy. An accountable P&L owner, Janis ran a new venture to businesses as large as $3B, managing budgets from $10M to $215M, with cross-functional teams. She is an insightful disruptor who builds and revitalizes businesses for the future with strong growth trajectories. She signed Jennifer Anniston as spokesperson for AVEENO and created personalized M&M’s, which was recognized as an Advertising Age’s Big Idea.

In her most recent role with J&J, Janis led the branding efforts to evolve the $27B medical devices business into a leading patient-centered, customer-focused, digitally-powered MedTech innovator. She trained 60,000 employees and agencies worldwide, and launched a compelling narrative with more meaningful omnichannel experiences for each target audience, resulting in Fast Company’s recognition as one of the 10 most innovative health companies in 2022.

A lifelong learner, Janis is known as a highly agile and intellectually curious change agent with an ease in dealing with ambiguity in dynamic environments. She is a passionate and decisive leader, able to provide clarity to drive impact. With a people-first, inclusive approach, she collaborates with Board leadership and C-suite teams as well as agency partners to define strategic direction, paths forward and high-priority initiatives that drive profitable long-term growth.

Janis has a long history of non-profit board service. She currently is on the Board of Trustees of The New York Academy of Medicine (Development Committee) and is a member of the Vanderbilt University Parents and Friends Association Board.

Until recently, Janis spent 9 years as a Board Trustee of Kent Place School in Summit, New Jersey, serving as the Board Vice President and the Chair of the Compensation Committee. She also chaired the Audit Committee, the Committee of Trusteeship and was New Head of School Search Co-Chair. Janis also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for Citymeals-on-Wheels in New York City (Nominating, Strategic Plan and Executive Director Search Committees).

Janis is a graduate of the University of Chicago with an MBA in Marketing and Business Policy and a BA in Professional Option: Business (completing both in 5 years).

Janis is a member of the Executive Leadership Council and Brand 50, a World 50 community.

Janis is married to Todd Gomez and is the proud mom of Anna, a rising senior at Vanderbilt.