Networking Education Technology: NET Roundtables

• Thursday, September 25, 2025
• 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm

This is a pre-paid event

• HPA Members – $60
• Non-Members – $90 (Registration Opens Sept. 1. Not a member? Join Now!)

Schedule

4:30 pm – Check-in Opens
4:30 pm – 5:15 pm – Networking and Drinks
5:15 pm – 5:20 pm – Welcome Remarks
5:20 pm – 5:45 pm – Roundtable #1
5:45 pm – 5:50 pm – Rotate to a new roundtable
5:50 pm – 6:15 pm – Roundtable #2
6:15 pm – 6:45 pm – Networking Break, Refresh your drink while you’re up
6:45 pm – 7:10 pm – Roundtable #3

Sheraton Universal

• Starview Room
• 333 Universal Hollywood Dr, Universal City, CA 91608
  

Get Directions

Shaman Marya
OG Star

Table Topic: Beyond Generative AI

Shaman has worked in film and television in Asia and USA for over 10 years as a Screenwriter, Director, Producer, 1stAD, VFX Artist, Virtual Production Artist and RealTime animator. Having won nominations at the Asian Television Awards for Screenwriting, after relocating to LA he has worked as a Virtual Production Technical Director on Disney feature films Mufasa: The Lion King and Snow White. Shaman’s love for pushing the technical boundaries of storytelling has seen him work in Virtual Reality, most recently as Technical Director on “Little Room”, a Virtual Reality Art installation by artist Jordan Wolfson at the Beyeler Art Foundation in Switzerland (2025), produced by the David Zwirner and Gagosian Galleries.

Allan Schollnick
3rd i QC

Table Topic: M&E QC: Human Expertise in AI-Enhanced Workflows
(co-moderating with Ramon Breton, 3rd i QC)

Allan Schollnick is a seasoned entertainment industry professional with 30+ years in post-production, distribution, and technical services. Through AJS Media, Inc., he currently consults with 3rd i QC, MelroseINC, and HFC, driving growth in Media & Entertainment and expanding QC solutions into aerospace, automotive, medical, and other complex verticals.

Ramon Breton
3rd i QC

Table Topic: M&E QC: Human Expertise in AI-Enhanced Workflows
(co-moderating with Allan Schollnick, 3rd i QC)

Ramon Breton serves as Chief Technology Officer for 3rd i Digital, a pioneering company in the field of quality assurance for the media and entertainment industry. With over two decades at 3rd i Digital and a previous tenure of ten years as an audio mastering engineer in the music industry, Ramón brings a wealth of thirty years’ experience in delivering high-quality entertainment to consumers.

Lisa Watts
CREE8

Table Topic: AI, Cloud, and Cashflow: The New Rules of Creativity

Lisa Watts is CEO of CREE8, the award-winning cloud production studio platform transforming how creative teams work in the digital era. She combines deep technical expertise with visionary leadership to deliver scalable, seamless, and cost-effective solutions for creators worldwide. At CREE8, she drives innovation at the intersection of emerging technologies, cloud workflows, and remote production, empowering teams to collaborate without friction and opening new pathways to monetization. A veteran of Intel and Magic Leap, and a member of the Television Academy, her work embodies a belief in creative empowerment through technology, setting new standards for how teams collaborate and bring ideas to life.

Jaxson McLennan
Cinematographer and creative producer

Table Topic: Pivoting & Innovation in the Ever-Evolving M&E Industry
Presented by HPA ALL

Jaxson McLennan is a Creative Producer & Cinematographer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Australia, he began his career behind the camera, lensing “Carpark Clubbing” for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and working on the long-running series “Neighbours.”

After relocating to LA, Jaxson expanded into audio storytelling and quickly found success producing chart-topping podcasts for major studios. His Lionsgate production “Scamanda” dominated international charts for over 12 weeks and was adapted into a #1 television documentary. Most recently, his Apple TV+ podcast “Unicorn Girl” hit #1 in the US, UK, and Canada.

Josh Kline
Scripto

Table Topic: From Page to Production: Keeping Creative and Crew Aligned in Film, TV, Live, and Games

Josh Kline is an Emmy-winning technologist and entrepreneur known for pioneering innovations in media and entertainment. He co-founded Sample Digital, where he developed and patented Digital Dailies, a groundbreaking streaming solution for film and TV production, earning a Primetime Emmy Engineering Award in 2013. Josh has held executive roles at Box, Final Draft, and Deluxe, leading cloud-based solutions for content creation and management. In 2024, he assumed the role of CEO at Scripto, a SaaS platform for collaborative scriptwriting and IP management. He also founded HaveNeed, a barter marketplace promoting circular economies, and HOOZIN, a group event management app. As a strategic consultant, he has advised top companies, including Microsoft and Avid. Josh is a USC alumnus.

Erika Aeschliman
Legacy West Valley

Table Topic: From Idea to Post: My Start-to-Finish Instagram Flow Using Just My Phone

Erika Aeschliman is the owner of Legacy West Valley, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai academy in Los Angeles. A black belt in jiu jitsu, Erika has built her academy around community, personal growth, and the belief that martial arts should empower both kids and adults on and off the mats. She specializes in developing structured kids’ programs, leading a team of coaches, and creating an environment where families feel supported, welcome, and inspired. Beyond teaching, Erika is passionate about leadership, building systems that help her academy thrive, and pursuing her own training and competition goals.

Blake Kasemeier
@blakeoftoday

Table Topic: Social Media Storytelling in the Age of the Algorithm
(co-moderating with Eliot Sakhartov, Microsoft)

Blake Kasemeier (@blakeoftoday) is a writer, a visual content creator and creative director. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a white belt in fatherhood, he has been telling stories on the internet for nearly two decades and recently a few million people have actually listened to them. Blake is also the creator of the Noticing Journal, a notebook designed to help users cultivate the practice of noticing, as well as the Good Grief podcast, an emotional geography of loss.

Eliot Sakhartov
Microsoft

Table Topic: Social Media Storytelling in the Age of the Algorithm
(co-moderating with Blake Kasemeier, @blakeoftoday) 

Eliot has over 20 years of professional technology experience in Media and Entertainment. At Microsoft he has been applying artificial intelligence (AI) to media and entertainment workflows and business problems, such as content discovery, personalization, moderation, monetization and analytics. He has led several AI projects and initiatives at Microsoft and collaborated with industry partners and customers to innovate and transform their businesses with AI. Leading the Business and Technology strategy for named Media and Entertainment customers, matching business problems with technology solutions.

Before joining Microsoft, Eliot was the Director of Technology for Funny or Die, Director of Technology at Endemol Shine North America and Manager of TV Production Technology at NBCUniversal. During his time at NBCUniversal he delivered technology solutions from digital workflows to unified communications to all in-house produced shows like The Tonight Show, The Office, House, Jerry Springer, SNL, Battlestar Galactica and more.

Eliot has founded 2 startups in the media space and holds patents in digital advertising. He lives in Burbank with his wife and daughter, recently received his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and can be found roaming the aisles at Costco.

Chloë Bellande
Post Coordinator and Supervisor

Table Topic: Post Production in the Creator Economy

Chloë Bellande is a Canadian-American filmmaker and post-production professional based in Los Angeles. With a background in picture editing, Chloë has cut numerous indie projects, from short forms to narrative features. Since 2021, she has transitioned into Post Production Management, contributing to scripted series for Netflix, HBO Max, and most recently, Amazon’s Overcompensating. Her experience spans the full production pipeline, from development through delivery, with a focus on editorial workflows and storytelling integrity.

Brandon Killion
Bright Bay Creative

Table Topic: Understanding and Executing Creator Vision

Brandon Killion is President of Bright Bay Creative, a full service production company he started in 2016. An industry veteran in linear and non-linear production, Killion formerly showran series such as History’s Ice Road Truckers, NatGeo’s Wild Justice and A&E’s American Hoggers, as well as later serving in Co and Executive Producer roles on series such as Duck Dynasty, Auction Hunters, Property Brothers and American Pickers. Since founding Bright Bay, Killion has produced hundreds of hours of programming for platforms including Netflix, Amazon, Facebook and YouTube. Killion’s Bright Bay Creative is now one of the leading YouTube focused production companies in the world, servicing such creators as MrBeast, CrimeJunkies, N3ON and MrBallen.

Dan Baum
VP of Sales, Americas at Disguise

Table Topic: From Superheroes to Micro Pop-ups: the Future of Virtual Production

With 15+ years experience working in the Media & Entertainment industry, Dan is shaping the future of immersive experiences as VP of Sales, Americas at Disguise, working across live music, television, film, fixed installations, e-sports, xR, theme park rides, professional sports stadiums, theatre and opera to touch the lives of audiences worldwide.