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BESLA 2023 Annual Conference Digital Journal

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2023 Annual Conference

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Besla sends a special thank you to all of our sponsors and donors. The conference would not be a success without you! PlatinumEmeraldGold

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1OUR LEGACYForty-three years ago, a group of notable African-American attorneys met in Philadelphia during the 1st Annual Black Music Association Conference. They quickly identied the need to establish an ongoing learning and networking environment for African-American attorneys in the entertainment industry; one that would provide an opportunity for them to exchange information, refer business, share industry opportunities, sharpen their legal skills and support each other in the highly competitive eld of entertainment.In 1980, they formed the Black Entertainment Lawyers Association (BELA), which was changed to the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA) in 1986 to incorporate growing opportunities for African American attorneys in the sports arena.From day one, BESLA members have made an indelible impression upon the sports and entertainment industries. From holding major corporate posts to representing marquee talent, BESLA members have created a deep reservoir of inuence, resources and relationships that are unparalleled among professional legal organizations. Now, 43 years later, it is clear that the original founders changed history and enhanced the upward trajectory for other attorneys and professionals of color to break into and be successful in the legal, entertainment and sports industries.FOUNDING EIGHTEENAlbert R. Hopkins, Jr.* Bill HayesBob Brennan* Charles Ward Chere D. Lott David Franklin* Don MizellFrederick D. Cooke, Jr. Herbert Harris, Jr.James M. DeLeon Karl Gutherie Kendall A. Minter Louise C. West Michael Ashburne Phil Ashbury Philip Ransom Ronald A. DavisS. Timothy A. Crawford*Joined After InauguralMeetingDenis E. Kellman*Joseph Porter Larkin ArnoldRay Tisdale Robert HolmesRonald E. Sweeney Thomasina M. ReedDavid Franklin, Founding Chair* Louise C. WestLarkin ArnoldL. Benet McMillanFrederick W. Brown*C. Lamont Smith Darrell. D. Miller William L. StricklandDenis E. Kellman* Edward L. Woods*Tamela R. Cash-Curry Matthew J. MiddletonElke F. SuberLawrence C. Hinkle, IIKhadijah Sharif-DrinkardLafayette Jones Robert Holmes Fletcher WileyTheresa Cropper KylesFrederick W. Brown*C. Lamont Smith Monique Reid Berryhill* Darrell D. MillerJoi H. RideoutDenis E. Kellman*Edward L. Woods* Tamela R. Cash Curry Matthew J. Middleton Elke F. SuberLawrence C. Hinkle, IIKhadijah Sharif-DrinkardLeron RogersPAST CHAIRSPAST PRESIDENTS / MANAGING DIRECTORS

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2OUR LEADERSHIPOFFICERS BOARD OF DIRECTORSLeron E. Rogers, Esq.Chairman Partner, Entertainment & Sports Law, Fox RothschildChiquita Woolfolk Banks, Esq.President CEO/OwnerBankable Consulting, Inc.Angela Y. Ball, Esq.Vice PresidentSr. Vice President, Regulatory AairsNBCUniversalVanya G. Allen, Esq., CfeTreasurer Senior GovernanceRisk and Compliance Advisor,IBMAdrienne C. Williams, Esq.Secretary (Former) Assistant General CounselMETAAziza A. Bowser, Esq.Senior Counsel, Production RiskBusiness and Legal Aairs Paramount GlobalTony Brackett, Esq.Director/Senior Counsel, Business & Legal AairsOriginal SeriesNetixBrian K. Broughton, Esq.Vice-President of Business AairsThe Walt Disney CompanyWendy R. Credle, Esq.Entertainment Attorney & ProducerCredle & Associates, PLLCWenPie Productions, Inc.Inga Dyer, Esq.Vice-President, Business & Legal AairsWalt Disney TelevisionNyasha S. Foy, Esq.Vice-President & Asst. General CounselNFTs, Sotheby’sLawrence C. Hinkle II, Esq.Managing PartnerSanders Roberts, LLPAllison Hobbs, Esq.Senior Counsel, Business & Legal AairsEpic GamesDarrick J. Hooker, Esq.Partner, Intellectual Property Barnes & Thornburg LLPJakgeem Mays, Esq.CEO and Managing Attorney, Mays Law Group, P.C.Clarence A. Nesbitt, Esq.Chief Legal OcerTHINK450Endi Piper, Esq.General Counsel, The Springhill CompanyLita T. Rosario, Esq.Chair, Entertainment Law GroupShulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, P.A.Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard, Esq.Immediate Past ChairwomanSenior Vice President, Business AairsABC NewsDarrell Thompson, Esq.PrincipalThe Law Oce of Darrell ThompsonJoseph K. West, Esq.Partner & Chief Diversity & Inclusion OcerDuane Morris LLPMarjorie Williams, Esq.Entertainment AttorneyJohnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole LLP

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3BESLA LIFETIME MEMBERSVanya AllenAlexander D. Tony Ricky AndersonMichael Roland AshburneAngela BallJoaquim D. BarrosJohn R. BernardBonnie Berry LaMonCraig BrowneGlenn A. BrownEgerton Fitzhugh BullockLaDawn BurnettUwonda CarterTuneen ChisolmBeverly J. DavisCatherine DavisDedra DavisEmily DickensAudrea GoldingAmy GoldsonJohnny Lamont HawkinsAlex M. HeicheCasinova HendersonDarrick HookerFrances J. JonesLynette M. JonesJohn KelloggRandall Mark KesslerBernie Lawrence-WatkinsJelani LawsonByron McLainJames E. McMillanL. Benet McMillianL. Londell McMillanRasheed McWilliamsDennis N. MiddletonKendall MinterKeisha Perry WalkerYvette PriceJoseph Porter Tracie R. PorterVirgil RobertsSidney A. RobbinsLeron Rogers Michelle Simpson C. Lamont SmithWillard A. StanbackMichael SteeleBill StricklandMichael TraylorLewis Z. ThomasDarrell ThompsonLouise C. WestFletcher (Flash) H. WileyAdrienne WilliamsMarjorie C. WilliamsZamani Williams*DeceasedBecome a BESLA Lifetime Member today by visiting besla.org/membership. If you are a Lifetime Member and do not see your name on the list please contact chairman@besla.org so that we can include you on our growing list of Lifetime Members. BESLA Membership has its privileges.

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6MEDIA GROUPWHERE BLACK DREAMS FLOURISHIGNITING IMPACT AND INNOVATORSAND IT’S COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE PREMIEREOPPORTUNTIES, ADVANCE DIVERSE PROFESSIONALS,AND OPEN PATHWAYS TO ECONOMIC PARITY.BET IS PROUD TO SUPPORT BESLA

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7CONFERENCE REGISTRATIONIn accordance with this year’s COVID-19 policies, please note that each individual attendee must collect his/her own wristband in order to participate in any BESLA event. The wristband serves as an indication that the attendee has complied with our COVID-19 protocols (i.e., shown proof of negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival at the re-sort). To ensure this and in addition to our normal registration tables, we will have a COVID-19 compliance table set up in the lobby, at Wednesday’s Welcome Reception, and Friday’s Gala Pre-Reception.Please review the registration hours and location of the supplementary COVID-19 compliance tables below. Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023• Conference Registration: 1100am – 430pm • WELCOME RECEPTION: 530pm – 830pm Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023LOBBY • Conference Registration: 730am – 400pm Friday, Nov. 10, 2023LOBBY• Conference Registration: 830am – 100pm• GALA PRE- RECEPTION: 600pm – 700pm Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023 9am – 1100amFurthermore, if an attendee arrives to the Conference and does not produce evidence of compliance with our COVID-19 protocols, BESLA reserves the right to deny admis-sion to any BESLA event at the Conference AND require the individual to nd a testing facility AT OR NEAR the resort, at his/her own expense for testing.SESSION ATTENDANCE/CLESessions will start on time. Plan to arrive early in order to sign-in and nd seating. You must sign in and out or use the BESLA event app in each session to receive CLE credit.NAME BADGES & WRIST BANDSWristbands are provided to all individuals registered for the Conference and serve as an indication that the attendee has complied with BESLA’s COVID-19 protocols. Wristbands must not be removed during your entire time at the resort. Additionally, name badges are provided to all individuals registered for the Conference and are required for admission to Conference activities. There will be no exceptions to this policy.For individuals that are only attending the Gala Awards Din-ner, please note that a wristband will be required to be worn and a ticket will be required to be presented at the entrance of the Ballroom.For more information on the 2023 Annual Conference COVID-19 Policy, please see page 4.CONFERENCE ATTIREDress is business casual for most conference events. Please note that meeting rooms are often cool, so bringing a sweater or light jacket is advisable. Wear business casual resort attire for the Welcome Reception and evening social events. Beach attire is acceptable for Saturday night’s Closing Celebration. Black Tie attire is required for the Gala Awards Dinner.LOST & FOUNDReport any lost or found items to the Conference Registra-tion Desk in the Hyatt Lobby or BESLA Registration Oce located in Duarte.CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUTWhen you check-in, you must leave a credit card for room costs and all incidentals. BESLA will not assume any respon-sibility for your room costs or incidentals.HOTEL BUSINESS CENTERThe hotel has computer and internet oerings for Guests in its Library. However, we advise you to bring a laptop or other relevant mobile devices to conduct any required business.CONSENT TO USE PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGESRegistration and/or attendance at, or participation in, BESLA meetings and events constitutes an agreement by the par-ticipant to BESLA’s use and distribution of the attendee’s im-age, voice, or likeness in photos, videos, electronic reproduc-tion and audiotapes of such activities. BESLA plans to follow all of the updated safety protocols pertaining to COVID-19. DETAILS & INFORMATION

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8The BESLA Conference App is back EXCLUSIVELY for our conference attendees. Stay engaged in this year’s conference.Important Operating System Information• The CVENT platform serves the latest and most repre-sented operating systems.• The iOS app is compatible with iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches running on an operating system of 14.0 and higher. • The Android app is compatible with Android phones and tablets running on an operating system of 10.0 and higher. • The platform is compatible with: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. It is not supported on mobile browsers nor on Kindle Fire and other devices that use the Amazon App Store. BESLA Conference App Features• Conference and event check in• Instant messaging within the App• Conference agenda including workshops and events• Real-time activity feed to share photos and comments• Real-time conference updates• Private network to communicate with conference at-tendees, • speakers and sponsors. And more!How to Get StartedFollowing receipt of your invitation to access the “BESLA Inc.” App, download it prior to leaving the U.S., familiarize yourself, and set up your prole before the conference. The App is a free download on Google Play or the iTunes store. During App download, we encourage you to allow notications to alert you in order for real-time conference updates. This option can be changed at the end of the conference.BESLA CONFERENCE APPCELEBRATING 43 YEARS

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9Dear BESLA Members, Sponsors and Supporters,Welcome to BESLA’s 43rd Annual Conference! I am honored to serve as Chair of the BESLA Board of Directors and excited by the level of support from our members, sponsors and friends. The organization continues to service our membership by providing robust legal education, scholarships and ad-vocacy for our profession. BESLA has presented programming and events in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Martha’s Vineyard and Washington, DC as we continue to provide meaningful edu-cation and networking touch points for our membership throughout the year. We are excited to welcome our col-leagues and friends to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for our annual conference. This year’s conference theme Convergence epitomizes the organization’s focus and mission to bring together industry leading pro-fessionals in the entertainment, sports and related industries. Keep the theme in mind during the entire conference as we attend panels, participate in networking events, salute our honorees and continue to build relationships that enhance our respective businesses. BESLA is proud to have brought re-nowned leaders across the entertain-ment, sports and technology industries to provide cutting edge insight and thought leadership. We could not do this work without our members, spon-sors and supporters. In order to con-tinue BESLA’s legacy of training leaders in our industry, we continue to provide scholarships to deserving and eager law students. We could not lead in this regard without your consistent support. To all of our sponsors, I thank you as the organization could not provide the high level of programming and scholarships without your continued support. Finally, thank you to our entire Board of Directors for their hard work to elevate the organization. A special thank you to the Conference Co-Chairs Vanya Allen, Darrick Hooker and Adrienne Williams; our Programming Co-Chairs Wendy Credle and Lita Rosario Richardson; Angelia Bibbs Sanders and the entire ABS team for always bringing their A-game to help us plan and execute the conference; and Sheina Waddell for her continuous dedication over the year to keep us connected with our membership and provide administrative support to the organization. BESLA has a bright future based on the excitement and involvement our Young Lawyers Division continue to bring throughout the entire year. BESLA is focused on building a legacy to last many generations. To that end, please consider supporting BESLA’s endowment and thank you again for supporting BESLA and our focus on convergence.Sincerely,Leron E. RogersChair of the Board of DirectorsWELCOME FROM THE CHAIRMAN

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10Welcome to #BESLA43! I’m honored to serve as the President of BESLA’s Board of Directors and to welcome you to Punta Cana, Dominican, Republic! During this year’s road to the Annual Conference, BESLA hosted and/or co-sponsored upwards of 15 virtu-al sessions, sponsor activations and in-person events in our mainstay cities of Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, District of Colum-bia. With the help of the Young Lawyers Division and our partnership with the Essence Film Festival, we also added Houston and New Orleans to this year’s lineup of events. We had a banner year!This year’s theme, Convergence: Leveraging Connections. Building Synergies. Achieving Impact, is a reminder to set your intentions as it relates participating in and attending the Annual Conference. We are keen to help each attendee leverage their BESLA connections, build on synergies with other BESLA family members and achieve their desired impact- whether that’s increased revenues at your rm, increased contacts in the industry and/or a deeper understanding of your designated subject matter for your in-house position. In the spirit of Convergence, BESLA is excited to have secured an awe-inspir-ing line-up of thought leaders who will provide their insight on cutting-edge issues impacting the industry. While attending CLE sessions, we encourage you to consider which strategies and ideas can benet your organization, clients, and community. We chal-lenge you to bring thought-provoking questions to each panel and to interact with moderators/panelists for clarity and application of the concepts/issues presented. Lastly, we implore you to seize networking opportunities at every event and meet someone new. You may meet your next colleague, client, men-tor/mentee or associate this week(end). Today’s students and young lawyers are tomorrow’s superstars; please greet the current class of future leaders with excitement and gusto!Finally, I would like to thank the folks that show-up-and-out for BESLA on a regular basis: (i) Chairman Leron E. Rogers for his tireless guidance; (ii) Conference Co-Chairs Vanya Allen, Darrick Hooker and Adrienne Williams for reimagining the entire conference experience; (iii) the Programming Co-Chairs Wendy Credle and Lita Rosario-Richardson for their dedication to securing the best-of-the-best; (iv) board members who served as part of the Marketing, Event Planning, and Student Volunteer Committees; (v) our vendors (ABS Collective, Waddell Entertainment, Deborah Williams and James Green) that continuously put the business of BESLA rst; (vi) the Young Lawyers Division Steering Com-mittee who continue to show us that the future is bright for our organization; and (vii) our various members who raise their hands to help/plan/execute not just the Annual Conference, but also programming throughout the year. BESLA looks forward to continuing its Convergence long after the confer-ence has concluded and we remain in service to our community for years to come. Enjoy the conference!Chiquita Woolfolk Banks, Esq.PresidentGREETINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT

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11We are proud to support the Black Entertainment & Sports Lawyers AssociationInvesting in the next generation of legal professionals #NBCUDiversity

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12Dear BESLA Family, Partners, and Friends:On behalf of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (“BESLA”), we warmly welcome you to BESLA’s 43rd Annual Conference in Beautiful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic! We feel privileged to serve as the Co-Chairs of this year’s conference and we’ve set forth a wonderful and impactful experience for you. We chose this year’s theme, Convergence: Leveraging Con-nection, Building Synergies and Achieving Impact to express the power of bringing together experts and thought leaders across entertainment, sports, technology and the law to share insights and hear from the BESLA community. BES-LA is pleased to present an exciting program that will delve into disruptive technologies and emerging business trends, career strategies and the impact of recent Supreme Court rulings in the workplace. We will honor inspiring industry leaders, such as our Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, Sylvia Rhone for her outstanding leadership and impact in the world of entertainment; BESLA Black Excellence Award Recipient, actor, producer and philanthropist Meagan Good; and induct trailblazing entertainment lawyer and former BES-LA Chairman Ed Woods, Esq. into the BESLA Hall of Fame posthumously. We encourage you to fully engage and take advantage of the BESLA App, which conveniently provides several conference resources, including a detailed schedule, CLE materials, pan-el descriptions, and proles of our speakers and honorees. We extend our deepest gratitude to the Planning Committee, Programming Co-Chairs, BESLA Board of Directors, Scholar-ship Committee, Young Lawyers Division, volunteers and our vendors for their countless contributions. We would also like to thank all of the sponsoring organizations for support and investment in BESLA and all of you. Finally, we thank you, the BESLA community, for bringing your expertise, curiosity and engagement to the conference; enabling us to leverage connection, build synergies and achieve impact together. Welcome to the Convergence!Sincerely,BESLA Conference Co-ChairsWELCOME FROM THE CONFERENCE COCHAIRSVanya Allen Darrick Hooker Adrienne Williams

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13To the 2023 BESLA Conference Thank you for your continued support of the Black Enter-tainment and Sports Lawyers Association (“BESLA”), as we embark upon our 43rd Annual Conference. BESLA has always strived to provide relevant and compelling programming throughout its proud history, and this year is no exception. This year’s theme of Convergence, Leveraging Connection, Building Synergies, and Achieving Impact could not be more appropriate as we thank our exceptional moder-ators and panelists who are committed experts and leaders in their respective elds of sports and entertainment. We also want to take a moment to thank this year’s legendary honoree, Sylvia Rhone, Chair & CEO of Epic Records for her service as a trailblazer in the music business as well as her unwavering support for BESLA. It has been our honor to serve you this year and we hope you have a wonderful conference. Continue to be great! All the best, 2023 BESLA Programming Committee Co-ChairsWELCOME FROM THE PROGRAMMING COMMITTEEWendy R. Credle Lita Rosario-RichardsonTaylor Carter Programming Volunteer

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14LOS ANGELESNEW YORKCHICAGONASHVILLEWASHINGTON, DCSAN FRANCISCOBEIJINGHONG KONG loeb.comWe are proud to support BESLAand its mission to promote and support diversity in the entertainment, sports and related industries.At Loeb & Loeb, our commitment to fostering and maintaining a diverse workforce is as important as our commitment to our clients.With approximately 450 lawyers across eight oices, we understand that diverse teams and perspectives not only foster a high‐performing culture but also enhance the quality of our services and insights.Connect with us and experience the dierence.

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15Angelia Bibbs SandersExecutive ProducerAshley RaymondTalent Relations ManagerBridgett HortonProduction ManagerSheina WaddellBESLA Business Operations ConsultantSteven B. PaigeProduction Manager/OperationsTaylor CarterConference programming volunteerAlexis CookEvent assistantHeavyne AzorProduction CoordinatorEbonee SwilleySponsorship assistant volunteerCONFERENCE PLANNING TEAM

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16Nyasha S. FoyTeryck LouisKennedy ByrdDeNashia RobinsonStephanie WashingtonJessica DufortAllison HobbsNadia MooreChristine CroasdaileLen BadeauGrace Jackson2032 VOLUNTEER SUPPORT TEAMJanette Nweme-Singley Lauren PittmanVOLUNTEER COMMITTEECOCHAIRS

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17Perkins Coie LLP Lawyer AdvertisingPerkinsCoie.com/Diversity&InclusionDIVERSITY IS EXCELLENCEDiversity is essential to providing excellence to our clients. Investing in diversity and inclusion is more than smart business—it is who we are. Perkins Coie is proud to sponsor the 43rd annual conference of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association. We applaud BESLA for its continued commitment to advancing people of color in entertainment, sports, and related industries.

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18MECH 12023 FALL AWARDS PH1 - BESLA | TP3475613-56 | 10.18.23 | AMAZON | AD | ROUND 03BESLAPROGRAM ADISSUE: 11/2023 MATERIALS DUE: MM/DD/2023SAFE: 8” X 10.5”TRIM: 8.5” X 11”BLEED: 9” X 11.5” We thank B E S L A for their commitmentto the community and proudly congratulate this year’s Honorees

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19Barnes & Thornburg proudly partners with BESLA in its mission to advance the excellence of professionals in the entertainment, sports and related industries.AT THE HEART OF PASSION, PURPOSE AND PRIDEUncommon ValueBryan Thompson Partner | Los Angelesbthompson@btlaw.comDarrick J. Hooker Partner | Chicagodarrick.hooker@btlaw.comJasmine F. Williams Sta Attorney | Chicagojasmine.williams@btlaw.comSarah Odion Esene Associate | Minneapolissarah.odionesene@btlaw.comBTLAW.COMATLANTA BOSTON CALIFORNIA CHICAGO DELAWARE INDIANA MICHIGAN MINNEAPOLIS NASHVILLE NEW JERSEY NEW YORK OHIO PHILADELPHIA RALEIGH SALT LAKE CITY SOUTH FLORIDA TEXAS WASHINGTON, D.C.

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202023 ANNUAL CONFERENCE AGENDA(Speakers, sessions topics and times are subject to change)All Continuing Legal Education (CLE) sessions are held in the Santa Domingo Ballroom.                                                  

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21Moderator:Jerey Orridge, Esq. | CEO TVO Media Education GroupPanelists:David Moreno, Esq. | Licensed Agent & Partner, Blank Rome, LLPTabetha Plummer, Esq. | Licensed Agent & President, Plummer Law Group, PC – Partner, CREED Sports & Entertainment Donald Woodard, Esq. | Managing Partner, Carter + WoodardModerator: Darrell Thompson, Esq. | Co-Founder and COO, DeeprPanelists:Darrell D. Miller, Esq. | LA Oce Managing Partner & Founding Chair of Sports & Entertainment Department, Fox Rothschild LLPKeisha Perry Walker, Esq. | Of Counsel, Carter + Woodard Nyanza Shaw, Esq. | Owner/Managing Attorney, Shaw EsquireModerator: Kendall Minter, Esq. | Of Counsel, Greenspoon Marder, LLPPanelists: Palisa Kelley, Esq. | Managing Director, Head of Legal and Business Aairs – HarbourView Equity PartnersWalter Jones | EVP Head of A&R Sony Music PublishingUwonda Carter, Esq. | Partner, Carter + WoodardSportsAthlete Representation, Media, NIL, and Finance (Sponsored by Holland & Knight)This panel will explore the vast and lucrative array of business opportunities, NIL and performance deals for athletes today and the best way to legally protect, guide, and leverage those opportunities while creating long-term value for your client. MusicMusic Publishing – Monetization, Catalogs & YouTube/ Music Publishing Catalogs and Monetization(Sponsored by Sony)Music Catalog sales have dominated the headlines and the executives on this panel have had a front row seat. Revenue earned from a variety of revenue sources from publishing, performing rights organizations, streaming royalties and the like are being bundled for sale. Learn from the best about how catalog deals are structured, the legal rights various companies seek to acquire and how you can help your clients create wealth from the assets and cash ow they have earned throughout their career in music.Film & TVScripted TV Negotiations Unlocked / Scripted TV Production Agreement 101 Presented by the BESLA Young Lawyers and Film & TV Divisions(Sponsored by Netix )You won’t learn this in law school. Scripted TV encompasses several dierent agreements including production, writing, talent, and directing. This panel will provide a rare insiders break down of the scripted television production agreement, key provisions, practical considerations, and negotiation strat-egies from both sides of the table.Thursday, November 9, 2023Session A1 - Santa Domingo IV845 a.m. - 945 a.m. Film Screening I950 a.m. – 1000 a.m. Film Screening II1105 a.m. – 1115 a.m.Session A3 - Santa Domingo IV1115 a.m. – 1215 p.m.Session A2 - Santa Domingo IV1000 a.m. – 1100 a.m.

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22Moderator:Nadja Webb, Esq. | Executive Vice President, Programming Business Operations, BET NetworksPanelists:Michelle Rice | President, TVOneJami McCoy-Lankford | Owner & Producer, Hillionaire ProductionsTy Walker | SVP & Head of Physical Production –HartBeat ProductionsModerator:Moraima “Mo” Ivory | (Professor and Director of the Entertainment, Sports & Intellectual Property;Director Popular Culture Collective at Georgia State University Law School Panelists:Bob Celestin, Esq. | Owner, Law Oces of Robert A. Celestin | Intelligent Music Entertainment Inc. Attorney & ConsultantNyasha Foy, Esq. | Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, NFTs, Sotheby’sCandice Stephenson | Founder & President, PoshRebel EntertainmentFilm & TVContent Inside the Corner Oce / Corner Oce Content Creators and the Green Light(Sponsored by BET)Highly acclaimed lm and television executives will provide an insider’s view of their decision-making process, the highs and the lows of creating and selling content, contract negotiations and deal making tips, as well their overall daily lives as an executive producer in the highly competitive world of lm and TV. Technology & DigitalTikTok Under the Microscope: A Discussion of the Business and Legal Realities Creators and Legal Departments are Confronting on the PlatformPresented by the BESLA Young Lawyers Division(Sponsored by NBC Universal) TikTok has emerged as a cultural phenomenon in a world dominated by short-form video content, reshaping the entertainment landscape. This panel seeks to explore the legal implications and business opportunities that arise when creators, artists, and brands engage with TikTok. By delving into the benets and drawbacks of the platform, we aim to shed light on opportunities and the legal realities of leveraging TikTok. Thursday, November 9, 2023Lunch1215 p.m. – 100 p.m. Film Screening III105 p.m. – 115 p.m. Film Screening IV220 p.m. – 230 p.m. Chairman & President’s Reception (By Invite Only) - Sponsored by BMW630 p.m. - 830 p.m.BESLA After Dark - Hard Rock Cafe 800 p.m. – 1200 a.m.Session A4 - Santa Domingo IV115 p.m. – 215 p.m.Session A5 - Santa Domingo IV230 p.m. – 330 p.m.

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23Moderator:Nzinga Shaw – Adjunct Professor and Board of Trustees, Fisk University, DEI & Social JusticePanelists:Emily M. Dickens, Esq. | Chief of Sta, Head of Public Aairs and Corporate Secretary for Society for Human Resource ManagementKhadijah Sharif-Drinkard, Esq. | SVP, Business Aairs, ABC NewsDerede McAlpine, Esq. | Principal, Mitchell + MinterModerator:James McMillan Esq. – Founder & CEO Art@War EntertainmentPanelists:Tina Davis – President, Empire RecordsLanre Gaba – Co-President of Black Music, Atlantic RecordsBruce Carbone – Vice President A&R Def Jam RecordingsEthics The Supreme Court Rules – Ethics, DEI and the Entertainment Industry SCOTUS Rules and the Impact on Workplace DEI(Sponsored by Barnes & Thornburg)The United States Supreme Court recently decided the legality of race-conscious decision making in college programs, holding that it is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause for higher education institutions to consider race when making admissions decisions in some instances (Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College), impacting how courts and corporations analyze diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”) strategies, including employment recruiting, hiring and promotion, engagement with external vendors and corporate philanthropy. Prominent DEI leaders will oer insights into the changing landscape and the impact on job growth and advancement for persons of color in the entertainment and sports industries.MusicPresidents and A&R Panel / BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC?(Sponsored by Empire)The stars behind the stars – Every superstar artist’s career starts in the oces of these leading executives in the music business today. Like most media businesses, music is not exempt from the social media takeover. Industry titans will discuss trends on consumer music consumption and how that aects music discovery, distribution, marketing and music monetization. Panelists will provide insight at the highest levels about the current landscape of the music business, including how artists that eectively use social media to engage fans before entering into a major label deal gain leverage and the impact that has on deal structures and size.Film & TV FIRESIDE CHAT WITH MEAGAN GOOD BESLA’s 2023 Black Excellence Award recipient Meagan Good, director, actress, philanthropist, sits down with Lori Stokes, American journalist and news anchor for an afternoon reside chat.Friday, November 10, 2023Session B1 - Santa Domingo IV900 a.m. - 1000 a.m. Session B2 - Santa Domingo IV1020 a.m. – 1120 a.m. Session B3 - Santa Domingo IV1130 a.m. – 1230 p.m. Registration - Duarte I830 a.m. – 100 p.m.

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24Moderator:Mickey Carter, Esq. | EVP, U.S. Networks Distribution Paramount GlobalPanelists:Andre Des Rochers, Esq. | Partner, Granderson Des Rochers, LLP – Talent RepresentativeJames DuBose | Founder & CEO, In The Black NetworkKaren S. Grant-Selma, Esq. | EVP, Head of Business & Legal Aairs, Jesse Collins EntertainmentModerator:Elke Suber, Esq. | General Counsel, Community.comPanelists:Heather Hutchinson, Esq. | SVP & Global Head of Commercial Transactions, Licensing & Business Aairs Group, - BuzzFeed, Inc.Michael Traylor, Esq. | Associate General Counsel - Meta/Reality LabsJessica B. Lee, Esq. | Chair, Privacy, Security & Data Innovations, Loeb & Loeb, LLPModerator: Max Siegel, Esq. – CEO USA Track & FieldPanelists:Jessica Wright, Esq. – General Counsel, DC UnitedChauntell Bobo, Esq. – Assistant General Counsel, Golden State WarriorsFilm & TV Distribution, Consolidation, and The Economics of TV / Current Trends in TV and the Bottom Line(Sponsored by Paramount and Jesse Collins Entertainment)Over the last twenty years the way that we consume, create, and purchase television content has changed dramatically. This panel will discuss the economics of broadcast TV, cable, and streaming as well as best practices and insights seasoned attorneys use to negotiate deals on behalf of production companies, talent and the networks. In addition, panelists will discuss the future of content distribution, including future consolidations, spin-os and/or buy-outs in the market and how we prepare our clients to the changing landscape.TechnologyTechnology, Advertising, & AI - Who Runs The World? (Sponsored by Loeb & Loeb)At this point everyone in technology and media knows that their bottom line is ruled by advertisers. This panel will explore how their respective companies and industries interface with advertisers, practical considerations in connection with ad sales deals, and legal and ethical considerations in connection with the use of articial intelligence in advertisements.Sports The Path to Senior Leadership & Franchise Ownership(Sponsored by The Walt Disney Company)Athletes have long dominated the playing eld and the courts. We know how to monopolize the elds and the courts, but now it is time to leverage the C-Suite and own the teams. There is no direct path to sports franchise ownership, but senior management and ownership are attainable if you understand the landscape and requirements of each sport. This panel will provide insight into the legal structures of the various sports and the business considerations required to sit in the C-Suite.Saturday, November 11, 2023Registration - Duarte I900 a.m. – 1100 a.m.BESLA Women in Sports Breakfast (Limited seating. Registration required.) - Navigator Restaurant - Sponsored by NFLPA – Remarks by Teri Smith, COO800 a.m. – 900 a.m. Session C1 - Santa Domingo IV 900 a.m. – 1000 a.m. Session C2 - Santa Domingo IV1005 a.m. – 1105 a.m. Session C3 - Santa Domingo IV1110 a.m. – 1200 p.m.

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27NLE CHOPPA (WITH CORLISS SHAW),REMBLE, FRESCO TREY,MAKENZIE THOMAS, AND GROOVYDONALD WOODARDBABY TATEBERNIE WATKINSYOUNG BLEU AND SHA EKMATT MIDDLETONVEEZEUWONDA CARTERLORD AFRIXANAMOTISOLA ZULU2RARESANDRA BROWNKENZO B NIA RASOOLOTF/DURKDARYL JONESPHEELZKELVIN NANAYFN LUCCILERON ROGERSEARL SWEATSHIRTCARRON MITCHELLR&R DIGITAL, ARTISTRY MEDIAAND BANDMANRILL DAMIEN GRANDERSONCONGRATULATIONSBESLAON YOUR 43ND ANNUALCONFERENCEWE PROUDLY SALUTE OUR NEXT GENERATIONOF STARS AND THE TALENTED ATTORNEYS WHO TIRELESSLY REPRESENT THEMWE PROUDLY SALUTE OUR NEXT GENERATIONOF STARS AND THE TALENTED ATTORNEYS WHO TIRELESSLY REPRESENT THEM

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28Jerey L. Orridge is an accomplished senior executive, transformational, and community leader with global experience in building brands and businesses with highly regarded Sport, Media, Entertainment, Consumer Products, and Non-Prot organizations in the U.S. and Canada. Currently the CEO of the award-winning multimedia network TVO Media Education Group, Jerey’s career spans senior leadership positions with some of North America’s most iconic brands, including: Commissioner, Canadian Football League (CFL); head of Sports and General Manager of Olympics for Canadian Broadcasting Corp.(CBC); Director, Global Sports Marketing at Reebok, Int’l.; General Counsel and head of legal/ business aairs for USA Basketball; Director, Warner Bros. Sports; VP Worldwide Consumer Products, Mattel, Inc.; SVP, Sports and Community Partnerships at Canadian Tire Corp.; COO and head of Global Business Development at Right To Play, Int’l.; founder of T.R.U.S.T. Sports and Athlete Advisory.Under his transformative leadership, he is responsible for many “rsts” in sport including: landmark agreements involving Reebok and the NBA; the International Olympic Committee; the NHL, Rogers Media, Bell Media; overseeing the rst digitally streamed Olympic Games; drafting and implementing a “Violence Against Women” policy; comprehensive athlete drug-testing policies; partnership with a leading LGBTQ2S+ education and awareness organization (the rst commissioner to march in PRIDE parade); and launching the CFL’s rst social media platforms.David Moreno is an experienced rst chair trial lawyer who representsclients in a wide range of areas, including complex civil and corporate litigation, white-collar defense, SEC investigations, and cross-border disputes. As lead counsel, David has tried well over 25 cases to verdict. He is a go-to strategic advisor to his clients with an intimate understanding of their business goals, direction, and structure, often advising them about wide-ranging opportunities and issues and the corresponding legal implications. David routinely provides counsel to executives and other high-prole individuals including politicians, athletes, entrepreneurs, and entertainers in high-stakes legal disputes and business transactions.David is vice chair of the American Bar Association’s Sports Law Committee. He co-founded the Black In-House Counsel Sports General Counsel Roundtable, an organization focused on creating opportunities and equity for diverse attorneys in sports. David serves on the Dean’s Advisory Counsel for University of Miami School of Law. He is also an attorney mentor for the Judicial Internship Opportunity Program (2016–present), a mentor/volunteer speaker on domestic violence education at NYC public schools, and a volunteer coach for the Harlem Hoops Afterschool Basketball Program. David currently serves on the board of Magis America and KYDA. He was previously a board member for Many Hopes Charity (2016–2018) and served the Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation on their board and grants committee.He enjoys helping entrepreneurs and has appeared on a Bloomberg TV and Apple TV show focused on entrepreneurship. Heis committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and has worked extensively to help create more equity in business, law, and sports. SPORTSAthlete Representation, Media, NIL, & Finance

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29Tabetha D. Plummer, Esq. is a sports and entertainmenttransactional attorney. She is president and founder of Plummer Law Group, PC, and represents a variety of notable entertainers, actors, songwriters, music producers, recording artists as well as industry executives and entities. In addition to being an attorney, Tabetha is also a certied NFL, NBA, FIBA, and NCAA sports agent and contract advisor, representing numerous elite athletes. She is founder of Represent International Sports & Entertainment, LLC, and most recently a co-founder of CREED Sports & Entertainment LLC. Tabetha’s name image likeness expertise is boundless, well known and increasingly sought-after. NIL deals she has negotiated includes, but is not limited to Bryce Young, Shilo Sanders, Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, Dominic Lovett and Graham Mertz. Her client list is too lengthy to detail, but includes Deion Sanders, Michael Strahan, Ledisi, Snoop Dogg and Adam Blackstone. In addition to being a frequent guest speaker, lecturer and panelist for premiere educational, legal and athletic organizations, Tabetha D. Plummer made headlines in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as one of Billboard’s Top 100 Music Lawyers.Donald Woodard is a nationally recognized transactional lawyerrepresenting talent and companies in the entertainment and sports industries. Woodard’s impressive legal career has been spent primarily practicing law with AMLAW 100 law rms. He served as Deputy General Counsel at USA Track & Field, Inc. until his departure in January 2021 to start Carter + Woodard, the rst black owned boutique entertainment and sports law rm based in Atlanta, GA. There he counsels a diverse group of clients including superstar recording artists and advises several athletes in all matters involving Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities. Woodard specializes in negotiating and structuring complex commercial transactions for businesses, serving as outside general counsel to private companies, and advising individuals in all facets of their careers in the entertainment and sports industries. Woodard is among an elite group of lawyers selected as a Georgia Super Lawyer, Variety Magazine - Hollywood’s Top Entertainment Deal Makers, and Top Music Lawyer by Billboard Magazine. He has also been recognized in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “40 Under 40 Rising Stars” and the 100 Most Inuential People in Entertainment by Rolling Out Magazine. He was the rst African American federal judicial clerk on the Northern District of Georgia’s Bankruptcy Court. SPORTSAthlete Representation, Media, NIL, & Finance

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30Kendall Minter is of counsel with the Entertainment & Sports practice group at Greenspoon Marder LLP. He is an internationally renowned entertainment attorney with over 40 years of experience advisng artists, actors, songwriters, record labels, publishing companies, managers, investors, industry executives, radio announcers, concert promoters, evangelists, producers, lmmakers, and other creative executive and entrepreneurial talent on various entertainment matters, media and intellectual property. Mr. Minter was recognized by the National Bar Association with its Living Legend Entertainment Attorney Award and has received other honors, including the City of Los Angeles with a Certicate of Recognition, the Chairman’s Award from the Living Legends Foundation, and the Black Entertainment & Sports Lawyers Association’s Hall of Fame. Palisa Kelley is Head of Legal and Business Aairs at HarbourView Equity Partners. Prior to joining HarbourView, Palisa founded Kelley Law Group and later became a partner at Selverne Kelley Bradford, where her practice focused on advising and counseling clients in connection with the purchase and sale of music related assets. Palisa has extensive experience structuring and negotiating complex music transactions, having served as Counsel at Sony Music Entertainment and Vice President, Business & Legal Aairs at Sony Music Publishing. Prior to that, she was an associate at the boutique entertainment law rm Franklin Weinrib Rudell & Vassallo, where she handled a variety of entertainment transactions in addition to her core music responsibilities. Palisa began her legal career as a litigation associate at the law rm Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison. During her tenure there, she was part of the team representing ASCAP in rate setting proceedings with the Copyright Royalty Tribunal. Palisa received an A.B. in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard College, and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was an Articles Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.Walter Jones is Executive Vice President, Head of A&R for Sony Music Publishing.Since his appointment in February of 2022, Walter has continued to advance the company’s U.S. A&R eorts and expand support of both emerging and established songwriters. An experienced creative leader, Jones was previously Co-Head of A&R at Universal Music Publishing Group. Prior to joining UMPG as VP, Creative in 2017, Jones served as VP, Urban A&R at Sony/ATV (now Sony Music Publishing). Throughout his career, he has signed and developed songwriters such as H.E.R., Lil Baby, Quay Global, Chi Chi, Lil Yachty, City Girls, Alessia Cara, G-Eazy, A$AP Rocky, Pusha T and many more.MUSIC PUBLISHINGMonetization, Catalogs - YouTube

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31Uwonda S. Carter is a founding partner of Carter Woodard, LLC and a transactional attorney that advises clients on both business and entertainment matters and focuses on securing and negotiating recording, television and lm agreements, contracts for licensing, sponsorship and endorsement opportunities and catalog sales and acquisitions. Uwonda’s roster currently includes award winning recording artists, music producers and songwriters, as well as television personalities, television production companies, comedians, authors, fashion companies and entertainment industry executives. Uwonda has become a staple in negotiating music catalog sales/ acquisitions and brand sponsorship deal and strategic marketing opportunities for her clients with companies that include, Gap, Target, Chef Boyardee, Finish Line/JD Sports, Budweiser, Nike, FabFitFun, and YSL Beauty. Uwonda earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University and subsequently earned a Juris Doctorate from Georgia State University College of Law. In 2017 Uwonda was honored by the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyer Association as its Entertainment Lawyer of the Year. She was a founding member and former Vice President of the Black Women in Entertainment Law Foundation and a member of: NARAS (The Recording Academy) and the Entertainment and Sports Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia. In 2023, Carter was included on The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyer list and Variety’s Legal Impact’s list. Also, in 2022 and 2023, Uwonda was honored by Billboard as a Top Music Lawyer. She has been featured in several other publications, including Hits Daily Double, Rolling Out, and Voyage ATL. She also serves on the Host Committee for the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame gala, which honored Ambassador Andrew Young, Danny Glover and Dr. Bobby Jones in February 2023. MUSIC PUBLISHINGMonetization, Catalogs - YouTube

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32Darrell Thompson began his career as a transactional entertainment attorney working as the Director of Business and Legal Aairs at the legendary Motown Records under the tutelage of Mr. Jheryl Busby and “The Black Godfather”, Mr. Clarence Avant. Some current and former clients include Jay Z, The Black Eyed Peas, En Vogue, The Isley Brothers, Mary Mary, The Clark Sisters, Eric Bellinger, Andy Mineo, Layton Greene and a host of music producer/writer clients that have worked with artists including Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Rihanna, Usher, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige and Christina Aguilera. Mr. Thompson also has negotiated deals for clients involved in more than 50 motion pictures beginning in the early 1990’s with the lm “Juice”, “Men In Black III”, and “Oceans Eight”. Darrell has handled deals for clients like Meagan Good (DC Comics’ “Shazam!” and Amazon’s “Harlem”), actor and singer Tyrese (“Fast & Furious” and “Transformers”) and reality TV Stars Ray J, Angie Stone, The Sheards, SWV, Drew Sidora from “Real Housewives of Atlanta” and Spice from “Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta”. A man of many talents, Darrell most recently became the C.O.O. and a Co-Founder of tech start-up Push Through Innovation Corporation which is the developer of an exciting new music app available on iOS and Android called “Deepr”.Darrell Miller, listed annually among Hollywood’s top dealmakers by entertainment industry publications Darrell Miller has been a trusted advisor behind the growth of celebrity and business brands in entertainment and media for over two decades. He has forged longstanding relationships with studio executives and creative personnel, and represents A-Level artists and high-prole brands associated with some of the industry’s leading projects, from Marvel Studios’ groundbreaking series “Wandavision” and the international Fox TV hit 9-1-1, to the critically acclaimed HBO series “Between the World & Me” based on author Ta-Nehesi Coates’ New York Times bestseller. He is a member of the American Bar Association’ Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries, the Grammy Recording Academy and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, as well as the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association’s Hall of Fame. Darrell has also been named a “Sports & Entertainment Law Trailblazer” by the National Law Journal and listed among the “Top 100 Lawyers in California” by the Los Angeles Business Journal.SCRIPTED TV NEGOTIATIONSUnlocked

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33Keisha R. Perry Walker, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, is a dualgraduate of the University of Tennessee. She received her Juris Doctorate Degree from the College of Law in 2004 and her bachelor’s degree from The College of Business in 2001. After working in a mid-size debt collection law rm for nearly a year after graduating law school, she was ready for a change. She started The Perry Law Group in June of 2005 where her past and current clients include small business owners, start-ups, independent labels, artists, producers, songwriters, managers, real estate investors, and inuencers. Keisha has assisted businesses and individuals resolve their legal issues and helped her clients avoid costly litigation. She aims to serve as a source of knowledge to equip her clients to become leaders in their respective industries.Nyanza Shaw is a renowned entertainment and business attorney with over 25 years of experience. With a deep passion for the creative industries, Nyanza has played an instrumental role in shaping the trajectory of numerous high-prole projects, oering strategic counsel that goes beyond conventional legal frameworks. Her keen insight into industry trends, coupled with an unwavering commitment to protecting her clients’ interests, has earned her a reputation as a trusted advisor.In her role as Executive Vice President, Scripted Business and Legal Aairs for FremantleMedia North America, Nyanza oversees all deal making pertaining to the development, production, and nancing of Fremantle’s scripted series and new media content produced for the U.S. As Owner/Managing Attorney of Shaw Esquire for over 20 years, Nyanza represents a diverse clientele ranging from established artists, production companies, and brands to emerging talent and entrepreneurs seeking guidance in navigating the intricate legal aspects of the TV, lm, music, and media industries. Nyanza’s expertise includes negotiating complex contracts, protecting intellectual property rights, licensing and distribution agreements, production services, and regulatory compliance. A dedicated advocate for the convergence of law and art, Nyanza frequently shares her wealth of knowledge on the ever-evolving media landscape, legal challenges in the entertainment business, and intellectual property rights through seminars, workshops, and publications. Nyanza is past President of the John M. Langston Bar Association and continues to serve on their board. She also volunteers with several non-prot organizations. Nyanza received her BA from Mills College in Oakland, CA and her JD from UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, CA.SCRIPTED TV NEGOTIATIONSUnlocked

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34Nadja Webb is Executive Vice President, Programming Business Operations for BET Networks. In this role she handles strategic operations for the programing groups for all of the BET platforms including linear, digital, BET’s direct-to-consumer OTT platform, BET+, and the newly formed BET Studios. In addition, Nadja has a creative role leading BET’s Scripted Programming functions, including Development, Casting and Current for those platforms. She also manages Physical Production, Business and Legal Aairs for BETN as well as oversees the global Music Strategy team and music businesses across the Paramount Global cable channels. Immediately preceding this role, Nadja was Executive Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Programming Operations and Business and Legal Aairs for BET where she oversaw all Programming Operations functions in support of the Scripted, Unscripted and Music & Specials Programming business units, and all Business and Legal Aairs for BET. Nadja has extensive transactional experience across multiple media platforms including, television, music and digital. Her expertise is in structuring and negotiating complex deals, analyzing risks and developing creative solutions to business challenges. She was named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 20 Dealmakers of 2019 for her work with BET. Nadja previously held various roles within legacy Viacom Media Networks, most recently as Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel overseeing the BALA team that supported MTV, MTV2, mtvU, VH1, Logo, CMT and BET. Prior to joining Paramount Global, Nadja was Senior Counsel at Atlantic Recording Corporation, Counsel at Sony Music Entertainment Inc. and an Associate at the law rm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. She received a law degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelors of Arts from Wesleyan University. Michelle L. Rice was named President of TV One and CLEO TV in October 2020. Previously, Rice served as the General Manager and she continues to have oversight of all business, operational and creative aspects for both networks. Under her leadership, TV One solidied its rst vMVPD distribution deal with Philo TV and has continued to grow its distribution footprint. She continues to play a pivotal role in working with strategic partners to create linear and digital content campaigns in response to a myriad of political and social issues that profoundly impact communities of color. Most recently, Rice was inducted into the Class of 2022 Cable TV Pioneers, the most prestigious award honoring and uplifting leaders in the cable TV industry.FILM  TVContent Inside the Corner Oce

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35Jami McCoy-Lankford is an Orlando, Florida based lm producer. She started in the entertainment business as a professional singer which led to a lengthy career as an artist manager. She transitioned from music to lm in 2008 with a focus on biopics but produces a wide range of lm content. Her lm production company Hillionaire Productions owns the rights to various Biopic content that she is producing as well as various feature lm and documentary projects. She has produced lms Don’t Shoot The Messenger ( based on the book under the same title) which is on Amazon Prime, Vudu and on Walmart shelves, The Step Daddy starring Vincent M. Ward, Ptosha Storey and Lew Temple( Remake of the 80’s lm Franchise The Stepfather), The BET Plus Original Holiday Films The Business of Christmas 1 & 2 starring Roger Guenveur Smith, Daphne Maxwell-Reid and Jennifer Freeman which has also been Greenlit for a 3rd and nal installment, TV One and Lifetime Original Film “ The Neighbor” Directed by Victoria Rowell and starring Vicky Jeudy, Tim Reid and Skyh Black . TV One has also hired Jami as the Showrunner for their upcoming nighttime drama series “Lineage”. Writers and Directors such as Camara Davis (writer of many network lms and series), Preston Whitmore, Victoria Rowell and Tim Reid all have brought projects to Jami and Hillionaire Productions to produce. Hillionaire Productions has a full slate of lms scheduled to produce in 2022 and is moving full steam ahead. Ty Walker is an industry veteran who has produced, managed and written feature length movies, television shows and new media content. Over the years, Walker has made his mark as a leading indie movie producer and has become known for passionately producing movies of various genres and budgets around the globe. Walker currently serves as SVP, Head of Physical Production of Kevin Hart’s, Hartbeat, Inc.Walker holds a degree in Computer Science with a minor in Finance from Prairie View A&M University (a HUGE fan and advocate of HBCUs) and was once one of the youngest project managers in the global technology business. Before producing his rst lm, Walker sat behind and learned from some of the top producers in the business, in various roles such as camera assistant, assistant director, production coordinator and UPM.He then successfully produced such lms as the 2012 Sundance hit Blue Caprice, the sci- feature Omphalos, the SXSW Grand Jury & Audience winning lm All That I Am, the soon to be released noir horror Julia, and REDRUM, the show that set a new Investigative Discovery Channel record with the biggest opening night and highest audience ratings. Walker’s other production credits include Carter High, starring Charles S. Dutton, Vivica Fox, Pooch Hall, Reginald C. Hayes and David Banner, the American terrorist thriller Imperium starring Daniel Radclie, Toni Collette and Tracy Letts, the Viacom sitcom Hot Date, the Sundance hit Blast Beat, Lionsgate’s Inherit the Viper, OWN’s Cooking Up Christmas, Warner Media/DC Comics’ Black Lightning, A Dangerous Thing and Girls Getaway Gone Wrong for TUBI, and the hilarious series WOKE for Hulu. Walker, recently Executive Produced Kevin Harts, Die Hart Season 2 for Roku, Hart Rock Doc starring Kevin Hart, Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle, creature feature, Xeno, Hart to Heart Season 3, Back That Year Up starring Kevin Hart and Keenan Thompson and is set produce The Accelerator for BET and Die Hart Season 3 for Roku later this year.FILM  TVContent Inside the Corner Oce

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36Lori Stokes Lori Stokes (born September 16, 1962) is an American journalist and news anchor. She was the evening news anchor for the 5, 6, and 10 O’Clock news at Fox 5 NY WNYW in New York City from 2021 to 2022. She formerly co-hosted Good Day New York on Fox 5 NY WNYW, with Rosanna Scotto. From April 2000 to August 2017, she co-anchored on WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News This Morning, with Ken Rosato. Stokes joined the station as part of an eort to increase ratings on WABC’s morning newscast and helped bring the broadcast to #1.[1] Stokes retired from broadcasting on September 30, 2022.FILM  TVFireside Chat

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37Mo Ivory is an Attorney, Professor of Practice and Director of the Entertainment, Sports and Media Law Program at Georgia State University College of Law. Mo practiced law for many years as an entertainment attorney before focusing her talents in the media industry. Mo has worked as an on-air personality on both morning and afternoon drive shows for CBS Radio, Radio One, Howard University Radio Network and Sirius XM Radio where she hosted “The Mo Ivory Show”. In Washington D.C., while on the air at WHUR 96.3FM, Mo was an Adjunct Professor at Howard University School of Law where she taught Entertainment Law for three years.Mo is proud to be an enthusiastic entrepreneur having successfully started many businesses and currently principle at Ivory Consulting, LLC where she provides legal, business and political consulting services focusing on cultural engagement strategy, celebrity/inuencer engagement, surrogate and media services. Her clients have included numerous local, state and federal campaigns, as well as non-prot corporations. Raised in New York City, Ms. Ivory graduated from Spelman College with a degree in Political Science and earned her law degree from Temple University School of Law. She is a member of Georgia and Pennsylvania Bar Associations, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorney’s (GABWA), Spelman College Alumni Association, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, The Links, Incorporated and Jack and Jill of America. She is a member of numerous community boards. Mo and her husband Robert, reside in Atlanta and have six children. Robert A. Celestin, Esq., a graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, has practiced entertainment law in New York City for over 25 years. Mr. Celestin started his legal career as an associate at Kaye, Scholar, et. al practice, corporate law. He later worked in the legal department of Arista Records working with the legendary Clive Davis and afterwards he worked as the VP/GM of Uptown Records, the house of superstars Mary J. Blige, Heavy D & The Boys and Sean “Diddy” Combs”.He later worked for Untouchables Entertainment, Inc., the home of Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Donnell Jones, as VP/GM and with his mentor, entertainment attorney Louise West, Esq., in representing “Timbaland”, “Missy Elliot” and “Ginuwine”. He managed the Grammy nominated and platinum selling Pop/R&B group “City High”. Presently, Mr. Celestin’s law rm, the “Law Oces of Robert A. Celestin”, represents and provides strategic advice and counsel to independent record label start-ups and production companies, recording artists, producers, songwriters, reality TV stars, DJ’s and others. Present clients include “DESIIGNER”, “6IX9INE”, the late “XXXTENTACION” and his Estate, the late “POP SMOKE” and his Estate, “FATBOY SSE”, “DJ SELF”, “EZINMA”, “WINNERS CIRCLE PUBLISHING”, “ANTHONY FLAMMIA”, “JTK PRO BEATS” and many more. TIKTOKYoung Lawyers Division

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38Nyasha Shani Foy is a multi-hyphenate business and legal aairs lawyer, creative and thought leader. Currently, Nyasha is Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, NFTs at Sotheby’s. At Sotheby’s, she advises and counsels its web3/NFT business, and the Sotheby’s Metaverse, a proprietary NFT platform for collectors of digital art. Prior to joining Sotheby’s, Nyasha served in senior business and legal aairs roles at Buzzfeed, Complex Media, VICE Media Group and Broadway Video supporting brand partnerships, commercial transactions, and activations, such as ComplexLand and ComplexCon. In addition to her day-to-day, Nyasha serves on the Save the Music Foundation Board, on the Board of Directors for the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA), on the Board of Trustees at Wesleyan University, and on the National Black Law Students Association, Northeast Region Advisory Board. She is a freelance writer and frequent speaker on topics ranging from cannabis and entertainment to diversity and social justice. Nyasha received her B.A. in Music and French from Wesleyan University, and her J.D. from New York Law School. She is admitted to practice in California and New York. Nyasha is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.Candice K. Stephenson is an Entertainment Attorney and Business and Licensing executive. She founded PoshRebel Entertainment, a music business, licensing, and content consulting company that has provided services for entities such as Daddy Yankee, Anuel AA, William Morris Endeavor, Cam Newton, and IPG/Mediabrands and has closed deals with BMW, GEICO, Footlocker, and Billboard, to name a few. Candice’s career began in reality television while managing clearances for VH1’s Love & Hip Hop (New York, Atlanta, and Hollywood). She went on to manage licensing for a suite of ABC Network’s most legendary shows: Good Morning America, Nightline, World News Tonight, and 20/20. Stephenson then joined Spotify as Counsel, where she spent 4 years. Candice’s highlights at Spotify include being the Lead attorney on Paul McCartney - Under the Staircase (live at Abbey Road) and the launch of the platform’s rst original Podcasts - Noisemakers and Showstopper, as well as negotiating original content deals such as Spotify Sessions, to name a few. She also played a lead counsel role for the launch of Spotify’s original content programming and some of its main playlists: Rap Caviar, Viva Latino, and Hot Country, among others. Candice found her niche in Music Clearance, New Media and Inuencer partnerships, representing projects like Daddy Yankee’s 20/20 live visual album, and clearing samples on several songs for on his multi-platinum 2022 album, Legendaddy album. PoshRebel Entertainment has become one of Latin music’s go-to sample clearance providers and has cleared samples for Latin superstars like Natti Natasha, Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Lunay, Alex Rose, and Justin Quiles. In 2022, Candice managed and closed over $40 million dollars in deals for William Morris Endeavor’s Digital team, working as the lead business aairs executive on deals like the Fly on the Wall Podcast (with two legendary Saturday Night Live actors in the show’s early days) and the We can do Hard Things - Podcast, to name a few. In 2023, Candice closed inuencer brand deals with BMW, T.E.D, Sony Pictures, Johnson and Johnson, Call of Duty, and GEICO, to name a few. Earlier this year, she co-founded the franchise partnership company EliteLinx, which has since secured a major franchise equity deal in the United States with Venezuelan Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball star, Ronald Acuña Jr. TIKTOKYoung Lawyers Division

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39Nzinga “Zing” Shaw is an Adjunct Professor at Fisk University and concurrently serves the Board of Trustees. She created curriculum for the University’s DEI Center of Excellence, the John R. Lewis Social Justice Institute. Zing is an experienced C-suite executive with extensive hands-on experience and knowledge spanning DEI, human capital management, change and crisis management, employee relations, talent acquisition, organizational and strategic planning, branding, community engagement. She is known for her pioneering DEI work with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, launching the MOSAIC symposium (Model of Shaping Atlanta through Inclusive Conversations) and making the Hawks the rst professional sports team to celebrate the LGTBQ community. Notably, Zing was the rst Chief DEI Ocer at three blue chip organizations: Edelman, Starbucks, and the National Basketball Association, representing the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena franchise. She has been recognized with numerous “40 Under 40” awards from the likes of Sports Business Journal, Atlanta Business Chronicle, The Network Journal, and PR Week. In addition to serving as a Global Advisor for Velocity Global, Zing is on the Board of Trustees of Fisk University, the Board of Directors of ColorComm, and the Board of Advisors of Arctos Sports Partners, she was appointed by 39th United States President Jimmy Carter to serve a six-year term on the Board of Councilors of The Carter Center.Zing received her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College. She was a study abroad scholar at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Zing has also received two Honorary Doctorate degrees in Humane Letters from LeMoyne-Owen College and Morris Brown College, respectively.In her free time, Zing enjoys interior design, international travel, cooking and spending time with her husband Keith and three children, Lacy, Hudson, and Trey. Emily M. Dickens is Chief of Sta, Head of Public Aairs and Corporate Secretary for SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management. As the Head of Public Aairs for the world’s largest human resources trade association, Dickens leads SHRM’s Advocacy Team — the “A-Team” — which is composed of nearly 25,000 HR professionals across the United States that are positioned front and center in eorts to advance the interests of the HR profession. Dickens has been a featured expert on workplace issues and business leadership – with commentary appearing in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, Essence Magazine, Law 360, WTOP, HR Dive, among many others. In 2023, Dickens was selected by Diversity Women Medias as one of their “Elite 100” recognizing powerhouse women executives and c-suite leaders throughout corporate America.THE SUPREME COURT RULESEthics, DEI and the Entertainment Industry

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40Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard is a dealmaker, change agent and champion of diversity, equity and inclusion with more than thirty years of experience in the entertainment industry. Khadijah currently serves as Senior Vice President of Business Aairs for ABC News, where she oversees deal strategy across the network. In her role, she is head of three departments - Business Aairs, Rights & Clearances and VideoSource. She is the rst Muslim woman to oversee a major department at ABC News and is an Executive Champion of the Muslim Business Employee Resource Group (BERG), Salaam, at The Walt Disney Company. She also serves in a leadership role for the Disney Lawyers of Color (DLOC+). Prior to joining The Walt Disney Company, Khadijah was Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Aairs at Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS), where she oversaw deal making for unscripted programming, tent-poles, award shows and news across BET Networks. In that role, Khadijah was integral to bringing high-prole ratings-shattering projects to the screen that highlighted Black stories, including The New Edition Story, The Bobby Brown Story and the Black Girls Rock! franchise. Prior to her ground-breaking work at BET Networks, Khadijah served as Vice President, Senior Counsel at Nickelodeon where she helped to launch shows celebrating children of color including Dora the Explorer, Diego and The Backyardigans. Khadijah’s commitment to justice, equity and representation started early. She served as a youth advisor to Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins, who would go on to become New York City’s rst Black mayor. When Khadijah traveled to South Africa as part of Mayor Dinkins’ delegation, Nelson Mandela himself welcomed Khadijah home when she stepped o the plane on African soil. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and uses her spare time to work in the elds of philanthropy and human development. In addition to her professional responsibilities, Khadijah holds a host of leadership positions - she is the Immediate Past Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for the Black Entertainment & Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA), where she remains a Board Member, Chair Emerita of the Board for Columbia College Women (CCW), and serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the Columbia College Alumni Association. She previously served as Global CoChair of Paramount’s Law Department’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. Khadijah is also a recipient of the National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) Luminary Award for her business acumen and her commitment to diversity and inclusion and she also received a NAACP Image Award for her work on the children’s animated program “Kasha and the Zulu King”. Khadijah has been featured in The New York Times and contributed to a book entitled Living Islam Out Loud: American Muslim Women Speak (Beacon Press), where she writes about her journey as an activist and a Muslim American. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Columbia University in the City of New York and her Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law. Khadijah lives with her husband and two daughters in New Jersey. THE SUPREME COURT RULESEthics, DEI and the Entertainment Industry

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41Derede McAlpin is the founder and CEO of Mitchell + Minter, a consultancy specializing in crisis management; litigation communications; executive misconduct investigations; sports and entertainment; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); and discreet crisis concierge services. Specializing in getting clients into and out of the news—but mainly out—she has served as a trusted advisor to CEOs, attorneys, boards of directors, C-suite executives, sports organizations, and public gures facing crisis and litigation issues, including civil/criminal trials, race-related controversies, regulatory matters, sexual misconduct allegations, whistleblower and nancial crime cases, and U.S. Department of Justice investigations, among others. Prior to forming Mitchell + Minter, Ms. McAlpin served as Senior Vice President and Head of Litigation and DEI for LEVICK, a global advisory rm and pioneer in legal communications. Before her work at LEVICK, she served as a member of the executive leadership team and Chief Communications Ocer for the Association of Corporate Counsel, where she managed the association’s marketing, research, publishing, social/digital media, executive communications, and public relations functions. Some of Ms. McAlpin’s most notable projects include leading international communications on behalf of the United States’ rst fullface transplant recipient, working on the landmark U.S. Supreme Court First Amendment case Snyder v. Phelps, and representing consumer advocate Erin Brockovich. Ms. McAlpin has also represented global brands facing DEI backlash, sports and entertainment organizations facing high prole litigation. Frequently quoted as an authority on complex legal and business issues, Ms. McAlpin serves as a public speaker on the challenging issues confronting corporations. She has contributed commentary for such media outlets as NBC Nightly News; Thomson Reuters; the Washington Post’s NFL blog, The League; Locker Room Magazine; WHUR, The Daily Drum; the Washington Post; the Canadian Broadcast Network; and American Lawyer Media publications. Ms. McAlpin received her Juris Doctor degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Howard University. She also studied international law in Rome, Italy, and received leadership training at the Yale University executive education program in book and magazine publishing.THE SUPREME COURT RULESEthics, DEI and the Entertainment Industry

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42James E. McMillan, Esq. is counted as one of the top music attorneys by Hollywood Reporter and Billboard magazines, entertainment impresario. He has merged his roles as lawyer, marketer, manager and visionary into being a founder and CEO of his own record label, ART@WAR Entertainment. Over the past 15+ years, McMillan has built a solid foundation and reputation based on integrity and emerged as a force balancing his creative and business inclinations.Over his 20+ year career, James McMillan has become a leader by identifying, working and building a varied range of clients including Mob Ties Entertainment (Finesse 2 Tymes), Bobby Shmurda, Highbridge The Label (A Boogie With A Hoodie), Kodak Black, Rap-A-Lot Records, Swisha House (Paul Wall and Mike Jones), music producers Cool and Dre, The Runners, The Justice League, Ron Browz, athletes Floyd Mayweather, Alan Houston, musician/actor Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), and legacy artists Slim Thug, Too Short, Nelly, 8 Ball & MJG. McMillan has also set up and negotiated deals with movie studios and every major record label group including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Sony Music, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures and more. He launched his own label, ART@WAR in 2017, with an auspicious start.Within the rst year of its existence the indie label’s roster which includes the YBN collective (YBN Nahmir, Almighty Jay and Cordae), SK8, Traetwothree (a partnership with Nick Cannon) and Honey Bxby (a partnership with Rebirth Entertainment) boasted numerous gold and multi-platinum records. Additionally, Cordae earned four Grammy nominations including Best Rap Album for his solo debut in 2020. ART@WAR has a joint venture with Atlantic Records and a partnership with Def Jam. McMillan has learned a lot from those that have come before him like Sean “Diddy” Combs, Craig Kallman, Julie Greenwald, Jimmy Iovine and Clive Davis. His goals for the ART@WAR umbrella go well beyond platinum records and sold-out tours. He wants to carve out a place in pop culture history for his company and its’ artists.Tina Davis, An accomplished record label executive, artist manager and entrepreneur, Tina Davis’ almost 30 years of experience have earned her an impressive and lasting legacy in the music industry. With over a decade of service at Def Jam under her belt, Davis carved out her own lane with her innate gift of nding, developing and breaking top level hip-hop and R&B talent. Currently, she is the President of Phase Too, Inc., a full-service management company known for discovering, developing and launching the career of Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer, Chris Brown. In 2023, Davis continues to excel in artist discovery, utilizing her seasoned skill set as the SVP of A&R and recently ascending to the position of President at EMPIRE. As the President of EMPIRE Davis has found a new home in the industry where she can continue to lead with talent, skill, creativity and compassion. MUSICPresidents & A-R Panel

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43Lanre Gaba’s knowledge and experience spans nearly every area of our business, from A&R to marketing to nance,” said Mike Kyser. “She’s become one of the most versatile and impressive players in the business, while playing a key role in the evolution of our Black Music department. I’m very happy to welcome her as my partner as we strive to raise the level of services and expand the breadth of support we oer our incredible artists. I know we’ll be doing great things together.”Since joining Atlantic, Gaba has climbed the ranks, with her role evolving to encompass A&R, marketing, strategic planning, nance, and the label’s recording studio operations. During her tenure at the company, she has worked closely with artists such as Cardi B, Roddy Ricch, Jack Harlow, Lil Uzi Vert, Gucci Mane, Burna Boy, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, recent signing Luh Tyler, and many others. She also played a key role in the launch and development of Gucci Mane’s The New 1017 label, which led to the signing of rising star Pooh Shiesty. Gaba was recognized by Billboard on its prestigious 2023 R&B and Hip-Hop Power Players list. In 2021, she was featured as Billboard Executive of the Week and honored on the magazine’s Change Agents list for her advocacy eorts toward racial justice and social change. In 2019, she was named RIAA Executive of the Year at the rst RIAA Honors event, acknowledging her role in developing major talent as well as her contributions to advancing women in the music industry. She currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University and Gyrl Wonder, a mentoring organization for young women of color.Bruce Carbone has over three decades in the music industry as an A&R executive starting at Atlantic Records where he marked his rst major achievement, signing Nu Shooz and celebrating the 1.5 million sales of their hit “I Can’t Wait.” His multifaceted skills spanning Pop, Dance, and R&B genres at Mercury Records led him to the legendary Motown Records by the late ‘90s. In 2004, during the merger of Motown Records and Republic Records into the newly formed Universal Republic Motown Group, Carbone was named Executive Vice President, overseeing the A&R Department and its young, talented sta. In 2011, Carbone left Universal Motown to form B.F.C. Music Management, consulting for A&M Octone, Warner Bros, and Awesomeness T.V.In 2015, Carbone made his return to the Universal Music family with legendary hip-hop label Def Jam. Today, as the V.P. of A&R at Def Jam, Carbone remains an industry beacon, committed to shaping the future of urban artists.MUSICPresidents & A-R Panel

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44Mickey Carter has worked in a variety of capacities in media, representing corporate interests as well as individual talent. Currently, Carter serves as Executive Vice President of U.S. Networks Distribution at Paramount Global representing the company’s portfolio of networks and streaming products on all platforms (including CBS, Showtime, Comedy Central, BET, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount+). In addition to his distribution responsibilities, Carter also serves on the Paramount Global Inclusion Advisory Committee and the Executive Advisory Council of the Paramount Veterans Network.Before Paramount, Carter served as Vice President of National Accounts at Fox News where he was responsible for revenue and subscriber growth of Fox News Channel on all platforms as well the launch of Fox Business Network. Carter began his cable television career at Time Warner Cable on the “buy” side where he negotiated content acquisition deals across the spectrum of entertainment and sports networks to serve Time Warner’s national footprint of cable subscribers.Prior to his career in cable television, Carter worked as an attorney and business executive in the music and sports industries. In professional sports, he served as an attorney and player-agent for several athletes, including baseball Hall-of-Famer Tony Gwynn and NFL legend Reggie White. Carter’s media career began in music as a talent representative for recording artists, songwriters and producers on several major labels and led him to join the business aairs team at Zomba Recording Corp during their Jive Records pop music explosion with artists like Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, N Sync, R. Kelly topping the Billboard charts. At Zomba, he also served as the lead legal advisor for their Verity Records gospel music label with artists like Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, and Yolanda Adams. After attending college on a U.S. Army R.O.T.C. scholarship, Carter began his career as an active-duty ocer and attorney in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps where he served in a variety of capacities, including criminal prosecutor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. Carter received his A.B. from Harvard College and received his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School. André Des Rochers is a founding partner of Granderson Des Rochers, LLP. He specializes in lm and television transactions, and represents a diverse group of actors, directors, writers, authors, and producers in high-prole deals. André’s clients have included numerous Academy Award and Golden Globe winners and nominees.André is regularly featured in the trades for his representation of A-list clients, and has been named to Variety’s annual “Legal Impact Report” and “Dealmakers Impact Report.” Prior to founding the rm, André began his legal career at Shearman & Sterling, LLP, where he practiced corporate transactional law, and later joined Gray Krauss Sandler Des Rochers, LLP as a partner. He received his B.A. from Ryerson University and his J.D. from Howard University School of Law.TV, FILM, DISTRIBUTION, CONSOLIDATION,& THE ECONOMICS OF TVModerator and Panelist

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45James DuBose is an innovative, visionary and thought leader known for producing culture-shaping content and sharing the voice and lived experiences of Black people around the globe. DuBose built his entire career with his focus on four fundamental pillars: Inspire, educate, uplift and entertain Black Audiences. DuBose is a North Carolina native which largely shaped him into the hard-working individual he is today. After years of serving as General Manager at FOX SOUL, DuBose was inspired to launch IN THE BLACK NETWORK; his own AVOD platform that lifts Black storytellers and symbolizes Black Excellence. DuBose has built an impressive catalogue of asset known for garnering record-breaking television network numbers. He executive produced syndicated entertainment show Dish Nation and E Networks WAGS: Atlanta, as well as hit projects under his DuBose Entertainment banner such as Kevin Harts: One Mic Stand Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, Monica: Still Standing, Tiny and Toya, Toya: A Family Aair, Trey Songz: My Moment, The Michael Vick Project, Hell Date and Comic View amongst others. DuBose has also started to take his enate storytelling and creative ability to the theatre and currently has lms in development with Grindstone Entertainment/Lionsgate. “My decision to launch IN THE BLACK NETWORK is because I wanted to make sure that black stories were being curated, run and told by Black people and to put action behind my commitment to amplify the voice, impact and legacy of Black people. I believe that also includes resisting the assimilation into allowing white culture to dene what that is.”DuBose is most proud of owning that his roles as a Black Executive in entertainment means, lifting as he climbs and supporting the economic empowerment of black communities. Karen S. Grant-Selma leads Jesse Collins Entertainment’s in house legal team asExecutive Vice President, Head of Business & Legal Aairs. She previously served as Head of Business and Legal Aairs at OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network where she negotiated talent, production and license deals for scripted and unscripted programming and oversaw its standards & practices, international sales, intellectual property, human resources, union administration, insurance, participations, rights management and risk assessment. Grant-Selma was instrumental in negotiating deals for the network’s series including Queen Sugar, David Makes Man, The Kings of Napa, All Rise, the Love & Marriage franchise, Super Soul Sunday, Ready to Love and Put A Ring On It. Her experience spans more than 20 years, including time spent at DreamWorks Animation, Live Nation, Universal Pictures, Maker Studios, AMC Networks, ITV Studios America and NBCUniversal. She began her transactional career in private practice under the tutelage of legal icon Nina Shaw. Grant-Selma is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the British Academy of Film & Television Arts (LA). She received her B.S. of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Miami and the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law is where she received her Juris Doctor and also sits on its Board of Councilors.TV, FILM, DISTRIBUTION, CONSOLIDATION,& THE ECONOMICS OF TVModerator and Panelist

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46Elke Suber is Chief Legal Ocer of Community.com, a leading SMS communication and marketing platform. Prior to Community, Elke was at Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook, Inc.), where she served as Global Head of Legal for Meta’s multi-billion dollar Monetization product group (Ads, Business Messaging, Commerce, New Monetization Experiences, Business Integrity, and Workplace) and Meta Business Group. Prior to joining Meta, she was an executive at Microsoft. At Microsoft, Elke Suber was an Associate General Counsel, where she led Global legal teams for Microsoft’s Global Partner Solutions organization, Consumer and Device Sales, and Microsoft Store, among other roles. Elke is an active volunteer in both legal and civic organizations. Elke is Chair of the Board of Directors for EastHUB and a member of the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts of Western Washington. She also serves on the Board of Visitors for the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Elke served as Chair of the Black Entertainment and Sport’s Lawyers Association’s (BESLA) Board of Directors from 2016-2018, and in various leadership roles on BESLA’s Board from 2008-2016. In 2018, Elke delivered the commencement address at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law graduation ceremony. She was also recognized by Savoy Magazine as one of the Most Inuential Black Lawyers in Corporate America in 2018. Elke serves as a keynote speaker and panelist for various organizations and has been proled in publications, such as MCCA’s Diversity and the Law Magazine, the Hungton Post, and the Root.com. Heather Hutchinson is currently a Senior Vice President and Global Head of the Commercial Transactions, Licensing & Business Aairs Group of BuzzFeed Inc. (NASDAQ: BZFD), a leading digital media content publisher and distribution platform. During her time at BuzzFeed, Heather has led the teams responsible for execution of large-scale global commercial and M&A transactions (including BuzzFeed’s special purpose acquisition company merger, the acquisitions of Complex Networks and The Hungton Post, and numerous international brand licensing deals), regulatory lings, integration planning, transformation initiatives and implementation of legal entity restructuring plans. Heather is a key advisor and strategic deal maker supporting BuzzFeed’s revenue organization and operations (including ad sales, aliate marketing, business development, commerce, live events, technology and real estate), and BuzzFeed Studios in the development, production, distribution, and marketing of its IP assets.Before joining BuzzFeed, Heather was a Vice President of Business and Legal Aairs for Discovery (NASDAQ: DISCA) and Scripps Networks Interactive (NASDAQ: SNI), home of many iconic lifestyle and entertainment brands, including Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, and TLC. As leader of a team of negotiators, Heather secured the services of many of the networks’ most recognizable talent and acquired content for exploitation on a global multi-platform basis. Heather is also a leadership and executive coach, certied by Gallup to coach individuals, managers and teams to maximize engagement, performance and protability as well as personal fulllment. TECHNOLOGY, ADVERTISING, AIWho Runs the World

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47Michael Traylor, long-time BESLA member, is currently Associate General Counsel at Meta Platforms, Inc.’s Reality Labs. Reality Labs is the division of Meta which is driving the Virtual Reality frontier. Prior to joining Meta, Michael spent thirty (30) years as a prominent entertainment attorney and regular panelist at many BESLA conferences. His career launched in the late 1980s when he began working for The Law Oces of Ron Sweeney and ourished as he represented some of the hottest artists and producers in the music industry. Michael is also honored to have represented the late, great Clarence Avant for over twenty (20) years. As the music industry stumbled through the technology revolution of the early 2000s, Michael left his post as SVP of Urban Music at Disney’s Hollywood Records and decided to “chase technology” for the rest of his career. Michael also drove business development for one of the most successful Ad Tech pioneers in the industry who created “ad targeting”. Michael’s passion for the videogame industry, his ability to excel the monetization of advanced technology and his related business interests ultimately landed him at Meta where he oversaw marketing legal for the MetaQuest VR device and now is the lead monetization attorney across Meta’s entire AR/VR business. Michael is pleased to join us at BESLA’s 43rd Annual Conference. Jessica Lee helps companies in the U.S. and around the world launch, market and monetize their digital products and content. Her clients include media companies, advertising intermediaries, streaming platforms, ecommerce clients, and edtech companies, as well as companies in the healthcare space. With a unique talent for translating intricate concepts into actionable, business-focused advice, Jessica works to empower companies to navigate the ever-evolving privacy landscape. Clients come to Jessica for everything from advice and counsel around use of the latest advertising technology, the launch of voice-enables wearables and smart devices, to the creation of AI governance programs and ethics assessments. Jessica has helped dozens of companies operationalize privacy requirements, including by creating policies and processes to comply with U.S. state privacy laws, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), and the e-Privacy Directive. Jessica was included in the “Privacy Powerhouses” list in Top Women in Media & Ad Tech Awards by AdExchanger and AdMonsters in 2023, and was named one of the Notable Diverse Leaders in Law by Crain’s New York Business in 2022. Jessica chairs the Cybersecurity and Surveillance Committee of the International Bar Association. Outside of work, Jessica is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Weeksville Heritage Center, one of New York’s cultural institutions and sits on the Board of the Laundromat Project, a Brooklyn-based arts organization. TECHNOLOGY, ADVERTISING, AIWho Runs the World

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48Max Siegel, renowned sports and entertainment executive, became the fourth CEO of USA Track & Field in May 2012. During his tenure, he has led USATF to nancial growth, programmatic evolution and inclusive representation that are unprecedented in the Olympic family, generating over $600 million in revenue and expanding the USATF annual budget to a record $40 million. Siegel’s achievements at USATF further complement a more than 30-year track record of competitive success in sports and entertainment. He had successful stints as President of Global Operations at Dale Earnhardt Inc. where he sold tens of millions of dollars in sponsorship; and as Senior Vice President at Sony/BMG and President of Zomba Gospel, Tommy Boy Gospel and Verity Records where he led one of the most protable divisions in the Sony BMG system. As the owner of Rev Racing since 2010, Siegel has led NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity (D4D) program to recruit and develop more multicultural and female talent to the sport, advancing it from a edging eort into a competitive force on the racetrack, producing stars such as Bubba Wallace and Nick Sanchez.He serves as a member of the board of directors of the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a member of the NASCAR Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, the PointsBet Diversity Council, the Board of Trustees at Martin University and the Brebeuf Jesuit Prep School in Indianapolis. Formerly, he served on the boards of USA Track & Field and the USA Swimming Foundation.The rst African-American to graduate with honors from Notre Dame Law School, Siegel is an accomplished author of three books and a lm producer. He is a native of Indianapolis and currently resides there with his wife and three children.Jessica Wright is General Counsel for multiple entities including D.C. United, a Major League Soccer team; Loudoun United F.C., a United Soccer League team; Audi Field, a 20,000-seat stadium in Washington DC; and Segra Field, a 5,000-seat stadium in Loudoun County, VA. Jessica’s responsibilities include matters related to the teams, venues, employees, new investors, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance across the entire organization. In her current role, she has worked to bring the XFL back to Audi Field; open the FanDuel Sportsbook at Audi Field; secure the rst crypto related front of jersey sponsorship deal in MLS; open and secured a naming rights deal for the Inova Performance Complex, a state-of-the-art training facility in Loudoun County that is home to D.C. United, Loudoun United F.C., and the Washington Spirit; bring in some of the biggest names in the sport as players and coaches; and hosted the 2023 MLS All-Star Game at Audi Field. She is also currently engaged in building a high-rise residential building with an entertainment venue on the ground oor adjacent to Audi Field, in the process of locating a site to build another soccer stadium in the DMV and initiating additional sports franchises. Prior to accepting her current role, Jessica was an associate attorney at a small rm in Manhattan Beach, CA where she practiced in the elds of business, intellectual property, and real estate law. Jessica has been a mediator since 1997 and a trained arbitrator since 2015. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from San Diego State University, J.D. from Southwestern Law School, LL.M. in Entertainment and Media Law from Southwestern Law School, and M.B.A. from California State University, Monterey Bay.TECHNOLOGY, ADVERTISING, AIWho Runs the World

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49Chauntell Bobo is in her third season as Assistant General Counsel for the Golden State Warriors and Chase Center. Bobo brings over a decade of experience working in and around various industries, including sports, sports betting, trading, technology and cryptocurrency.In her current role, Bobo’s primary responsibilities include oversight of legal matters aecting the organization, including those related to the Golden State Warriors’ corporate partnerships, marketing, player appearances and activations, community relations, foundation and technology verticals. Prior to joining the Golden State Warriors, Bobo was the Director of Legal & Business Aairs at FanDuel, Corporate Counsel at DRW Trading Group and practiced law for 5 years at the Chicago oces of Baker & McKenzie LLP and DLA Piper LLP. Bobo earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Law from Loyola Marymount University and her Juris Doctorate from The University of Chicago Law School. TECHNOLOGY, ADVERTISING, AIWho Runs the WorldWe proudly support BESLA's mission of advancing the excellence of professionalsof color and opening new pathways for minority law studentsLita Rosario-Richardson, Entertainment Law Practice ChairBESLA Board of Directors301-231-0931 | lrosario-richardson@shulmanrogers.comPotomac, Maryland | ShulmanRogers.comPROUD TO SUPPORTthe Black Entertainment andSports Lawyers AssociationLita Rosario-Richardson J. Darrel Barros Todd Pilot Kandyce Hall

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51Covering the World of Entertainmentwww.sheppardmullin.com | www.entertainmentlawinsights.comWe proudly support BESLA

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532023HONOREES

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54Sylvia Rhone is regarded as the most inuential female executive in the history of the music business. Rhone’s career reads like a virtual litany of rsts. Rhone has helmed senior positions at all three major record companies. In 1990 she became the rst Black woman to head a major record company when she was named CEO/President of Atlantic’s EastWest Records. In 1994 Rhone was appointed Chairman/CEO of the Elektra Entertainment Group, the rst Black woman to be named Chairman of a label owned by a Fortune 500 company. Rhone was named President of Universal Motown Records in 2004, Executive Vice President of Universal Records, and Chairman of the Universal Motown Record Group. Named President of Epic Records in 2017, and then Chairwoman and CEO in 2019. Rhone’s appointment to the Chairmanship of Epic was proled by Variety as a ‘watershed moment’ for black culture.Lifetime Achievement AwardHonoreeSylvia Rhone

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55Meagan GoodWith over 30 years in the industry, actress, producer, director, author and philanthropist Meagan Good has starred in numerous hit lms and TV shows. She was most recently seen starring in “If Not Now, When?,” her feature co-directorial debut which she also co-produced. She also starred in Sony’s epic action lm “Monster Hunter” and Lifetime thriller “Death Saved My Life.” Meagan can currently be seen starring as the lead role in the hit and critically acclaimed Amazon series “Harlem” from Girls Trip writer Tracy Olivier, a single-camera comedy following the lives of four women – friends from their college days at NYU – as they navigate sex, relationships and chasing their dreams. The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on December 3rd to record numbers and rave reviews for the series and Meagan’s performance as the lead role of “Camille Parks.” She will next reprise her role as Super Hero Darla in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” the sequel to the hit DC Comics lm and star opposite Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dogg in Netix lm Day Shift. Meagan also recently directed the short lm “Black Karen” in partnership with Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Productions and The Sundance Institute; the lm will premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival in Park City.In 2019, Good starred in the hit DC Comics lm “Shazam!” and thriller “The Intruder” opposite Dennis Quaid and Michael Ealy. She appeared in the lm “A Boy. A Girl. A Dream: Love on Election Night,” which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. She starred as ‘Kali’ in the Showtime series “White Famous” opposite Jay Pharoah and in the Lifetime movie “Love by the 10th Date.” She also guest-starred on CBS’ medical drama “Code Black,” in which her character had a 3-episode arc. In 2015, she starred in the lead role on Fox’s series “Minority Report.” Her breakout role was in Eve’s Bayou, earning her critical acclaim for her powerful performance opposite Samuel L. Jackson, and nominations for an NAACP Image Award and Hollywood Reporter Award.Good began starring in commercials at age four and has lmed more than 60 national television ads. Her rst major television role was the character of “Nina” on the 1998 cable series “Cousin Skeeter,” which aired for three seasons. In 2001, she transitioned to primetime television with a recurring role on “Raising Dad.” Good’s other television credits include “Deception,” “Californication,” “Moesha,” “The Steve Harvey Show,” “The Division,” “The Parent ’Hood,” “My Wife & Kids,” “All of Us” and most recently NBC’s “Mr. Robinson” which premiered as the most-watched summer comedy debut on the big four broadcast networks since 2007.In addition to acting, Good’s ambitions led her to produce her own independent lms, including executive-producing and starring in the 2006 feature “Miles From Home.” A favorite of critics, it premiered at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival, the DC Independent Film Festival and the Atlanta Film Festival, where it managed a clean sweep of the major awards: Best Feature, Best Actor, Best Actress (Good) and Best Director. She also produced and starred in “Video Girl,” which depicts the sordid and misunderstood life of a music video superstar. Other lm credits include “A Girl Like Grace,” “Think Like A Man,” Think Like a Man Too,” Anchorman: The Legend Continues,” “The Unborn,” “The Love Guru,” “Jumping the Broom,” “Stomp the Yard,” “Brick,” “You Got Served,” “D.E.B.S: Waist Deep,” “Biker Boyz,” “Deliver Us From Eva” and “Saw V.” Good resides in Los Angeles.Black Excellence AwardHonoree

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56Ed WoodsEd Woods, Esq. was recognized and respected as one of the top entertainment attorneys and business leaders in the country. His illustrious career spanned over two decades, and many arenas, including law, entertainment and management. Born and raised in Queens, NY, Ed Woods graduated from Hampton University and Howard University School of law. Ed Woods began his career in the law oce of BESLA founder, Louise West, before co-founding the law rm of Osse & Woods with Reggie Osse and later, Woods & Middleton with Matt Middleton. Over the course of his career Ed Woods worked with an abundance of artists, executives, and companies including but not limited to: Jay-Z, Usher, Bob Johnson, Wesley Snipes, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Diageo, Judge Mathis (Warner Television), Kerry Washington, DMX, Kelly Price, Cassie, Ryan Leslie, Wacka Flocka, Bad Boy Hitmen Producers, Stephanie Mills, Love & Hip Hop VH1 Reality Stars, Daymond John (FUBU, Shark Tank), Barry Hankerson of Blackground Records (Aaliyah), FUBU Records, and former NBA star Allen Iverson. A visionary and creative strategist, Ed Woods joined Casablanca Records (founded and run by former Sony Chairman, Tommy Motola) as Executive Vice President of Urban Music. As the CEO of ELW Productions, Ed Woods developed strategic marketing campaigns and branding strategies in connection with the entertainment industry for major corporations, developed new talent, leveraged new media properties, and created opportunities for clients through new technology distribution outlets. Ed Woods taught and inspired many as an adjunct professor at his alma mater, Howard University School of Law, teaching all facets of entertainment law. Ed Woods joined BESLA as a law student, returning throughout his career to lend his expertise and vision to BESLA and to mentor, encourage and employ several BESLA members. He also served on the Board of Directors, including as BESLA Chairman and President. Ed Woods legacy will be felt and upheld by the BESLA community.“I want to be remembered as a man who raised the bar, set a higher standard, and did something that someone else didn’t think of.” - Ed Woods, Esq.Hall of Fame InducteePosthomously

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57Bison Honors Awardees 2023Teri SmithChief Operating Ocer NFLCharles D. KingOscar Nominated Movie ProducerFounder and CEO MarcoCongratulations to BESLA Members

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58B l a c k E n t e r t a i n m e n t a n d S p o r t s L a w y e r s A s s o c i a t i o nC e l e b r a t i n g 4 3 y e a r s o f i m p a c t a n d e x c e l l e n c e !

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59themlc.comIF THE MLC IS ON THE LINE, TAKE THAT CALL!To date, The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) has distributed over $1 billion in digital audio mechanical royalties.Make sure your clients are receiving their share of these royalties. If they are not currently represented by a publisher or administrator, help them become a Member of The MLC today. Got questions? Contact The MLC’s support team at 615.488.3653. CONNECT TO COLLECT!7495-The MLC-BESLA conference_101323.indd 17495-The MLC-BESLA conference_101323.indd 1 10/13/23 11:43 AM10/13/23 11:43 AM

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602023 SCHOLARSHIPRECIPIENTS

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61Christine Ayanna Croasdaile is a fourth-year JD/MBA candidate at Howard University. Originally from Brooklyn, New York with Jamaican roots, Christine gained valuable experience through internships and full-time positions at companies such as Penguin Random House, ViacomCBS, and the NBA prior to entering law school. At Howard, Christine has served as the 1L Student Representative, Secretary, and Ambassador of the Sports & Entertainment Law Students Association (SELSA). During her 1L summer, she interned with Orrick’s Intellectual Property Litigation group and Facebook’s Music Legal Department.In her 2L year, Christine became a Howard Entertainment Program Fellow, where she gained experience in Film/Motion Picture Business Aairs at UTA and Amazon Studios in Los Angeles. She also worked as a student attorney in the IP-Trademark Clinic for two semesters, helping clients submit successful USPTO trademark applications. At the School of Business, Christine led Howard MBA to victory in the National Black MBA Association Graduate Case Competition in Atlanta. Additionally, she presented to the World Bank Group in Kenya as part of her Global Management Consulting course.Currently, Christine serves as the President of Howard’s SELSA, forging strategic partnerships for HUSL students with BESLA’s YLD and WALA. She is also a member of the Charles Hamilton Houston National Moot Court Team, winning Best Oralist Team at the Regional Trademark Moot Court Competition.After graduation, Christine will join Vinson & Elkins LLP in New York. She hopes to ultimately establish a boutique rm to support creatives and entrepreneurs while creating co-working spaces for creatives of color.Eric Charles Helm is a third-year law student at Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Mr. Helm is a second-career law student, having earned two bachelor’s degrees (psychology & sociology) from Florida A&M University and a master’s degree (clinical social work) from Florida State University. Mr. Helm’s academic achievements as a law student include serving as an associate editor on the Law Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice, and being a recipient of the prestigious CALI award in evidence for having received the highest grade in the course. As a student leader, Mr. Helm serves as the president for both the Class of 2024 and the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. In addition to his academic prowess, Eric Charles is a health and tness enthusiast, a motorcyclist, and he enjoys going to the beach. His mission is simple: to provide innovative, personal, and exible legal counsel that promotes creative advancements in the entertainment industry. Eric interned with Mays Law Group, P.C.HBCU SCHOLARSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS

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Nigel Jones attended undergrad at Hampton University, where he was a Sports Management major and, during his practicum semester he interned for Orlando City SC. Following that, he worked for the Orlando Magic, but despite his love for sports and the Magic specically, Nigel always knew he wanted to attend law school. Nigel always thought a law degree is among the highest, if not the highest, form of academic excellence.Currently enrolled at FAMU College of Law, Nigel felt he had the opportunity to expand his understanding of the law, learn from class discussions, and consistently seek practical experiences such as Trial Practice to enhance his legal studies. Nigel is highly passionate about sports, and coming into law school, he was sure he’d end up in some form of Sports Law, but through his classes Nigel soon found he enjoyed Criminal Law. As a result, in the fall, he became a Certied Legal Intern for the State Attorney’s oce for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, which Nigel believe will be an excellent experience and help him decide what eld of law he would enjoy most.Michael Youssef is a third-year law student at North Carolina Central University School of Law, where he is the Executive Editor for the North Carolina Central Law Review. During his rst year of law school, he served as a Dean’s Ambassador. Additionally, Youssef’s exemplary performance earned him the Civil Procedure Book Award. Most notably, he was selected as the Chief Justice Henry Frye Fellow at Brooks Pierce, where he worked on various substantive legal issues, including business litigation and employment law. Prior to law school, he worked as an Area Sales Manager for Performance Food Service and was recognized as one of the top area sales-manager. Before joining Performance Food Service in 2017, Youssef worked at ADP Tax Credits as an Account Manager. He also served as the President of ADP’s Hispanic Business Resource Group and President of ADP’s chapter of Toastmasters International. oussef holds a master’s degree in business administration from Florida International University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Francis Marion University.William Wallace III is a rising 3rd year JD/MBA student at Southern University Law Center. Before attending law school, William received a Dual-Degree in Economics and Pan-African Studies from Clemson University where he graduated as a recipient of the Dr. Alan Schaer Student Award. During his time at Clemson, William worked as a Peer Dialogue Facilitator. While in law school William interned with the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project where he conducted research into the nature and extent of anti-civil rights violence in Louisiana during the 1960s. Last summer William interned with Maven Records out of Dallas, Texas as the Junior VP of A&R. Also, he was the Legal Intern at OMBI Group a premier law rm to athletes, entertainers, and executives out of Atlanta, GA. William currently works as a Strategic Partnership Fellow where he helps with expungement programs and other initiatives.HBCU SCHOLARSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS

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63Corinthia Hicks was born and raised in Chicago, IL (west side). She attended Northern Illinois University for undergrad, where she double majored in Sociology and Criminology with a minor in Political Science. Corinthia is both an entrepreneur and law student. She currently attends the University of Illinois School of Law as a rising 2L where my focus includes Entertainment Law and Intellectual Property. What drives her is the goal of educating and reaching as many young Black children as possible. Her biggest inspiration for going to law school has always been her dad. They always hoped to go into practice together. Unfortunately, he passed before that dream was made a reality. So, Corinthia walks this path for the both of them knowing he is always beside her. Her hope is to learn and gain everything law school has to teach her while encouraging and inspiring other young black children interested in law.BMW ULTIMATE ACHIEVER AWARDRECIPIENTSKeisha Ann Lopes is a rising 3L at UIC School of Law and served as the UIC BLSA President for the 2022-23 academic year. She is from Denver, CO and attended the University of Kansas for college. Lopes previously worked as an immigration law clerk, as she can speak Japanese and Arabic. She currently works for Justice Carl Walker of the Illinois Appellate Court and plans to work in international human rights policy after graduation.

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64ESSAY COMPETITION WINNERSRicky Panayoty is a New York City native where he earned his bachelor’s in political science from The City College of New York. While at City College, Ricky was a member of the Skadden, Arps, Honors Program in Legal Studies, and a Colin Powell Fellow. Ricky has interned at The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense oce in Manhattan as an investigator and paralegal. He has also served as a former Legislative Intern to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeries in Washington, D.C. where he helped to expand economic opportunities, ensure access to higher education, protect aordable housing in New York City, and reform the criminal justice system. Particularly, Ricky’s research aided the push for The First Step Act, a bipartisan bill passed in 2018 focused on criminal justice reform at the federal level. Ricky is a self-published author and creates logos and digital content in his spare time. Recently, Ricky placed rst in The Dierent STEM (Sports, Technology, Entertainment, and Media) Competition founded by Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Adjunct Professor, Earl N. Caldwell, and hosted by Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. The Dierent STEM Competition is an interdisciplinary contest that intersects sports, entertainment, branding, marketing, business, and law. Currently, Ricky is a rising 3L pursuing his J.D. at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School and looks forward to taking Intellectual Property in the Fall 2023 semester.Grace Jackson is a third-year law student at Pepperdine Caruso School of law and a proud graduate of Hampton University, where I studied Political Science. She is the rst in my family to attend college and pursue a legal education and career. During her time at Hampton, she enjoyed gaining leadership experience as the president of the Pre-Law society and participating in the Student Recruitment Team, the on-campus dance ministry team, and other community service-oriented organizations. Now, as a current law student at Pepperdine, she is immensely grateful to be pursuing my dream of becoming an entertainment lawyer. Grace has had the pleasure of being an active member of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, the Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship & the Law fellowship program, the 2022-23 treasurer for the Black Law Student Association, and a student member of the Langston Bar Association. During her rst-year summer, she worked in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. In the summer of her second-year, Grace had the privilege of working as a business & legal aairs intern at Fremantle Media North America, where she gained valuable experience drafting and interpreting entertainment contracts and agreements related to the development and production of scripted series. She looks forward to absorbing all the knowledge, wisdom, and valuable experiences this industry has to oer and contributing to the creation of entertainment that brings many of us so much joy.

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65Copyright © 2023 Holland & Knight LLP All Rights ReservedHolland & Knight is proud to sponsorBESLA’s 43rd Annual Conference.Our attorneys have extensive experience representing entertainment, media and advertising clients and other content providers who produce, license, acquire, use and invest lm, television, music and digital content for worldwide distribution. Our team also represents celebrities and entertainers in connection with a wide variety of legal matters, including endorsements and sponsorship deals.In the realm of sports, our attorneys have advised athletes, agencies, private equity rms, teams, owners, leagues, universities, conferences, gaming companies, merchandisers, manufacturers and others on all types of matters that can’t be resolved on the eld, court, ice or diamond.www.hklaw.comDa’Morus Cohen Partner | Miami 305.789.7426 damorus.cohen@hklaw.comKevin Gooch Partner | Atlanta 404.817.8473 kevin.gooch@hklaw.comO’Kelly McWilliams IIIPartner | Washington, D.C. 202.469.5570 okelly.mcwilliams@hklaw.com Anthony “Tony” Mulrain Partner | New York and Atlanta 212.513.3882 | 404.817.8562 anthony.mulrain@hklaw.comTyrone ThomasPartner | Washington, D.C. 202.469.5560 tyrone.thomas@hklaw.comDuvol ThompsonPartner | New York 212.513.3263 duvol.thompson@hklaw.com

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66CONGRATULATIONS TO FIRSTTIME COCHAIRS & BESLA SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBERSOrganizations like BESLA support the crucial education to employment pipeline necessary to fill millions of jobs in this country.On behalf of our 325,000 members and the 235 million workers they serve, SHRM is proud to support this organization.BESLA35 Co-Chair • Former BESLA Board Member • Life MemberEMILY M. DICKENSChief of Sta, Head of Public Aairs and Corporate SecretaryVANYA ALLENADRIENNE WILLIAMS

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67los angeles | new york | washington, d.c.@mskllp msk.com

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69It would appear in this age of digital music and everything being technology driven that an entire generation has forgotten the importance of a true DJ; but none of this deters DJ SKILLZ on his path of remaining a high proled crowd mover. Born Braxton Brown, in Florence, South Carolina, DJ SKILLZ stormed the North and South Carolina club scene where he gained his notoriety and massive fan base. After dropping out of college in early 2000 to further his career in the music industry, DJ SKILLZ went on to make video appearances with Mr. Cheeks of The Lost Boyz in the “Light’s, Camera, Action” video, collaborated with Kanye West on his College Drop-Out Mix-Tape, as well as being the featured DJ on some of the biggest Hip-Hop and R&B Tours across the world. He also worked with Roc-A-Fella Records Recording Artist Rell, Grammy Award Winning Producer 9th Wonder, and Terrence J. All of these early accomplishments and relationships planted seeds for this Award Winning DJ and has made him a perennial favorite ever since. DJ SKILLZ name ranks among the best by becoming one of the most seasoned and sought after musical geniuses from the Southeastern U.S. DJ SKILLZ high energy and ability to capture the attention of his fans has put him in position to play for the biggest names in the entertainment and sports world including: Jay-Z, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Mary J Blige, New Edition, Doug E. Fresh, Erykah Badu, Pharrell, Usher, Kanye West, Kevin Hart, Angela Simmons, NAACP Image Awards, Honda Battle of The Bands, and The Charlotte Hornets just to name a few. DJ SKILLZ understands the power of music and realizes, “It’s not what you play but how you play it.” Whether playing classics in front of an intimate crowd, or amplifying the energy in an arena full of 50,000 people: DJ SKILLZ is known to take you on a musical journey that creates a party atmosphere like no other. But beyond the party scene, DJ SKILLZ resume has extended to music production, maintaining a syndicated mix show “Welcome To The Weekend”(which airs on Radio One’s Foxy 107.1FM and 104.3FM), and launching a community based non-prot “The Turning Point Organization”. His passion for his craft community and experience in the entertainment world has DJ SKILLZ on a constant hustle that keeps him in high demand as the “Go To DJ”.DJ SKILLZ

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70GUI N PARTGUIÓN PARTNERS HELPS TALENT REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIALguionpartners.comIn a world where the intersection of global sports, entertainment, business, technology and legal demandsnothing short of excellence, Guión Partners stands as the beacon of unparalleled support. We are thedriving force behind talent realizing their fullest potential, and our reach extends far and wide.NERSÓIBM Building590 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10022+1.646.340.5000OFFICIAL PARTNER OF BESLA 2023 43RD ANNUAL CONFERENCEceo@guionpartners.com

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71BankaBle Consulting, inC. supports the mission of BESLA supports the mission of BESLA to advance the excellence of to advance the excellence of professionals in the entertainment, professionals in the entertainment, sports and related industries. sports and related industries. Furthermore, Furthermore, BCIBCI congratulates congratulates BESLA on 43 years of service BESLA on 43 years of service to the profession!to the profession!Chiquita Banks, Esq.CEO/FounderPresident, BESLABankaBle Consulting, inC. is a full-service tax and legal consulting rm advising the creative industries. With 20+ years of tax and legal expertise, Chiquita formerly worked at Disney/Fox, Paramount/Viacom and a private debt nancier. She started her own consulting practice to support content creators with a focus on lmmakers of color. Specically, she consults on a project’s global incentive alternatives and is “the plug” connecting lmmakers to companies that lend against production incentives, distribution agreements and other production collateral.www.bankableconsultants.cominfo@bankableconsultants.com@TheReelTaxAttny

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74We are proud to supportBESLAWe are proud to support BESLA and its mission to advance the excellence of professionals in the entertainment, sports and related industries.1000 attorneys nationwideEntertainment & Sports Law. Coast to Coast.Leron E. Rogers BESLA ChairmanPartnerlrogers@foxrothschild.com404.876.4567Darrell D. MillerFounding ChairEntertainment & Sports Law Department dmiller@foxrothschild.com310.598.4174Joshua A. EdwardsPartnerjedwards@foxrothschild.com424.285.7055John T. RoseAssociatejrose@foxrothschild.com404.881.5940

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75Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award® winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.

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76OVER 75 YEARS OF RECORDED MUSIC HISTORY

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Friends of BESLAScholarship SponsorsAllied Global MarketingCultural Leadsership Fund AH Capital ManagementMr. Brian EdgeMr. Brian Edge300 Entertainment, LLC • Shannon Nash • In The Black NetworkCLH Wealth Management • Ted Reid • Golan Christie Tagla LLPLifestyle Rejuvenation Medical Group • Flanagan Injury Law GroupSilverBronze

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