Featured
Sean McManus regularly advises companies in the areas of strategic communications, conferences, digital media and thought leadership. He was the original managing director of QuartzLive, the conferences and live events division of Quartz and director of programs at The Economist, leading content development for Economist Events in the Americas, including sponsored content and related digital media. Previously, he was a magazine editor; his work has appeared in the New York Times, New York magazine, Worth and Details. Sean has a master’s degree in US history and was a teaching assistant for Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
sean@mplusd.co
Brett Dobbs has worked at the intersection of media, policy, technology, and law for the past decade. Prior to becoming an attorney, Brett worked for “Charlie Rose” on PBS and later at BigThink.com where he produced interviews with global leaders ranging from tech founders to heads of state. He has consulted for the World Economic Forum, BBDO, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the African Center for Economic Transformation, the Global Philanthropy Forum, the Salesforce Foundation, Ergo, and NewsDeeply - developing online and offline platforms for engagement among influentials. He also led development of the US-Africa Business Forum in Washington D.C. in 2014 and 2016 in New York for Bloomberg and the Commerce Department. He is a member of the Illinois and Wisconsin Bar Associations.
brett@mplusd.co
Chris Juby operates at the intersection of international affairs, communications, and media relations. He was an assistant director of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, an independent, nonpartisan organization that provides insight and influences public discourse on global issues, where he coproduced over 200 public and private events annually. He is an expert in advanced logistics and operations, personnel management, media production, and project management. Recently, Chris served as publicity manager for the Public Affairs, Nation Books, and Economist Books imprints at Hachette Book Group, one of the five largest book publishers in the world. There, he directly managed leading nonfiction author/title publicity campaigns globally.
Samantha Kiel is a systems consultant and communications specialist with a passion for technology and design. She has developed content and experiential programming for a variety of organizations including Google, Amnesty International, the International Criminal Court, Tishman Speyer, and FIFA. Samantha's work improving user experience across digital and built environments has been applied in regional planning initiatives, as well as new media projects for civic, financial and cultural institutions worldwide. She holds a Bachelors degree from Loyola University Chicago and is based in New York City.
Yanikk Lewis is a research and strategy consultant with eight years of experience in conflict transformation and international development. Most recently, he has supported high-level strategic communications efforts in Syria and Iraq, and has also worked with organizations such as the US Institute of Peace, where he developed a national peacebuilding strategy for Syria; ALEF-Act for Human Rights, where he advocated for refugee policy reform in Lebanon; NewsDeeply; and the World Economic Forum. He has a Bachelors degree from School of Visual Arts and is a MA candidate in Visual and Media Anthropology.
Chris Moffo has over 13 years of multi-sector experience in social impact strategy and advocacy, public policy, stakeholder engagement, and community activation. He has served in the Asian & Pacific security affairs bureau at the Pentagon, as director of policy in the State Legislature of his native New Jersey, on three U.S. presidential campaigns (including Barack Obama's 2008 and 2012 victories), and as a staffer at nonprofits domestic and abroad. More recently, he led business intelligence efforts at Timshel, a social impact tech startup funded by Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt. Chris received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University and is based in Chicago.
Julia Ford-Carther is a consultant and entrepreneur with over 10 years experience in new media and strategic communications. She has led content and program development for brands such as NBC, W Hotels, the Huffington Post. Shop Spring, and the World Happiness Summit. Additionally, Julia is on the founding team of Aminta Ventures, a coalition supporting the growth of the female investors in South Florida. Ford-Carther received her B.A. in Communications from Stanford University and is a graduate of the Babson College WIN Lab Miami accelerator program.