Speaker: Ginny Mohler; Creative Director, Vox Media Explainer Studio
Ginny Mohler is a creative director and filmmaker specializing in research-driven storytelling. Her work centers on in-depth research and collaboration with subject-matter experts to translate complex ideas for curious audiences. She is the co-director and writer of the feature film Radium Girls. She’s spent 8 years at Vox Media’s Explainer Studio, creating explanatory video content for brand partners, where she is currently a creative director.
Speaker: Lauren Hurlock; Director of Customer Success, City Spark
Lauren Hurlock is the Head of Client Success at CitySpark, where she helps clients drive revenue and simplify the work behind events and promotions. She specializes in building strategies that maximize platform value while freeing up time for busy teams. Previously as Web Editor for the Charleston City Paper, she led Best of Charleston, broke sales records, and created high-performing, award-winning, content around events and breaking news. She brings a practical, results-driven approach to helping media professionals turn audience engagement into growth.
Speaker: Eric Mayberry; President, SmartTech Digital Agency
Eric Mayberry is the President of The SmartGroup, which includes SmartTech Digital, an agency that specializes in helping businesses transform their digital messaging and footprint and SmartBoy, a strategic consulting firm that helps companies unlock the extraordinary.
With a history of leading highly successful news and sales organizations, Eric also served as segment host of CareerBuilder TV and was the creator, producer and host of “FoodieTV” and “Lincoln Cooks.” He launched London’s first-ever hospitality and foodservice tech trade show, HOSTEC and he also co-launched the first-ever podcast by an American newspaper in 2005 called “PhillyFeed” for which he and his co-host were recognized by the Wall Street Journal and NPR.
His magazine launches include My Wedding, HouseMatters and LMDS: The Competitive Edge. Eric has played and coached on multiple Ivy League Championship football teams and was named “Business Leader of the Year” by The Urban League of Philadelphia. Eric’s podcast, “The Hope Show” (The Hope Show Podcast on YouTube) helps listeners find truth and clarity about the challenges we face everyday in life.
Speaker: Liz Kelly Nelson
Project C & The Independent Journalism Atlas
Liz Kelly Nelson is dedicated to helping independent journalists and media creators build sustainable careers in a rapidly evolving media landscape. With a background in newsroom leadership, digital media strategy and creator economy expertise, Liz has worked across the journalism ecosystem – supporting reporters, advising media startups and collaborating with major institutions on the future of independent journalism. As the founder of Project C, a concept she developed during her 2024 Sulzberger Fellowship at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, she is focused on empowering journalists to embrace new models, find sustainable revenue, and create impactful work outside of traditional media structures. As co-founder of The Independent Journalism Atlas, Liz is working to both quantify – and build infrastructure for – independent journalists. Liz was one of The Washington Post’s first bloggers and prior to Project C, she led teams at Vox, USA Today, Gannett, and AOL. Liz sits on the Board of Visitors of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships at Stanford University, is a member of the Beehiiv Media Collective advisory board, serves as a Knight Center for the Future of Journalism Fellow at Arizona State University’s Cronkite School of Journalism and Communications and is a 2025-2026 Terker Fellow at George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs.
Speaker: William Tyrone Toms, Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Author & Co-Founder of REC
William Tyrone Toms is an award-winning entrepreneur, published author, and Co-founder of REC Philly – a creative agency and community hub located in center city Philadelphia.
As the visionary behind REC (resources for every creative), Toms leads an innovative platform that empowers artists, freelancers, and content creators with essential tools, education, and opportunities to transform their passions into thriving careers. Under his leadership, REC has evolved from a modest warehouse in North Philadelphia into a multi-million-dollar company proudly serving clients including Google, Comcast, Urban Outfitters, Red Bull, Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and more. Through REC Philly’s agency work, Toms has overseen the distribution of over $3 million to local creatives, with an ambitious goal of supporting one million creators globally in the next decade.
Before establishing REC Philly, Toms built his expertise as a digital strategist at Fame House, where he managed marketing campaigns for major entertainment brands including Ice Cube, Shady Records, and Eminem. His background in communication and economics drives his mission to democratize access and opportunity for young, passionate individuals of color.
A sought-after speaker and creative coach, Toms regularly shares his insights at prestigious institutions including NYU, Berklee College of Music, and Temple University. Discover more about his inspiring journey in Culture Capital, a three-part docuseries featuring nine game-changing and diverse entrepreneurs who are shaping the future for upcoming founders, now streaming on Comcast’s Black Experience on Xfinity channel, Peacock, and Xumo Play.
Speaker: Dion Rabouin
Dion Rabouin is the founder and CEO of a venture implementing digital transformations at legacy Black-owned newspapers known as The Black Press. The Black Press doesn’t advise, coach or consult. We do the work, executing digital transformation projects for publishers.
Prior to The Black Press, Dion was a markets reporter and video and podcast host who created and launched digital innovations at global publications including The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and Yahoo Finance, covering the stock, Treasury, real estate, crypto, currency and global bond markets.
With more than 15 years of experience as a multi-platform, award-winning journalist, Dion has interviewed sitting presidents, central bank governors, CEOs, billionaire investors and finance ministers from around the world. He has a global perspective and a deep understanding of the economic issues that affect market participants, investors and everyday people. He is passionate about informing and engaging audiences with insightful analysis, commentary and interviews.
Speaker: Cheryl Thompson-Morton
Cheryl Thompson-Morton is the Head of Advisory Programs at The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, where she leads efforts to support news organizations in developing strategies for financial sustainability and audience growth.
Prior to her current role, Cheryl led the Black Media Initiative at the Center for Community Media at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, designing programs to support Black-owned newsrooms through research, training, and networking opportunities. She also previously worked at The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, where she developed initiatives to strengthen the news ecosystem and support journalists of color.
Speaker: Diana Vdovets; Founder, DRV Collective
Over the course of a nearly 20-year career, Diana has worked across all facets of event production, building and leading high-impact experiences nationwide. After planting roots in Chicago in 2011, she firmly established herself in the media industry, managing events for storied institutions including Crain’s Chicago Business, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the Chicago Tribune.
Prior to founding DRV Collective, Diana served as Head of Events and Marketing at Chicago magazine, where she was the driving force behind the publication’s event strategy, overseeing a full portfolio of annual signature events and custom advertiser events, while also spearheading media sponsorship strategy and brand partnerships.
In 2023, she launched DRV Collective to bring this expertise to a broader range of clients. What began as a boutique consultancy has quickly grown into a trusted strategic partner for organizations looking to build and scale impactful, revenue-generating event programs.
Speaker: Dan Rubin; Founder, Dan Rubin Consulting
Dan is a 30+ year veteran of digital and content marketing bringing expertise from working with Fortune 500 clients across industry verticals. His unique combination of success with content marketing, strategy, innovation and analytics provides him the foundation to lead brands and organizations through the complexities of creating and managing content-based programs.
Most recently Dan was responsible for the strategic and marketing solutions for Content Solutions, a Division of People Inc. that focuses on client’s owned and operated channels. Prior to Dotdash’s acquisition of Meredith, Dan was the founder and led Studio M, Meredith Digital’s native content studio.
Dan was chosen as a judge at award shows for the Native Advertising Awards, ANA, Digiday and the Content Marketing Institute. He is also a frequent speaker including past engagement with Content Marketing World, Mediapost, MIN, the DMA, and Digiday.
Prior to joining Dotdash Meredith in 2011 he held senior leadership roles at Publicis Modem and Ogilvy New York.
Speaker: Kelly Travis; VP of Strategy & Operations, St. Louis Magazine
Kelly Travis serves as Vice President of Strategy & Operations at St. Louis Magazine, where she leads cross-functional initiatives that drive business performance, strengthen partnerships, and support long-term growth. Her work spans marketing strategy, advertising partnerships, sales operations, and organizational alignment, ensuring teams and processes are positioned to deliver measurable results.
Known for combining creative thinking with data-driven decision making, Kelly develops strategies that are both innovative and executable. She is passionate about connecting brands with audiences in meaningful ways while building collaborative teams and effective systems that support sustainable growth.
Speaker: Scott McIntosh of Treehouse Digital
Scott McIntosh is President of DigitalTreehouse, a digital marketing agency based in Franklin, Tennessee, now focused on helping businesses harness AI for real-world efficiency gains. With 15+ years in digital marketing and SEO, including managing newsletter growth for more than 200 brands in publishing, Scott brings a unique perspective on how AI can strengthen, not replace, trusted media organizations. Before his marketing career, Scott served eight years as a Naval Aviation Officer with the U.S. Navy. He holds a BSBA from UNC Chapel Hill and an MBA from Lipscomb University.
Scott is the author of a book on SEO and publishes SmartOwner, a daily newsletter helping business owners cut through the AI hype and find practical applications that actually work. He specializes in showing non-technical teams how to use AI tools and automations to save hours each week while staying focused on what matters most: quality journalism and community trust.
Speaker: Ryan Dohrn of Brain Swell Media
Ryan Dohrn is the owner of Niche Media Events and the founder of media sales training firm Brain Swell Media. He has trained over 50,000 ad sales reps in 7 countries and the sales teams at over 30+ CRMA member titles. Ryan sells media every day and has been a part of over a BILLION dollars in media sales. He is a graduate of the Cornell Executive Leadership Program, and his 30-year media sales and marketing career includes leadership roles at Disney/ABC TV, Morris Publishing, PennWell Publishing, and The NY Times Company. He is an Emmy Award winner, multiple business book author and has been featured in USA Today and on Forbes.com.
Speaker: Bruce Pinchbeck of Letterhead
Bruce Pinchbeck is the Co-Founder and Head of Marketing at Letterhead. He has been an innovative figure in the media industry since he created a popular homework-help website at the age of nine. This website was featured on Oprah and Good Morning America. Before joining Letterhead, Bruce worked at New World Symphony and served as the Chief Creative Officer at WhereBy.Us. He has a rich background in creative direction and entrepreneurship. Bruce is also a National Geographic award winner who balances his professional life with a passion for community art projects.
Speaker: Shannon Kinney, Dream Local Digital
Dream Local Digital Founder and CEO Shannon Kinney brings more than 40 years of experience and more than 30 years of experience in leadership roles developing scalable digital marketing strategies to every speech she gives. She played a vital role in the development of such corporate giants as Cars.com, CareerBuilder.com, Knight Ridder Digital, LinkedIn, Google, eBay, and Microsoft until pivoting to found Dream Local Digital. Since Dream Local Digital’s creation in 2009, Shannon has helped media companies transform their business model and supported thousands of SMBs to develop and execute digital marketing strategies designed to grow and scale their businesses.
Speaker: Vatrice Chestnut of 10X Consulting LLC
Vatrice Chestnut is the founder of 10X Consulting LLC, where she helps leaders turn big goals into clear plans, aligned teams, and realistic workflows. Her work sits at the intersection of strategy, operations, and creative production, with a focus on using AI to support the people doing the work—not replace them.
With more than a decade of experience moving between vision and execution, Vatrice is known for translating complex ideas into simple, repeatable processes that real teams can use. She often uses a practical AI Strategist–Manager–Teacher–
Speaker: Meg Asby of PDX Parent
Meg Asby is the Digital Content Director at PDX Parent Magazine in Portland, Oregon, where she built the publication’s award-winning social media and short-form video strategy from the ground up. Under her leadership, PDX Parent earned Parenting Media Association Gold Awards for Best Use of Social Media, Overall Strategy, and Short-Form Video in 2024 and 2025, with reels reaching seven-figure view counts. Meg specializes in practical, sustainable social strategies that drive real audience growth and revenue.
Speaker: Natalie Sorge of NPS
Natalie Sorge is Chief Marketing + Growth Officer at NPS Media Group, a multi-channel marketing company helping publishers and subscription brands grow and succeed. With over 15 years of experience in the publishing industry (previously at Better Homes & Gardens), she uses her extensive industry knowledge to execute tailored digital marketing campaigns for 30+ clients, focusing on driving subscriptions, expanding audiences, and maximizing ROI. Under her leadership, her team has consistently delivered impactful results and forged strong partnerships within the industry.
Speaker: Patricia McGuinness of SBM Audience Development
Patricia McGuinness has been building better audiences for over 25 years. A self-proclaimed data nerd and experienced marketing strategist, she’s passionate about helping her clients use 1st-party data, analytics, traditional database management and innovative digital-first best practices to navigate the often bumpy road from legacy publishing company to digital-first and beyond.
Speaker: Kenny Katzgrau of BroadStreet
Kenny Katzgrau is the publisher of RedBankGreen and creator of Broadstreet, a company and ad manager that recently won the Local Media Association’s Best R&D Partner. Once an engineer at Mozilla and Yahoo, he fell into publishing, learned to sell, and took up the torch of helping RedBankGreen, an 18-year-old hyperlocal news outlet, stand for 100 years. He’s here to make sure other publishers stand for 100 years too–and the first step is taking marketing budgets back from Facebook and Google.
Speaker: David Arkin of David Arkin Consulting
David Arkin is a nationally recognized audience and digital strategy leader with more than 25 years of experience across journalism, media leadership, and consulting. He has served as a reporter, editor, executive, and advisor for newspapers, television stations, media associations, and news startups, helping organizations drive audience growth, develop new revenue streams, and modernize content, technology, and processes.
Most recently, David co-founded Check Out DFW, a local real estate and lifestyle site that reached more than 350,000 users in its first nine months and quickly became a leading revenue generator through a custom content marketing platform. A former Digital News Innovator of the Year honoree, David has led award-winning newsrooms and served on national industry boards, including the Associated Press Media Editors and the Local Media Association Foundation Board.
Speaker: Alex Mahdaven, Poynter Institute
Alex Mahadevan is director of MediaWise, Poynter’s digital media literacy project that teaches people of all ages how to spot misinformation online. As director, Alex oversees program and curriculum development, research and editorial content for MediaWise, which has reached more than 80 million people in 12 countries. Alex has taught media literacy to thousands of middle and high schoolers, and has trained hundreds of international journalists in verification and digital investigative tools. He follows and writes about the use of generative AI models in journalism and their potential to spread misinformation, and co-wrote Poynter’s AI ethics guide. Before becoming director at MediaWise, Alex was MediaWise program manager, and oversaw the launch of programs for college students and older adults. Prior to joining the staff at Poynter, Alex worked as a data journalist at the personal finance startup The Penny Hoarder. Alex also served as the news innovation editor at Observer Media Group.
Speaker: Don Harkey of People Centric Consulting Group
Don Harkey is sought after for his business insights in multiple industries. As a former engineer, Don brings a unique perspective to every organization he works with; he views every business as a machine and that machine is perfectly designed to get the results that it is currently getting. As the CEO of People Centric, Don loves to help people adjust their machine to produce better results. He is highly strategic, process driven and an engaging keynote speaker.
Speaker: Sabrina Sucato, Today Media
Sabrina Sucato is the associate digital publisher of Today Media, a family of lifestyle publications along the East Coast. With over a decade of experience in the industry, she oversees digital content, newsletters, social media, and websites for the company, as well as digital strategy and growth opportunities.
Speaker: Zach O’Brien, Active NorCal
Zach O’Brien is a media entrepreneur and content strategist with 15 years of experience spanning editorial, sales, marketing, and social media. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of Active NorCal, a leading Northern California outdoor and lifestyle media brand, and the creator of The SacraMemo, a newly launched media brand covering Sacramento’s business and creative scene.
Zach has worked with and spoken at the Niche Media Conference for more than a decade, produces industry content and runs social strategy for AIN Media Group, and runs Stonethrow Media, a content marketing agency helping brands and media companies grow audiences and revenue through smart storytelling and distribution.
Speaker: Megan Schertler, In Real Life Media
Megan Schertler is a leading voice in print-first publishing strategy, known for turning ambitious editorial visions into revenue-ready brands. Co-founder and Managing Director of In Real Life Media and creator of the Magazine Accelerator, Megan works with magazine founders and brands to design systems that transform cultural capital into real business growth.
Schertler was previously the Publishing Director of Highsnobiety, the Managing Editor of Fantastic Man, Interview, CR Fashion Book, Document Journal, COS Magazine, and Hypebeast, and was on the editorial teams of SHOWstudio and Marie Claire UK. With deep editorial instincts and strategic rigor, Megan helps magazines define their unique position, build sustainable business models, and grow with integrity.
COPYRIGHT 2026 CITY AND REGIONAL MAGAZINE ASSOCIATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.