DEMAN Live

We know that finding a job/internship in all industries during these unprecedented times is confusing and stressful. We are here to help with DEMAN Live—a new Zoom series featuring conversations with alumni working in creative industries to help students and alumni navigate careers and opportunities during this time.

DEMAN Lounge
The DEMAN Lounge has job, internship and funding resources and invaluable features like “Helpful Humans” and “What the Pros Are Reading.”

Duke Students: Win Apple AirPods!
With virtual classes and meetings, a solid pair of headphones is essential for Duke students! In collaboration with The Chronicle’s RECESS and Pitch Story Lab, DEMAN is raffling off new Apple AirPods for this year’s special DEMAN Weekend-ish.
If you’re a current Duke student, follow these (2) easy steps for a chance to win:
Upcoming Episodes
Wednesday, Oct 21, 7:30pm EST: DEMAN Weekend-ish featuring
black-ish & grown-ish
Join DEMAN and Duke Black Alumni (DBA) for a special-edition DEMAN Weekend-ish, featuring “black-ish” and “grown-ish”! Make sure to check it out right before Season 7 of “black-ish” premieres at 9:30pm EDT that evening (Wednesday, October 21). Meet the Duke alumni writers who will take us behind the scenes of the creative process, explore cultural themes and share their career paths, as well as answer your questions. Introduction by John Brown, Vice Provost for the Arts.
Our virtual panel will feature:
- Ritza Bloom ’13, Writer, “grown-ish”
- Robb Chavis ’98, Co-Executive Producer, “black-ish”
- Vanessa McGee (Dukie), Executive Story Editor, “grown-ish”
- Mark Anthony Neal, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor and Chair of African & African American Studies (AAAS) Department
ABC’s Emmy® and Golden Globe®-nominated comedy series “black-ish” takes a fun yet bold look at one man’s determination to establish a sense of cultural identity for his family (Season 7 premieres Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at 9:30pm EST). A spinoff from “black-ish” creator, Kenya Barris, “grown-ish” follows the Johnsons’ eldest daughter, Zoey, as she heads off to college and quickly discovers that not everything goes her way once she leaves the nest. It’s a contemporary take on the issues facing students and administrators in the world of higher education (Season 4 premieres 2021).
Presented by Duke Arts, DukeCreate, Duke Black Alumni, The Department of African & African American Studies at Duke, Duke Career Center, RECESS/Pitch Story Lab, Duke Global Education Office (GEO) & Duke Alumni
Wednesday, Oct 28, 7pm EST: DukeNY Industry Insights: On the Business of Broadway (with DEMAN)
With Broadway and live events on hold due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions, Duke alumni, parents, and students are invited to join our panel of speakers to hear how they forged careers on Broadway, how they have pivoted in recent months, and how Duke alumni and New Yorkers can help support Broadway and the arts during the pandemic and beyond.
Hosted by DEMAN NY Co-Chair Karen Gottlieb ’89 (Partner, Grubman Shire Meisales & Sacks PC), our panelists are moderator Nathaniel Hill ’12 (Founder, Broadway VIP Services), Martavius Parrish ’14 (Teaching Artist, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts), Margaret Skoglund ’10 (General Manager, KGM Theatrical Management), and Sara Beth Zivitz ’02 (Producer, Broadway and Off-Broadway).
This inaugural DukeNY Industry Night event will feature 45 minutes of moderator and audience Q&A, followed by 15 minutes of networking through the Zoom breakout rooms to close out the night!
Coming 2021: Duke’s Got Talent – LA Edition!
Presented via Zoom by DEMAN LA, Duke Arts, Duke Alumni & Duke Southern California.
Watch Previous Episodes
Below is a list of all of our previous episodes. Each one includes a link to a video recording of the Zoom session.
Season 1
- April 15 – TV, Film, Docs & Digital (with Duke Independent Film Festival)
- April 16 – Theater & Performing Arts (with Hoof’n’Horn)
- April 20 – Late Night, Comedy & Political Satire (with Inside Joke, DUI & DUU)
- April 21 – Music Industry (with DUU & Small Town Records)
- May 7 – Pen, Page & Podcast: Journalism/Media Industry (with Duke Chronicle/RECESS)
- May 13 – Marketing, Branding & Influencers (with Duke Marketing Club & Fuqua’s Marketing Club )
- May 14 – Business of Entertainment: Law, Strategy & Finance (with Fuqua’s MES Club, Duke BOW & Duke Law SELS)
- June 18 – DukeCreate & DEMAN Live: Marketing with Universal Pictures (with DIFF, Freewater Presentations, Duke Marketing Club, Fuqua Marketing Club)
- June 25 – Fine Arts & Fashion (with The Standard, Form Magazine, Nasher Muse & Fuqua’s Luxury Brand and Retail Club)
- July 14 – Journalism with Reuters (NY Edition)
- July 16 – DukeCreate & DEMAN Live: NBC’s Good Girls from Script To Screen (with Duke Independent Film Fest, Small Town Records, Business Oriented Women, Freewater Productions, Freewater Presentations)
- July 20 – Sean “Diddy” Combs’ REVOLT TV & Social Justice Journalism (with Black Student Alliance, Duke Independent Film Festival, Freewater Productions, Small Town Records & Freewater Presentations)
- July 30 – DukeCreate & DEMAN Live: ESPN & McKinney from Concept to Commercial (with Duke Independent Film Festival, DUU Marketing, BOW, Freewater Productions, Duke Sports Management, Duke Marketing Club & Project Arts)
- DukeNY & DEMAN NY Sessions
Season 2
- August 27 — DukeCreate & DEMAN Live: Beats by Dre & GBA Studios (with Duke Independent Film Fest, Small Town Records, FORM Magazine, The Standard, Business Oriented Women, Freewater Presentations, Duke Marketing Club, Duke Student Broadcasting, Duke Sports Management)
- September 16 – DukeCreate & DEMAN Live: MISS JUNETEENTH from Script to Screen (with Duke Black Alumni, Duke Cinematic Arts, Screen/Society, Duke Alumni, Duke Department of African & African American Studies)
- September 17 – An Evening with Delta Rae

Episode 1: Thursday, April 15 – TV, Film, Docs & Digital (with Duke Independent Film Festival)
Our first episode features alumni working in TV, film, documentary and digital across the country, moderated by Dave Karger ’95 (NBC Today, Turner Classic Movies) in conversation with these incredible alumni:
- Robb Chavis ’98, ABC’s black-ish, Writer/Producer
- Amy Gravitt ’95, HBO, Executive VP Comedy Programming
- Geeta Patel ’98, The Mindy Project, Fresh off the Boat, Director
- Chandler Phillips ’18, Sundance Institute, Assistant
- Jade Richard-Craven ’15, Fighting 99th Entertainment, Director of Development
- Julien Thuan ’97, United Talent Agency, Partner/Agent
- Mark Vahradian ’89, Paramount Studios, Producer

Episode 2: Friday, April 16 – Theater & Performing Arts (with Hoof’n’Horn)
Our second episode features alumni working in theater and performing arts across the country, moderated by Hoof ‘n’ Horn‘s Adam Beskind ’20 and Shaina Lubliner ’20 with these amazing alumni:
- Dani Davis ’88, Tony nominated Broadway Producer, director, Emmy-winning writer
- Claire Florian ’09, managing director, American Ballet Theatre Studio Company
- Talya Klein ’02, writer, director, instructor
- Madeleine Lambert ’08, actress, audiobook narrator, instructor, leadership and communication consultant
- Martavius Parrish ’14, performer, director, teaching artist
- Margaret Skoglund ’10, general manager, KGM Theatrical General Management

Episode 3: Monday, April 20 at 8pm EST – Late Night, Comedy & Political Satire (with Inside Joke, DUI & DUU)
Our third episode features alumni working in late night comedy and political satire across the country, moderated by Inside Joke‘s Chloe McGlynn ’20 and Duke University Improv‘s Teig Hennessy ’20 in conversation with amazing alumni:
- Adam Chodikoff ’93, senior producer, The Daily Show
- Paul W. Downs ’04, Actor/Writer/Producer (including Broad City)
- Dillon Fernando ’18, fact checker, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
- Sofia Manfredi ’15, writer, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj
- Ishan Thakore ’15, associate producer, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
- Andrew Tunnard ’08, counsel, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
- Laura Valk ’13, segment producer, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee; formerly Saturday Night Live
- Seth Weitberg ’03, senior writer, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

Episode 4: Tuesday, April 21 at 8pm EST – Music Industry (with DUU & Small Town Records)
Our fourth episode features alumni working in the music industry across the country, moderated by DUU and Small Town Records‘ Ethan Udell ’20 and Mitra Kiciman ’21 in conversation with these remarkable alumni:
- Tim Castelli ’89, President, National Sales, Marketing & Partnerships, iHeartMedia
- Kaitlin Gladney ’14, Founder/Manager, Parallax Creative
- Eric Hölljes ’09, Singer/Songwriter, Delta Rae
- Mary Jurey ’88, Chief Business Officer, Blue Élan Records
- Ethan Schiffres ’05, Partner, Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman
- Jessica Shaw ’05, VP, Music for Brands & Advertising/Licensing, Sony Music Entertainment
- Julie Williams ’19, Singer-Songwriter

Episode 5: Thursday, May 7 at 8pm EST – Pen, Page & Podcast: Journalism/Media Industry (with Duke Chronicle/RECESS)
Our fifth episode features alumni working in the journalism, creative writing and media industry across the country, moderated by Duke Chronicle/RECESS’s Sarah Derris ’21 and Eva Hong ’21 in conversation with these incredible alumni:
- Ken Bensinger ’97, BuzzFeed News, Investigative Reporter; Author
- Maureen Farrell ’01, The Wall Street Journal, MoneyBeat Reporter
- Danielle Genet ’12, Good Morning America, Producer
- Mangesh Hattikudur ’01, iHeartMedia/HowStuffWorks, SVP, Podcast Development
- Erica Henry ‘94, CNN, Southeast Region Newsgathering Director
- Sarah Krueger ’12, WRAL TV, Reporter
- Maria Kuznetsova ’08, Writer; Fiction Editor; Assistant Professor, Auburn University
- Marc Lieberman ’92, CBS 60 Minutes, Producer
- Marco Werman ’83, The World/PRX, Host/Executive Editor
- Winston Wilde ’08, NBC News, White House Producer

Episode 6: Wednesday, May 13 at 8pm EST – Marketing, Branding & Influencers (with Duke Marketing Club & Fuqua’s Marketing Club )
Our sixth episode features alumni working in marketing and branding, both creative and strategy, moderated by students in Duke Marketing Club and Fuqua’s Marketing Club, in conversation with these amazing alumni:
- Ashley Alman ’13, Netflix, Manager, Creative Marketing; formerly HuffPost
- Bette Ann Fialkov ’07, Lyft Director, Influencer Marketing & Entertainment Events
- Cassie Goldring ’15, Condé Nast, Manager, Partnerships; formerly The New York Times
- Ashley Harding ’04, The New York Times, Managing Director, Growth Marketing
- Samantha Klein ’15, Facebook Client Solutions Manager, Entertainment
- Timi Lewis ‘95, Lewis Media Company, Principal
- Drew Neisser ’79, Renegade Founder & CEO
- Detavio Samuels ‘02, iONE Digital and One Solution, President
- Emma Welch ‘16, TikTok, Content Partnerships Coordinator

Episode 7: Thursday, May 14 at 8pm EST – Business of Entertainment: Law, Strategy & Finance (With Fuqua’s MES Club, Duke BOW & Duke Law SELS)
Our seventh episode features alumni working in entertainment business, law, finance and strategy, moderated by students in Fuqua’s MES (Media, Entertainment & Sports) Club, Duke BOW (Business Oriented Women) & Duke Law SELS (Sports & Entertainment Law Society), in conversation with these incredible alumni:
- Kristen Baldwin ‘95, Netflix Original Film, Senior Counsel, Business & Legal Affairs; formerly CAA
- Jennifer Baltimore (J.D. ’92), Universal Music Group, SVP Business & Legal Affairs
- Ben Berchuck ‘04, Facebook, Sports Programming & Partnerships
- Jonas Blank ‘01, NBCUniversal, SVP Business & Legal Affairs
- Lori Conkling (MBA ’99) , YouTube TV & Google Fiber, Global Head of Partnerships
- Karen Gottlieb ’89, Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks PC, Partner
- Craig Kurland ‘93, Quibi, Head of Business Affairs
- Derek Rhodes ‘15, Miami HEAT, Director, Business Strategy
- Kelsey Wang ‘13, Hello Sunshine, Manager, Finance; formerly Tang Media Partners, Associate

EPISODE 8: THURSDAY, JUNE 18 AT 8PM EST – DUKECREATE & DEMAN LIVE: MARKETING WITH UNIVERSAL PICTURES
DukeCreate & DEMAN are partnering to offer a new summer Zoom series teaching creative career skills. Our first episode will feature LA-based Duke alumna, Nicole Schlegel ’02, digital marketing director for Universal Pictures. Nicole and her Universal Pictures colleagues will take us behind the scenes of their recent marketing campaign for Trolls World Tour (2020), as well as answer your questions.
- Nicole Schlegel ’02, Director, Digital Marketing, Universal Pictures
- Tyler Streuter, Manager, Digital Marketing, Universal Pictures
- Trevor Shannon, Digital Publicist, Universal Pictures

Episode 9: Thursday, June 25 at 8pm EST – Fine Arts & Fashion (with The Standard, Form Magazine, Nasher Muse & Fuqua’s Luxury Brand and Retail Club)
WATCH EPISODE
Our ninth episode features alumni working in the fine arts and fashion industries, moderated by students in The Standard, FORM Magazine, NASHER Muse & Fuqua’s Luxury Brand and Retail Club in conversation with these extraordinary alumni:
- Kwesi Blair ’03, SYPartners, Strategy Director; Brand Consultant
- Kristina Brown ’15, CHANEL, Lead, Beauty Brand Marketing
- Laura D. Corey ’08, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Senior Research Associate, Director’s Office and European Paintings
- Jesse N. Huddleston ’10, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Program Educator, Nasher Teens
- Lynn Matheny ’91, National Gallery of Art, Deputy Head and Associate Curator (Exhibition Programs)
- Christie Mitchell ’10, Whitney Museum of American Art, Senior Curatorial Assistant
- Jenna Poczik ‘17, Artsy, Performance Marketing Manager
- Jason Rosenfeld ‘89, Marymount Manhattan College, Distinguished Chair & Professor, Art History; The Brooklyn Rail, Senior Writer & Editor-at-Large
- Jillian Smith ’07, NARS Cosmetics, Executive Director, eCommerce
- Gary Yeh ’17, ArtDrunk, Founder

Episode 10: Tuesday, July 14 at 8pm EST — Journalism with Reuters (NY Edition)
Our tenth episode, from Tuesday, July 14, 2020, features the following incredible NY-based Duke alumni working at Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day:
- Anna Driver ’88, Reuters News Editor
- Lewis Krauskopf ’95, Reuters Breaking News Editor (Healthcare/COVID-19); Markets Correspondent
- Imani Moise ‘16, Reuters Banks Reporter
- Moderated by Annika Pergament ’91, Spectrum News NY1, Senior Business Anchor/Co-Host, Mornings on 1

Episode 11, Thursday, July 16 at 8pm EST: DUKE CREATE & DEMAN LIVE — NBC’s Good Girls from Script to Screen (with Duke Independent Film Fest, Small Town Records, Business Oriented Women, Freewater Productions, Freewater Presentations)
Our eleventh episode features LA-based Duke alumnae Retta Sirleaf ’92, actress and star of NBC’s Good Girls, and Lisa Katz ’95, co-President, Scripted Programming, NBC Entertainment. Retta, Lisa and the creative team from Good Girls will take us behind the scenes and share the creative process of how their darkly comedic drama (recently renewed for a fourth season) is made, as well as answer your questions. Moderated by Dave Karger ’95.
Joining us via Zoom for this special episode:
- Jenna Bans, Creator/Writer/Executive Producer, Good Girls
- Lisa Katz ‘95, Co-President, Scripted Programming, NBC Entertainment
- Bill Krebs, Co-Showrunner/Executive Producer, Good Girls
- Retta Sirleaf ’92, actress, Good Girls
- Moderated by Dave Karger ‘95, Host, TCM; Commentator, NBC Today Show; Special Correspondent, IMDB

Episode 12, Monday, July 20 at 8pm EST: Sean “Diddy” Combs’ REVOLT TV & Social Justice Journalism
WATCH EPISODE
Our twelfth episode features LA-based Duke alum, Detavio Samuels ’02, Chief Operating Officer at REVOLT MEDIA & TV, the nation’s leading creator & distributor of Hip Hop content. Founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs, REVOLT uses the biggest driver of global culture—Hip Hop—and a multi-platform ecosystem (TV, digital, social and live events) to help Millennials and Gen Z understand the world around them and impact change. Detavio and his REVOLT MEDIA & TV colleagues take us behind the scenes of REVOLT BLACK NEWS to look at social justice through the lens of journalism.
Joining us via Zoom for this special episode:
- Cherisse McKenzie, Head of Production, REVOLT MEDIA & TV
- Deon Graham, VP, Digital, Combs Enterprises
- Eboni K. Williams, Host & Executive Producer, REVOLT BLACK NEWS
- Moderated by Detavio Samuels ’02, COO, REVOLT TV

Episode 13, Thursday, July 30 at 8pm EST: DUKE CREATE & DEMAN LIVE — ESPN & MCKINNEY CONCEPT TO COMMERCIAL
Our thirteenth episode features Duke alumna, Laura Gentile ‘94, ESPN’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, on the making of ESPN’s 2019 College Football Playoff campaign. Gentile is joined by McKinney’s Chief Creative Officer, Jonathan Cude, and Film-47 Executive Producer Vic Palumbo. Moderated by Prim Siripipat 03, former ESPN host/anchor; current host of “The Next Chapter” on The Athletic.
They will take us behind-the-scenes of their creative process for the 2019 ESPN College Football Playoff commercial, “Tunnel”, share industry challenges and advice for careers in creative industries, as well as answer your questions.
Joining us via Zoom for this special episode:
- Laura Gentile ‘94, ESPN, Senior Vice President, Marketing
- Jonathan Cude, McKinney, Chief Creative Officer
- Vic Palumbo, Film-47, President, Executive Producer
- Moderated by Prim Siripipat 03, former ESPN host/anchor; current host of “The Next Chapter” on The Athletic

Season 2, Episode 1 (August 27) — Beats By Dre & Gba Studios from Concept To Commercial
We’re kicking off Season 2 of DukeCreate & DEMAN LIVE with a special episode featuring Tokyo-based Duke alum Chris Shaw ‘08, Executive Producer and Founder of Guilty By Association Studios (GBA Studios) and the global creative team behind their Beats by Dre commercial.
Shaw is joined by creatives Zandie Brockett ‘09 and Cody Grammer ‘08, as well as Mike Refuerzo, Head of Content Production at Beats by Dre/Apple. They will take us behind the scenes of the making of a series of Beats spots showcasing Japanese hopefuls in the 2020 Olympic Games, share how they are creating globally during quarantine, as well as answer your questions.
Joining us via Zoom for this special episode:
- Mike Refuerzo, Head of Content Production, Beats by Dr. Dre (LA)
- Chris Shaw ‘08, Executive Producer & Founder, Guilty By Association Studios (Tokyo)
- Cody Grammer ‘08, Freelance Writer (LA)
- Moderated by Zandie Brockett ‘09, Freelance Creative Strategist (LA)

Season 2, Episode 2 (September 16) – DukeCreate & DEMAN Live: MISS JUNETEENTH from Script to Screen
For this special episode, DukeCreate & DEMAN Live are teaming up with Duke Black Alumni, Duke Cinematic Arts, Screen/Society, Duke Alumni, and Duke Department of African & African American Studies for a special virtual screening and filmmaker Q&A featuring the film’s producer, Duke alum Neil Creque Williams ’06, and writer/director Channing Godfrey Peoples. Neil and Channing will take us behind the scenes and share the creative process of their feature film, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and won the Louis Black “Lone Star” Award at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival, as well as answer your questions.
Miss Juneteenth Trailer — New York Times review
Joining us via Zoom for this special episode:
- Channing Godfrey Peoples, Writer/Director
- Neil Creque Williams ’06, Producer
- Treva Lindsey AM’06, PhD’10, associate professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at The Ohio State University
- Moderated by Mark Anthony Neal, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of African and African American Studies

Special Event (September 17): An Evening with Delta Rae
Join us on Zoom for “An Evening With Delta Rae” and hear how a band from Durham, North Carolina—including two Duke alumni brothers—got discovered, signed (twice), traveled the world and went on to become the most-funded band in Kickstarter history. The night will be full of great music and conversation, as the band gives us insight into what life looks like now as an independent band and where they hope we’re all headed next.
DukeNY x DEMAN NY Live
Career Conversations

Episode 1: Wednesday, June 10 at 5pm EST – From Broadcast to Digital: Mastering Content at the Crossroads of Digital Innovation with Lori Conkling, Fuqua ’99
Our first episode of DukeNY’s Career Conversations with DEMAN NY is with Global Head of Partnerships at YouTube TV and Google Fiber, Lori Conkling as she discusses the media industry’s pivot from broadcast television to digital content.

Episode 2: Wednesday, June 17 at 5pm EST – Navigating the Worlds of Print and Digital Publishing with Koshie Nartey, T ’02
Our second episode of DukeNY’s Career Conversations with DEMAN NY features Director of Operations and Engagement at Wirecutter, Koshie Nartey on how to harness the power of engagement to navigate the publishing world.

Episode 3: Wednesday, June 24 at 5pm EST – How to Move Forward in a World of Change with Sanyin Siang, BSE ’96 MBA ’02
Our third episode of DukeNY’s Career Conversations with DEMAN NY features Sanyin Siang, Leading C-Suite Coach, Author, Professor, Executive Director of the COLE Center @Duke, and Advisor for Google Ventures, J&J’s JLABs, and Sports Innovation Lab.