Sponsor

Executive Vice President, Unified Partnerships | iHeartMedia

Alex leads iHeartMedia’s Unified Partnerships Strategy & Growth Lab, overseeing Federal Practice and a team of VPs developing breakthrough campaigns for public sector efforts. As a purpose-driven leader, she brings over two decades of expertise in marketing, strategy, and management across media platforms. Her key achievements include co-founding The National Opioid Action Coalition, leading iHeart’s Mental Health and Addiction Recovery initiative, and serving as Board Director for the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation. With a passion for innovation, Alex specializes in AI for Good, holding certifications in AI Accountability, Public Health, and Climate applications. Her professional background spans audio, TV, digital, and social media, with a focus on multicultural community engagement and emerging technology trends. She has served numerous industry organizations such as Advertising Week, NYMRAD, and the New York State Broadcasters Association. Alex has a long track record of producing, moderating and participating in numerous thought leadership events regarding content and media platforms, some of which specifically addressing public health issues.

Facilitator

Chief Policy and Innovation Officer | City of New York

Betsy is a national leader in community engagement, participatory planning and policymaking. Her 20+ years of work in NYC government, leading national organization Hester Street and at an East New York settlement house has been driven by love, data and an abiding belief that cities must be shaped by the people.

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Facilitator

Founder & CEO | Sage Strategies

Sonya Harris brings over 15 years of state government experience, excelling in program management, crisis communications, legislative strategy, and team leadership. Her executive-level expertise and relationships with officials at all levels enable her to craft bold, customized strategies for clients, informed by her success transforming departments and achieving mission-critical goals.

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Panelist

President | Shared Value Media

Cal is the Founder and CEO of Shared Value Media (SVM), who for the past 16 years has been leading SVM’s efforts to drive local behavior change through the voices of trusted community-based organizations. Cal has helped to lead SVM’s work on behalf of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the California Department of Social Services, the NYC Mayor’s Fund, the NYC Workforce Development Agency and NYC Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development, NYC Small Business Services, and many others. All of these projects relied heavily on a strategy that was built and informed by a network of community partners who represented the culturally and linguistically diverse communities that the programs aimed to reach.

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Panelist

Sr. Social Media Specialist | Runyon Saltzman, Inc.

Denisse is an experienced social media strategist with a strong background in creating digital and influencer campaigns that build genuine connections with audiences. She focuses on developing and executing strategies that effectively balance broad reach with targeted messaging to achieve real, measurable results.

Denisse has led a variety of campaigns, from large-scale awareness efforts to focused hyper-local initiatives. She has worked with clients such as the California Department of Public Health (COVID-19 Public Awareness and Education, CalFresh, Alzheimer’s), USHHS Office of Women’s Health, California Department of Motor Vehicles, and Sacramento County Public Health Department.

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Panelist

Chief Client Officer | OpAd Media 

Dessy brings over 23 years of NY State-focused media and marketing experience to the OpAD Media account team, spanning from work in local and national TV and radio broadcast to digital, out-of-home and print media. Dessy oversees OpAD Media’s NY State client base and respective books of business, with strong media strategy expertise in reaching the various and diverse demographic groups across NY State.

She also leads OpAD Media’s research efforts, a critical component of the company’s data-driven approach to media planning and execution.

Having grown up overseas and starting her adult life in the U.S., Dessy understood the need of learning several languages in order to have access to open communication outside of her native tongue. She has a personal affinity to tailoring custom media strategies to driving equitable access to services many ASL New Yorkers are in need of.

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Panelist

Co-Executive Director, Partnerships and Growth | Democracy at Work Institute

Julian joined the organization in 2019. He oversees organizational growth, strategic partnerships, and communications, bringing extensive experience in communications and data programs. His notable achievements include guiding COVID-related strategic refinement, training cooperative developers in the U.S. and East Africa, leading New York City’s business conversions response, and managing regranting programs for the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative. Before DAWI, Julian led strategic storytelling campaigns in regenerative economics and impact investing. A former news editor with a communications degree from Springfield College, he currently resides in Queens with his family.

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