Digital Disruption: Leading distributors, tech innovators and content creators come together from the media, wireless, music and film industries to discuss the profound impact that digital distribution has on [the future of] entertainment, communications and commerce in our daily lives."
Bio
Julia Boorstin
Julia Boorstin joined CNBC in May 2006 as a general assignment reporter. In December 2006, Boorstin became CNBC's media and entertainment reporter working from CNBC's Los Angeles Bureau. Boorstin covers media with a special focus on the intersection of media and technology.
Boorstin joined CNBC from Fortune magazine where she was a business writer and reporter since 2000, covering a wide range of stories on everything from media companies to retail to business trends. During that time, she was also a contributor to "Street Life," a live market wrap-up segment on CNN Headline News.
In 2003, 2004 and 2006, The Journalist and Financial Reporting newsletter named Boorstin to the "TJFR 30 under 30" list of the most promising business journalists under 30 years old. She has also worked for the State Department's delegation to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (O.E.C.D.) and for Vice President Gore's Domestic Policy office.
She graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in history. She was also an editor of The Daily Princetonian.
Edward Burns
Lauded by critics and audiences alike, Ed Burns gained international recognition for his first feature film THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN, which premiered in competition at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury prize. The film, which Burns wrote, directed and starred in, was shot on a budget of only $25,000 and went on to gross over $10 million at the domestic box office, making it the most profitable film of 1995. The film also won "Best First Feature" at the 1996 Independent Spirit Awards.
Burns' second film, the romantic comedy SHE'S THE ONE starring Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz, reinforced Burns' versatile talent as a writer, director, and actor able to simultaneously and successfully wear multiple hats.
His 10th feature film as a writer, director and actor is the romantic drama NEWLYWEDS, which had its world premiere as the closing film of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. Burns has been actively involved with the TFF since the festival’s inception in 2002.
Burns continues to write, direct, star in and produce his films, including the Paramount Classics relationship comedy SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK, PURPLE VIOLETS, and most recently, NICE GUY JOHNNY. In a groundbreaking deal, Purple Violets was the first feature film to premiere exclusively on iTunes. Burns expanded on this new model of digital distribution to include cable Video on Demand to reach even wider audiences and successfully released two films, NICE GUY JOHNNY and NEWLYWEDS via these platforms in 2010 and 2011.
As an actor, Burns starred opposite Tom Hanks and Matt Damon in Steven Spielberg’s critically acclaimed World War II epic SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. He also starred in the thriller 15 MINUTES opposite Robert De Niro, CONFIDENCE opposite Dustin Hoffman, and the 20th Century Fox romantic comedy hit 27 DRESSES opposite Katherine Heigl.
Burns will star opposite Tyler Perry and Matthew Fox in I, ALEX CROSS which is set for release in late 2012. His recent acting projects include FRIENDS WITH KIDS, with Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt and MAN ON A LEDGE, opposite Sam Worthington and Elizabeth Banks.
Ed Burns was born in Woodside, Queens and raised on Long Island. While at Hunter College in New York City, Burns switched his focus from English to filmmaking before quickly moving on to make The Brothers McMullen, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Rio Caraeff
Rio Caraeff is President and CEO of VEVO, the world's leading all-premium music video and entertainment platform. Prior to VEVO, Rio worked in new technologies across film, television, music and games for such companies as Universal Music Group's eLabs, Universal Music Mobile, Sony Pictures Digital, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony 550 Digital Media Ventures, Capitol Records Group, Propaganda Films/PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Generator Digital Post, Crunch Media Group and Fabric.
Dan Mead
Dan Mead is president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless, the largest wireless company in the United States, with responsibility for the company's operations, financial performance and advocating public policy issues on behalf of Verizon Wireless and its customers.
Under his leadership, Verizon Wireless launched and now operates the largest 4G LTE network in the United States which today covers more than two-thirds of the population.
Before assuming his current position in 2010, Mead served as chief operating officer at Verizon Wireless.
Previously, Mead was president of Verizon Telecom, the corporation's telephone, Internet and entertainment services unit. He also served as president of Verizon Services Corporation.
Mead was one of the founding senior executives of Verizon Wireless in 2000 and served as president of the company's Midwest area.
Mead is a member of the Verizon Wireless Board of Representatives, the Verizon Foundation Board, and an officer and member of the Board of Directors of CTIA, the wireless industry trade association. He also is on the Board of ISIS, an emerging mobile commerce company.
Mead earned an MBA and a bachelor's degree in quantitative business analysis and finance from The Pennsylvania State University. The University named Mead an Alumni Fellow in 2008. Mead also received the Penn State Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor given to a graduate by the University, in June 2010.
Neil Smit
Neil Smit serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Comcast Cable Communications and Executive Vice President of Comcast Corporation, one of the world's leading media, entertainment and communication companies. In this role, Mr. Smit is responsible for all business aspects of the Company's cable operations.
Mr. Smit joined Comcast in March, 2010 from Charter Communications where he served as Chief Executive Officer and Director since 2005. Prior to joining Charter, Mr. Smit was the President of Time Warner's America Online Access Business overseeing Internet access services, including America Online (AOL), CompuServe and Netscape ISPs. He also served at AOL as Executive Vice President, Member Services, and Chief Operating Officer of MapQuest. Mr. Smit also was a regional president with Nabisco and served in a number of management positions at Pillsbury. For five and a half years, Mr. Smit served on active duty with the Navy SEAL Teams and retired from the service as a Lieutenant Commander.
Mr. Smit serves on the boards of CableLabs, the research and development consortium for the cable industry, and C-SPAN. He is also a member of the Board of Visitors for Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, and previously served on the board of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA).
Mr. Smit earned a bachelor's of science degree from Duke University and a master's degree from Tufts University's Fletcher School. He resides in Philadelphia with his wife and sons.
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