Danielle Betras is the Head of Revenue at Wirecutter, the product review site of The New York Times. In her role, Danielle oversees Wirecutter’s major revenue operations, including commerce, advertising, licensing, ecommerce, strategic partnerships, video and audio. Prior to her role at Wirecutter, Danielle Betras was the Vice President of Partnerships and Portfolio Development at The New York Times, where she oversaw ambitious and innovative brand partnerships and editorial programs, including the Cannes Lion-winning partnership with Google Pixel, the partnership to make New York Times Cooking recipes shoppable via Instacart, and the award-winning AR partnership with Meta, among others. Danielle and her team drove experimentation with emerging technology in partnership programs and developed new-to-market commercial opportunities with The New York Times’s growing family of brands: New York Times Games, Cooking, Wirecutter, The Athletic and News. Danielle began her career as an entrepreneur and founder of Vox Pop Media, before going on to lead and grow teams dedicated to emerging media and innovation at Saatchi and Saatchi and McGarry Bowen. She helped transform Badger & Co into a purpose marketing powerhouse before leading strategy teams at the boutique brand strategy shop Redscout, where she advised CMOs and CEOs of Fortune 100 companies and startups alike. Danielle’s work has been recognized and awarded Cannes Lions, D&AD pencils and Effies. Her work on gender equality in the advertising industry has been featured at The White House and the Clinton Global initiative and was awarded the United Nation’s first award for the Sustainable Development Goal for Gender Equality. More meaningful than any individual award, as a result of this work, industry organizations including the Cannes Lions Festival permanently banned ads that objectify women from winning their awards.

Monica Ellingson is an Executive Partner with IBM Consulting where she manages the Sports and Entertainment Practice. She leads the team responsible for the design and technical delivery of digital platforms for some of the world’s most prestigious sports and entertainment events, including the Masters Golf Tournament, Wimbledon, US Open Tennis Tournament, ESPN Fantasy Football, and the Grammy Awards. Each year, these digital experiences are visited by over 90 million users with billions of page views. In her 10 years in live sports and 20 years in digital media design, she’s successfully produced hundreds of digital experiences for users across the globe.

Leila Amirsadeghilaunched first-to-market products and experiences across AI, XR, mobile, web, entertainment, live events, and immersive technology. My work has included collaborations with many including Microsoft, Disney, Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Activision, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Live Nation, Mattel, Sky, among others. I've also spent decades producing live experiences—from large-scale corporate events and brand activations to festivals, immersive environments, community gatherings, and experiential productions designed to inspire, connect, and create lasting impact. What ties it all together is a passion for connecting the dots. She believes the most transformative ideas happen at the intersections—between industries, technologies, disciplines, and people. My strength lies in bringing together the right vision, talent, partners, and execution to turn possibility into reality. She has spoken at events and conferences including CES, SXSW, Digital Hollywood, VRARA, DPP, AWE, Trimble Dimensions, and other global forums exploring AI, immersive technology, innovation, storytelling, and the future of experiences. Whether helping a customer shape an AI strategy, building a new product, designing an immersive experience, or bringing together a community around a shared vision, she is driven by the same goal: Creating meaningful experiences, fostering connection, and making extraordinary things happen.

Seth Hallen, Founder & Managing Partner, Hallstone Ventures: With over 25 years of experience in media and entertainment technology, Seth is a visionary leader in AI, passionate about storytelling and its intersection with technology. He supports AI-driven MediaTech startups by helping them refine their product strategies, gain visibility, secure funding, and build vital industry connections. Seth is a strong advocate for AI’s potential to enhance human creativity, believing it can serve as a powerful assistant in the creative process. Throughout his career, he has built strong relationships with decision-makers and led teams to success in North America and Europe, driving revenue growth and setting new industry standards. As a member of the TV Academy’s AI Task Force and having served as president of the Hollywood Professional Association, Seth is actively involved in shaping the future of the media and entertainment sector. His mission is to empower creators with innovative tools, inspire change, and help the industry thrive by anticipating the next big shift in technology and creativity.