Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Jimmy Horowitz
Jimmy Horowitz is Vice Chairman of Business Affairs & Operations for NBCUniversal. In this newly-created role, he oversees global deal making across the portfolio of the media industry’s premier film and television studios, television networks and streaming service, Peacock. Horowitz advises and collaborates with Business Affairs teams across the Company, providing expertise, counsel, and insight into all major deals, and setting policy across the portfolio addressing the new distribution landscape.
Horowitz has been with the Company for over 30 years, rising through the ranks to the highest levels of studio leadership. He was named Vice Chairman and President of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG) in January 2019, after serving in several senior roles, including President of Universal Pictures, Co-President of Production and Executive Vice President of Universal Pictures.
While serving as Vice Chairman and President of UFEG, Horowitz negotiated an unprecedented five-year exclusive partnership with visionary filmmaker Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions, secured a five-year exclusive deal with The LEGO Group to develop, produce and distribute theatrical releases based on its intellectual property and original ideas, negotiated a new five-year overall film and TV deal for Working Title with Universal Pictures and NBCUniversal International Studios and brought LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s The SpringHill Company over to the film studio in a four-year deal.
He began his tenure at the company in 1992 in the feature legal department and subsequently held the roles of Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs and Executive Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs, managing all of Universal’s term deals, along with oversight of the business and legal affairs departments. Earlier in his career, he served as counsel for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. He also practiced labor law at Manatt, Phelps, Phillips, LLP and later at Greenberg Glusker until 1990.
Horowitz is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
He earned his Juris Doctor from George Washington University Law School and graduated cum laude from Tulane University with a Bachelor’s Degree in political science.
Senior Talent Partner, Agent WME
Brad Slater
Brad Slater, an agent at WME in Beverly Hills, started his career after graduating from the University of Arizona in 1996. His first job upon graduating was in foreign distribution selling American made films to countries throughout the world. In 1998 he made the transition to the representation business and went to work at Michael Ovitz’ Artist Management Group (AMG) as an assistant to talent manager Rick Yorn.
After learning the business and working his way up, Mr. Slater was promoted and became a talent manager in August 2001. After managing various careers, he made the transition to agent in 2003 at the William Morris Agency. After working as an agent for 7 years, the William Morris Agency merged with the renowned Endeavor Agency forming WME in 2009.
He is currently a Senior Talent Partner and has been an agent for close to 20 years. Mr. Slater represents the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Forest Whitaker, Octavia Spencer, Henry Cavill, Ice Cube, Ben Affleck, Gina Rodriguez, Billy Bob Thornton, Eva Longoria, Jerry Ferrara, Shay Mitchell, Michael Strahan, LeBron James, Odell Beckham Jr, Ronda Rousey, and Ryan Garcia. Brad lives in Beverly Hills, California with his wife, Kara and their twin 9-year-old boys, Brady and Jackson.
Jerome Dixon
Vice Chair
Project Manager, Raw Development Construction
Chairman, Wells Group of New York
George Wells
George Wells is the Chairman of Wells Group of New York, a 15-person management consulting firm that specializes in working with high growth businesses in the consumer internet, healthcare, technology, and contemporary arts spaces, and the CFO of Quip, an oral care startup. Mr. Wells also serves as interim CFO of Maisonette, a children’s luxury goods marketplace and business manager to contemporary artist Mickalene Thomas. His previous executive roles include serving as interim CFO of Draper James, a lifestyle clothing brand founded by Reese Witherspoon, and interim COO/CFO of Lehmann Maupin, one of the top ten art galleries in the world.
Mr. Wells serves on the Out in Tech board, an organization committed to promoting diversity in the tech and startup community and has pledged a $1 million dollar art donation to his alma mater, Morehouse College.
Vice President of Operations, One Community LLC
Christine Mammolito
Christine currently serves as Vice President of Operations for One Community, LLC. She began her career in New York working in the substance abuse treatment field. After a successful 14-year career in addiction services, she pivoted to the entertainment industry, working for Robert Downey Jr. as Chief of Staff. During that time, on the set of the movie Due Date, she met ARC founder Scott Budnick and connected over their common interest in the criminal justice world; their friendship grew out of this shared interest. Toward the end of her career in addiction services, Christine specialized in working with those returning to the community after lengthy prison terms. When Scott left the entertainment industry to create the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Christine served as board proxy when Robert Downey Jr. joined ARC’s Board of Directors. Her involvement with ARC during its infancy sparked an interest in returning to the non-profit world, and Christine became ARC’s Deputy Director in 2016. Christine continued to serve the organization in various roles through 2021 and was integral in developing ARC’s operations.
Christine was instrumental in helping to establish and grow both programs and administrative departments that are the foundation of ARC. She helped build a scrappy, startup operation into the sophisticated organization that it is today. She remains passionate and deeply involved with ARC on a weekly basis, providing guidance and mentorship to both members and staff.
Social Entrepreneur
Paul Blavin
Paul is the co-founder and retired CEO of Mercy BioAnalytics. He began his career in 1986 as an investment banker with Citibank and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. He then served as the President of First Mercury Financial Corporation, a publicly traded insurance company. He also co-founded and managed a private investment partnership – PWB Value Partners, L.P. – which began in 1995 with three investors and $3.2 million under management. Over 14 years, the business grew to more than 80 investors and approximately $2.0 billion, consistently outperforming the S&P 500 Index, net of all fees and expenses. Paul was born and raised in Southfield, Michigan just outside of Detroit. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with High Distinction with a BBA from the University of Michigan and earned an MBA at Harvard Business School. Paul’s primary philanthropic focus is youth life transformation for those who need it the most and are least able to help themselves. Paul and Amy, his wife of 31 years, have immersed themselves in the following programs:
- Blavin Scholars – Programs at the University of Michigan and Northern Arizona University which provide holistic, wrap around support to youth who have experienced foster care to achieve their dreams of a post-secondary education and a better life. The Blavin Scholars Programs have supported over 100 scholars thus far with a graduation rate of approximately 95%.
- Freehab – A LA-based free, residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation center with up to 100, 18–
25-year-old women in residence. In the latter parts of their residency, each client is provided high-quality vocational training to enable them to gain employment and establish successful careers. - Thrive Scholars – An elite post-secondary education opportunity for the most ambitious students (poor and almost all of color) in America’s lowest-performing public schools.
- Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) – A wraparound support and career services organization for men and women recently released from incarceration, and a national leader in criminal justice reform advocacy.
- Mully Children’s Family – A self-sustainable non-profit, empowering life transformation opportunities for abandoned children/orphans in Africa.
In 2015, Paul began an effort to harness the power of exceptional art to inspire hope, compel action, and ignite lasting impact. He is the Executive Producer of The Hunting Ground, an exposé on the epidemic of sexual assaults on college campuses, and Lady Gaga’s “Til It Happens to You” a Grammy, Emmy, and Oscar nominated original song written by Lady Gaga and Diane Warren who’s accompanying music video has more than 44 million views. Additionally, Paul is an Executive Producer of the heartwarming, inspirational animal rescue documentary Harry & Snowman and Mully, the inspiring documentary of Dr. Charles Mully “Father of the World’s Largest Family” with over 13,000 rescued children. Paul is also the founding financier of One Community, a film and television co-financing company that harnesses the power of storytelling to inspire and encourage positive change in the world.
Why ARC?
“I love supporting our Hope & Redemption team. They transform lives!”
Founder, Anti-Recidivism Coalition,
Scott Budnick
Scott Budnick is an American film producer, Founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), and is currently CEO of One Community, LLC – a film, television, and new media co-financing company that uses the power of storytelling to encourage and inspire positive global change.
Recently, Budnick returned to the film business as executive producer of One Community’s first film, JUST MERCY, released in theaters on January 10, 2020.
As the former Executive Vice President of Todd Phillips’ Green Hat Films, Budnick produced OLD SCHOOL, DUE DATE, and the highest-grossing R-rated comedy trilogy in film history, THE HANGOVER, which grossed over $1.4 billion.
Since 2004, Budnick has been a fierce advocate for social justice and a fairer judicial system. In 2003, he began volunteering with InsideOUT Writers (IOW), a program that brings creative writing into juvenile halls. In 2014, Budnick founded ARC, whose mission is to reduce incarceration, improve the outcomes of formerly incarcerated individuals, and build healthier communities. ARC provides formerly incarcerated men and women with direct services such as housing, counseling, job training and opportunities, mentoring, and education. The organization also empowers and mobilizes its members to play a role in justice reform efforts through direct policy advocacy.
For his work with youth in the criminal justice system, Governor Jerry Brown named Scott the 2012 California Governor’s Volunteer of the Year. He sits on the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) and was selected to serve as a Board Member for President Barack Obama’s foundation, the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.
Dede Gardner
President, Plan B Entertainment
CEO & Executive Producer, PLUS ONE Society
Kristen Renee Ingram
Kristen Renee Ingram is the award-winning CEO & Executive Producer at PLUS ONE society- a Black woman-owned event production & marketing agency specializing in social justice & racial equity servicing sports, entertainment & media industries.
Prior to launching PLUS ONE, Kristen was the Head of Affiliate Marketing for NFL Network where she oversaw strategic partnerships, creative campaigns & experiential events for all NFL calendar initiatives, including Super Bowl. Inspired by the power of sports & its ability to connect cultures & provoke progressive action, Kristen launched PLUS ONE in 2017 with the intent to directly uplift & amplify social justice movements that influence positive change within the culture. Today, she is one of the premier social justice campaign & event producers in the country.
In 2017, Kristen led the historic production of Imagine Justice with Common & J. Cole on the steps of the CA Capitol in Sacramento. In 2018, she returned to Imagine Justice & led the production of the Hope & Redemption Prison Tour: a series of live concerts in various correctional facilities featuring Common & a special guest appearance by Talib Kweli. In 2019, she partnered with Good Films Impact to oversee production on all sports & music programs and events for Represent Justice- a social impact campaign that launched alongside Warner Bros.’ theatrical release of Just Mercy, inspired by the true story of Equal Justice Initiative founder & Executive Director, Bryan Stevenson.
In 2020, Kristen advanced her clients’ & partners’ shared goals for social impact in the midst of a global pandemic, racial uprisings & immeasurable injustices to influence one of the most successful policy reform years since the inception of PLUS ONE. Her accomplishments consist of effectuating major reform policies in CA & OH (e.g. Prop 17, Prop 20, AB 376, & SB 13) and the election of LA District Attorney George Gascon.
Esché L. Jackson
Public Policy Advocate
CEO of AIE CREATIVE
Arturo Nuñez
Arturo Nuñez is an experienced executive, consultant, investor, and entrepreneur with over 35 years of in-depth experience with globally recognized organizations. He is currently the CEO of AIE CREATIVE, a company created to provide immersive experiences to a highly curated selection of brands looking for unique ways to connect with diverse customers and a Board Member of the ESTEE LAUDER COMPANIES. Formerly, he was the Chief Marketing Officer at NUBANK, the world’s largest independent digital bank, where he ran its global marketing efforts (Brazil,Mexico, and Colombia).
Prior to NuBank, Nuñez joined the APPLE INC Latin America team in 2014 as their Head of Marketing, responsible for marketing, corporate communications, product marketing, education content, and enterprise marketing. He was instrumental in developing and fostering relations across all 38 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean with a special focus on Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Chile.
Before joining APPLE INC Nuñez held several positions with Nike over the course of close to a decade. Nuñez joined NIKE in 2007 as Marketing Director for the U.S. Southeast Region and six months later was appointed to Marketing Director for NIKE AMERICAS. In 2009 Nuñez transitioned to the position of Vice President, Marketing for Nike’s Emerging Markets, where he was immersed in global culture, a trend throughout his career. For Nike, Emerging Markets (Latin America, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand) represented the nexus of sport and global culture – the geography is home to some of the world’s most diverse countries as well as the most inspiring and accomplished athletes and teams.
In 2012 Nuñez held the position of Vice President of Global Marketing for NIKE BASKETBALL, responsible for driving Nike’s global marketing vision and strategy. A passion for sports and global culture initially drew Nuñez to Nike where he was responsible for crafting the voice of Nike Basketball as well as the communications, public relations, events, retail, digital, E-commerce and creative strategies. He developed campaigns and branding for high profile athletes including Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Paul George. Nuñez led Nike’s brand efforts, overseeing all aspects of the marketing mix including brand communications, sports marketing, public relations, retail marketing and category brand management, and driving brand energy around such key categories as Football (Soccer), Running and Sport Culture.
Before coming to Nike, Nuñez spent 7 years at the NBA, working his way from Marketing Director of Consumer Products for the Latin America office to Vice President and Managing Director of Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market.
In addition to his vast marketing experiences with globally recognized companies, Nuñez has also held a variety of marketing roles for leading companies including DIAGEO (Louis Vuitton, Moet
Hennessy, and United Distillers JV), Colgate Palmolive (U.S. and Costa Rica), and PepsiCo Restaurants International (Caribbean and Central America).
Nuñez is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese and resides in Pinecrest, Florida, with his wife Ana, son Marcelo, and daughter Karina. In his spare time, he collects art, DJ’s and is a member of a number of groups with the mission of helping others realize their dreams including Summit Series, Conversations in The Park, Clubhouse, and the New Fania Collective. Arturo sits on the boards of The Miami Underline, The Playing For Change Foundation, and The Nyah Project, A native of Harlem, New York and son of Venezuelan and Cuban parents, Nunez attended Florida A&M University, where he studied Business Administration and Economics. He is co-owner of DANTE’S HIFI, Miami’s first vinyl listening lounge, and a partner at CHULITA MEXICAN RESTAURANT in Venice, California. Most recently, Arturo was recognized by ADVERTISING WEEK as one of the most influential marketing leaders in Latin America.
Jason Post
Founder and President, Post Investment Group
Speaker, Author, Life Coach
Tim Storey
Tim Storey is an acclaimed pop-culture thought-leader, author, speaker, “life strategist” and counselor. Credited for enhancing the lives of millions, he has traveled to 75 countries helping people visualize and realize the best version of themselves, whether they are at a high point in their lives or experiencing their lowest valley.
He has brought to people all over the world a new “Miracle Mentality” and enabled them to turn their “Setbacks into Comebacks.” Through his several best-selling books, presentations and strategy sessions, his mission is to bring to light all of the possibilities that are too often blocked by fear or hidden by one’s limited
viewpoint.
Whether one-on-one or in groups of more than 20,000, he is able to connect on a personal level with people of all walks of life, from entertainment executives, celebrities, and
professional athletes to adults and children in neighborhoods throughout America and in the most deprived and war-torn regions of the world.
Tim is a regular guest and commentator on national television, having been interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, Steve Harvey, the “TODAY” SHOW, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox News and
featured in People Magazine, Huffington Post, Hype Magazine and more. He will soon co-host a podcast called “Never Alone” with international mindfulness guru Deepak Chopra
He has helped hundreds of high-profile individuals manage, battle, and often overcome – all kinds of personal struggles involving addiction, depression, relationships and more. Examples of well-known individuals who have attended Tim’s sessions include Christina Hall, Charlie Sheen, Kanye West, Charlton Heston, Robert Downey Jr., and Vidal Sassoon.
Tim is currently the inspirational face of Reach TV as the host of “The Daily Moment,” a series of segments seen in 90 airports and thousands of hotel rooms across the country, offering
travelers (and millions of streaming viewers) a road map to personal inspiration
Why ARC?
What a privilege to be on the board of ARC. Everything this program stand for is so important to me. As I’ve beens saying for years, “the greater the setback the greater the comeback.” ARC is helping thousands of people get back on track.
Founder, Be Forward Productions
Mara Burros Sandler
Mara Burros Sandler is a dedicated mother, activist, philanthropist and producer.
Mara is a graduate of UW Madison with a BA in psychology, and holds a MA/Ed.M. in counseling from Teachers College Columbia University. In keeping with her educational focus on fostering strong emotional and physical health, Mara has dedicated a great deal of her time to non-profit work in the arenas of health and well-being. She has served on the boards of numerous organizations with health-related missions, including the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance; Casa Columbia, and Facing Addiction, and she served as a director and co-president of The Women’s Division of Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Mara’s special focus on women’s health was born of the loss of her mother to ovarian cancer at the age of 57 after a five-year battle with the disease. Mara co-founded the Janet Burros Memorial Foundation in her mother’s honor. She currently sits on the leadership council of the Basser Institute at the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn and is a certificated Hospice Volunteer.
Mara also has a keen interest in philanthropic activities related to strengthening educational and artistic institutions, building community, and fighting bigotry. As such Mara has sat on the boards of The Hewitt School, The Women’s International Zionist Organization, Facing History and Ourselves, the 92nd Street Y, executive committee for Represent Justice campaign, and the Aspen Art Museum. She currently sits on the board of Afya foundation and is a member of the Art for Justice Fund and sits on the Board of Visitors of Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.
In recent years, Mara has become a theater and documentary film producer, harnessing the power of this medium to galvanize public awareness and action around issues of national and international concern. The films she has produced or co-produced include the Peabody Award-winning Newtown; Race to Nowhere; I Voted; Killer Bees; Dark Money; The Great American Lie; and Hazing: How Badly Do You Want It?– to name just a few. Mara supports bold films that shine a light on critical, social and political problems, and films that propose solutions to these complicated issues. Thus, Be Forward Productions was formed.
Co-Founder and CEO, Treehouse
Prophet Walker
Prophet Walker, Co-Founder and CEO of Treehouse, grew up in South LA, where amidst poverty, violence, and homelessness in his neighborhood, community was always at its core.
Prophet is deeply involved with both criminal justice and education reform and serves on multiple non-profit and civic boards. In 2014, Prophet ran for the California State Assembly, coming in second. This passion for reform was triggered by his personal experience of being incarcerated at 16 and sentenced to spend six years within an adult prison. While incarcerated, he started a state-wide program that allowed incarcerated people to earn a two-year college degree, and today thousands of incarcerated people participate in the program. Prophet was one of the program’s first graduates. He then attended Loyola Marymount University where he received a degree in Civil Engineering. In 2015 President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama invited Prophet to attend the State of the Union to honor his efforts to reform our criminal justice system and for his commitment to our children.
Prophet’s experiences surrounding community strength and human connectedness inspired him to create Treehouse, recognizing the power of community in proximity and shared property selection and investor relations. Prophet enjoys spending his free time with his daughter and friends.
Co-Founder LA Traveler Space LLC & House of PR Realty LLC
Toni Michelle White
Toni Michelle White, Co-Founder of LA Traveler Space LLC & House of PR Realty LLC, hasn’t always walked a straight line. By looking at her, no one would believe she was a 23-year fugitive from the efforts of law enforcement to imprison her away from her only daughter back when she was 19. Today, she is a licensed realtor, licensed state notary, & fingerprint technician. Freedom was the main ingredient. Being free to raise a female child with an absent father and deceased grandparents gave Toni the fighting spirit to rise from ashes. Her greatest accomplishment is her daughter who is a retired nuclear power electrician after service in the U.S. Navy.
Toni has always been someone that’s passionately committed to serving groups that are under-represented and under-resourced. Her desire to serve others came after the period in her life when she was homeless with her daughter on the streets of Los Angeles. Toni was introduced to great non-profit organizations such as Upward Bound house which housed her family and Chrysalis in Santa Monica, where she was able to redefine herself by reentering the workforce & licensure in fields that would produce a life career. Toni learned valuable skills through her academic studies at Southwest Community College & returned to Southwest as an A.R.C Construction Cohort Member.
Toni appreciates that there is more happiness in giving than in receiving and feels that way with each client she works with as a Case Manager at WLCAC-Re-Entry Department in Watts, CA. Prior to that, she worked for Los Angeles County as a Supervisor with the homeless shelter, Home at Last CDC, where she worked on homeless outreach through “Project Room Key.” Toni’s story isn’t finished yet, she looks forward to the next chapter – being part of the ARC board where she can lead by example and be a good role model to encourage anyone running from the greatness within us all.
Brandon Williams
Vice President, Human Resources & Head of Talent Management for Universal Pictures
bio →Vice President, Human Resources & Head of Talent Management for Universal Pictures
Brandon Williams
Brandon C. Williams is Vice President, Human Resources & Head of Talent Management for Universal Pictures, where he leads a team focused on developing & executing workforce & diversity, equity & inclusion strategies needed to achieve business priorities, while also providing opportunities for talent to grow within the organization.
Williams was one of the leaders, & active Advisors, in establishing the Universal Pictures Inclusion Committee in 2020, which has extended the company’s partnership with ARC tapping into the core strengths & resources to support formerly incarcerated individuals. Because of the opportunities & support he’s received throughout his life, Brandon is driven by his personal & professional passion for creating opportunities for others to reach their potential and cultivate inclusive environments.
Prior to joining NBCUniversal, Williams held strategic HR positions at Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) & spent two years residing in London leading SPE’s Talent Strategy & Diversity and Inclusion for the European region. He also served as a co-chair of a diversity committee for the UK’s Speaker of the House of Commons in partnership with Inclusive Employers – UK’s first membership organization for businesses committed to diversity and inclusion, focused on enabling employers to find solutions & drive change to ensure that diverse talents are attracted, recruited, retained, developed & can fulfill their potential. Prior to Sony, he spent seven years at Turner Broadcasting providing HR & Talent Acquisition support for businesses in Atlanta, Georgia & Cartoon Network in Burbank, California.
Williams has been recognized by 21st Century Leaders, a non-profit organization in Georgia, for his outstanding leadership in honor of the organization’s 30th Anniversary.
