Class of 2020 Participants and Mentors Entertainment Track Zachary Maltzman Cara Rifkin Entertainment Track Chair Entertainment Track Chair Zachary Maltzman is the CFO Cara Rifkin is the Vice President of of Eastman Music Company. Programming for Lando Entertainment, a non- Eastman is a musical instrument scripted television production company. She manufacturer operating under has also produced over 15 series for Food the Eastman brand names in addition to S.E. Shires Network and HGTV, winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Co., Wm S. Haynes, Bourgeois Guitars, and Backun Culinary Program in 2016. Cara holds a BS in Theatre and Art Musical Services. Zachary is a CPA with a BS in History from Northwestern University and an MA in Journalism Accounting from the University of Maryland. from USC. A native of Los Angeles, Cara prides herself on knowing where to find the city’s best tacos. CLI Participants Mentors Brian Bellinkoff Aaron Leibovic Filmmaker and Creative Director, Selects Media Managing Partner of Leibovic Law Group Brian’s career as an award-winning Aaron is an attorney who co-founded and independent producer/director/editor spans manages Health Advocates and Leibovic Law feature-length documentaries for Netflix, Hulu, Group. Aaron has supported and been active and Amazon to television shows and specials on the boards of many Jewish organizations: for DIY, Great American Country, Comedy Central, and Showtime. Camp Ramah, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, Sinai Temple, In 2018, he founded Selects Media, a production company Sinai Akiba Academy, Milken Community Schools, BJE and specializing in branded content and social media ad optimization Federation. Aaron was chairperson of Milken and Sinai Akiba for e-commerce and many Fortune 500 brands. Originally Academy and held positions on other boards. Aaron grew up in from Orlando, FL, Brian holds a BS in Communication from the New York and lives in Brentwood. He and his wife, Sheila, have University of Miami. three daughters and two granddaughters. Calvin Berman Howard Davine Director of Global Distribution, Studio71 Former Executive Vice-President, ABC Studios Calvin Berman is an L.A. native with a passion For over 20 years, Howard served as the chief for innovative media and entertainment. He business executive and deal-maker for ABC is an entrepreneurial attorney and business Studios, guiding its expansion into becoming executive with professional experience one of the industry’s premiere television across production and/or distribution of traditional television, content creators across broadcast, pay and basic cable and on streaming content, esports, and VR/AR/MR, in addition to video-on-demand platforms. Among his duties was oversight litigation experience on behalf of Fortune 500 brands defending of the business affairs teams for ABC Studios, ABC Signature class actions (marketing and privacy) and asserting intellectual Studios and ABC Studios International, managing the negotiation property (copyright and trademark) rights. Calvin currently serves of the studios’ agreements with actors, writers, producers as Director of Global Distribution at Studio71, which is across the and directors and with the myriad of networks and platforms street from The Jewish Federation. licensing the studios’ programming. For more information contact us at The Jewish Federation Goldsmith Center | 6505 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048 | (323) 761-8000 Class of 2020 Participants and Mentors CLI Participants Mentors Ryan Cohen Jonathan Anschell Animation Compositor, Rick and Morty LLC Executive Vice President, Viacom CBS Media Networks Ryan Cohen is a Chicago native with over a decade of professional video production Jonathan Anschell is Executive Vice President experience. He has had the good fortune of and General Counsel of Viacom CBS Media working on a wide range of projects: animation, Networks. Jonathan is past Chair of The Jewish news, documentaries, corporate videos, short films, music videos, Federation’s Legal Network, a past member of the Federation’s and social events. The roles he has played are just as varied: Board of Directors, and an alumnus of The Jewish Federations of writing, producing, directing, editing, compositing, and shooting. North America’s National Young Leadership Cabinet. Currently, Ryan’s most notable work has been as an Animation Compositor Jonathan is Co-Chair of the Federation’s King David Society and on Netflix’s Disenchantment and Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty. a member of the executive committee of the American Jewish Committee’s Los Angeles region. Gabrielle Doheny Lynne Himelstein Senior Business Relationship Manager, Co-Director of the Story Archive of Women Rabbis National Football League Chair of the Board of the Jewish Women’s Theatre in Los Angeles Gabrielle Doheny is a Business Relationship Manager for the National Football League. In Lynne is Co-Chair of Lion of Judah Endowment this past year, she has also completed the for The Jewish Federation and on the Board first draft of a novel and produced a play. She holds a BS in Film of Directors for Jewish Women’s Archive. She served as Lion of Studies from UC Santa Barbara. Whenever possible, Gabrielle can Judah Endowment Co-Chair for National Women’s Philanthropy, be found checking out the latest musical coming through town. State Public Affairs Chair for NCJW for Indiana, Women’s Campaign Chair for the Federation of Greater Indianapolis, Campaign Chair of the Federation of Greater Indianapolis, Governmental Affairs Chair for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Indiana, and on the Board of Directors for the JCC of Indianapolis. Michael Fishman Kevin Bernet Co-Founder, President, Pure Cycles Chief Operating Officer & Head of Fabric, Pre-Cut, and Garment Divisions, Bernet Michael Fishman is the Co-Founder International and President of Pure Cycles, a bicycle manufacturer, distributor, and retailer based in Kevin was born in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) and Burbank, CA. He was a member of Forbes’ 30 attended the University of Leeds in England. under 30 in 2014. Michael holds a BA in Business from University He graduated in 1981 with a dual degree in Textile Management of Wisconsin-Madison. A native of Los Angeles, Michael loves and Finance. Kevin joined Bernet International in 1986 after spending time with his wife, 2-year-old daughter, and dog, as completing his CPA degree. He has focused his 35 years of textile well as shooting hoops, playing tennis, and riding his bike. industry experience in the area of fabric production and logistics. For more information contact us at The Jewish Federation Goldsmith Center | 6505 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048 | (323) 761-8000 Class of 2020 Participants and Mentors CLI Participants Mentors Joshua Forman Ron Nessim Screenwriter Principal, Bird Marella Joshua Forman is a recent graduate of UCLA’s Ron is a trial attorney specializing in civil prestigious MFA Screenwriting program who litigation, including representing talent in has written nearly a dozen original feature disputes with major Hollywood studios, films and pilots. Originally hailing from Boston, and white-collar criminal defense. Ron’s Joshua also holds a BA in Political Studies from Bard College. philanthropic endeavors include serving as past chair/current A big fan of Boston-area sports teams, he can be found most executive committee member of the Sephardic Educational Sundays during the fall at Sonny Maclean’s bar in Santa Monica, Center in Jerusalem, past board/executive committee member that rare enclave of New England expats here in Los Angeles. of Camp Ramah of California, past coordinator of Sinai Temple Family Minyan, past board member of Sephardic Temple Tiffereth Israel, and past member of the Sinai Akiba Committee. Sarah Herman Annie Spar Digital Account Manager, Club Media Group, Writer National Football League Annie was the COO for The Social Investment Sarah Herman is an experienced digital media Consultancy, worked in the Marketing manager with a strong background in the Departments at New York Telephone NYNEX sports industry. A Los Angeles native, she and Verizon, and served as a member on holds both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from USC. the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services, and on the She currently works at the National Football League, advising Federation’s Westchester Board. She is currently writing her first the 32 Club executive teams on their digital/social strategies novel. Annie is also on the West Coast Regional Advisory Board and initiatives. Sarah is active in her Jewish community, serving of Sharsheret, the Board of The Alliance for Middle East Peace, as a community representative with JDC Entwine and as Vice and the President of Temple Beth Am’s Sisterhood. Annie and President of the Jewish National Fund’s young professionals husband Elon have three children. board in Los Angeles. David Kashi Willie Mercer Freelance Producer/Actor Partner, Thruline Entertainment Born in NYC and a New Yorker at heart, Willie, a graduate of McGill Law School, started David received his MSC in journalism from his career at the Just for Laughs Montreal Northwestern University. Working as a International Comedy Festival, serving as journalist for several publications, David Director of Talent Development. In 1996, he covered international affairs and national security. He later formed Rozon-Mercer Management, which merged with Thruline transitioned into the entertainment field where he worked as a Entertainment in 2006. Willie’s producing credits include