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ARRAY Alliance

Board of Directors

Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay

Founder, ARRAY

Academy Award nominee and Emmy, BAFTA and Peabody Award winner Ava DuVernay is a writer, director, producer and film distributor. Her feature directorial work includes the Oscar-winning civil rights drama Selma, the Oscar-nominated social justice documentary 13th and the Disney children’s adventure A Wrinkle in Time, which made her the highest-grossing Black woman director in American box office history. In 2019, she created, wrote, produced and directed the Emmy Award-winning limited series When They See Us. She is currently in production on Naomi for The CW, docuseries One Perfect Shot and DC Comics event series DMZ for HBO Max, Cherish the Day for OWN, Home Sweet Home for NBC and the animated series Wings of Fire for Netflix, and in post-production on Colin In Black and White for Netflix and Queen Sugar for OWN. Winner of the 2012 Sundance Best Director Prize for her independent film Middle of Nowhere, DuVernay amplifies the work of Black artists, people of color and women of all kinds through her narrative change collective ARRAY, named one of Forbes Most Innovative Companies. She currently sits on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Advisory Board of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Board of the American Film Institute.
Tilana Jones

Tilane Jones

President, ARRAY

Tilane Jones is the President of ARRAY, the multi-platform arts and social impact collective dedicated to narrative change founded by filmmaker Ava DuVernay in 2011. Jones leads ARRAY Alliance, the non-profit group, as well as programming and production hub ARRAY Creative Campus. She continues to oversee ARRAY Releasing, the company’s film distribution arm, where she is responsible for the acquisition, booking and marketing of more than 30 independent feature films. Jones was recently honored with the Slamdance Founders Award, the film festival’s highest accolade. She is the fifth recipient and first woman and person of color to receive the award which is bestowed on an individual that supports the filmmaker community of Slamdance throughout their career.
Tilana Jones

Nina Shaw

Founding Partner, Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein and Lezcano Law Firm Vice Chair, Executive Committee

Nina Shaw is a founding partner in the entertainment law firm of Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano. Her practice is in the television, motion picture, and live stage area. A native New Yorker, Nina was born and raised in Harlem and The Bronx, educated in the New York City public school system and is a graduate of Barnard College and Columbia Law School. Among her clients are successful and award-winning actors, writers, producers and directors as well as entrepreneurs and entertainment executives. She began her legal career in the Entertainment Department of the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers. Nina is a Variety Dealmaker Impact honoree and has been named repeatedly to The Hollywood Reporter’s “Women in Entertainment Power 100” list. She is a recipient of the WIF Crystal Award, and in 2013 was named Entertainment Lawyer of the Year by the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Most recently, she was honored by Essence Magazine with its 2016 Black Women in Hollywood Power Award, and also in 2016 Nina was profiled in the New York Times: “She’s the Hollywood Power Behind Those Seeking a Voice.” In 2019 Nina received Columbia Law School’s prestigious Medal for Excellence Award and the Athena Film Festival Athena Award. Nina has a long-standing commitment to the education of children and in particular is an advocate for the education of girls and women. She is currently Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Independent School Alliance for Minority Affairs. Additionally, Nina is among the founding organizers of Time’s Up.
Tilana Jones

Russlynn Ali


Managing Director, Education, Emerson Collective Secretary, Executive Committee

Russlynn Ali has been a leading advocate for educational equity for more than two decades. As Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the Department of Education during President Obama’s first term, Ali spearheaded the federal government’s renewed engagement with equity issues in schools across the nation. Previously, Ali was a founding Executive Director of Education Trust- West; and Vice President of the Education Trust. In 2014, Ali became Managing Director of Education at Emerson Collective, and CEO and co-founder—with Laurene Powell Jobs—of XQ Institute. XQ is committed to transforming public high schools to close achievement and opportunity gaps, and to making schools the center of community revitalization. For Ali, education is America’s central civil rights issue today. In 2015, XQ launched with an open call to the nation to design the high school of the future. Within a few months, XQ had rallied tens of thousands of people from all 50 states around the idea of innovative, student-centered high schools that prepare all young people for tomorrow’s world. XQ helps communities rethink their high schools by supporting locally-driven redesign and by open-sourcing everything XQ does and everything the XQ schools are learning to inspire redesign across the country. Because of her commitment to research-driven innovation, Ali points to the latest neuroscience on adolescent learning, which proves that high school is not too late for struggling students to fulfill their promise as learners. She also knows that the high schools of the future must be grounded in the best of what’s known about effective, equitable learning environments. Ali began her career as a classroom teacher. She’s now an attorney and advocate who believes that what’s needed today is a powerful movement to bring American education into the 21st century.
Tilana Jones

Katie McGrath

Co-CEO, Bad Robot Productions Member, Executive Committee

Katie McGrath is Co-CEO of Bad Robot Productions. She oversees the company’s corporate culture, philanthropy, communications and ancillary businesses. Prior to joining Bad Robot, Katie was a founding Partner at First Tuesday Media, a political media firm based in Los Angeles. Earlier, she served as Director of Communications at MTV Networks and Vice President at the strategic communications consulting firm Robinson Lerer Sawyer Miller. Katie began her professional career in Washington, D.C. as a legislative assistant to Senator Edward M. Kennedy and currently serves on the boards of Pro Publica and Time’s Up. Katie and her husband, JJ Abrams, and three children live in Los Angeles.
Tilana Jones

Kimberly Steward

Philanthropist, Executive Producer and Founder, K Period Media

Kimberly Steward is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and producer. In 2013 she formed K Period Media, a company that develops, finances and produces story-driven, commercially viable and thought-provoking content spanning media from film and television to digital and interactive platforms. In just a few years, Steward has forged strategic relationships with some of the most prolific producers, distributors and financiers in the entertainment industry. It is Steward’s mission to discover diverse new voices and launch the careers of next generation talent on both sides of the camera. K Period Media’s releases to date include the noted documentaries Opposite Field, about the first entrants from Africa to compete in the Little League World Series; Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People, which examines African-Americans’ long history with photography; and the forthcoming Looking for Terry, chronicling the efforts of inner-city students to train for the daunting Fordham Law Moot Court. Also in the pipeline is Conversion, a feature drama whose script made the film industry’s heralded “Black List” of the best un-produced screenplays in 2012. In 2016, K Period Media released its first feature film Manchester by the Sea in partnership with Amazon Studios. Manchester by the Sea has been a success not only in the box office but also on the awards circuit. The film is up for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, making Kimberly only the second black woman to have her film nominated for this award. As a philanthropist, Steward extends her impact beyond making poignant films. She is hands-on in her support of charities such as The Elizabeth Taylor Foundation, Fresh Air Fund, and Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Foundation. A patron of the arts, Steward also gives to AFI, LACMA, New York City Ballet, and the Geffen Playhouse.
Tilana Jones

Julia Lourie

Philanthropist and Advancement Officer, Bard Prison Initiative Member, Audit Committee

Julia Lourie is a dedicated advocate and funder in the fields of criminal justice reform, women’s health, and the arts. Lourie currently works at the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), a program of Bard College that opens access to high quality college opportunity to people incarcerated in New York State prisons and supports returning citizens with Reentry and Continuing Education programs. She is proud to bring her skills of event production, fundraising, and community outreach to use on behalf of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. Lourie is the co-founder of EPIC (End the Prison Industrial Complex), a network of activists, funders, and directly impacted people who work together to share knowledge and resources aimed at halting the most negative effects of mass incarceration in America. Prior to her time at BPI, Lourie spent several years working in contemporary art, helping to produce exhibitions with Creative Time, Hauser + Wirth, Van Gogh Museum, and more. She specialized in providing technical and conceptual support to artists, most frequently on large- scale public projects with social justice implications. In her philanthropy, Lourie is a member of many liberal donor organizing networks, including Solidaire, Way to Win, Women Moving Millions, Women Donors Network, Resource Generation, and Maverick Collective. Lourie’s Maverick Collective project is implemented by global health NGO P.S.I. with support from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and aims to reduce instances of morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer in Trinidad & Tobago. She is an active supporter of Drug Policy Alliance, Witness to Innocence, Human Rights Watch, and more. Lourie has previously served on the Board of Directors of The Florence Academy of Art, and currently serves on the Board of contemporary dance company Hivewild. She is a lifelong equestrian and 200 RYT certified yoga teacher. Lourie holds a B.S. with Honors from NYU Steinhardt in Media, Culture, and Communication. She resides in Brooklyn with her cat Kitty Princess.
Tilana Jones

Yvonne Huff Lee

Co-CEO, Lagralane Group

Yvonne Huff Lee is co-CEO of Lagralane Group. She is an actor, creative investor, philanthropist and mother to three with her husband and co-founder Jason Delane Lee. Yvonne is inspired by the female experience and seeks to elevate both female-driven narratives and women’s perspectives. Through Lagralane, Yvonne has breathed life into a diverse slate of films. Some of her personal credits include executive producing 2017 SXSW premiere documentary SERVED LIKE A GIRL and associate producing 2017 Sundance premiere documentary UNREST which was shortlisted for this year’s Academy Awards. Yvonne also starred alongside Harry Dean Stanton in his career final film LUCKY, which was distributed by Magnolia Pictures in 2017. This year, Yvonne has associate produced Sundance premiere narrative NIGHT COMES ON and co-executive produced Sundance premiere documentary THIS IS HOME. She’s passionate about the power of storytelling to both entertain and foment social change. In the past, she has been involved with the LA Film Festival Diversity Speaks panel. She is currently a board member of the Chicago Media Project, Geffen Playhouse Advisory, Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble, NCMEC’s West Coast Advisory and Array Alliance. She is also a founding member of the Los Angeles-based Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble and has appeared on stage in both LA and Chicago. Her film and television credits include Beyond the Pretty Door, Barry Munday, NCIS: Los Angeles, Rake, Parenthood, Bones, Strong Medicine, Eli Stone, Without a Trace, Monk and Boston Legal.
Tilana Jones

Peter Roth

Former Chairman, Warner Bros. Television Group

Peter Roth most recently served as Chairman, Warner Bros. Television Group. In this role, he had creative responsibility for all of the Studio’s unrivaled television production activities, including production of scripted and unscripted/alternative series for on-demand/streaming platforms, premium/pay and basic cable channels, and the five broadcast networks. He was elevated to this position in February 2020 after serving as President and Chief Content Officer, Warner Bros. Television Group, since May 2013. As Chairman, Roth oversaw Warner Bros. Television, the Studio’s flagship television production unit for live-action scripted programming, as well as Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, which produces unscripted and alternative programming through its three production units: Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, Telepictures, and Shed Media.

As of February 2020, the scripted and unscripted divisions are producing more than 120 total series for streaming and cable partners, as well as the broadcast networks and local stations. Roth’s acumen for developing and producing successful programming has brought Warner Bros. the distinction of being the most prolific studio in Hollywood during his tenure. He joined the company in March 1999 as President, Warner Bros. Television, assuming oversight of one of the industry’s leading television production companies. Under Roth’s leadership, Warner Bros. has been the #1 supplier of programming to the U.S. broadcast networks for 14 of his 20 years at the Studio. He expanded his duties in April 2006 to include heading up the then-newly created Warner Horizon Television, a separate production entity which specialized in the creation of scripted series for the cable and on-demand/ streaming marketplace (Warner Horizon Scripted Television), and primetime reality series for both network and cable (Warner Horizon Unscripted Television), and which quickly became an industry leader. As of August 2020, the operations of Warner Horizon Scripted Television were merged into Warner Bros. Television to create a single scripted programming production unit. In recognition of his career accomplishments, Roth was previously honored with the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award, presented by NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) at its annual Conference & Exhibition. He was also named Television Showman of the Year at the ICG 45th Annual Publicists Awards. Roth currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Peabody Awards, the Los Angeles Board of Governors of The Paley Center for Media, and the Hall of Fame Selection Committee for the Television Academy. Roth came to Warner Bros. Television after having served as President, FOX Entertainment, since September 1996. While there, he was responsible for the development and programming of the Emmy® Award–winning “Ally McBeal,” “That ’70s Show” and “Family Guy.” Prior to working at the network, he joined Twentieth Television Corp. in June 1992, when he was named President of Production at Twentieth Network Television (currently 20th Century Fox Television Productions). In June 1993, he was promoted to President of Twentieth Network Television and became President of 20th Century Fox Television in June 1994. While there, he was responsible for shepherding what was then the most successful pilot-selling season in the history of that studio, with 10 pilots picked up for production during the 1996–97 television season. His series productions include “The X-Files,” “Chicago Hope,” “Picket Fences,” “The Practice,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Millennium” and “King of the Hill.” Prior to joining Twentieth Television Corp., Roth was President of Stephen J. Cannell Productions, where, during a six-year tenure, he was involved with the creation and sale of such critically acclaimed series as “21 Jump Street,” “Wiseguy,” and “The Commish.” Roth spent 10 years at the ABC Television Network, where he began his television career in 1976 as Manager of Children’s Programs. He was promoted that same year to Director and was responsible for ABC’s number one–rated Saturday morning schedule. In June 1979, he was named Director of Current Primetime Programs and was promoted to Vice President, Current Primetime Series, in November 1981, overseeing such classic shows as “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “Moonlighting” and “Dynasty.” A native of Larchmont, New York, Roth attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated cum laude from Tufts University in 1972. He resides in Brentwood, California, with his wife, Andrea, and their two children.

Tilana Jones

Damian Woetzel

President, The Juilliard School

Damian Woetzel is the seventh president of The Juilliard School. Since retiring in 2008 from a 20- year career as a principal dancer with New York City Ballet, Woetzel has taken on multiple roles in arts leadership, including artistic director of the Vail Dance Festival since 2007, and director of the Aspen Institute Arts Program (2011-18). As an independent director, choreographer, and producer, his recent projects include DEMO at the Kennedy Center; Spaces by Wynton Marsalis for Jazz at Lincoln Center; Kennedy Center Honors tributes to Natalia Makarova, Patricia McBride, and Carmen de Lavallade; an arts salute to Stephen Hawking for the World Science Festival; two Turnaround Arts performances at the White House and the first performance of the White House Dance Series, all hosted by Michelle Obama. Woetzel has collaborated on numerous performances and initiatives with Yo-Yo Ma, including the Silk Road Connect program in the New York City public schools. In 2009, Woetzel became the founding director of the Jerome Robbins Foundation’s New Essential Works (NEW) Program, a five-year program that initiated grants to support the production of 35 new dance works. In 2009, President Obama appointed Woetzel to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, and he served throughout the Obama administration. Woetzel holds a Master in Public Administration degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and has been a visiting lecturer at Harvard Law School. He received the Harvard Arts Medal in 2015, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Tilana Jones

Jeff Tobler

Vice President & Head of Global Media Relations, Expedia Group Brands

Jeff Tobler is Vice President & Head of Global Media Relations for Expedia Group Brands and was previously the Chief Marketing Officer for ARRAY. Prior to ARRAY, Tobler spent a decade at Warner Bros. Worldwide Television where he was most recently Senior Vice President of Publicity, Communications and Social Media, serving as the architect of publicity and communications efforts for the Studio’s 80+ original scripted and animation programs. Before WBTV, he was a publicist at The CW Network and its predecessor, The WB, and started his career at NBC Entertainment. He currently serves on the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Public Relations Peer Group Executive Committee. Tobler is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago and can often be found hiking a mountain with his family.

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