2017 Panelists

Lisa Marie Boykin is the Senior VP at Annapurna Pictures for business and legal affairs for the television group and has a long history as a consultant and executive for entertainment corporations such as Disney, Warner Bros. Entertainment Group, CBS/Paramount Pictures, and PBS. Annapurna Pictures is responsible for the production of American Hustle, Zero Dark Thirty, and most recently, Detroit.

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Born in Philadelphia, PA, Lisa grew up in Sumter, SC. She holds a BA from the University of Notre Dame and a JD from NYU's School of Law. Lisa started her legal career on Wall Street, then worked in the legal department of the Walt Disney Company, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and PBS.

In her current role at the newly formed Annapurna Pictures, she is responsible for negotiating talent deals with writers, directors, and performers for their television series. She also negotiates distribution deals with premium cable and new media platforms. Lisa lives in Baldwin Hills in Los Angeles, CA.
 

Jeanne Sparrow has spent three decades in media as an Emmy Award-winning television host, reporter, and radio personality. She is an experienced voice talent and hosted the "You and Me" morning show for WCIU. Jeanne also has experience as a college instructor for broadcasting. She received a masters in communication from Northwestern University.

Parrish Lewis is one of Chicago's premier photographers with over 16 years of experience. Over the years, Parrish has perfected his techniques in the digital age of photography and established a style that demands attention.

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Parrish has had the opportunity to shoot some of the most well-known names around the world, including President Barack Obama, Lebron James, Derek Rose, Beyonce Knowles, Kanye West, R. Kelly, and gospel singers Mary Mary. Parrish carries an extensive corporate client roster, including entertainment businesses Sony Music and Atlantic Records.

Robin Beaman, president of Beaman Incorporated, has 25 years of entertainment and corporate public relations experience. Her accomplishments led her to Harpo Productions, Inc., where she became manager of public relations. She developed national and international public relations strategies for The Oprah Winfrey Show for five seasons.

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She began her career in 1981 as the director of public relations at The Capital Children's Museum in Washington, D.C. In 1984, she took a position at BET and created the company's first public relations division; she was then promoted to director of consumer marketing and public relations.

Beaman's agency is founded on producing innovative work that gives clients maximum publicity, increased sales, heightened brand awareness, and reinforced stakeholder loyalty. Beaman earned her BA from Howard University and her MS from the Kogod School of Business at American University.
 

Noel Occomy started his film production career as a Production Assistant and quickly moved up to a First Assistant Director.

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After working as an editor for NBC and the Home Shopping Network, Noel got the call to teach in Chicago. After seven years of teaching in the Chicago Public Schools and shooting documentaries, one of his documentaries won a local Emmy Award from Arts & Sciences. After receiving this great honor, Noel was invited to train with world-renowned cinematographer Shane Hurlbut.

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From there, Noel created a 2012 documentary on President Obama's favorite drill team. Upon finishing his first two films, Noel was chosen for the Kartemquin Fellowship, which was created by the producers of the movies "Hoop Dreams" and "The Interrupters." One of his current projects is CHI-RAQ: The TV Series, a drama about two Chicago families marginalized by the American Dream.