AUG. 19 SCHEDULE
11:00 AM
CREATING YOUR OWN LANE
How to make a path for yourself and win with hustle
RIANNA DIZON
Reporter, Pepperdine NewsWaves
Host/Personality, Sports With Ri
Rianna is a former basketball player turned broadcaster. Her passion for sports journalism began at the age of 17, when she proposed the idea of sideline reporting to NorCal Sports TV, a premiere live sports network in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her passion for sports and writing led her to jumpstart a career in Broadcast Journalism and build a platform she is now expanding.
Rianna currently attends Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. She majors in Journalism with an outside concentration in Sport Administration. In addition to being a full-time student, Rianna also serves as a reporter for the student-run news show, NewsWaves 32, and is expected to graduate in Spring 2022.
While Rianna is extremely passionate about telling the stories of athletes and the organizations they thrive from, she also heavily advocates for social justice movements. She is well-versed in storytelling through different forms of media such as television, articles, podcasts, and more.
PLATFORM CREATION
How to get started and establish your brand
BEN
CRUZ
Head of Programming for
Vover
Co-Host of
Two Jabronis Pod
Cruz is a podcast extraordinaire with vast experience producer, managing, engineer and promoting podcasts. He has a demonstrated history of getting projects from ideation to fruition.
He began as a writer for KNBR before switching over to WarriorsWorld, a fan site dedicated to Golden State. At the same time, he was the director of the speech program at Mission San Jose High School. He dove into social media with Bleacher Report as the manager of the B/R app, which led to the manager of the podcast network for LeBron James’ UNINTERRUPTED media company. After a stint with The Athletic as a podcast engineer, Ben became a host and producer for the new venture Blue Wire Podcast Network. He now oversees the day-to-day operations for all Over Sports content while building out the strategy and distribution plan.
Ben is relied upon by numerous members of the media because of his experience behind the scenes and in front of the camera.
12:30 PM
MAKING YOUR IMAGES POP
How to get started and establish your brand
JORDAN
JIMINEZ
Founder
J Squared Visuals
Celebrity Photog
Jordan is the Bay Area's own and a rising star photographer. He's shot big-name celebrities like J. Cole, Stephen Curry, Quavo, Sabrina Ionescu and Macklemore. He also does commercial and product photography for the likes of the Finish Line, Stance Hoops, In The Lab and Unlimited Potential Basketball. All this is in addition to running his own photography business: J Squared, which does portraits, events and brand building.
A self-made photographer, it all begins with Jordan's eye. He has a knack for standing out, for making his work look different in a sea of imagery. His creativity, his editing, his perspective — it all makes his work recognizable even without credit. And for sure, people try to take his work without crediting him.
He has experience building from nothing and has a variety of editing skills on multiple mediums.
NAVIGATING SOCIAL SPACES
Being smart and safe while also being effective
MEGAN REYES
Communications Director
Blue Wire Podcast Network
Host, Amplified Podcast
Creator, More Diverse Voices in Sports
Megan is a professional in every since of the word. Her expertise on social media, in brand building and in communication are underscored by her relevant understanding of mental health and a desire for a better experience for people.
She is currently the director of communications for Blue Wire, after managing social media and community marketing for The Athletic and being a content creator for Fan Girl Sports Network. She is known for her advocacy — not just for causes and issues, but for people. The balance of the two passions makes Megan an ideal teacher for how to navigate social spaces. How to be smart in building your image and reputation, but also how to be safe.
An expert curator, a creative thinker, a different perspective and a big heart. That's Megan Reyes.