Los Angeles Alumni Mentor and Network Program

Joel Andryc is a Tony Award winning producer with decades of television programming and production experience. His current indi development slate includes a variety of passion projects with an emphasis on kids & family entertainment and Broadway theater. His most recent credits include Executive Producer on the 2022 TV cable movie, "Country Roads Christmas" and as a co-producer on "Parade," the 2023 Tony Award winner for Best Musical Revival!  

From 2004 through 2019, Andryc served as a Managing Director at Saban Capital Group (SCG). Key investments at SCG that he worked on included: Saban Brands (Power Rangers, Paul Frank), Saban Music (distributed by Capitol Records), ProSiebenSat.1 (Germany’s number one commercial broadcasting group) and Univision Communications (America’s top-rated Spanish language broadcast network). During his tenure at SCG, Andryc also served as a co-producer on "The Power Rangers" television series airing on Nickelodeon and was the Executive Producer on the 2017 Power Rangers Feature distributed by Lionsgate. In addition to these duties, Andryc identified and managed a variety of other strategic investments in the new media, entertainment and music sectors. Prior to joining SCG, Andryc served as the Executive Vice President of Programming at FOX/ABC Family Channel (Freeform). Before joining Fox Family, Andryc served as the key development executive at Saban Entertainment where he was instrumental in propelling the production company’s rapid growth and expansion into first run syndication and children’s programming. Andryc produced, developed and created many Saturday morning kid series including NBC’s "Camp Candy," starring John Candy. Andryc’s earlier career stints included a variety of production & development positions at Chuck Barris Productions, Goodson-Todman Productions, Viacom Enterprises, and Columbia Pictures TV. Other Broadway investments include Moulin Rouge, Jagged Little Pill, Life of Pi and Starlight Express (UK).

Ann Buckingham is a distinguished global business executive with a proven track record of success in leading and scaling some of the world’s most iconic brands. With extensive experience in global consumer products, brand and category management, licensing, omni-channel strategies, sales and marketing, creative direction, merchandising, and product development, Ann has consistently delivered exceptional results across the companies she has served, including The Walt Disney Company, 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, and CreateMe Technologies.

In her current role as Global Managing Director/CCO  at AMBC LLC, Ann has been instrumental in developing business strategies and scaling initiatives for a diverse portfolio of companies. Her work includes transforming an apparel and accessory manufacturing company by expanding its offerings through a successful licensing strategy with major global brands. Additionally, she has driven business development efforts for a start-up specializing in innovative, eco-friendly consumable products. As Chief Commercialization & Strategy Officer at CreateMe Technologies, Ann played a pivotal role in generating substantial revenue through strategic acquisitions and establishing groundbreaking partnerships with luxury brands, significantly enhancing the company’s market position.

During her tenure as Senior Vice President of Brand Merchandising and Product Design at The Walt Disney Company, Ann consistently led efforts to increase revenue and expand market share globally. She played a key role in driving product innovation and established high-impact commercial programs with leading brands and designers, solidifying Disney’s leadership in the global market. Her strategic vision and ability to create market-leading products and experiences have made her a trusted leader within the organization.

Throughout her career, Ann has led major growth initiatives that have resulted in significant improvements in revenue and market presence. At DreamWorks, she directed global brand strategy and product development, successfully launching and scaling popular merchandise programs that resonated with consumers worldwide. Her earlier work at The Walt Disney Company’s Fashion and Home Consumer Products divisions was marked by her ability to drive growth through innovative content activations and strategic partnerships with designers, retailers, and other key stakeholders. At Heyman Corporation, Ann transformed the company from a regional player into a leading apparel manufacturing powerhouse, recognized for its market leadership and innovative products.

Ann holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI. She is deeply involved in her community and professional organizations, serving as an Advisory Board Member for XR Goods Company, a member of the Marquette Institute for Women’s Leadership Council, and the Board of Governors for Marquette Media and Communication Alumni. Additionally, she is an active member of Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment, the Association of Croatian American Professionals, the Croatian Women’s Network, and Chief.

Ann is a dual citizen of the United States of America and the Republic of Croatia, and she remains an active contributor to her professional and cultural communities. Her strategic vision, leadership acumen, and ability to navigate complex global markets make her a sought-after executive in the industry.

Sam Bringardner is a Talent Agent at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA).   Bringardner is based in the Los Angeles office and represents many of the world’s leading actors and directors working in comedy, including Julia Louis Dreyfus, Anna Faris, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Natasha Rothwell, Brian Tyree Henry, Justin Hartley, Tituss Burgess, Paul Walter Hauser, Michelle Buteau, Natalie Morales, & Tim Robinson among others.

Sam began his career as an assistant at the agency Don Buchwald & Associates and subsequently the management firm Industry Entertainment, then transitioned to Mosaic Media Group, a management/production company, before joining CAA in 2015 as an Agent.

Sam graduated cum laude from Marquette University with a degree in Broadcast and Electronic Communication.

Eryn Doherty received her Bachelor of Arts from Marquette University in 1991 and a Master of Arts in United States History from DePaul University in 1995. In 2000, Eryn received her juris doctorate from Marquette University Law School with a certificate in sports law from the National Sports Law Institute.

Eryn worked as an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board in both Milwaukee and Boston. She joined Fox Entertainment Group in Los Angeles in 2005 as its senior attorney for labor relations. In 2010 Eryn moved to Sony Pictures Entertainment, as assistant general counsel/executive director labor relations before being promoted to Vice President, Labor Relations. Eryn moved to NBCUniversal Media LLC in 2017.

Currently, Eryn provides strategic guidance, counsel and support concerning obligations under a vast array of collective bargaining agreements to various business units in particular NBCU’s Broadcast Entertainment group, Features group, Alternative Studios, Peacock and Marketing. She is the Labor Executive for some of NBCU’s most iconic programs from primetime to late night; specials; as well as block buster feature films. Eryn formulates recommendations for NBCU’s negotiation strategies for multi-employer bargaining, convenience bargaining and company specific labor agreements and advises clients on changes affecting collective bargaining agreements to ensure that they are implemented as intended. She also serves as chief spokesperson and negotiator on behalf of NBCU in negotiations, grievances, arbitrations and NLRB proceedings.

In 2018 the Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel named Eryn’s its Labor and Employment Attorney of the Year. Eryn serves on the Board of Advisors of the National Sports Law Institute and the Marquette Sports Law Review Editors Alumni Board and is a member of the National Sports Law Institute Alumni Association. In 2013 Eryn received the Charles W. Mentkowski Sports Law Alumnus of the Year Award from the Law School. And, since 2006 she has served as an athlete, volunteer, coach and Executive Board Co-Chair of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training Program.

Maureen FitzPatrick is a veteran TV executive who took over as senior executive producer in March 2019 of the nationally syndicated and Emmy-nominated daily entertainment news program Access Hollywood, as well as the daily one-hour syndicated entertainment news talk show Access Daily and new half-hour Access Hollywood franchise expansion All Access, that premiered in the fall of 2019

FitzPatrick has worked as a television and studio executive for more than 25 years, producing live news and several different genres of programming, including entertainment news, talk shows, game shows, variety shows, late night, lifestyle, court and sitcoms as well as digital launches. Most recently, FitzPatrick worked with NBCUniversal until 2023 as a development and creative executive where she worked as a consultant for Access Hollywood and Access Daily, developed several concepts and pilots for the syndication division and oversaw the development and pilot production of the nationally syndicated series Judge Jerry, which is set to debut this fall.

FitzPatrick’s experience includes Judge Judy’s Hot Bench, Daily Blast Live, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Dating Game. With her versatile TV industry experience, FitzPatrick has held roles as an executive producer, programming executive and development consultant and has had overall deals that span multiple studios, including Sony, Disney and Fox.

Previous to her time as a development and creative executive for Access Hollywood and Access Daily, FitzPatrick managed development and production for Oxygen’s Crime Time pilot. In 2017, she oversaw the development and launch of Daily Blast Live, a coast-to-coast live broadcast and online series combining news, entertainment and viewer interaction.

FitzPatrick was tapped in 2014 by Judge Judy Sheindlin to launch and executive producer her new series, Hot Bench, which became the #1 new strip in syndication in the last 10 years. FitzPatrick was named Executive Vice President at CBS Television Distribution in 2012 where she oversaw nine syndicated series. Previously, she was Senior VP of Comedy Development at FremantleMedia.

Currently, FitzPatrick is working on unscripted and scripted projects with her company, ArmFitz Productions. FitzPatrick lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Doug Armstrong, an Emmy-winning writer, and their elderly cat, Mr. Peepers.

Rebekah Ingraham is the Chief Media Officer for Travelmation, one of the top travel agencies in the country. Her work has been featured on CNN, USA Today, Huff Post, MSN, Fox Business, Access Daily and so much more. Prior to this role, Ingraham was a 7x Emmy nominated Executive Producer for E! News' Daily Pop, where she led a team covering the biggest entertainment news stories in the world.  Ingraham worked with E! News and NBC Universal for nearly 2 decades overseeing the day's top pop culture stories & interviewing Hollywood's A-list. Her favorite assignment was traveling to London for Harry and Meaghan's royal wedding.  In her career, she has produced over 4000 episodes of dynamic television, hundreds of podcasts and countless hours of digital & social content. 

Currently, Brian Hodous serves as the key adviser at high profile companies and developers such as INK Games, MeloQuest Studios, and Laviathan Games. He is widely recognized as one of the top experts in the areas of interactive entertainment, technology, accessories and consumer package goods. He has deep knowledge in all areas of the interactive entertainment sector and is in high demand to bring leading IP to market. He also develops strategic direction for early stage and mid-stage start-ups. Hodous currently holds the role of Chief Operating Officer at Sammy’s Beach Bar Brands, where he is responsible for sales, marketing, social media, public relations, manufacturing and distribution. He is responsible for all activities related to the adult beverage businesses, partnering with rock legend Sammy Hagar. In addition, he works closely with all things not related to touring, such as the Hagar restaurant empire and other ancillary strategic projects.  

Prior to focusing on his strategic advisory roles, Hodous had a stellar 35-year history as a key executive at leading entertainment, technology and consumer package goods companies. Most recently Hodous served as the vice chairman of VoltEdge, a headphone company tailored to the unique needs of the gaming audience. 

Hodous also served as president of Zott TV and was responsible for all operations including sales, marketing, finance, human resources and corporate policy.  Zott offers a full range of consolidated, curated entertainment content to the hospital patient and caregivers, enabling unprecedented engagement and improved overall experience.  

Prior to joining Zott, Hodous served as President of Eat Club, Inc., the largest business-focused online lunch delivery company in the United States.  

Before joining Eat Club, Mr. Hodous served 11 years as chief commercial officer at Activision Blizzard Inc., the worlds largest online, personal computer, console, handheld and mobile game publisher. While with Activision Blizzard, Mr. Hodous was responsible for leading Activision Blizzard’s global sales, operations, supply chain, distribution and manufacturing in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, developing new business opportunities worldwide.  

Prior to his tenure at Activision Blizzard, Hodous served as group director and executive vice president of global sales of Cadbury Schweppes. Prior to his promotion to this global role, Hodous held various leadership positions within Cadbury Schweppes. He successfully restructured its global sales operations and implemented many strategic sales programs, including advanced product lifecycle management solutions. Before his time with Cadbury Schweppes, Hodous held senior management positions with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Pillsbury and GlaxoSmithKline. Hodous holds an undergraduate degree at Marquette University and an Executive MBA at Thunderbird International Business School. 

John G. Lockhart became President and CEO of People Media Worldwide, Inc. when it merged with Halsted Communications, Inc. Prior to working with Halsted Communications, John was senior vice president and manager of Porter/Novelli's health care practice in the Western region. Porter/Novelli is part of Omnicom, a NYSE-traded holding company which owns a number of leading advertising, marketing and public relations firms. John's years of work with a number of companies in a variety of industries include the US Department of the Interior, Gerber Products, Baxter Healthcare, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hoffman-La Roche Pharmaceuticals, Catholic Healthcare West, Kaiser Permanente, AltaMed, Amgen, Avigen, Nestle, Ventura Foods, BHP Billiton, Mentor Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, and the City of Los Angeles.

Carl is a trial attorney, focusing his practice on business litigation and disputes between attorneys or accountants and their clients, including claims of malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, and fee disputes. He represents clients in state and federal courts, across multiple industries. Carl is licensed to practice in California and Oregon.

Within the legal community, Carl is an active member of the South Bay Bar Association as a member of its board of directors and chair of its Civil section. Carl also serves as a volunteer arbitrator for the Los Angeles County Bar Association attorney fee arbitration program. Finally, Carl serves as a member of the Oregon State Bar's House of Delegates. 

Carl graduated from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, and received his Bachelor’s from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Within the community, Carl is an active member of the South Bay Bar Association Board of Directors, and is currently a co-chair of its Young Lawyers and Civil sections. Carl also serves as the President of the Marquette University Alumni Association Los Angeles chapter.

Carl graduated from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, and received his Bachelor’s from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Prior to law school, Carl spent a year doing AmeriCorps service.

In his free time, Carl enjoys swimming, cheering on Marquette’s basketball and lacrosse teams, and reading.

 

James Ford Murphy joined Pixar Animation Studios in 1996. He began working as an animator on “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2,” and the Academy Award®-winning features, “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” and “Ratatouille.” Murphy served as supervising animator for the Academy Award®-winning short film, “For the Birds,” and was the directing animator on the Golden Globe®-winning feature, “Cars.” For the next five years, Murphy acted as the Director of Creative Artists, where he oversaw Animation, Art, and Story across the studio. Most recently, Murphy made his directing debut with the short film, “LAVA,” which will screen in front of the Disney•Pixar feature film, “Inside Out,” in 2015.

Prior to Pixar, Murphy worked as Animation Director at Sierra-On-Line and as Animator/Director at Calabash Animation where he animated several commercials, including Little Caesar’s “Pizza, Pizza” series. He also was an Art Director at Jockey International where he was responsible for all print advertising for Jockey underwear.

James earned a BA in Journalism at Marquette University. He is a self-taught artist and animator from Detroit, Michigan.

Sean Patrick Murphy is an American Actor, writer, and producer who graduated from Marquette’s College of Communication in 1994.  He appeared in multiple movies like The House starring Will Ferrell and Amy Poeler, Car Dogs, Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman, Thank You for Smoking and the 2009 Oscar-winning, Avatar.  Murphy’s work crosses over to the small screen, appearing in nearly 70 television commercials and shows including Scorpion, The Mentalist, and Criminal Minds. Rounding out his resume, Murphy wrote, produced, and directed "Poop Notice," an eight-episode Web series put out in 2014.  Murphy made it to the Top 10 of “Project Greenlight,” a contest hosted by HBO searching for the next up-and-coming filmmakers.  Murphy currently works for ElFun Productions and resides outside of Los Angeles with his wife of 22 years, Jennifer Simpson Murphy, and their three children; son Declan and daughters Elliot and Rhys. (imdb.me/seanpatrickmurphy)

Miguel Angel Parreño was raised in a household that yo-yoed up and down the economic spectrum, Miguel grew up in the Chicago suburbs with Latinx ancestry yet never learned Spanish, an experience he captures in his half-hour pilot, "Coconut." On his journey to becoming a writer, he's done everything from working the mailroom at ICM Partners to exposing shady embezzlement schemes at the film school where he was employed. With crazy life experiences and a unique upbringing, Miguel has excelled in translating his history onto the page with extraordinary depth and humor. He is a two-time Stunt List showcase writer with his "Resident Evil" adaptation and "The Return of the Living Dead" as well as an inaugural writer featured on The Ballers List for "Trick Play" in 2025. In 2026, he’s hoping to have his horror feature, "The Ghosts of Flight 191," produced as a Spanish Language movie through Campanario Entertainment. 

Daniel Mark Pudi was born on March 10, 1979 in Chicago, Illinois. During the course of his career, he has starred with many acting greats, including Donald Glover, Chevy Chase and Joel McHale. He was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work in Community. Danny made his debut as a director with a short film called "Untucked" about Marquette's legendary basketball uniforms for the ESPN 30 for 30 series.

Marquette University

While a student at Marquette, Pudi lived in Schroeder Hall and worked as a campus tour guide. Some of his favorite memories include the friendships he formed and meeting girls after attending an all-boys high school. During his Freshman year, Pudi met his future wife, Bridget Showalter, who also studied Communication at Marquette. He became interested in improv comedy and won the Chris Farley Scholarship award. This annual scholarship is sponsored by the Farley family and awarded to one Theatre Arts student each year.

Post-Graduation Years

After graduating from Marquette, Pudi worked as a recruiter and studied comedy at Second City in Chicago to strengthen his improv comedy skills. In 2005, he and Showalter moved to Los Angeles so that he could pursue acting. An actor and comedian, he has built a successful career acting in movies and tv shows. Pudi is known for his roles in Community (2009–2015), Knights of Badassdom (2013) and DuckTales (2017). Pudi and Showalter are the parents of fraternal twins James Timothy and Fiona Leigh who were born in 2012.

Despite his busy acting schedule, Pudi has returned to Marquette several times as an alumnus. In 2016, he was the master of ceremonies for the National Marquette Day pep rally. He enjoys watching sports and is a self-professed super fan of Marquette basketball.

As President of MRC’s TV Group, Jenna oversees MRC’s current programming, its slate of development, all joint ventures and production partnerships, as well as the television studio’s operational units, including production, business and legal affairs and production finance. Current shows for MRC include Poker Face (Peacock), The Terminal List (Amazon), Terminal List: Dark Wolf (Amazon), Time Bandits (apple tv+), and Ted (Peacock).  Previously, she was EVP of Paramount Television Studios. As EVP and Head of Development, she oversaw development and production of such series as Grease: The Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+), Made for Love (HBO Max), Station Eleven (HBO Max), Joe Pickett (Paramount+), The Offer (Paramount+) and Fatal Attraction (Paramount+). She rose to prominence during her five-year stint as EVP TV Series at Sonar Entertainment, executive producing a slew of series for the indie studio, including Das Boot (Sky/Hulu), The Son (AMC), Taboo (FX), The Shannara Chronicles (MTV/Paramount Network), Lorena (Amazon), Hunters (Amazon) and Mr. Mercedes (DirecTV). In 2018, she was recognized on the Hollywood Reporter “35 under 35” list, which highlights the most up and coming executives in Hollywood. She lives in Studio City, California with her husband Eric and two future golden eagle daughters.

Michael is an award-winning filmmaker and Co-Founder/CEO of Lunar Door, an independent production company. His work has earned 90 international awards and 38 nominations, including 13 Best Director wins. Michael is a producer on the drama The Fall, producer of sports documentary Tracing the Divide, and writer/director of the horror thriller Home. He is currently attached to direct three features: Confession, Ashes, and The Sins of My Father, adapted from his memoir.

A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts (MFA in Screenwriting), Michael has written for over 100 advertising campaigns (including Nike, Walmart, Ford, Target, Chrysler, Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes Benz), working with directors such as Jesse Dylan (American Wedding, Kicking & Screaming), James Frost (Radiohead’s “House of Cards”, OK Go’s “This Too Shall Pass”), and Steven Tsuchida (Community, New Girl, Sirens).

In 2010, Michael co-founded The Script Lab, a screenwriting resource and entertainment news outlet, designed for writers, filmmakers, and creators. As President and Editorial Director, he developed content that helped The Script Lab gain brand recognition as an industry leader, providing high-quality E-learning and industry education to millions worldwide.  

Schilf is co-creator/writer of LIGHT, a sci-fi, action crime graphic novel and television series; co- creator/writer of SWORN, a fantasy, action, adventure series; and writer, director, producer of the international award-winning short The Fixer, co-staring Danny Trejo.

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Company Website: Film Production Company | Lunar Door | United States

Personal Website: Michael Schilf

Rondell Sheridan has appeared in over 200 half hour comedy sitcoms, from Minor Adjustments (NBC), Cousin Skeeter (Nickelodeon), Cory in the House (Disney), That's So Raven (Disney) and Raven's Home (Disney). For over 40 years he's been a mainstay on the comedy circuit, appearing on such shows as The Tonight Show with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, Craig Ferguson, and Conan O'Brien as well as comedy clubs all over the country. Additionally Rondell has directed several Sitcoms including That's so Raven and Hannah Montana, Corey in the House and Raven's Home.

Danny G. Thomas is a member of the Global Ethics & Compliance Management group in Disney’s Legal Department.  Danny concentrates his practice on export control, economic sanctions, and anti-corruption and provides training in these areas.  Danny provides guidance and counsel on corporate, commercial, entertainment, and distribution agreements.

Danny is originally from Wisconsin.  He received a B.A. (1999) and J.D. (2003) from Marquette University.  Prior to Disney, Danny was engaged in the private practice of law in New York and Wisconsin, and spent time in various roles as in-house counsel for an American multinational in Missouri.