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Anja Baron

Anja Baron

January 11, 2016

Anja Baron is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, producer, director and editor whose work has been screened at prestigious festivals worldwide and shown on U.S. and European television to critical acclaim, including two Emmy nominations.

In addition to her documentary work, she has also worked as a correspondent for UNICEF reporting on crises concerning women and children around the world. Her extensive travels have influenced much of her work, giving it a strong multicultural component that covers a wide range of subjects with a focus on human rights particularly in regards to children.

“BYkids lends a voice to the often voiceless. BYkids empowers youth in lasting ways all the while creating an invaluable platform for the global issues of a future generation. In turn, the viewer is not only afforded a rare glimpse into often-marginalized existences but also given an opportunity to see important issues in a new light. Shining such a light on one story often shines a light on the greater whole. The results are genuinely powerful and empowering all at once.

I am honored to be working with BYkids on another film. When I left Berlin 30 years ago, there was hardly any Jewish life or community in Berlin to speak of. Coming back to this city after all these years — and after spending most of my adult life in New York and marrying a Jewish man — I am profoundly touched by the discovery that Jewish life is once again blossoming in Berlin. Mentoring a young Jewish man in the filmic exploration of Germany’s dark history while also exploring new horizons will be a profoundly moving experience for us both — and possibly help us navigate the many layers of the ongoing relationship between Germans and Jews.”

Mentor Rom Barnea

Rom Barnea

January 11, 2016

Rom Barnea is a Tel Aviv-based multidisciplinary cultural entrepreneur, filmmaker, photographer, social activist, actor and curator.

He is the co-founder and Creative Director of Pendulum, a creative agency aimed at social causes. He is also founder of Fish out of Sea – a global refugee photography initiative. Rom graduated from the Sam Spiegel Film & Television School in Jerusalem and the Hasifa School for Video-therapy.

Rom has vast experience in creating impact-driven content. His unique work method consists of working for and with vulnerable communities. He specializes in creating with refugees, people with special needs, youth-at-risk and NGO workers.

His work is directed at creating storyteller ambassadors from within the community, fostering a network of changemakers who are able to tell their own stories in a captivating, thought and emotion stirring manner.

Susan Hoenig

Susan Hoenig, Secretary

January 11, 2016

Among Hollywood’s top TV producers, Susan has produced shows for Discovery, National Geographic, Fox, ABC, NBC and CBS. She received an Emmy nomination for Undercover Boss.

Cleo Godsey

January 11, 2016

Cleo is a digital media professional currently at Salesforce, Cleo focuses on digital brand strategy with expertise in e-commerce and mobile commerce product development. She previously worked as head of EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) E-Commerce Strategic Planning for Estée Lauder Companies Europe, based in Munich, Germany. Prior to Estée Lauder, she worked for leading independent New York film distributors in the areas of sales, acquisitions and digital brand development. Cleo is a Yale and NYU graduate.

Dr. Neal Baer

January 11, 2016

Seven-time Emmy nominee Neal Baer was a writer/showrunner for ER; showrunner of the hit NBC series Law & Order: SVU for 11 seasons; and showrunner for Under the Dome for its entire run on CBS. Before his career in television, Neal was a practicing pediatrician and teacher.

Neal traveled to Mozambique in August 2007 to work with 16-year-old Alcides Soares. Our first BYkids youth filmmaker, Alcides tells his story of recreating family after having lost both of his parents to AIDS.

“Storytelling is our basic way of communicating our dreams, our hopes and our fears. Yet many stories go unheard, stories that could move us, stories that could motivate us to take action, because the poor and the disenfranchised too often do not have the technology to tell their personal tales. BYkids gives these youth a voice, by giving them a camera and a mentor. Now, through the work of BYkids, the world will get to see and hear their moving stories. What better way to share my love of storytelling than by helping young people who are aching to share their lives?”

Eduardo A. Martínez Campos

January 10, 2016

Eduardo oversees the formulation of investment strategy, advice and execution across all asset classes for Citigroup’s clients worldwide. He was previously Global Head of Emerging Markets Sales, Head of Corporate Structuring in the Emerging Markets Credit Trading Group and Global Co-Head of Emerging Markets Credit Derivatives. Eduardo graduated from Colorado College, is a Thomas J. Watson Fellow and holds an MBA from Columbia University.

Leslie DeBauge

Leslie DeBauge

January 8, 2016

Co-founder of boutique merchant bank Kennedy Ventures, Leslie advises and invests in tech companies. She studied history at Harvard and worked in investment banking at Dillon Read and CIBC Oppenheimer prior to becoming an investment principal. Leslie supports non-profits in cancer research and education and lives in Miami with her husband and two teenagers.

Joyce Chopra

Joyce Chopra

January 7, 2016

Joyce Chopra has produced and directed a wide range of award-winning films, ranging from Smooth Talk, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Feature at the Sundance Film Festival with Laura Dern to the A&E thriller, The Lady in Question, with Gene Wilder. She has received American Film Festival Blue Ribbon and Cine Golden Eagle Awards for her numerous documentaries, including the autobiographical Joyce at 34, which is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Joyce is a frequent mentor for BYkids, including Fire In Our Hearts, My Beautiful Nicaragua and Faith’s World. Joyce’s memoir, Lady Director, will be published by City Lights in the fall of 2022.

Sammy Chadwick

Samantha (Sammy) Chadwick

January 7, 2016

Sammy is currently the Board Chair and a Producer for BYkids. For over a decade Sammy has produced BYkids films representing youthful perspectives on climate change, juvenile justice and disability, in addition to various TV and theatre productions. Born and educated in the UK, she originally worked in Fashion Marketing both for UK retailers and subsequently Nike Asia Pacific in Hong Kong. She has lived in NYC for over two decades with her family and also serves as a Board member for both Spence Chapin Adoption Agency and Fabretto Children’s Foundation in Central America.

Holly Carter

Holly Carter

January 6, 2016

Holly began her career as a writer and editor at The New York Times and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Since then she lived in Korea as a Henry Luce scholar and print and television journalist; produced the award-winning documentary, Margaret Sanger; co-founded North Carolina’s Full Frame Festival; served as a consultant for The After-School Corporation; produced the PBS series Media Matters; and most recently was the Executive Director of The Global Film Initiative.