Bio

A creative, visionary and agile leader combining first class industry, business and political awareness in the digital, creative, emerging media, and education sectors. A hands-on dynamic executive accomplished in management; conceptualization and implementation; program development; cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary collaborations; influencing; fundraising; marketing; and negotiating at senior levels across industry and government. I am the endowed founding director of the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts – a $57M investment at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that supports creativity, interdisciplinarity, innovation, technology and next-gen storytelling. I also serve as a member of UNL’s Office of Research and Economic Development’s Research Advisory Board. Co-created X Media Lab – one of the world’s most forward looking and distinguished digital media and entrepreneurship programs, holding over 70 events in 22 cities and 14 countries across the globe, including: the US, the UK, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, China, India, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and featuring some of the world’s most cutting edge screen professionals, biggest brands and media stars. Nominated by Advance Australia as one of the “Leading 50 Women for the Future”, and by the Australian Government as one of the “Global 50 – Australia Unlimited – Global Achievers”. The recipient of the 5th China Creative Industries Award for ''International Contribution'' to China's creative sector. An advisor to start-ups, University media and arts faculties, and regularly invited guest and judge to emerging media arts events around the world. My oral history is one of five recorded by the National Film and Sound Archive in recognition of my contribution to the development of the interactive media industries in Australia. High-value international network of A-list digital media, creative industries, screen and technology professionals, government leaders, state agencies, universities and research institutions, incubators, industry associations, technology parks, investors, national broadcasters, telcos, technology and platform providers.