DKA Alumni Spotlight

12/03/2022

APPLICATIONS CLOSE AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!

You still have time to apply to be a mentor or mentee for the ONLY 2022 DKA Mentorship Program.
https://forms.gle/APoJxtGnLb8S3Qzp9

What is the DKA Mentorship Program (DMP)?
The DMP is an annual mentorship program by the SoCal Alumni Committee that is designed to connect alumni. We hope to build a bridge between alumni where advice, lessons, and experiences can be shared in hopes furthering DKA's mission of building fraternal bonds and fostering the next generation of upstanding entertainment industry leaders. We will pair up mentors and mentees to help younger alumni settle into post-grad life and jump start their careers.

Create a new survey on your own or with others at the same time. Choose from a variety of survey types and analyze results in Google Forms. Free from Google.

04/03/2022

There is still time to apply for the DKA Mentorship Program. We are accepting applications through March 11th.
https://forms.gle/APoJxtGnLb8S3Qzp9

What is the DKA Mentorship Program (DMP)?
The DMP is an annual mentorship program by the SoCal Alumni Committee that is designed to connect alumni. We hope to build a bridge between alumni where advice, lessons, and experiences can be shared in hopes furthering DKA's mission of building fraternal bonds and fostering the next generation of upstanding entertainment industry leaders. We will pair up mentors and mentees to help younger alumni settle into post-grad life and jump start their careers.

Create a new survey on your own or with others at the same time. Choose from a variety of survey types and analyze results in Google Forms. Free from Google.

17/02/2022

The DKA Alumni Committee is pleased to announce the return of the DKA Mentorship Program. We are seeking both Mentors & Mentees to be a part of the 2022 program. Applications are now open through March 11th.
https://forms.gle/APoJxtGnLb8S3Qzp9

What is the DKA Mentorship Program (DMP)?
The DMP is an annual mentorship program by the SoCal Alumni Committee that is designed to connect alumni. We hope to build a bridge between alumni where advice, lessons, and experiences can be shared in hopes furthering DKA's mission of building fraternal bonds and fostering the next generation of upstanding entertainment industry leaders. We will pair up mentors and mentees to help younger alumni settle into post-grad life and jump start their careers.

*Please note that there will only be one cohort this year, as opposed to a spring and fall cohort.

Create a new survey on your own or with others at the same time. Choose from a variety of survey types and analyze results in Google Forms. Free from Google.

05/12/2021

We are thrilled to announce that we are bringing back our facilitated discussion on if/how we can intentionally decolonize and humanize Hollywood’s Heritage: both on the land and on the screen!

Back by popular demand we are so excited to offer this opportunity for another exciting and meaningful discussion. 

The Equity & Embodiment Committee has reflected on the impact that colonization has had and continues to have on BIPOC communities. We recognize our own limitations and biases in putting together a program like this but recognize the importance of protecting space for conversations like these for our members.

Honoring the survivors of genocide (the people and the culture), we are grateful for the chance to hold space virtually and unpack the role of Media institutions and media makers in shaping our collective imagination. We look forward to joining with ya’ll to acknowledge a dehumanizing past and re-imagine a humanizing future.

27/10/2021

22/10/2021

Join us TONIGHT at 7pm PT/10 pm ET we will be sitting down with alumnus Aurelio Lopez to discuss the Industry, his career, and his professional journey!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86754844509?pwd=eUFzSkEwVW5tbmVQVWlTU2pTRlVHUT09

Meeting ID: 867 5484 4509
Passcode: 915955

About: Aurelio Lopez
Aurelio Lopez is a first generation Guatemalan-American from Whittier, CA and is a Film graduate of UCSB. Aurelio has worked with organizations such as Telluride Film Festival, Good Fear Films, United Talent Agency, Creative Artists Agency, Netflix, and is currently a Creative Executive at Ava DuVernay’s production company, ARRAY Filmworks. Aurelio is a member of Time’s Up Entertainment's, “Who’s in the Room?” program and recently completed NALIP’s inaugural Latino Lens Producer Program.

13/10/2021

Join us on October 21st at 7pm PT/10pm ET we will be sitting down with alumnus Aurelio Lopez to discuss the Industry, his career, and his professional journey!
The zoom link will be emailed out by the day of the event. Please make sure to register below to ensure that you receive it.
RSVP:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/182094769357
About: Aurelio Lopez
Aurelio Lopez is a first generation Guatemalan-American from Whittier, CA and is a Film graduate of UCSB. Aurelio has worked with organizations such as Telluride Film Festival, Good Fear Films, United Talent Agency, Creative Artists Agency, Netflix, and is currently a Creative Executive at Ava DuVernay’s production company, ARRAY Filmworks. Aurelio is a member of Time’s Up Entertainment's, “Who’s in the Room?” program and recently completed NALIP’s inaugural Latino Lens Producer Program.

01/07/2021

Join us TONIGHT at 6pm PT/9pm ET we will be sitting down with alumnus Victoria Kohl to discuss the Industry, their career, and their professional journey!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87538403806?pwd=aktOSHVkeFpod3lLU1NzUGtZY0ZEQT09

Meeting ID: 875 3840 3806
Passcode: 846951

About: Victoria Kohl
Victoria Kohl (she/they) is a Social Media Designer currently working remotely from Portland, OR for the LA-based creative agency WONDROS. She graduated from the University of Miami’s School of Communication in 2017 with a B.S. in Motion Pictures (Production) and minors in Marketing, Electronic Media, and Music Business & the Entertainment Industry. While at the University of Miami, Victoria became a Xi Colony founder and worked diligently alongside her new siblings to establish the Xi Chapter.
After doing her final semester at the UMLA Program, Victoria opted to stay in LA and continued on a path to short form content creation. She worked as a Story Editor at Snapchat and traveled as a Production Coordinator for various music festivals and live events like Lightning in a Bottle, Stagecoach, and Hangout Music Fest. Victoria moved to Portland, OR with her partner in January of 2019. The past couple of years, she’s been creating and optimizing social media content remotely for health equity campaigns, such as ONE’s 2021 Cannes Shortlisted Campaign and the National Institute of Health’s All of Us Research Program. In her spare time, Victoria loves shooting on film, exploring the Pacific Northwest's natural beauty, and growing her own food in her community garden plot.

25/06/2021

Join us on June 30th at 6pm PT/9pm ET we will be sitting down with alumnus Victoria Kohl to discuss the Industry, their career, and their professional journey!
The zoom link will be emailed out by the day of the event. Please make sure to register below to ensure that you receive it.
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/spotlight-interview-victoria-kohl-tickets-161233137655
About: Victoria Kohl

Victoria Kohl (she/they) is a Social Media Designer currently working remotely from Portland, OR for the LA-based creative agency WONDROS. She graduated from the University of Miami’s School of Communication in 2017 with a B.S. in Motion Pictures (Production) and minors in Marketing, Electronic Media, and Music Business & the Entertainment Industry. While at the University of Miami, Victoria became a Xi Colony founder and worked diligently alongside her new siblings to establish the Xi Chapter.

After doing her final semester at the UMLA Program, Victoria opted to stay in LA and continued on a path to short form content creation. She worked as a Story Editor at Snapchat and traveled as a Production Coordinator for various music festivals and live events like Lightning in a Bottle, Stagecoach, and Hangout Music Fest. Victoria moved to Portland, OR with her partner in January of 2019. The past couple of years, she’s been creating and optimizing social media content remotely for health equity campaigns, such as ONE’s 2021 Cannes Shortlisted Campaign and the National Institute of Health’s All of Us Research Program. In her spare time, Victoria loves shooting on film, exploring the Pacific Northwest's natural beauty, and growing her own food in her community garden plot.

03/06/2021

Join us TONIGHT at 7pm PT/10pm ET we will be sitting down with alumnus Farrah Su to discuss the Industry, her career, and her professional journey!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98550428124?pwd=bXI2TS9Gd2pZcDVEWUUreldsMkM2UT09

31/05/2021

Join us on June 2nd at 7pm PT/10pm ET we will be sitting down with alumnus Farrah Su to discuss the Industry, her career, and her professional journey!
The zoom link will be emailed out by the day of the event. Please make sure to register below to ensure that you receive it.
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/spotlight-interview-farrah-su-tickets-156786367245
About: Farrah Su
Farrah Su, pronouns are she/her, is a 1.5 generation, Buddhist, Taiwanese American creator, focusing on cinematography and photography. She was born on Kulon, Basay, and Ketagalan Land (Taipei, TW), grew up with her immediate family on Merrick Land (Long Island, NY), and now resides on Tongva Land (Los Angeles, CA).

Farrah has worked at various Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) nonprofits focused on a wide range of services, including media, leadership development, food justice, and now in civic empowerment. Most recently, she served as co-production coordinator, videographer, and editor for a six-part video series to empower AAPIs to fill out the 2020 Census. She is also an active volunteer in local LA AAPI organizations, including serving as volunteer staff for Tuesday Night Project. In 2018, she co-organized and self-published an independent zine called Family Style Zine, sharing stories on AAPI food histories and memories, selling more than 500 copies and hosted workshops in collaboration with the San Francisco Public Library and SF Museum of Modern Art.

She freelances mainly in Camera Department roles, as a Director of Photography or Assistant Camera, and photographer. Working virtually during lockdown, Farrah has also been freelancing as a producer and editor on independent projects. In her spare time, she finds joy in sewing, drinking tea, and eating vegan cheeses.

15/04/2021

Join us at 6pm PT/9pm ET today we will be sitting down with alumnus Sherif T. Bakare to discuss the Industry, his career, and his professional journey!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92193848857?pwd=b2hSTXVVVFJ4TDhsTldZc01vam1xUT09

08/04/2021

Join us on April 14th at 6pm PT/9pm ET we will be sitting down with alumnus Sherif T. Bakare to discuss the Industry, his career, and his professional journey!

The zoom link will be emailed out by the day of the event. Please make sure to register below to ensure that you receive it.

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/spotlight-interview-sherif-bakare-tickets-144734080531

About: Sherif T. Bakare
Sherif T. Bakare is a Creative Assistant at Netflix and multi-hyphenate producer. Initially wanting to be a neurosurgeon he went to a medical high school where he realized science was in fact not his passion and that his motivation to be a doctor stemmed from Derek Shepherd and more so it was an affinity to television that he had. Sherif went on to study Film and Television at Boston University where he was a part of the first official pledge class (after the re-founders) of DKA Beta Chapter.

Sherif's first entry into the entertainment industry was during his last semester of senior year while in BU's LA Program where he interned at Rare Birds Productions, Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed's pod deal with Warner Bros Television. After graduating in 2017, Sherif moved back to LA and started work at a talent management company Art/Work Entertainment. Near the end of 2018 he left Art/Work Entertainment and ended up taking a year off to focus on personal producing projects which also found him connecting with a BU alum at Netflix and led him to his current role as a Creative Assistant in Adult Animation (BIG MOUTH, BOJACK HORSEMAN, MIDNIGHT GOSPEL) which he started in 2019.

During the pandemic the flexible time has allowed him to continue to grow his personal projects including co-founding a media start-up (Channel Sounds), starting a podcast (Don't Change The Channel), and diving more into his passion for music as an Executive Producer and manager for the artist zleephouse.

30/03/2021

Join us at 6pm PT TONIGHT for a spotlight interview with alumnus Ryan Bartley to discuss the industry, her career, and her professional journey. The zoom link is listed below.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/93896146391?pwd=TkFRUEd1UERMdjlWREhlQTM0TXFPUT09

23/03/2021

Join us for our next Alumni Spotlight on March 29th at 6pm PT/9pm ET as we sit down with alumnus Ryan Bartley to discuss the Industry, her career, and her professional journey.

The zoom link will be emailed out by the day of the event. Please make sure to register below to ensure that you receive it.

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/spotlight-interview-ryan-bartley-tickets-144733996279

About Ryan:
Actor Ryan Bartley has been working in theater, film, television, and radio since she was a child. After attending the prestigious theater program at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, located in Dallas, Texas, Ryan graduated early and relocated from Dallas to Los Angeles. There she began working in anime, video games, and animation.

Her anime credits include Netflix's Dub of Neon Genesis Evangelion (Rei Ayanami), Re:ZERO (Ram), Beyblade Burst Surge (Hyuga Hizashi), Demon Slayer (Makomo), Inuyasha sequel Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Takechiyo), Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale (Yuna), Jujutsu Kaisen (Shoko Ieri), The Promised Neverland (Gilda), Carole & Tuesday (Angela), Hunter x Hunter (Komugi), Mob Psycho 100 (Tsubomi and Mukai), Erased (Osamu), KonoSuba (Chomusuke), JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (Anne), Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (Dita), and Satellite Girl and Milk Cow (KITSAT-1).

Ryan is the English voice of Peony and Ilyana in Fire Emblem Heroes and Plachta in the Atelier video game franchise. She’s also provided additional voices for some of the top performing recent feature films including The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, UglyDolls, The Boss Baby, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, X-Men: Apocalypse, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Avengers: Infinity War, Bumblebee, and Love, Simon. Ryan is the voice of Jay the blue jay in the Netflix original animated series Treehouse Detectives, the voice of Young Zeta on Nickelodeon’s Shimmer and Shine, the voice of Pupkin Cake and Bunny Bow in the Shopkins franchise, the voice of Pammee the fennec fox in the Netflix original series Yoohoo To The Rescue, the voice of Pompompurin in the brand new Sanrio animated series Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures and her on-camera work includes the Lifetime movie Queen Sized, the horror-comedy Halloweed, and the award-winning digital series L.A. Macabre, available now on Amazon Prime. Ryan is a graduate of USC School of Cinematic Arts with a major in Cinema-Television Critical Studies and a minor in Screenwriting.

DKA Alumni Spotlight Interview with Ryan Bartley via zoom on March 29th at 6 PM PST

23/02/2021

Join us in 15 minutes for our alumni spotlight with Jovan Robinson!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98919510980?pwd=dThEVEVmVHltcUE0elJ1dElVaXhqUT09

22/02/2021

We invite you to join us as we return to our Spotlight Speaker Series featuring DKA's incredibly talented Alumni!
Tonight at 6pm PT/9pm ET we will be sitting down with alumnus Jovan Robinson to discuss The Industry, his career, and his professional journey.
The zoom link will be emailed out by the day of the event. Please make sure to register below to ensure that you receive it.
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/141771328861
About Jovan Robinson
Jovan Robinson is a television drama writer. He joined Eta Chapter in 2014 as a film and urban studies double major, then received an MFA from USC's screenwriting program. Originally from working-class Milwaukee, Jovan is a Marine Corps veteran and a CBS Writers Program alum. He has experience in military intelligence, urban planning, interactive media, and the tech industry; so naturally, he enjoys writing about crime, sci-fi, and psychological thrillers. Jovan recently completed work on a new Disney+ series for Marvel and is currently in development with Dan Lin's production company Rideback. But it all started with Eta Chapter (and Mira Kopell).

19/01/2021

We invite you to join us as we return to our Spotlight Speaker Series featuring DKA's incredibly talented Alumni!

January 25th at 6pm PT/9pm ET we will be sitting down with alumnus Tobias Deml to discuss The Industry, his career, and his professional journey.

The zoom link will be emailed out by the day of the event. Please make sure to register below to ensure that you receive it.

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/spotlight-interview-tobias-deml-tickets-136366853931

About Tobias Deml

Tobias Deml is a social impact filmmaker from Vienna, Austria.

Tobias has shot eight feature films and helmed more than 100 projects as cinematographer, director or producer. Tobias’ work has been distributed by the likes of Netflix or BestBuy and premiered at festivals such as SXSW. He likes to bridge the worlds of independent film and impact research, both being an avid Sundance Film Festival attendee as well as traveling around the globe for impact-focused conferences such as the SBCC Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Tobias has a long history with visual art. Since the age of 14, he worked as a 3D artist, photographer and graphic designer – completely self-taught. Throughout his Vienna high school years, he freelanced in the area of animation, print, advertising and visualization. After graduating with his thesis “Psychology of Group and Mass”, he served as a Holocaust Memorial servant for one year in Los Angeles and Montreal to substitute his mandatory Austrian military service. Living among a foreign culture and seeing a bigger picture of the world inspired Tobias to become a filmmaker. During his college studies in LA, he met his long-time collaborator Hiroki Kamada who he co-founded Prodigium Pictures with in 2011.

In 2012, Tobias had a near-death experience that led to a full personal and professional pivot: namely, towards creating socially valuable and lasting impact as a commercial filmmaker rather than “just entertainment”. To find evidence for this mission, he went on to study film theory at UC Berkeley and co-founded the magazine Cinema of Change, partially based on his 80-page Berkeley thesis “Cinema of Change: The Persuasive Impact of Narrative Motion Picture on Individual and Society“. For the magazine, he and co-founder Robert Rippberger publish articles from authors around the world, interview film and psychology experts like Philipp Zimbardo, and organize conferences and discussion rounds.

21/07/2020

Join us TODAY at 4pm PST / 7pm EST for our Alumni Spotlight with Hillary Levi at the link below!

Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/99669276683?pwd=VTQwY1phQ0RVSklSVjN5WGhaTStpdz09

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

20/07/2020

Join us July 21st, 2020 at 4pm PST / 7pm EST as we sit down with alumna Hillary Levi to discuss The Industry, her career, and her professional journey.

The zoom link will be emailed out the day of each event. Please make sure to register below to ensure that you receive it.

RSVP by July 21st at 2pm PST: https://forms.gle/C1WgLkXckogV7PADA

About Hillary Levi
(Creative Executive, Crunchyroll & VRV)

Hillary Levi is a creative executive developing original content for Crunchyroll, the world’s most popular anime brand, and VRV, the fandom-focused video platform. While at Crunchyroll and VRV, she has driven the development and production for a number of series, including HARMONQUEST season three, CYANIDE & HAPPINESS season four, and the first season of BIGFOOT. She is currently working on BLADE RUNNER: BLACK LOTUS, a Crunchyroll co-production with Adult Swim. Prior to Crunchyroll, she worked in development at Freeform and has a deep experience across Hollywood, having also spent time at Boom! Studios, The Gersh Agency, and Village Roadshow Pictures.

Hillary attended the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where she garnered a Bachelor’s Degree in Film & Television Production in 2011. While at USC, she re-founded the Alpha Chapter of the Delta Kappa Alpha cinema fraternity.

Hillary currently lives in Los Angeles with her cat, Nymeria.

Recommended Viewing: https://www.crunchyroll.com/originals/en/index.html

17/07/2020

If you missed it, check out Wednesday's Alumni Spotlight with Michael Stampler moderated by our very own Eric Foss!

14/07/2020

Join us TODAY at 4pm PST/7pm EST for our Alumni Spotlight with Michael Stampler!

https://zoom.us/j/95079787488?pwd=aTI2N2grVTVNN2Z5NkxJTk5QUUE5dz09

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

13/07/2020

July 14th at 4pm PST / 7pm EST we will be sitting down with alumni Michael Stampler to discuss The Industry, his career, and his professional journey.

The zoom link will be emailed out the day of each event. Please make sure to register below to ensure that you receive it.

RSVP by July 14th at 2pm PST: https://forms.gle/VxxK6Mweu91UGdNZ6

About Michael Stampler
Michael Stampler is an International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) member who was in DKA's Hitchcock Pledge Class (Alpha Chapter) and graduated from USC's Cinema-Television Production program in 2012. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, but now lives and works in New York. He has worked as a staff assistant camera operator on such television shows as "Fresh Off the Boat" and "How to Get Away with Murder" (and has dayplayed on many others, including "The Blacklist," "Prodigal Son," "FBI," "FBI: Most Wanted," "New Amsterdam," "Teen Wolf," "Switched at Birth," and "Silicon Valley"). Michael's feature film camera department credits include "Secret in Their Eyes," "The Bad Batch," "Ted 2," "Don Jon," "American Exit," and "The Hurricane Heist." He has also shot and/or operated on multiple new media, commercial, branded content, music video, and fashion projects for brands including Bloomingdales and H&M, YouTube Red series such as "Foursome," and musical artists that include Radical Something, Toulouse, Kiven, Sedivy, and IAMEVE.

08/07/2020

If you missed it, check out yesterday's Alumni Spotlight with Rachel Joy Victor moderated by Alic Tsui!

07/07/2020

Here is the Zoom link for today's Alumni Spotlight with Rachel Joy Victor! We're also welcoming Alice Tsui as our special guest moderator. Starts 4pmPST/ 7mp EST!

Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/98876259140 pwd=dytBYWRVYlM4a2kyRU9jZnFpbmphZz09

Meeting ID: 988 7625 9140
Password: 715620

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

03/07/2020

Tuesday, July 7, 2020 we will be sitting down with alumna Rachel Joy Victor to discuss The Industry, her career, and her professional journey.

The zoom link will be emailed out the day of each event. Please make sure to register below to ensure that you receive it.

RSVP by 2pm PST July 7th: https://forms.gle/ayGu1P627o6PzPH29

About Rachel Joy Victor
(Strategist, Worldbuilder, Narrative Designer)

Rachel Joy Victor (she/her) is a worldbuilder + narrative and systems designer, utilizing emerging technologies and crafting speculative futures. She designs for the breadth of the content life cycle, from identity, tools, and networks to experiences, beings, and spaces. She is an alum of the DKA Alpha Chapter, graduating from USC in 2016 with a degree in Computational Neuroscience. Rachel has a background in media research and strategy for Disney, HBO, and others, and currently runs her story and design studio, The Apollo, out of LA and Philly.

Relevant Links: racheljoyvictor.com and theapollo.media

03/07/2020

If you missed it, check out this week's Alumni Spotlight with Charlotte Balogh!

30/06/2020

Don't forget TODAY at 4pm PST / 7pm EST we will be chatting with alumna Charlotte Balogh! Zoom link below!

https://zoom.us/j/91448105358?pwd=V0oxcm9ZaTVWN1ZuS1ppNC9JRDFwdz09

Meeting ID: 914 4810 5358
Password: 553287

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...