What do you think brands most need to understand?

Stewart: Is the content as clean or polished as larger-scale productions? No. But the key question to ask yourself is: does that matter anymore? To thrive in this new landscape, stakeholders must move beyond transactional relationships and adopt a partnership-first mindset. Success requires co-creation, honoring the creator’s voice, and embracing flexibility in format, platform, and distribution strategy.

The traditional Hollywood pipeline is evolving, and there’s no reverting to the old model. We didn’t chase validation. We built our model on our own terms and aligned with collaborators who respected that foundation. The first step in navigating the creator economy is to stop resisting it. Those who adapt will move from simply capturing attention to cultivating community. In this ecosystem, a loyal fanbase is the most valuable currency.

How has the evolution of the industry/media marketplace changed your role or how you advise clients?

Stewart: At Brandon Studios we’re not just adapting to change, we’re building something entirely new. We’re one of the first of our kind: creating a studio model that gives creators more skin in the game and a true seat at the table from top to bottom. It’s not just about hiring talent to execute a vision. It’s about shaping that vision together, from development to distribution. Everyone involved feels ownership, clarity, and alignment, which results in better work and stronger outcomes.

The traditional top-down structure is outdated. We believe the future belongs to collaborative ecosystems, not silos. That means breaking down the walls between executives, talent, and production teams and ensuring everyone is part of the process not just at the premiere, but from day one. When creators feel like they’re part of the journey, the work reflects that. I’ve always been a transparent person being from the South, I learned that honesty is the first step to a positive working relationship. Not just the talent, but the audience can feel when something is made with that kind of alignment and shared passion.

This approach also informs how we advise clients. We help them understand that the industry will not wait for anyone. It’s constantly evolving, and the brands, platforms, and studios that thrive are the ones willing to evolve with it. If you don’t move, you get left behind. We focus on long-term thinking, cultural fluency, and building IP that travels across formats.

I’ve also built a technology that provides a platform for creators and fans to play, outside of traditional social media outlets. Our streaming platform is married with a social media community, allowing users to post, interact with each other, and affect the storytelling process in real time. So we’re not one-dimensional. And that’s what I teach all of our talent and creators that in today’s landscape, it’s not just about making something that works, it’s about making something that matters.

What are the takeaway you hope attendees will gain from your panel at ScreenShift?

Stewart: That the creator economy is no longer emerging. It’s here. It’s thriving. And it’s redefining how content gets made, distributed, and monetized. This shift is not theoretical, it’s happening in real time. The most successful players will be the ones who lean in, evolve their strategies, and build partnerships that reflect this new reality.

Through our work at Brandon Studios, I want people to see how powerful it is when creators are given real ownership, shared vision, and a seat at the table. The future of this space is collaborative, not transactional. I want attendees to walk away realizing that when we work side by side with trust, transparency, and shared goals, everyone wins.

I hope the small anecdotes about our current success stories, like buying our 30,000-square-foot studio and our continued growth, motivate attendees to get moving. The industry is evolving, and time waits for no one. There is no better time to shift your focus. And remember: content is king. If I’ve done it, you can too.

On a personal level, I also hope to represent what’s possible when you don’t wait for permission. As a young CEO who found early success by betting on myself, my team, and a new model, I want others to feel empowered to do the same. There are no rules anymore. The path to success is not linear. It’s about staying focused, pushing through doubt, and knowing that limitations only exist if you accept them. I hope my presence encourages others, especially emerging leaders and creators, to believe in their own voice, back their ideas, and move with purpose.

What strategies are usually most effective in maximizing both audience engagement and revenue in live TV these days?

In sports, there’s tremendous opportunity to deepen engagement by personalizing the experience for different types of viewers. Younger sports fans, in particular, already consume most of their non-live sports content—like news and highlights—through social media. That means the format is different, more snackable, and often tied to an online community, which is now a key part of fandom. Emerging AI technologies—such as real-time stats, predictions, and tailored commentary—are also transforming sports from a one-way broadcast into a dynamic, personalized experience. And the more actively viewers engage, the stronger their connection to the sport becomes.

What are your hoped-for takeaway(s) from this panel — or from ScreenShift overall?  

I’m interested in hearing how leaders are navigating the balance between delivering personalized content that viewers expect and achieving the scale needed for a sustainable advertising model. I’m also curious about how companies are leveraging technology—particularly AI—to make sports content more engaging by aligning what fans see and hear with their individual interests.

What are the biggest challenges faced when integrating AI-driven personalization into a media strategy?

There are two challenges here. First, it’s educating people on how best to apply AI to a media strategy.  And second, we should do what we normally do with data – question it!  Just because a strategy is handed to you by an AI tool doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right or optimal or perfect. The human element is still crucial.

 What are your hoped-for takeaway(s) from this panel – or from ScreenShift overall?

This conference focuses on both the ‘now’ and the ‘future’ of TV/video. I’m excited to hear more about where we are and where we (and consumers!) are going with all forms of video entertainment!

What are the biggest challenges faced when integrating AI-driven personalization into a media strategy? 

One of the biggest challenges is measurement. Many platforms still optimize for tactical metrics like clicks or immediate purchases, but those don’t reflect the deeper impact of personalization over time. You also have the issue of fragmented data environments where AI tools can only be as effective as the signals and data they’re trained on, whether that’s incomplete identity graphs or inconsistent content metadata. Then there’s the human layer: aligning creative, media, and analytics teams around a new kind of strategy that demands trust in models, a willingness to experiment, and necessary collaboration.

What are your hoped-for takeaway(s) from this panel — or from ScreenShift overall?

I hope the audience walks away with a clearer sense of how to move from hype to action. Everyone’s talking about AI, but there’s still a lot of confusion around what’s working today and what’s just noise. I want this panel to help demystify that. What are the actual use cases that are redefining media strategy? What results are teams seeing? And how do we build responsibly for a future where AI plays a central role in how content is delivered, monetized, and experienced? Ultimately, ScreenShift is a chance to pressure test how we’re thinking about the future of media and whether we’re designing strategies that are truly built for the next chapter, not the last one.

If attendees walk away with just one key takeaway from your session, what should it be?

If there is one key takeaway for attendees, it is that while the advertising world may seem more intricate than before, it’s also incredibly exciting. As a self-proclaimed “TV kid,” I often reminisce about the simpler times when a :30 ad on TV would work wonders. Flash forward to today, and while it may not be as straightforward, the journey is certainly quite thought-provoking . This session will focus on my personal experiences with TV and how my passion for it evolved into a curiosity for advertising.

Who needs to be in this conversation — and what might they miss if they’re not?

This conversation is for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the rapidly changing media landscape. If you need a moment of reset and a reminder about the stimulating opportunities that come with these changes, then this session is for you.

If attendees walk away with just one key takeaway from your roundtable, what should it be?

That creators aren’t just media partners—they’re the bridge between your brand and your next loyal customer. Their 1:1 connection with their followers is deeper, more personal, and more persuasive than any traditional media buy. When brands leverage that influence with respect and intention, they unlock not just impressions—but impact.

Who needs to be in this conversation — and what might they miss if they’re not?

Media buyers. Brand managers. Talent execs. Marketing directors. Advertising agency leads. Anyone responsible for audience growth, cultural resonance, or bottom-line results. If you touch a brand, a budget, or a campaign—you belong in this room.
Because here’s what you’re missing if you’re not: direct insight from a creator who’s doing the work, building the audience, and bridging the gap between community and commerce. Most CMOs never get to sit face-to-face with the talent their agencies are sourcing. This is a rare opportunity to go beyond the pitch deck and understand what truly moves audiences in the creator economy—and how to make it move for you.

How has the evolution of shoppable and the state of the industry/media marketplace changed your role or how you advise clients? 

Candela: As marketing dollars face increased scrutiny, our focus at Roku is on making shoppable TV as impactful as possible to ensure our partners are getting the most out of their budgets. From targeting to measurement, shoppable TV is only going to get more impactful as it continues to pair with retail media. For example, we work with numerous retail media partners, like Instacart, Walmart Connect, Best Buy Ads, Kroger Precision Marketing, and DICK’s Media to allow brands to pair first-party in-store data with streaming data at scale. 

What are your anticipated takeway(s) from your panel?

Candela: I expect attendees will leave our panel inspired to launch their own shoppable campaigns for their brands or clients. We’re still in the early days of shoppable TV. For consumers to truly embrace the experience and turn it into a scalable shopping platform, we need more advertisers to start launching campaigns and help us define best practices for the space.

If attendees walk away with just one key takeaway from your session, what should it be?

E.B. Moss: Treat your podcast like a strategy, not a side hustle. This isn’t about plugging in a mic and hoping for the best. It’s about aligning your show with business goals—whether that’s thought leadership, lead gen, customer loyalty, or recruiting talent. If you know the “why,” you can figure out the “how.” And trust me, we’ll get into both.

Jeremy Goldman: Podcasting isn’t just about producing content — it’s about producing leverage. Done right, your episodes can fuel blog posts, social clips, webinars, sales enablement, even event programming. It’s about building an engine that works long after you hit “publish,” and making sure every minute you spend recording pays dividends across your marketing mix.

Who needs to be in this conversation — and what might they miss if they’re not?

E.B. Moss: Marketers, comms folks, brand leaders—especially the ones who say, “We’ve been thinking about starting a podcast…” but haven’t moved past thinking. Also, anyone in sales or biz dev who doesn’t want to keep cold-emailing into the void. If they’re not in the room? They’ll miss the chance to hear how other brands are using podcasts not just to talk at their audiences, but to build relationships—the kind that actually drive impact. And spoiler alert: it’s way easier than you think… when you do it right.

Jeremy Goldman: Anyone responsible for shaping a brand’s voice in-market — whether you sit in marketing, content, sales, or leadership — should be in the room. Skip it, and you’re missing the blueprint for how to turn a podcast from a creative side project into a measurable growth driver. Plus, you might miss hearing some unvarnished lessons from folks who have already made the mistakes so you don’t have to.

What are the biggest challenges you see in thinking differently? 

Thompson: The greatest threat is still human laziness. It’s time to connect systems that are merely adjacent to each other.  Make them face each other and then interlock with one another. Measurement is a continuum. People are too timid to make the connections. The marketplace has so much “noise” no one is solving anything but AI can be what “turns down the volume” for clarity.

What strategies are usually most effective for pivoting in this AI era when it comes to measurement?

Thompson: Start with an AI council to ensure proper governance and ethics. Then outline the business framework and the points of friction to fix in your measurement approach. After that,

• Deploy the type of AI solutions for measurement that match the business structure—don’t just deploy what everyone else does.
• Embrace upstart companies, the innovators, with unique solutions who aren’t buried in bureaucracy.
• Develop a framework around AI that establishes “line of sight” in understanding that is currently lacking.

And, through it all, ensure there is a feedback loop for the AI agents to get smarter around connecting dots in measurement and teaching the teams.

What is your hoped-for takeaway from this panel—or from ScreenShift overall?

Thompson: If brands, media companies, or agencies don’t start taking up “agency” or decisioning fast, the machines will, because they are going to expose all the historical excuses that were made.