--- title: Medill Media Summit Agenda description: Agenda for the 2027 Medill Media Summit --- [![medill\_media\_summit\_logo](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/2027%20Media%20Summit/medill_media_summit_logo_vector_transparent.svg "medill_media_summit_logo")](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/medill-media-summit?hsLang=en) [![Medill Executive Education Logo](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Medill_ExecutiveEducation_Lockup_Color-3.jpg?width=250&height=84&name=Medill_ExecutiveEducation_Lockup_Color-3.jpg "Medill Executive Education Logo")](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/?hsLang=en) [![velocity\_logo+text\_4E2A84-bottom-space](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Webpage%20Graphics/velocity_logo+text_4E2A84-1.png?width=86&height=83&name=velocity_logo+text_4E2A84-1.png "velocity_logo+text_4E2A84-bottom-space")](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/?hsLang=en) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. - [Speakers](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/medill-media-summit-speakers) - [Agenda](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/medill-media-summit-agenda) - [REGISTER](https://cvent.me/9g5k84) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # Agenda - [Day 1Thursday, March 11, 2027](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/medill-media-summit-agenda#event_agenda_tabs_1) - [Day 2Friday, March 12, 2027](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/medill-media-summit-agenda#event_agenda_tabs_2) 1:00 – 1:50 PM REGISTRATION OPENS + NETWORKING COFFEE Join attendees, speakers, faculty and graduate students from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications for sign-ins and pre-conference conversations with old and new friends.   1:50 PM - 2:00 PM WELCOME AND OVERVIEW ![Abe Peck Northwestern University](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Abe%20Peck%20Northwestern%20University.jpg) Abe Peck Professor Emeritus in Service and Director of B2B Communications Medill A brief overview sets the table for discussing the Summit’s three pillars: Trust, Transformation and Talent over our time together.   2:00 PM - 2:50 PM TRUST: GAINING ATTENTION, BUILDING TRUST AND COMMUNITY ![Stephanie Edgerly Professor and Associate Dean of Research Medill](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Stephanie%20Edgerly%20professor%20and%20associate%20dean%20of%20Research%20Medill.jpg) Stephanie Edgerly Professor and Associate Dean of Research Medill ![Yulia Petrosian Boyle — Chair FIPP YPG Global](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Yulia%20Petrosian%20Boyle%20%E2%80%94%20Chair%20FIPP%20YPG%20Global-2.jpg) Yulia Petrosian Boyle Chair, FIPP YPG Global ![Eric Schurenberg](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Eric%20Schurenberg.jpg) Eric Schurenberg Founder, The Alliance for Trust in Media In a world roiled by a rising tide of unverified information, audiences are increasingly skeptical of their interactions with media. In this session, veteran researchers and practitioners analyze how trust can be restored.  **Stephanie Edgerly** *Stephanie specializes in audience insight. Her research explores how features of new media alter the way audiences consume news and impact engagement, how individuals and groups create and share news over social media and how audiences selectively consume media. Her recent projects have explored why people don't consume news and the varied ways that people make sense of the larger media environment.* **Eric Schurenberg** *The Alliance is a nonprofit organization devoted to building trust and recognition between journalists and their audiences. Eric is the former CEO of Mansueto Ventures, the home of business media brands* Inc*. and Fast Company*. *He is a distinguished Instructor in journalism at the University of Chicago, editor-in-chief of Amplify Publishing Group and host of the podcast “In Reality.”* **Yulia Petrosian Boyle, Chair, FIPP and member WAN-IFRA board; founder YPG Global** *Yulia is the first woman chair of FIPP, the 100-year-old global media association now part of WAN-IFRA. She advises media, education and content organizations on audience growth, market entry and strategic partnerships. As Senior Vice President at National Geographic, within 21st Century Fox and at The Walt Disney Company, she led international media and content operations across 55 countries and 30 languages. She chairs ESG committees on two corporate boards.* **Medill MSJ / IMC Student Representative** Trust insights from she/he and colleagues. 2:55 PM - 3:45 PM TRANSFORMATION: WHAT MAKES FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSFORMATION ![Danielle-Robinson-Bell - Clinical Associate Professor - Medill School Of Journalism](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Danielle-Robinson-Bell%20-%20Clinical%20Associate%20Professor%20-%20Medill%20School%20Of%20Journalism-2.jpg) Danielle Robinson Bell Associate Professor, Clinical Medill ![Erin Slater — Head of Financial Services Strategy and Growth — Quad](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Erin%20Slater%20%E2%80%94%20Head%20of%20Financial%20Services%20Strategy%20and%20Growth%20%E2%80%94%20Quad-1.png) Erin Slater Head of Financial Services Strategy and Growth Quad ![Tony Uphoff](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Tony%20Uphoff.png) Tony Uphoff Founder Uphoff Advisory Reinvent or recede. Macro changes, multimedia possibilities and empowered media consumers are reshaping communication, engagement and profitability. This panel explores how today’s leaders are forging a path to the future, one that involves vision, insight, teamwork and collaboration with their colleagues, audiences and customers.  **Moderator –** **Danielle Robinson Bel** *Danielle’s expertise is in strategic communications and its impact on business outcomes for organizations, brands and executives. She specializes in work that advances efforts related to culture, equity, inclusion, women and Black, Indigenous and people of color in the workplace. She has 15-plus years of experience with advertising / integrated marketing campaigns.* **Tony Uphoff** *Tony is a five-time CEO with 35 years leading B2B media, marketing and technology companies. He turned ThomasNet into a modern data platform ahead of its roughly $300 million sale to Xometry. He now leads Uphoff Advisory, advising founders, CEOs and investors in B2B media, marketing and technology, and publishes "Uphoff on Media," a Substack newsletter and podcast offering an operator's take on how agentic AI is reshaping the next generation of B2B businesses.* **Erin Slater** *At Quad, Erin leads growth strategy for regulated industries. With more than 20 years of integrated marketing experience, she works at the intersection of business strategy, marketing and transformation. Erin is part of Quad’s evolution from a leading print company into an integrated marketing experience company. A Northwestern Medill graduate, she is interested in how established organizations evolve while bringing people and cultures along through change.* **Medill MSJ / IMC Student Representative** *Transformation insights from she/he and colleagues.* 3:50 PM - 4:10 PM TEAM BREAKOUTS Small groups brainstorm best practices around trust and transformation.         Coffee, etc., available. 4:15 PM - 4:45 PM SHARING BEST TAKEAWAYS Teams report out their best practices around trust and transformation, drawn from presentations, breakouts and further insights.    4:50 PM - 4:55 PM SPONSOR MESSAGE 5:00 PM - 5:45 PM KEYNOTE CONVERSATION ![Ben Collins](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Ben%20Collins.png) Ben Collins CEO The Onion ![Louise Kiernan — Professor and Director of Strategic Initiatives — Medill, Northwestern University](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Louise%20Kiernan%20%E2%80%94%20Professor%20and%20Director%20of%20Strategic%20Initiatives%20%E2%80%94%20Medill%2c%20Northwestern%20University-2.jpg) Louise Kiernan Professor and Director of Strategic Initiatives Medill ![Abe Peck](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Abe%20Peck.png) Abe Peck Professor Emeritus in Service and Director of B2B Communications Medill **“The single most powerful and influential organization in human history: a semi-serious chat with Ben Collins, CEO, Global Tetrahedron / *The Onion*** ***The Onion wears a humor crown in the tradition of The National Lampoon and Spy. What allows it to crush its niche and sustain its vision and vibe? Why Alex Jones isn’t with us today. And why AI isn’t funny.*** *In 2018, after stints at The Daily Beast, Esquire and Hulu, Ben reported on the dark web for NBC News, departing “corporate journalism” in 2024 to write a book (The Onion has published a dozen). That same year, he became CEO of Global Tetrahedron, which purchased The Onion. In 2024, The Onion returned to print and its monthly issues currently have 65,000 subscribers, while* [*theonion.com*](http://theonion.com) *notches 4 million visitors a month.* **Introduced by – Louise Kiernan, Professor and director of strategic initiatives, Medill** *Louise has also led the school's investigative and social justice journalism specialization and taught investigative, narrative and public affairs reporting. She is an investigative veteran of ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune, where she was lead writer on a project that won the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting.* **Interviewed by – Abe Peck, Professor Emeritus/Director, B2B Communications, Medill** *After starting out editing the undergrounder Chicago Seed, Abe worked at another definitional magazine, Rolling Stone, as well as at Outside, the Chicago Daily News and the Chicago Sun-Times. He has consulted to more than 100 magazine titles worldwide, co-edited Medill on Media Engagement and is the author of Uncovering the Sixties: The Life and Times of the Underground Press.* 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM The Lighthouse @ 303 Rooftop Lounge, 30th Floor, Medill School Downtown RECEPTION & NETWORKING ![Charles-Whitaker - Dean and Professor - Medill School of Journalism-2](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Charles-Whitaker%20-%20Dean%20and%20Professor%20-%20Medill%20School%20of%20Journalism-2.jpg) Charles Whitaker Dean and Professor Medill Welcome – Charles Whitaker Charles is the first alumnus of Medill to serve as its dean. Teaching highlights include co-directing the Magazine Publishing Project and the Academy for Alternative Journalism. A former magazine and newspaper editor at publications such as Ebony, Charles is co-author of Magazine Writing and co-editor of Curating Culture. He serves on numerous boards. 8:00 AM – 8:50 AM CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST + LUGGAGE STORAGE 8:50 AM – 9:00 AM WELCOME AND DAY ONE RECAP ![Jim Elliott — Founder and President — James G. Elliott Co](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Jim%20Elliott%20%E2%80%94%20Founder%20and%20President%20%E2%80%94%20James%20G.%20Elliott%20Co-2.jpg) Jim Elliott President and Founder James G. Elliott Co. *Jim oversees the overall strategic direction of Elliott Co., which specializes in outsourced media sales, strategy and consulting for diverse media brands, including financial and operational planning. Before founding the company in 1984, he held several executive positions, including Director of Field Services at CBS Magazines and Western Advertising Manager at Road & Track Magazine. Heis currently a board member working directly with students through the Youth Business Alliance in Los Angeles.* 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM TRANSFORMATION 2: BEST PRACTICES FROM THE OTHER SIDE ![Jeremy Gilbert](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Jeremy%20Gilbert.png) Jeremy Gilbert Knight Chair for Digital Media Strategy Medill ![Kate Radway](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Kate%20Radway.png) Kate Radway VP, Digital Products and Experience Revlon ![Jim Kirk — Group President — Crain City Brands](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Jim%20Kirk%20%E2%80%94%20Group%20President%20%E2%80%94%20Crain%20City%20Brands-2.jpg) Jim Kirk Group President Crain City Brands and Pensions & Investments As media morphs in real time, we explore content and revenue innovations across journalism and corporate media. We’ll also dig into a collaboration between Medill and a leading AI provider. **Moderator and participant – Jeremy Gilbert, Knight Chair for Digital Media Strategy, Medill** ***J****eremy’s work and research focus on the content and revenue strategies of existing and emerging media companies. He explores the intersection of technology and media, employing a human-centered design process to examine how new tools and techniques will affect the creation, consumption and distribution of media. Before rejoining Medill, Jeremy helped The Washington Post, National Geographic and the Poynter Institute create and execute unique digital products, storytelling experiences and digital strategies.*   ***Kate Radway, VP, Digital Products and Experience, Revlon*** *At Revlon, Kate is helping to shape the next generation of digital capabilities across content, commerce, consumer engagement and AI. Her work focuses on connecting business strategy, consumer needs, technology platforms and operating models to create meaningful growth.Previously VP, Product Engagement And Experience, Peacock; Senior Product Manager, User Signals And Familiar Content, Disney; Senior Product Manager, The Players Tribune.* **Jim KirK** Jim concentrates on building significant change and growth throughout news and content organizations. He is focused on harnessing creativity and strong collaboration in the pursuit of new product development and customer engagement. Prior to joining Crain’s, Jim was senior vice president / strategic initiatives at Tribune Company and editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Sun-Times. 9:50 AM - 9:55 AM SPONSOR/VENDOR MESSAGE 10:00 AM - 10:40 AM To be Announced Details forthcoming 10:45 AM - 11:15 AM TEAM BREAKOUTS Teams report out their best practices around trust and transformation, drawn from presentations, breakouts and further insights. Small groups suggest best practices around trust and transformation. Coffee, etc., available. 11:15 AM - 11:45 AM SHARING BEST TAKEAWAYS Teams report out their best practices around trust and transformation, drawn from presentations, breakouts and further insights. 11:50 AM - 11:55 AM SPONSOR MESSAGE 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM NEXT-GENERATION TALENT: MENTORING AND LEARNING ![carolyn-tang-kmet - Associate Professor - Medill School of Journalism-2](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/carolyn-tang-kmet%20-%20Associate%20Professor%20-%20Medill%20School%20of%20Journalism-2.png) Carolyn Tang Kmet Associate Professor Medill ![Nathan Graber-Lipperman — Creator; Writer and Publisher — Powder Blue OFFLINE Magazine](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Nathan%20Graber-Lipperman%20%E2%80%94%20Creator%3B%20Writer%20and%20Publisher%20%E2%80%94%20Powder%20Blue%20%20OFFLINE%20Magazine-2.jpg) Nathan Graber-Lipperman Creator Powder Blue ![Chris Ferrell](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Chris%20Ferrell.png) Chris Ferrell Farrell Advisors ![Eleni-Tecos - Medill MSJ 26](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Eleni-Tecos%20-%20Medill%20MSJ%2026-2.jpg) Eleni Tecos Student Representative **Moderator – Carolyn Tang Kmet** Carolyn teaches courses in data storytelling, marketing technology and digital marketing activation. She previously served as chief marketing officer at All Inclusive Marketing, a full-service e-commerce agency that provided analytics, marketing, and site optimization. **Chris Ferrell** Chris headed this 90-brand company from 2017 until 2026, expanding from brand-centricism to embrace elements such as content studios, agentic AI and events. Prior to that, he founded and operated SouthComm and published Nashville Scene. Over the past four years, he and his team collaborated with Medill’s “Inside B2B Media” class.   **Eleni Tecos** Eleni is a recent graduate of the Medill MSJ program, in which she specialized in Media Management & Leadership and served as presentation manager within the “Inside B2B Media” project. **NATHAN GRAEBER-LIPPERMAN** *“We're on a mission to ‘Make The Internet Feel Smaller ’-producing human-made documentaries, a newsletter, and events for young creatives looking to lead their lives with intentionality. Once a quarter, we release a new print magazine: OFFLINE. We cover the artists and online personalities who wield Internet influence to create real-world impact.” Nathan previously edited Unplugg’d, which covered Gen Z, and contributed to SB Nation.* 12:50 PM - 1:30 PM LUNCH + CONVERSATION JB McClatchy Foundation-sponsored discussion on how legacy media can survive and evolve. 1:30 AM - 2:00 PM CONCLUDING SESSION: LESSONS LEARNED ON TRUST, TRANSFORMATION AND TALENT ![Judy Franks — Professor, Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications ](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hubfs/Judy%20Franks%20%E2%80%94%20Professor%2c%20IMC%20%E2%80%94%20Medill%2c%20Northwestern%20University-2.jpg) Judy Franks Professor Medill **FACILITATOR – Judy Franks** *In addition to her role as a professor at Medill, Judy is also a course developer and facilitator for the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's) Learning Institute. She is the author of Media: From Chaos to Clarity.* 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM FINAL NETWORKING \* Sessions and speakers are subject to change. Ben Collins photo credit: Boston Globe/YouTube ![White Medill Media Summit Logo 300x300](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/White%20Medill%20Media%20Summit%20Logo%20300x300.png?width=150&height=100&name=White%20Medill%20Media%20Summit%20Logo%20300x300.png "White Medill Media Summit Logo 300x300") Home Agenda Speakers   Presented in partnership with [![Medill-Executive-Education-Horizontal-White-Logo](https://medillexeced.northwestern.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Medill-Executive-Education-Horizontal-White-Logo.png?width=1000&height=187&name=Medill-Executive-Education-Horizontal-White-Logo.png "Medill-Executive-Education-Horizontal-White-Logo")](https://www.medill.northwestern.edu/)  © 2026 Medill Executive Education