J. Samuels, T. DasGupta, T. Halvorssen, M. Tolkin, J. de la Torre & C. Johnson

Teaches at Actors Connection New York

Julie Samuels

Julie Samuels is Executive Director of Tech:NYC, an organization representing New York’s fast growing, entrepreneurial tech industry. Before that she was Executive Director at Engine, a nonprofit focused on technology entrepreneurship and advocacy, where she remains a member of the Board. She previously worked at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, where she was a senior staff attorney and the Mark Cuban Chair to Eliminate Stupid Patents.

Julie earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt University and her B.S. in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She serves on the Boards of Engine, TechCongress, and the Internet Education Foundation, on ABNY’s Steering Committee, on the Innovation Council of the Partnership for New York City, and on Comptroller Scott Stringer’s Red Tape Commission, as well as on various Advisory Boards, such as of the Defensive Patent License and the License on Transfer Network.

Trina DasGupta

Trina DasGupta is an award-winning producer, director, writer, and entrepreneur. Currently, she serves as Founder & CEO of Single Palm Tree Productions (SPT), a media company dedicated to leveraging entertainment to help build cultural understanding. SPT’s partners have included The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Apollo Theater, and Girls Who Code. Trina’s career has spanned the television, non-profit, political, and mobile industries. She is a regular consultant with clients including Sesame Workshop, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Democratic National Committee.

Trina's work also won a Cannes Lion for the viral video, "Why can't girls code?", and her virtual reality project, "In Your Shoes," won the National Association of Broadcasters Innovation prize. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with degrees from the Wharton School of Business and the Annenburg School of Communications and also sits on the Board of Directors of Girls Who Code.

Thor Halvorssen

Thor Halvorssen is a human rights advocate and film producer. Described by the New York Times as “a champion of the underdog and the powerless,” he began advocating for human rights in 1989 in London by organizing opposition to South African apartheid. He became involved full-time in the promotion of due process and individual rights after his father became a political prisoner in Venezuela. He founded the New York-based Human Rights Foundation after his mother was shot during a political protest there in 2004. HRF is devoted to liberating political prisoners and to promoting tolerance and democracy in Latin America. Since its founding, HRF has secured the release of seven prisoners of conscience; provided evidence to Truth Commissions; submitted amicus briefs in major international human rights cases, and published two books on individual rights and responsibilities of the state.

Mr. Halvorssen is founder and CEO of the Oslo Freedom Forum, an annual global gathering. He is the Patron of the Prague-based Children’s Peace Movement; On Own Feet.

Mike Tolkin

Mike Tolkin is a Democratic Candidate for Mayor of New York City. An innovator, entrepreneur and investor, he most recently served as CEO of Ultro Labs, an innovation lab focused on emerging technology platforms, and Rooms.com, an interactive home design site. Mike founded and ran IMAX Labs, the innovation arm of IMAX Corporation, where he led IMAX’s new venture efforts, developing and commercializing new products in the areas of media, entertainment and technology, with a focus on immersive platforms and virtual reality. He also founded IMAXShift, an immersive group cycling experience based in Brooklyn. Mike received his B.S.E. from Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, and is the founder of NoMad Park, a proposed new park development in the heart of Manhattan.

Javier de la Torre

Javier de la Torre is CEO of CARTO. One of the pioneers of location intelligence, Javier founded the company in 2012 with a vision to democratize data analysis and visualization. Under his leadership, CARTO has grown from a groundbreaking idea into one of the fastest growing geospatial companies in the world.

Cory Johnson

If you follow technology, you've probably seen or heard or read Cory Johnson. He was CNBCs first Silicon Valley correspondent and, after a successful stint as a hedge fund manager, came back to TV to create Bloomberg West, Bloomberg's daily tech show.

But he's something of a media startup guy — he founded Slam magazine, helped create Vibe magazine with Quincy Jones, and later launched theStreet.com with Jim Cramer. His latest creation is a daily, national radio show on Sirius XM called Bloomberg Markets which he anchors with Carol Massar. (It's also broadcast in NY on AM 1130).