RICKEY AUSTYN BIGGERS
Austyn Biggers currently serves as the Sr. Director of Development for BET Networks, where he is involved in all facets of original series development and production. Austyn leads a development team that concentrates on internal development and in-house production, as well as third-party productions. During his time at BET, the company has seen the implementation of scripted programs, new tent pole events, and a double-digit increase in ratings. Austyn's BET credits include Baldwin Hills, College Hill, Keyshia Cole.
Cole: The Way It Is, First In, Being Terry Kennedy, Born To Dance: Laurieann Gibson, Tiny & Toya, Let's Stay Together, Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, House of Bodies, Party The Wright Way, and most recently The Sheards, for the network.
Prior to October, 2008 Austyn was the VP of Development for SokoLobl Entertainment. In addition to his role with SokoLobl, Austyn provided freelance development, casting, and production services for other production companies and networks including Go Go Luckey, Ripe Digital, Ryan Seacrest Productions, E! Networks, CMT, Oxygen, Style, and MTV. Over the last 10 years, Austyn has worked in virtually every aspect of television production, from development to field to post. He has developed and produced formats for TV, the internet, shorts, film, and mobile apps.
Originally from Nashville, TN, Austyn attended Florida State University and has called Atlanta, New York and London home before settling down in L.A. Austyn volunteers with several organizations including those related to HIV/AIDS, Women and Men's Cancer, and Domestic Abuse. He is also a strong advocate for animal rights and encourages everyone he knows to adopt their next pet.
Cole: The Way It Is, First In, Being Terry Kennedy, Born To Dance: Laurieann Gibson, Tiny & Toya, Let's Stay Together, Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, House of Bodies, Party The Wright Way, and most recently The Sheards, for the network.
Prior to October, 2008 Austyn was the VP of Development for SokoLobl Entertainment. In addition to his role with SokoLobl, Austyn provided freelance development, casting, and production services for other production companies and networks including Go Go Luckey, Ripe Digital, Ryan Seacrest Productions, E! Networks, CMT, Oxygen, Style, and MTV. Over the last 10 years, Austyn has worked in virtually every aspect of television production, from development to field to post. He has developed and produced formats for TV, the internet, shorts, film, and mobile apps.
Originally from Nashville, TN, Austyn attended Florida State University and has called Atlanta, New York and London home before settling down in L.A. Austyn volunteers with several organizations including those related to HIV/AIDS, Women and Men's Cancer, and Domestic Abuse. He is also a strong advocate for animal rights and encourages everyone he knows to adopt their next pet.
KELLY EDWARDS
In June 2013 Kelly Edwards joined HBO as their VP of Talent Development overseeing all diversity programs above and below the line. Prior to HBO, Edwards was a key corporate diversity executive at Comcast/NBCUniversal for over five years where she introducing diverse creative talent to NBC, USA, Syfy, Bravo, and Telemundo.
Edwards’ career has spanned both television and film having executive produced the one hour series “Sex, Love, and Secrets” for UPN, serving as SVP of Comedy for UPN, and working with film producers Garry Marshall and Laura Ziskin’s as their Story Editor.
While at UPN, Edwards co-founded Colour TV, a networking group for diverse creative executives. Colour TV has now branched into Colour Film, Colour TV East, and Colour Assistants, all designed to connect current and future industry executives with one another.
Edwards graduated from Vassar College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater and is a member of the HRTS, NAMIC, and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences having served for two years on the Academy Diversity Committee and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for NALIP. Edwards recently sat on the Los Angeles leadership council for the United Negro College Fund.
Edwards’ career has spanned both television and film having executive produced the one hour series “Sex, Love, and Secrets” for UPN, serving as SVP of Comedy for UPN, and working with film producers Garry Marshall and Laura Ziskin’s as their Story Editor.
While at UPN, Edwards co-founded Colour TV, a networking group for diverse creative executives. Colour TV has now branched into Colour Film, Colour TV East, and Colour Assistants, all designed to connect current and future industry executives with one another.
Edwards graduated from Vassar College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater and is a member of the HRTS, NAMIC, and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences having served for two years on the Academy Diversity Committee and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for NALIP. Edwards recently sat on the Los Angeles leadership council for the United Negro College Fund.
JAE KIM
Jae Kim is the Chief Content Officer at ALL DEF DIGITAL [ADD]. Founded by Russell Simmons and Brian Robbins, ADD is comprised of a YouTube channel, multi-channel network, digital content production company, record label, and music and comedy talent management. Kim oversees the development and production of all programming.
Prior to joining ADD, Kim was Senior Director of Original Programming for BET Networks, where he was in charge of scripted and non-scripted programming, including THE GAME, SECOND GENERATION WAYANS, THE MICHAEL VICK PROJECT, and THE FAMILY CREWS.
Previously, Kim was Vice President of Development & Production for the TV division of The Mark Gordon Company, where he was instrumental in the development and production of Lifetime's hit show ARMY WIVES, as well as the CW series REAPER. In addition, he was actively involved in maintaining the successful momentum of the highly acclaimed CBS series CRIMINAL MINDS.
Kim also served as Manager of Original Programming for Showtime Networks Inc., where he helped develop and shepherd a number of the network's shows, including the dramas BROTHERHOOD and DEXTER, comedies FAT ACTRESS and BARBERSHOP, and the reality series INTERSCOPE PRESENTS THE NEXT EPISODE.
Born in Seoul, Kim and his family lived in Morocco and Ecuador before settling in Los Angeles.
Kim is a graduate of USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and sits on its Alumni Board of Directors. Kim is also a graduate of the NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program.
Prior to joining ADD, Kim was Senior Director of Original Programming for BET Networks, where he was in charge of scripted and non-scripted programming, including THE GAME, SECOND GENERATION WAYANS, THE MICHAEL VICK PROJECT, and THE FAMILY CREWS.
Previously, Kim was Vice President of Development & Production for the TV division of The Mark Gordon Company, where he was instrumental in the development and production of Lifetime's hit show ARMY WIVES, as well as the CW series REAPER. In addition, he was actively involved in maintaining the successful momentum of the highly acclaimed CBS series CRIMINAL MINDS.
Kim also served as Manager of Original Programming for Showtime Networks Inc., where he helped develop and shepherd a number of the network's shows, including the dramas BROTHERHOOD and DEXTER, comedies FAT ACTRESS and BARBERSHOP, and the reality series INTERSCOPE PRESENTS THE NEXT EPISODE.
Born in Seoul, Kim and his family lived in Morocco and Ecuador before settling in Los Angeles.
Kim is a graduate of USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and sits on its Alumni Board of Directors. Kim is also a graduate of the NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program.
KIMBERLY MYERS
Kimberly Myers began her career in the film industry in New York City. After a stint at Saturday Night Live producing short films and as an executive at Showtime, she moved to WNET, the New York public television station where she became Director of Drama, producing dozens of programs for the series “Great Performances” and “American Playhouse”. In Los Angeles she has worked as both a studio executive and as a producer. She served as Vice President of Program Development at Turner Network Television and Vice President of Movies and Mini Series at Fox Television Studios. She was the producer of television films for NBC, CBS, Lifetime and TNT. She headed development for feature films, series and television movies for Moctesuma Esparza at Maya Pictures prior to joining the Writers Guild of America, West in May 2007 as Director of Diversity. Ms. Myers is a graduate of Princeton University.
ASHLEY PLANKS
Ashley Planks is the Director of Forefront.tv, a division of YouTube multi-channel network Big Frame. Her introduction to digital entertainment came in 2011 when she started working for Nice Peter, creator of YouTube’s most successful series Epic Rap Battles of History. Today, she is the caretaker of the Forefront brand and oversees the channels and careers of YouTube’s top urban comedians. She was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and earned a B.A. with Honors in Public Relations Management from Clark Atlanta University in 2008.
ROSE CATHERINE PINKNEY
Rose Catherine is currently Vice President, Development and Original Programming at TV Land. TV Land is a part of the MTV Network Group. She started her career at Twentieth Century Fox Television in current programming and development and left there to run Uptown Television. Later she served as Vice President and then Sr. Vice President and head of Comedy Development at Paramount Network Television Group. Following her time at Paramount, Rose Catherine enjoyed a three year stint in unscripted television as EVP and head of Programming for TV One. Missing scripted development, she headed back to Los Angeles where she ran Laurence Fishburne's TV production company at CBS before joining TV Land. Rose Catherine has a B.A. in Sociology from Princeton University as well as her M.B.A from the Anderson School at UCLA. Although primarily a TV executive, early in her career, she sold and produced a movie released by Polygram. Due to her varied work experiences and commitment to the community, Rose Catherine often speaks on industry panels.