John Ridley

Director, Screenwriter, Novelist, Playwright and Showrunner

Oscar-winning screenwriter, director, novelist, playwright and showrunner John Ridley will kick of the CMMA 2021 National Conference with a keynote dialogue moderated by former CMMA President Chris Barry, AMM. Ridley will discuss his career in Hollywood, his versatility as a creative force, his work in the DC comics universe and “Heroes of Color, and the importance of developing a diverse and inclusive talent pipeline in Hollywood – and in CMMA member organizations.

John Ridley is a director, screenwriter, novelist, playwright and showrunner. His critically acclaimed documentary about the Los Angeles uprising, Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992, premiered in theaters and aired on ABC in 2017 and is now available on Netflix. He recently directed the first episode of the lauded EPIX original series “Godfather of Harlem,” starring and executive produced by Forest Whitaker. Ridley previously won an Oscar® for writing 12 Years A Slave, he wrote and directed the innovative Jimi Hendrix biopic All Is By My Side, and was the creator, director, and executive producer of ABC’s Emmy-winning anthology series “American Crime.” His limited series “Guerilla,” with Idris Elba, Freida Pinto, and Babou Ceesay, aired in 2017 on Showtime and Sky. In the fall of 2018 Ridley opened NO Studios, a space for the arts and community, in his hometown of Milwaukee.

John Ridley IMDB Page

Julius Rhodes

Founder and Principal at MPR Group

 Speaker, presenter, trainer and thought leader Julius Rhodes returns to CMMA to continue the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion conversation he started at 2020’s virtual conference. This time, through an interactive session, he will focus on inclusive leadership behaviors we can practice in our organizations to better hire and retain diverse team members.

Julius Rhodes has over 30 years in diverse Human Resources environments and has worked with several leading edge Fortune 100 firms such as: Mobil Chemical, General Electric, Baxter Healthcare and Sara Lee Bakery. In 1995 Julius established the mpr group, which is his MBE Certified Human Capital and Human Resources consulting practice.

Dieter Sturm

Live-Action Special Effects Designer

Dieter Sturm is a 35 year veteran live-action special effects designer and coordinator for the motion picture industry. His work includes environments (rain, wind, fog, etc.), pyrotechnics (fire, explosions, sparks, smoke, bullet hits, etc.), mechanicals, rigging, and much more. His true specialty is snow and winter creation. In 1995 he was recognized with an Academy Award for Scientific & Technical Achievement for development of the first biodegradable snow for the motion picture industry. Dieter Sturm’s work can be seen in nearly 100 feature films, countless TV commercials, photos and special events. His film credits include: Fargo, Contagion, Green Book, Transformers – Age of Extinction and Office Christmas Party.

Dieter Sturm IMDB Page

Pete Safran

AVP, Creative at Lincoln Financial Group

Pete Safran has delivered award winning, creative solutions for some of the largest companies in the US. From writing, producing and directing cutting edge programming for Johnson and Johnson’s sales-force and internal communications to producing e-learning/multimedia for elite companies such as Goldman Sachs, the NFL, Unilever, CBS, Tyco, IBM, Ford and Citibank at SAI Global, to most recently directing a talented Creative team of multimedia producers and designers at Lincoln Financial Group.

He lives in Doylestown PA, with his wife and 3 children.  He is an avid Philly sports fan and loves watching and making movies on the side.

Greg Sneed

Director, Mayo Clinic’s Media Support Services

Greg Sneed is a Director in Mayo Clinic’s Media Support Services division. Greg has been with Mayo Clinic for 33 years & has been in a leadership role for the last 23 years. He earned a B.S. in journalism at Arizona State & a M.S. in leadership from Grand Canyon University.