CorpGov hosted the second LA CorpGov Forum on Sept. 18, 2026, at The Huntington Library in San Marino, California. This event brought together members of the financial community from both LA and beyond in panels focused on the finance of entertainment and media, sports, along with capital markets and shareholder activism.
Panel: Entertainment in the AI Era: Music, Games and Film
- ElizBeth Jones, Founder and CEO, Atomic Venus Media
- Travis Cloyd, Director of Digital Research Entertainment Arts Media Storytelling, California Institute of the Arts
- Jason Alejandre, President, Founder and Creative Director, Game Mechanic Studios (GMS)
- JL Pomeroy, Founder and CEO, BRIDGELINE Media
- Evan Hainey, Partner, Untitled Entertainment
- Daphna Edwards Ziman, Co-Chairman, Project Rise Partners
Main Topics of Discussion:
- AI is reshaping entertainment, but human creativity remains central: AI as a tool that can democratize filmmaking and content creation, but audiences still value human storytelling, authenticity and emotional connection.
- Gaming and entertainment are converging: Game IP is increasingly driving successful film and television projects, with tighter collaboration between game developers and Hollywood improving the quality of adaptations.
- Experiential entertainment is a major growth opportunity: Theater, Broadway, concerts and other live experiences benefit from audiences’ desire for human connection and shared experiences.
- AI should enhance—not replace—creative teams: Panelists highlighted practical uses of AI for back-office efficiency, production and other tasks, but warned against replacing writers, directors, performers and other creative professionals.
- Ethics, governance and audience demand will shape AI’s future: The panel emphasized the need for ethical standards and external oversight while noting that consumers ultimately have significant influence: if audiences reject low-quality AI-generated content, entertainment companies will have economic incentives to prioritize human-created, higher-quality work.
Speakers and Notable Attendees
- Paul Haaga, Former Chairman, Capital Research and Management Company; Chair of the Board, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; Board Director, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
- Jason Alejandre, President, Founder and Creative Director, Game Mechanic Studios (GMS)
- Nicolle Brady, Managing Director, Protiviti
- David Carter, Principal, The Sports Business Group
- Travis Cloyd, Director of Digital Research Entertainment Arts Media Storytelling, California Institute of the Arts
- Thomas Courtney, Jr., President and CEO, The Courtney Group
- Dick Drobnick, Former USC Vice Provost for Globalization and IBEAR MBA Program Director, Asia Society Southern California Chairman Emeritus
- Daphna Edwards Ziman, Co-Chairman, Project Rise Partners
- Jon Feldman, Partner and Business Law Group Head, Goodmans LLP
- Joseph Fish, CEP, Managing Director, Stock Operations, Infinite Equity
- Baird Fogel, Head of Global Sports Practice, Partner, Eversheds-Sutherland
- Noah Francis, Banker, J.P. Morgan Private Bank
- Brent Granado, Partner, Sweetwater Private Equity
- Sagar Gupta, Portfolio Manager, Anson Funds
- Evan Hainey, Partner, Untitled Entertainment
- Thomas W. Hulick, CEO, Managing Partner, Strategy Asset Managers
- Rafique Jiwani, Head of GTM Value Creation, Operating Advisor, Goldman Sachs Private Equity
- ElizBeth Jones, Founder and CEO, Atomic Venus Media
- Ryan Keating, Partner, Industry Leader, Venture Services, EisnerAmper
- Ramey Layne, Partner, Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions, Vinson & Elkins
- Jeff Meyer, Managing Director, Protiviti
- Pete Michelsen, Leader, Activism and Shareholder Advisory Practice, Qatalyst
- JL Pomeroy, Founder and CEO, BRIDGELINE Media
- Josh Waldron, Interim CFO, Scale AI
- Jarrett Banks, Editor-at-Large, CorpGov (Moderator)
- John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief, CorpGov (Moderator)
More Upcoming Events:
Preliminary Agenda: 6th Palm Beach CorpGov Forum Nov 4-5 with Activism, Sports, VC
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