BE THE LINK
The campaign to unite in the find against AIDS
Particpants by list of names
Todd Thomas
fashion designer
Todd Thomas is a New York-based designer, born in 1961 in Murphysboro, Illinois, Thomas grew up in a rural environment where his family's creative resourcefulness as a consequence of necessity made a big impression on him.
With Thomas's technical skills he went to work in the moderate world of Seventh Avenue manufacturer-designers, soaking up every aspect of sample making, cutting, pattern making, sourcing and production. The technical side of his craft, essential in his work and moneymaking endeavors, was indelibly strengthened there.
Among his favorite freelance design jobs have been costume designs for films, including Rebecca Miller’s Angela (1995) and Cindy Sherman’s Office Killer (1997), which he found hugely rewarding. Some of his more recent collaborative work includes costume designs for highly televised fashion shows such as Victoria Secret.
Karen Gravano
reality star - author
Karen Gravano is the daughter of Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, a former underboss of the Gambino crime family, and federal informant. The single mother has one daughter, Karina. She appears on VH1's Mob Wives. She wrote an autobiography "Mob Daughter" which made the New York Times Bestseller list.
Follow Karen on Twitter @KarenGravanoVH1
Ramona Rizzo
reality star
Ramona Rizzo is the granddaughter of former mobster Benjamin “Lefty Guns” Ruggiero; who was played by Al Pacino in the movie Donnie Brasco. She is a childhood friend of Karen Gravano. Rizzo was married for one year to a Jordanian man before divorcing in 2008. They have four kids: Giovanni, Anissa, Melina, and Jenny.
Follow Ramona on Twitter @RamonaRizzoVh1
Steven Kolb
Chief Executive Officer at CFDA - Council of Fashion Designers of America
As CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Steven oversees all operations and activities of the American fashion industry's preeminent designer trade association and affiliated charity. Membership consists of more than 400 of America's leading apparel and accessories designers. His responsibilities include all member services, trade association activities, and philanthropic initiatives. He reports to and works directly with Board President Diane von Furstenberg and the board comprised of 27 of America’s foremost designers.
Follow Steven on Twitter!
Byrdie Bell
model - actress
Byrdie descends from a long line of "Evelyn Byrds", the first of whom was the eldest daughter of Colonel William Byrd II, the founder of Richmond, VA. Her Mother, Evelyn Byrd Lorentzen, is the granddaughter of Øivind Lorentzen whose son Erling Lorentzen is related through marriage to the Norwegian royal family. Her father, Theodore Augustus Bell, III, is a best-selling author whose maternal grandfather, George Blaine Howell, inspired the character of Thurston Howell, III on Gilligan's Island.
Byrdie has been featured in major motion pictures as well as award-winning independent films and music videos. After working with directors like Michael Patrick King, Antonio Campos and Morgan J. Freeman, she shared the spotlight in Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones documentary Shine a Light[2] and is releasing two independent films; Blinders and Tragic Fairytale in 2011.
Aside from acting, Bell has been a fashion model since the age of eighteen. She has appeared on the covers and in the pages of magazines around the world, including Vogue, Vogue Nippon, V Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Russian Harpers Bazaar, L’Official, Muse, Paper Planes, and Dossier Journal. She has also modeled in campaigns for Hogan, NAHM, Rad Hourani, Meredith Kahn, and Club Monaco.
Sonja Morgan
reality star - Real Housewife of New York City
Appears on the Bravo television show The Real Housewives of New York City, Sonja Morgan, is a business woman, author, and mom. According to Sonja Morgan, she is a fan of " love for sex and plastic surgery." She also enjoys art skiing and is a big fan of France. She is divorced from John Adams Morgan, heir to the JP Morgan fortune.
Morgan is a worldwide traveler, a former model, a former restaurant consultant and manager, a former film producer, and a writer.
Josh Sussman
actor
Josh Sussman is an American actor, best known for his role as Hugh Normous in Wizards of Waverly Place and his role as Jacob Ben Israel in Glee.
A native of Teaneck, New Jersey, Mr. Sussman studied acting for two years at The School for Film and Television in New York. He has appeared in numerous television shows, including Drake & Josh, My Crazy Life, What About Brian, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and Bones. He has appeared in many commercials for ESPN, Target, Oscar Mayer, Dominoes Pizza, and most recently the Super Bowl LXVI Pepsi commercial featuring Elton John and Flava Flav.
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David Alan Basche
actor - humanitarian - environmentalist
Stars in the hit show "The Exes" on TV Land. A series regular on many television comedies and dramas, but has also worked in film for Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorcese, Paul Greengrass, Shawn Levy to name a few. He's firted with Julia Roberts, stolen Tom Cruises's wife, berated Brooke Shields, married (and divorced) Debra Messing, and snubbed Sarah Jessica and Mr. Big. But don't let his screen credits fool you: he's a trained actor with serious on-stage chops. David is an outspoken environmentalist - he and wife Alysia's home was featured on TV's "World's Greenest Homes". Both David and Alysia are involved with many charities including The Cancer Support Community, Habitat for Humanity, Actors for Austism and many others.
Alysia Reiner
actress - producer - humanitarian - environmentalist
Alysia won her first Screen Actor's Guild award (Outstanding Performance in an Ensemble Cast) playing Christine in the Oscar-winning film Sideways. Her other film credits include One Last Thing, For The Love of the Game, among many others. Alysia has acted on numerous television series and performed off Broadway. Alysia created Speed Grieving, an award-winning short film about the loss of her father. She partnered with the Cancer Support Community to bring this film to all their centers to aid others in their grieving.
Neal Schon
singer - guitarist - musician
An American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the band Journey. He is the only member to have recorded on all of Journey's albums. He was also a member of the rock band Santana before forming Journey.
In addition to his five solo albums and 14 studio albums with Journey, his work also includes: a pair of albums with keyboardist Jan Hammer, short-term collaborations with Sammy Hagar (HSAS and Planet Us) and Paul Rodgers, stints with Bad English (a supergroup that featured Journey’s Jonathan Cain and Deen Castronovo and Jonathan Cain's former Babys bandmates John Waite and Ricky Phillips) and Hardline (which also featured Deen Castronovo).
Michaele Salahi
celebrity socialite
Known for her role on The Real Housewives of DC, Michaele is a northern Virginia native, model and celebrity socialite.
Sean Stone
actor - director - producer
A graduate of Princeton University, Sean is an actor with credits including Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Natural Born Killers, Nixon, U Turn, W, Wall Street Money Never Sleeps.
Sean has directed and written several shorts. He is in post-production with his directorial debut of the horror feature film SecretStone, starring Bruce Payne and his acclaimed director father Oliver Stone. He penned the screenplay with Alexander Wraith. Look for release later this year.
For more on Sean click here.
Kristen Renton
actress - model
Kristen Renton is an American actress recurring as Ima on Sons of Anarchy and formerly known for portraying Morgan Hollingsworth on NBC's soap opera Days of our Lives. She has appeared in the films “Ghouls,” “In the Mix”, and “Come Away Home.” She has also made appearances on television, in such series as “CSI: NY” and “The OC”.
Born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Florida, Kristen was considered a tomboy growing, spending most of her time playing outdoor sports. Her family was excited when she decided to follow in her older sister's footsteps to do modeling as an extracurricular activity. A week short of her 16th birthday, Kristen attended a "cattle call" of over 350 kids. She was one of only three of the attendees who were asked to come to Los Angeles and try her hand at acting. Soon after relocating to Los Angeles, Kristen found success quickly, while also teaching herself the remainder of her high school curriculum and graduating with honors.
Kristen is a passionate animal activist and supports charities like spcaLA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), The Humane Society, and Boxer Rescue Los Angeles. She has boxer and is fostering a cat that means the world to her. She recently enrolled in Penn State University, her parents' alma mater, to obtain a degree in Psychology.
Follow Kristen on Twitter!
Steven Kolb
Chief Executive Officer at CFDA - Council of Fashion Designers of America
As CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Steven oversees all operations and activities of the American fashion industry's preeminent designer trade association and affiliated charity. Membership consists of more than 400 of America's leading apparel and accessories designers. His responsibilities include all member services, trade association activities, and philanthropic initiatives. He reports to and works directly with Board President Diane von Furstenberg and the board comprised of 27 of America’s foremost designers.
Follow Steven on Twitter!
Lydia Hearst-Shaw
actress - fashion model - columnist - socialite - heiress
Lydia Hearst-Shaw has modeled for magazines such as Vogue, Elle, GQ, and Nylon. She has appeared in print campaigns for Roberto Cavalli for H&M, Lord & Taylor, Escada, NARS cosmetics, Bottega Veneta to name a few. The 2007 Michael Awards recognized her a their Model of the Year. She was also awarded Best International Supermodel in 2008.
Not one to stop at modeling, Ms. Hearst has designed a line of handbags for Puma, she was a columnist for the New York Post's Page Six Magazine, and she has appeared on the tv show Gossip Girl. Lydia is the daughter of Patricia Hearst, and great-granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst, creator of the media empire.
Ms. Hearst actively supports many causes and has donated her time into organizing and participating in charitable organizations. It is with great pleasure that the Be The Link Campaign can consider her a link to unite in the fight. Here, she appears as Part One in a three-part series of a contemporary Birth of Venus.
Carson Kressley
television star - celebrity stylist - author - fashion designer
Emmy-winning television star Carson Kressley is out to make over the world.
Kressley was most recently a "fan-favorite" on ABC's world-wide hit, Dancing With The Stars. In 2011, Kressley starred in "Carson-Nation" a one-hour reality show which premiered on OWN, The Oprah Winfrey Network. Previously, Kressley helmed Lifetime's critically acclaimed show "How To Look Good Naked" and earned a primetime Emmy for his role on Bravo's breakout hit series "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." He was a frequent style contributor on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" He can also been seen as a style contributor on ABC's Good Morning America and Live With Kelly!
Kressley is a New York Times best-selling author with three books to his credit, including "You're Different and That's Super", a children's book promoting diversity and tolerance.
A strong supporter of many philanthropic causes, Kressley uses his celebrity to advance different concerns such as The Trevor Project, The Human Rights Campaign, The Empire State Pride Agenda, LIGALY, GLSEN, AIDS WALK, The Ali Forney Center and the Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation.
Alison Miller
Publisher of Luxury Lifestyle Magazines
Alison Miller is Group Publisher of Niche Media Western Division and Publisher of Los Angeles Confidential Magazine. Prior to joining Greenspun Media Group, Alison was President and CEO of Stratus Rewards. She has also served as President for TG Worldwide Meetings & Incentives.
www.la-confidential-magazine.com
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Jeneba Tarmoh
Olympic Gold medalist
Jeneba Tarmoh is an American track and field sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres and 200 metres. Tarmoh lives in San Jose, California where she attended Mt. Pleasant High School. Her parents, both nurses, immigrated to San Jose from Sierra Leone shortly before she was born.
She was an All-American for Texas A&M University helping them with back to back to back wins in the NCAA Track & Field Outdoor Championships 2009–2011 seasons. She gave up her final year of eligibility to compete in the NCAA after she went professional, signing with Nike. Jeneba was awarded gold medals from the NACAC U-23 Championships and the World Junior Championships in 100 meters and the 4 x 100 relay. Jeneba won a gold medal for the 4×100 m relay at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Follow Jeneba on Twitter
Aviva Drescher
television personality - humanitarian
Aviva Drescher is New York’s newest member of Bravo’s hit series “The Real Housewives of New York City.” As the only born and raised New Yorker in the show’s history, this 5’10" stunner is elegant, intelligent and educated while providing a great home for her four children on the Upper East Side.
When Aviva was six years-old, she was in a farm accident when her left foot got severely hurt at a friend’s upstate New York dairy farm. A few months later her leg was amputated as a result of that accident. Aviva has never let this tragedy define who she is.
Aviva attended New York’s The Fieldston School as a child and went on to earn a Bachelors of Arts degree from Vassar College, a Masters in French Literature from New York University and a Juris Doctorate from The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
Aviva is also passionate about working with different philanthropies. Whether it is her role as the National Spokesperson for One Step Ahead, an organization for amputees, or her work with Cancer Schmancer/Trash Cancer, Aviva continually teaches her family the importance of giving back.
Dwayne L. Shattuck
television producer - director
President of Aspen Entertainment, Dwayne began his career in the film business as Set Medic with his experience as a Fire Department Paramedic. A veteran of the industry with television series productions as Mad Men; North Shore; Skin; Push, Nevada and Hidden Palms under his belt. Currently Dwayne has in development for 2012 the television series Magic City which centers on Miami mobsters and other characters from Miami Beach in the late 1950s.
Dwayne has won numerous awards including an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 2010 and 2011 for MAD MEN. He was awarded a 2010 DGA for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Dramatic Series for MAD MEN. Also awarded The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television - Drama 2011 for MAD MEN from the Producers Guild of America.
For more on Dwayne click here.
Charlotte Ronson
fashion designer
Born in London and raised in New York, Charlotte Ronson followed the tradition by developing her own unique style at an early age. In 2000, Ronson launched her first collection, C. Ronson, which gained instant recognition. In May 2002, Ronson opened her flagship boutique in New York’s hip Nolita neighborhood.
In 2005, Aaron Nir joined C.Ronson as president and the collection was re-named “Charlotte Ronson”. In late 2009, Charlotte and Aaron became partners and established Charlotte Ronson International headquartered in New York City. With Charlotte Ronson’s sense of style and Aaron Nir’s savvy business sense this dynamic team has created a powerful brand with widespread recognition and huge potential.
In 2011 Charlotte Ronson was inducted into the CFDA and launched the Charlotte Ronson Beauty line with Sephora. In 2012 Charlotte Ronson launched the Charlotte Ronson handbag collection with Artisan House.
With her namesake collection garnering rave reviews across the board in the US and abroad as well as her multifaceted business ventures in Asia, collaborations, and with JCPenney, Ronson has solidified herself as a leading young designer and a driving force in American Fashion.
www.charlotteronson.com
Tara Reid
American actress
Tara Reid began acting at nine years old, she appeared as a regular on the game show Child's Play. She appeared in over 100 commercials including Jell-O, McDonalds, and Crayola. As a teenager, she was on Saved By The Bell: The New Class and Days of Our Lives.
Reid transitioned to movies, landing her break out role in the 1998 cult favorite The Big Lebowski. She appeared in two more box office toppers, Cruel Intentions and Urban Legend. She is perhaps most recognized for portraying the role of Vickie in the wildly successful film, American Pie, which grossed over $102,000,000 in U.S. box office receipts and becoming her fourth #1 in a row. Ms. Reid has also starred in Josie and the Pussycats, American Pie 2, and National Lampoon's Van Wilder, among many others.
Ms. Reid returned to the small screen as a re-occurring character on the NBC sitcom, Scrubs. She also hosted the E! Channel's Wild On Tara Reid (later renamed Taradise), a program that showcased high society vacations and hot spots.
Ms. Reid has appeared on several magazine covers including Maxim, FHM, Stuff, and Playboy to name a few. She also has designed a clothing line with Ed Hardy designer, Christian Audigier, entitled Mantra.
For more Tara click here.
Gary Michael Walters
producer
Gary Michael Walters was born in New York, and educated at Princeton University, where he majored in statistics, and Fordham Law School, where he graduated cum laude. After working on Wall Street as a financial consultant for Johnson & Higgins and a corporate lawyer at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Walters moved to Los Angeles and entered the entertainment business at the entertainment law department of Loeb & Loeb. After several years of solo law practice, Walters commenced his producing career in 2003, specializing in the financing of independent feature films. In 2004, he helped found Bold Films and is currently its co-president.
Phillip Bloch
designer - stylist - actor - writer
Best known as a celebrity stylist, Philip Bloch’s fashion expertise has earned attention on the red carpet. He gives countless interviews on fashion, trends, style, beauty makeovers and thrifty shopping tips. He appears regularly on most major network news and talk shows and is frequently featured on VH1, MTV, CNN, E!, and Style Network.
In recent years, Phillip Bloch has leapt from behind the camera to the big screen. Bloch starred and produced his first feature film, “The Unseen.” Since 2007, Bloch has appeared in 12 other films, including a cameo in “Bruno” and in “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps.”
Phillip is also an accomplished writer. Bloch has written for international magazines such as Elle, Fashion Quarterly, and Detour and has been a contributing editor to InStyle magazine. He is also the author of Elements of Style. Bloch is currently working on a new book called “The Shopping Diet”.
Bloch is also a designer. In June 2000, Bloch designed and successfully launched a line of jewelry on QVC, and in 2007 Bloch launched his first ready to wear women's collection designed to combine star style and everyday affordable prices.
Bloch is very involved with charitable causes and regularly teams up with corporate, celebrity and private charities. He is an ambassador to the Youth AIDS organization, where he hosted events with celebrity colleagues.
Todd Milliner
executive producer
Todd Milliner serves as executive producer on NBC's new drama "Grimm."
Milliner formed Hazy Mills Productions with Sean Hayes in 2003. Their first two pilots, "UnderExposed" and "Situation Comedy," were produced for Bravo. The latter, which premiered in 2005, became the first documentary television show that set out to find the next great sitcom.
Milliner currently is the executive producer of TV Land's hit comedy "Hot In Cleveland," which debuted to the largest basic cable comedy audience in history.
Milliner and Hayes have created shows for CBS, NBC, Showtime, The CW, UPN, SyFy, FX and FOX. Milliner also co-wrote and executive produced the TBS pilot of "What News?" in 2006.
He also produced the Ovation-nominated production of Richard Greenberg's "Take Me Out" in 2011.
Milliner hails from Chicago where he worked and taught at The Second City. With an acting and sketch comedy background, Milliner continues to develop shows for the stage in Los Angeles.
www.hazymills.com
Stella Maeve
actress
Stella Maeve is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought after and engaging young actresses. Stella’s television credits include Grey’s Anatomy, House M.D., Bones, MTV’s My Super Psycho Sweet Sixteen: Part 2, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Ghost\ Town, Gossip Girl, Law & Order: SVU, and Law & Order: CI. In addition, Stella is filming All Together Now, an indie rock drama being directed by Alexander Tavitian. Stella also will be seen in Manson Girls as Linda Kasabian, opposite Taryn Manning and Gillian Zinser. Stella’s other film credits include The Runaways, Brooklyn’s Finest, Harold, and Transamerica.
Stella picked up the Robert Altman Award at the 2013 Independent Spirit Awards along with her Starlet castmates James Ransone and Dree Hemingway and director Sean Baker. Currently, she appears in the CBS crime drama television series Golden Boy.
Follow Stella on Twitter
Kate Linder
actress - flight attendant - humanitarian
Best known for her role as Esther Valentine on The Young & The Restless, which she has played since 1982. Kate continues to fly the friendly skies of United on weekends while simultaneously appearing on the soap opera.
Kate graduated with a BA in theatre arts from San Francisco State University. She has worked in television appearing on Archie Bunker's Place and Bay City Blues among others.
In 2005, Linder was elected to two terms as Governor of Daytime Programming Peer Group for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (the folks who put on the Emmy Awards). On April 10, 2008, Linder received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Linder enjoys the best of two worlds: on the air and in the air. "Acting is my life," says Linder. "It's what I do for a living and my creative satisfaction. Flying is what I do to stay grounded."
Linder is the celebrity spokesperson for the ALS Association, the pre-eminent leader in the fight against Lou Gehrig's Disease, following her brother-in-law's diagnosis. She is also on the board of AFTRA and Linder can be found most holidays serving food to the hungry and homeless at the Los Angeles Mission. She is also active with TV Cares, the ATAS AIDS fundraising and awareness organization, and Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Christopher Atkins
actor - writer - producer
Christopher is best remembered for his role as Richard in the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon and for his role on the hit TV series Dallas. He also starred in the cult classic The Pirate Movie and over 50 other film and television projects. In the 1990s and 2000s, he drifted into made-for-network and cable movies, such as Fatal Charms, Project Shadowchaser III and Angel Flight Dawn. Recent projects include Caved In, Spiritual Warriors, 13th Child, The Employee of the Month, Tequila Express, Quigley and True Legends of the West. Comic roles include Mortuary Academy (1988), Shoot (1992) and he even re-united with Brooke Shields on her show Suddenly Susan. He has also written and produced films.
Christopher is busy working both in front of and behind the camera with many upcoming projects. His most recent role was in Blue Lagoon: The Awakening which was a remake of the original for Lifetime.
Pascal Mouawad
jeweler - businessman
With panache, innovation and an inspired vision, Pascal Mouawad has made his mark as the fourth generation of the prestigious Mouawad group, carrying the company's reputation for excellence in jewelry to new heights.
Born into a family that has owned a number of the world's most important diamonds, Pascal was immersed in the dazzling world of jewelry from a young age. Raised in Geneva, Switzerland, Pascal followed his graduation from high school with a move to Los Angeles to pursue his further education. His choice of location was astute, for he already harbored the determination to one day grow the Mouawad family business much further beyond its European base to the United States. After undergraduate studies at California's Pepperdine University, he went on to obtain his Gemology Degree from the Gemological Institute of America, which he followed with an MBA from UCLA's Anderson School of Management.
Leaving academia behind, in 1999 Pascal made the move to New York from where he set to work putting his vision for the family business into action.
The US, and specifically Hollywood, remained at the heart of Pascal's vision for the company. His grandfather before him had earned a prestigious status as jeweler to royalty across the world. Decades later, Pascal brought an innovative twist to this family tradition by courting the glamorous 'royalty' of the modern day - iconic celebrities - with Mouawad's renowned European traditions and craftsmanship.
Phillipe & David Blond
American Fashion Designers
Designer duo Phillip and David Blond create breath-taking glamour and cutting-edge fashion. Famous for their corsets, these one-of-a-kind masterpieces are handmade for each unique look. Specially-chosen garments embellished with incredible detail elevate their collections to stand out and a favorite of celebrity wardrobes.
Divas who wear the Blonds fashion include Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry and Fergie.
Tom "Tiny" Lister is an American character actor and retired professional wrestler known for his roles as the neighborhood bully Deebo in the film Friday and its first sequel, and as President Lindberg in The Fifth Element
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Cindy Cowan is the former president and co-founder of Initial Entertainment Group (IEG), a leading film production and foreign sales company. Cowan co-founded IEG in 1995 with Graham King, with seed capital of only $350,000 and no tangible assets; Cowan was able to secure a $25 million line of credit with Chase Bank to fund overhead, development, and production of its projects. IEG was sold to Splendid Films in 2000 for approximately $10 million.
Between 1995 and 2000, IEG had many successes including: an Emmy nomination for Rent-A-Kid, starring Leslie Nielson; Emmy, Golden Globe and People’s Choice nominations for If These Walls Could Talk, starring Cher, Sissy Spacek, Anne Heche and Demi Moore; and won a United Nations Award for Savior, starring Dennis Quaid. IEG also saw success with its production ofTraffic, starring Michael Douglas and Benicio Del Toro; the film won Oscars for directing, adapted screenplay, editing, and best supporting actor. Additional projects produced by Ms. Cowan while at IEG include Very Bad Things, starring Cameron Diaz and Christian Slater; and the Robert Altman-directed Dr. T & the Women, starring Richard Gere, Helen Hunt, Kate Hudson and Liv Tyler.
Since forming her new production company, Cindy Cowan Entertainment, Cowan has produced Scorched starring Woody Harrelson and Alicia Silverstone, executive produced Fifty Dead Men Walking starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Jim Sturgess; she also produced Red Lights starring Robert De Niro, Sigourney Weaver, Cillian Murphy, and Elizabeth Olsen. Directed by Rodrigo Cortes, Red Lights was the opening night premiere at Sundance, January 2012, and was the highest selling film at that festival. Cowan is in post-production on Miracle on 42nd Street, a documentary featuring Alicia Keys, Terrence Howard and Sam Jackson, to name a few.
Ruta Lee
actress - humanitarian
Born in Montreal, Lee is the daughter of a Lithuanian tailor. Lee's career in show business began at the famed Grauman's Chinese Theatre as an usherette, then candy girl. She was quickly promoted to box office cashier and just as quickly fired. Her dancing was better than her math. She vowed to return to that famous courtyard (years later, talent and serendipity placed her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, directly in front of the box office from which she was fired).
Soon after, she was signed by MGM as the youngest of the Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and subsequently in Funny Face with Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn, as Tyrone Power's secret love in Witness for the Prosecution, and Frank Sinatra's leading lady in Sergeant's Three, to name but a few of the many films in her credits. Simultaneously, Lee launched into television, with over 2000 appearances on shows from Perry Mason to Power Rangers, Twilight Zone to Murder She Wrote, Hogan's Heroes to Love Boat, and Roseanne. Lee was also co-host on NBC's High Rollers with Alex Trebek, a regular on Hollywood Squares with Peter Marshall and made several television movies. She had series leads in CBS' Coming of Age and HBO's 1st and Ten. Her stints on the Bonnie Hunt Show remain among her favorites.
Lee is highly acclaimed for her leadership role in The Thalians, a charitable organization which is committed to good mental health from pediatric to geriatric. She has served as Commissioner on the Los Angeles Board of Environmental Quality, acted as a national spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, was honored Woman of the Year by B'nai B'rith, received the Humanitarian Award from the Beverly Hills Business Women's Association.
Joanna Krupa
model - actress
Joanna Krupa is a Polish-American model and actress. She has appeared on magazine covers including Ocean Drive, ENVY, FHM, Stuff, GQ, Maxim, and twice on the cover of Playboy. Ms. Krupa has also modeled for Frederick's of Hollywood and Ed Hardy. She has been featured on television shows including Superstars, Las Vegas, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigators. Ms. Krupa appeared on Season 9 of Dancing with the Stars with partner Derek Hough. This fall 2010 Ms. Krupa will host and judge on Poland's Next Top Model.
No stranger to activism: Ms. Krupa appeared on the PETA ads "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur".
Marta Krupa
model - actress
Marta Krupa is a model, actress, and younger sister of Joanna. She has modeled swimsuits and lingerie for various publications including IMC, Ralph Magazine, ENVY, and FHM. Ms. Krupa has been featured on Dancing with the Stars, Mind of a Model, and Howard Stern on Demand, where she was named Miss HTV December 2007.
For more on Marta, click here.
Ken Davitian
actor
Kenneth Davitian is an American actor who is best known for his role as Borat's producer (Azamat Bagatov) in the 2006 comedy film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, in which he speaks the Eastern dialect of Armenian throughout the film.
Davitian, who is of Armenian descent, was born in Los Angeles, California. Early in his career, he appeared in the movies American Raspberry, Bikini Summer, Maximum Force, Frogtown II, and Sexual Intent. In 1994, he appeared in the movie The Silence of the Hams, a spoof of The Silence of the Lambs. Davitian has also appeared in television series such as Chuck, Ghost Whisperer, Becker, ER, Arli$$, The Shield, Gilmore Girls, Six Feet Under, Boston Legal, The Closer, and Mind of Mencia. Davitian starred in the short Last Day Foundation with comedian Jon Lovitz, a piece written by his son, screenwriter Aaron Davitian.
Recent films with Davitian include the family friendly film The Prankster, Melvin Smarty, and You May Not Kiss The Bride in which he plays Katharine McPhee's father, starring opposite Kathy Bates, Rob Schneider, Vinny Jones, Dave Annable and Mena Suvari. Most no tab;y, he appeared in the Academy Award-winning film The Artist.
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Kat Kramer
actress - singer - journalist - producer
Daughter of a giant – Hollywood legend Stanley Kramer, Katharine was named after her godmother Katharine Hepburn.
Music has always been an important part of Katharine's life. She was choreographing ballets at the age of five and was a child prodigy of dance. She seemed destined for a future in the world of dance but somewhere down the line, Katharine decided to pursue a career as an actress and singer. Kat has appeared in numerous commercials, modeled, and studied acting. She also enjoyed success as a vocalist. She sang with several swing bands and has performed at various benefits sharing the stage with icons such as Liza Minnelli, Mel Tormé, Johnny Mathis, and John Riatt. She opened for the Jazz legend Anita O'Day at The Viper Room and at The Jazz Bakery.
She is currently recording her debut album “Gemstone: Kat Kramer Sings Mick Jagger” and it is a compilation of songs written and originally performed by Mick Jagger of the truly legendary Rolling Stones. This is no mere cover album or tribute work, everyone on the album has to have some real connection with the Stones. This work in progress has several tracks down and only about five to go so a release date will be announced soon.
Kat has also recently established series of celebrity screenings of socially conscious films or what she calls: “Kat Kramer’s Films That Change the World.”
Michael Paul Ziegfeld
comedian - actor - writer - director
Michael Ziegfelds professional career began in 1986 at age 16 in local television within the 4th largest market of Philadelphia. He landed himself a job at WPHL-TV working on the local, Dancin On Air and national sister show Dance Party USA on the USA Network after convincing high school officials to excuse him from elective courses. After a strategic encounter with Muppet creator Jim Henson, Michael was invited on the weekends to New York to assist in the workshop and later on Sesame Street.
After three years and eventually headlining name clubs like Carolines, The Comedy Stop and The Funny Bone, he was introduced to name ventriloquist, Ronn Lucas who inspired him to revisit his childhood love of puppetry. In the 90s, Michael added the ventriloquism into his stage show giving him a marketing edge in bookings. The 17 year comedy career had him opening or sharing the bill with names like James Brown, Wynonna Judd, Joan Rivers, Don Rickels, The Mills Brothers, The Beach Boys, Kenny Rogers, Jeff Foxworthy, The Pointer Sisters, and Lisa Lampanelli. In 2008 Michael played opposite Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses when after the audition, the character was given a threaded role in the film.
Michael is bi-coastal, living in Hollywood, California while his main office of The Ziegfeld Company Incorporated is based in New York City. Currently Michael is writing, directing and developing television and digital media content for cable and network television.
Attending were some of today's most prominent figures in the world of business, entertainment, and fashion including: film producer Cindy Cowan, president of Cindy Cowan Entertainment; actor Tommy 'Tiny' Lister; Alison Miller, Group Publisher, Niche Media and Publisher of Los Angeles Confidential Magazine; Oscar nominee David France, director of 'How To Survive A Plague' and cast; Hollywood legend Ruta Lee; Kate Linder, star of The Young and the Restless; award-winning actor/producer Vincent De Paul; DC Council business outreach director Elizabeth Webster; Eden Sassoon, businesswoman and daughter of the late beauty pioneer Vidal Sassoon; actor and model Jimmy Jean-Louis; Founder/Publisher/Editor-In-Chief of Splash Magazine Lawrence Davis; David Babaii, celebrity hairstylist; Renee Olstead, actress of The Secret Life of the American Teenager; model Cynthia Kirchner; tv host and entertainment reporter Kristyn Burtt; Steven Hirsch founder of Vivid Entertainment; model Julia Lescova; author, beauty expert, and Editor-In-Chief Celeb Life Magazine Elizabeth TenHouten; director/producer Sean Stone, son of legendary director Oliver Stone; actress Katie Gill; fashion designer Lloyd Klein; president of Lloyd Klein Couture, John Arguelles; fashion designer Sue Wong; Kim Richards, CEO and Chairman of Allied Artists International; metal guitarist Rocky Kramer; musician and lead vocalist Chas West; Olympic gold medalist Jeneba Tarmoh; actor James Kyson; producer Kat Kramer, daughter of legend Stanley Kramer; Kier Mellour from Fashion Addict LA; actor Gerald McCullouch; actress Dustin Quick; actress Phoebe Price; Danny Musico, former middle weight champion; actress Kelly Hu; Project Runway alumni Alicia Hardesty and Bert Keeter; actor Christian Oliver; actress Stella Maeve; Shelley Fariello, Entertainment Director, In Touch and Life&Style Magazines; Tifanie Jodeh, Partner at Entertainment Law Partners; Michael Roban, Executive Vice President, Motion Picture Finance & Operations, IM Global; actor Mark Rhino Smith; twin actresses Rosie and Renee Tenison; alternative rock musician Gabrielle Wortman; actor Doug Haley; actor Ken Davitian of the Oscar-winning film The Artist, actress Julia Parker; comedian Michael Ziegfeld; pianist Margie Balter; actress Sheree J.Wilson; model Jasmine Dustin; celebrity personal trainer Rebecca Cardon; actress Kristen Renton of Sons of Anarchy; Gordon Vasquez of RealTVfilms; actor Daniel Samonas; model Lisa Gleave; Linda Thompson, actress and award-winning lyricist; actress Tara Hunnewell; actress and artist Marilinda Rivera; track & field two-time Olympian Carol Rodríguez; fashion designer Lisa Kline; actress Jessica 'Sugar' Kiper; Bonnie Gallanter, music manager and President/CEO of Muse Artist Management; actress Chelsea Rendon; award-winning PR executive Tosha Whitten Griggs; classical pianist Chloe Flower; actress Fiona Dourif of True Blood; Blake Berris of Days of Our Lives; actress Patricia Kara; Thomas DeLorenzo, political and HIV/AIDS activist; model Courtney Stodden and actor Doug Hutchison; actor Bruce Frausto; hit Billboard Dance singer Vassy; publicist Jonathan C, Unition Public Relations; Stacey Levin, TV producer for Valhalla Entertainment; Dr. Shirley Impellizzeri, clinical psychologist; actress Kimberly Estrada; and many more.
