Featured Session: Matt Strauss & Andy Cohen: Community, Culture & the Future of Entertainment

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      "details": "S.E. Cupp is a nationally syndicated columnist, author, podcaster, and TV commentator.  \r\rCupp hosts a successful podcast at iHeart,  Off the Cupp, interviewing celebrities and newsmakers about their careers, their life challenges, and how they have navigated their mental health through it all. \r\rShe is a nationally syndicated columnist at the New York Daily News, where her politics column has been published for 17 years. She has also been published in the New York Times, Washington Post, Oprah Daily, Glamour Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and many other places. \r\rShe is currently a political commentator at CNN, where she’s hosted several shows, including “Outside with Insiders,” “Crossfire,” and most recently “Unfiltered with S.E. Cupp.” Before CNN, she co-hosted “The Cycle” on MSNBC. She regularly interviews authors for CSPAN’s “BookTV” and is a regular guest on countless talk shows. Cupp has also consulted on Aaron Sorkin’s “The Newsroom” and AppleTV’s “The Morning Show,” and has made cameos on “House of Cards” and “Saturday Night Live.” \r\rCupp has written “Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media’s Attack on Christianity,” and co-authored “Why You’re Wrong About the Right.” She is on the Advisory Board of Cornell University’s Institute of Politics and Global Affairs and INARA.org, and is a No Kid Hungry ambassador. She is also a Jeopardy! winner and a public speaker.  ",
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      "details": "Andy Cohen is an Emmy Award-winning host, producer, and author best known as the host and executive producer of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” Bravo’s late-night, interactive talk show. Cohen also serves as one of the executive producers across Bravo’s “The Real Housewives” franchise, which marks its 20th anniversary this year. He also has two personally curated channels on SiriusXM, “Radio Andy” and “Andy Cohen’s Kiki Lounge,” as well as his own book imprint, Andy Cohen Books. He is a 5-time New York Times best-selling author and annually co-hosts CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live special, alongside Anderson Cooper. \r \rIn his ten years as an executive at Bravo, he was responsible for a dynamic slate of unscripted series and specials including hits such as  “Top Chef,” “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” “Project Runway,” “Shahs of Sunset,” the “Million Dollar Listing” and “The Real Housewives” franchises, among others. Cohen received a Primetime Emmy for “Top Chef” in 2010 and has been nominated for 18 additional Emmy Awards. In 2019, Cohen was awarded the Vito Russo Award by GLAAD, and in June 2020, was recognized in THR and Variety’s Most Powerful LGBTQ Players in Hollywood lists. Additionally, Cohen received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022. Born in St. Louis, Cohen resides in New York City with his son, Benjamin Cohen, and daughter, Lucy Cohen.",
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      "details": "As part of a more than 20-year career as a leader within Comcast NBCUniversal, Matt Strauss was named Chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group in November 2024. In this role, Strauss leads business operations, strategy and platforms for NBC, Bravo and Peacock, and oversees key areas including International Networks, NBC Sports, Affiliate Relations, Content Distribution, Advertising Sales & Partnerships, and Decision Sciences. \r\rStrauss was elevated to this position after serving as NBCUniversal’s Chairman, Direct-to-Consumer and International Networks since 2020, where he oversaw all aspects of streaming service Peacock as well as the technology that powers it along with our international streaming ventures; online movie ticketing service Fandango; world-renowned movie review site Rotten Tomatoes; and International Networks, a division that delivers quality content and compelling brands to over 175 territories worldwide. \r\rStrauss joined NBCUniversal from Comcast in 2019 to lead Peacock and NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises, where he helped spearhead the 2020 launch of the streaming platform, helping it to quickly become the fastest-growing streaming service in the US. By building a global streaming platform driven by innovation, Strauss and Peacock made history with the seamless delivery of a record-setting NFL playoff game and by redefining the live sports experience during the 2024 Olympics through an interactive hub that saw record-breaking viewership. These milestones, along with breakout original hits have solidified Peacock’s place at the intersection of innovation and cultural relevance. \r\rPrior to NBCUniversal, Strauss was Executive Vice President, Xfinity Services for Comcast Cable, where he led the strategy and development of best-in-class products and services that served more than 30 million customers across Comcast’s residential lines of business, including Xfinity TV, one of the nation’s largest pay-TV distributors of video and entertainment services; Xfinity Internet, the nation’s largest gig provider; Xfinity Home; and Xfinity Voice.  \r\rUnder Strauss' leadership, Comcast transformed its video and internet services with innovations such as the Emmy Award-winning Xfinity X1 guide, voice remote, Xfinity Stream, Xfinity Flex, and Xfinity xFi, as well as industry-leading gigabit speeds and the largest Wi-Fi network in the nation. He previously served as Executive Vice President of Video and Entertainment Services, where he drove unprecedented video business growth and helped Comcast achieve positive video subscriber growth for the first time in a decade.  \r\rStrauss joined Comcast in 2004 as Senior Vice President of New Media, overseeing content acquisition and strategic development of on-demand services. Before Comcast, he was Executive Vice President at Rainbow Media, where he pioneered the video-on-demand model with Mag Rack, and held management roles at Disney-ABC, including Strategic Planning for the ABC Television Network. \r\rStrauss also serves on the board of directors for SkyShowtime, a streaming joint venture from Comcast and Paramount Global. He holds a BS from New York University’s Stern School of Business.",
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