EXECUTIVE TEAM
Stephan has conceived, built and acquired sports and entertainment properties, including, most recently, the U.S. Sports Film Festival. He worked on Wall Street in leadership positions in private equity, investment banking and law for Apollo Management, Houlihan Lokey, and Lehman Brothers. Prior to that, as an attorney, his work included representing sports and entertainment talent and businesses. Stephan earned degrees from the University of Pennsylvania (B.A. in Economics, B.S. in Economics from Wharton), Villanova University (J.D.) and Northwestern University (MBA in Finance from the Kellogg School of Management).
Victoria is a renowned fashion and model industry talent agent, casting director and producer. As a former Elite Model Management senior director, Victoria was responsible for scouting, booking, developing, casting, managing and publicizing premier talent, celebrities and athletes with top branded clients, including Lancôme, L’Oréal USA, L’Uomo Vogue/Teen Vogue, Reebok, Sports Illustrated, Maybelline, Harper’s Bazaar and many others. She has produced fashion shows, film screenings, Oscars events, the U.S. Sports Film Festival and other premier events. Victoria is a proud alumna of Auburn University.
Nelson is a senior executive with 25+ years of strategy, product management, corporate development experience with a focus on launching new products and services globally. He started his career at McKinsey and worked in a wide range of industries from consumer electronics (Newell Rubbermaid), internet (Traxo), wireless infrastructure (Lucent), high end spirits (Remy Martin) to most recently the last 10 years in education at Academic Partnerships/ Risepoint where he helped grow it ten fold serving in roles from Strategy/ Ed tech partnerships, Innovation and Corporate Development/ M&A. He has a BS/ MS from Stanford and an MBA from Kellogg Business School.
Jason brings a dynamic combination of technological expertise and appreciation for the performing arts. Jason has over two decades of experience in software development, product design, and strategic planning. His career began with tackling the global Y2K challenge, which laid the groundwork for a journey of innovation and industry transformation.
His significant contributions to the digital transformation of education demonstrate his ability to navigate and shape industries during times of disruption. Jason has spent his career building and scaling teams and organizations of all sizes, and his firsthand experience with growth challenges uniquely positions him to understand and improve UpStaged’s mission of empowering college and high school performing artists through technology.
SENIOR ADVISORS
Kevin is a senior executive with extensive experience across the EdTech, information analytics, and software industries. Most recently, he ran the Higher Ed institutional business unit at Cengage and led strategy and business development for several divisions at Elsevier. In addition to his commercial experience, Kevin brings to UpStaged his love for the performing arts, from high school summers touring New England as a performer with Kaleidoscope Theater, to starting a theater company in New York City. Kevin holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia University.
Josh has over 30 years of leadership experience in corporate, private equity and military organizations, including as CEO of Blount International, co-founder of a private equity firm, and partner of Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking. Additionally, he has served on several boards of private and publicly traded corporations. Prior to joining the private sector, Josh served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm.
Dr. Sue Henderson is a senior executive with extensive public service experience in higher education and served as the president of New Jersey City University (NJCU) for 10 years. During her tenure she accomplished a range of transformational initiatives to position NJCU as a game-changing force in a global landscape. A board director to many national organizations, and former member to the NCAA Board of Governors, Dr. Henderson has deep experience in organizational change and strategic planning.
Lisa is an international senior executive, management consultant and board director with deep experience in corporate strategy, operational efficiency, team development and change management. She has spent most of her career in management consulting and in leadership roles at globally renowned brands, including Starbucks Coffee and Yum! Restaurants. Before earning her MBA, Lisa ran a publication for a division of The Economist Group in Hong Kong and was the youngest editor in Economist history.
Peter is an internationally recognized higher-education and emerging-companies’ attorney and general counsel, advising on partnerships, business structures, labor and employment, complex contracts, and intellectual property matters. His nonprofit charitable service includes board memberships for the National Association of College and University Attorneys, Yale Arab Alumni Association, Warrior Connection, and Downtown Brattleboro Alliance. Peter holds a B.A. from Yale and a J.D. from Boston University.
Arun is a digital business & technology executive with extensive experience across digital media, entertainment, and financial services. He has managed large digital transformation initiatives for startups as well as $30B+ global firms. Most recently, he served as the Chief Information & Digital Officer for a NYC-based law firm. As part of contributing to the community, he has served as an adjunct faculty for eCornell and St. Peter’s University for 7+ years in business & marketing strategy, cyber security, and artificial intelligence.
Doug is a sports and entertainment entrepreneur and strategist. He has served as LiveXLive Media (NASDAQ: LIVX) COO, a global digital media live music entertainment company, Chief Advisor to two-time NBA All-Star, entrepreneur Baron Davis and Founder of Hero Ventures live Entertainment company, which produces the Marvel Experience. He spearheaded the Chicago Shamrox [National Lacrosse League] franchise launch, Michael Kalish’s reALIze (Muhammad Ali sculpture at AEG Live!) exhibition and The Grammys 50th Anniversary Tour production. • Wesleyan University (BA) • USC (JD)
Connie is a business development and strategy executive with extensive experience in the 3D real-time graphics, media, and entertainment industry. She has managed strategic partnerships for the launch of AMD’s 64-bit platform in real-time and graphics markets and oversaw the launch of DreamWorks Animation’s Education Department. Connie served as the Executive Director of the Pre-Visualization Society, Board Member and co-founder of the U.S. Sports Film Festival, and former Chairperson of the San Francisco SIGGRAPH Chapter.
David has 30 years of experience in corporate management, strategy, finance, and private equity. He served as the President, COO, and board member of Blount International, with previous experience as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Blount. He cofounded a private equity firm, Collins Willmott & Co., has served on numerous corporate boards, and was a Partner at Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking.
