WOMEN HELPING WOMEN in Entertainment
OCTOBER 7, 2012 POWER WOMEN BEHIND REALITY TELEVISION PANEL
Panelists' Bios
 

JEN O'CONNELL: HEAD, U.S. TELEVISION, CORE MEDIA GROUP
 

JEN O'CONNELL Shed Media US

On October 4, 2012, Jennifer O'Connell was named Head of U.S. Television for CORE Media Group, a position she will start mid-October 2012. Core Media Group is the parent of production company 19 Entertainment, whose TV shows include Fox's American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. Most recently , Jennifer served as Executive Vice President of Shed Media US. She had been Senior Vice President of Ricochet Television since 2007, before the company became part of Shed Media US.

At Shed Media US, she served as Executive Producer of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York City, Bethenny Ever After, and It's A Brad, Brad World as well as NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?   Her new series Dogs in the City premiered on CBS this past May and Hollywood Exes premiered on VH1 in June. Jennifer also continues to develop programs for several other cable and broadcast networks.
 
Previously, O'Connell was with NBC for seven years both on the scripted and unscripted sides. She oversaw the development of such hit programs as The Biggest Loser and longform events such as 10.5 and the Emmy Award-winning The Matthew Shepard Story. She is an 18-year veteran of the television business, having also logged time at the Disney Channel and Family Channel.

JEN WILL DO A PRIVATE, ONE-ON-ONE MEETING WITH A LUCKY ATTENDEE.

 ERIN CRISTALL: Senior Vice President of Development -- BUNIM-MURRAY PRODUCTIONS
 

ERIN CRISTALL Bunim-Murray Productions

Erin Cristall joined BMP in 2007 as Vice President of Development. Since then, she has worked on the development of several series such as Oxygen Network’s top-rated competition series, “Best Ink”, Vh1’s docusoap, “The Saddle Ranch,” and Oxygen’s top-rated wedding special, “Flo Gets Married, all for which she also served as co-executive producer.

Other series Cristall has developed at BMP include Lifetime’s “Project Runway All Stars,” and Oxygen’s “Love Games.” As a Canadian French speaker, Cristall has also helped the company expand its reach to overseas markets and has developed shows directly for international networks in France and Canada. Cristall’s current development mandate includes discovering amazing characters to bring to life for television, adapting foreign television shows for a US audience, and strategizing key elements that make TV projects undeniable sales.

Cristall was previously Director of Alternative Programming at New Line Television where she adapted the hit film into NBC’s “The Real Wedding Crashers,” developed TV Land’s “Family Foreman,” and spearheaded pilots for CBS, GSN and Sci Fi Channel. Cristall began her career in development at A. Smith & Co. as Manager of Development where she developed the Fox hit series “Paradise Hotel” and “The Swan,” the syndicated “Pat Croce: Moving In,” and Sci Fi Channel’s first reality competition, “Mad Mad House.”

Cristall’s additional television experience includes producing over 30 episodes of the syndicated crime series, “Arrest & Trial,” assisting on CBS’ “Big Brother 2,” and serving, during summer breaks, as “teen consultant” on the Canadian high school drama, “Madison.” Cristall has also served production management and assistant director roles on several independent films such as the award-winning horror movie, “Ed Gein.”

Cristall is a published artist, having designed book covers, and contributing to displays in Canadian galleries and government buildings. Cristall is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.

ERIN WILL DO A PRIVATE, ONE-ON-ONE MEETING WITH A LUCKY ATTENDEE.

 CHRISTY DEES: BRAVO!
 

As Director of Development for Bravo Media, Christy Dees is responsible for developing new original series for the network focusing on innovative concepts and memorable characters that define Bravo programming. Since being at Bravo, Dees has developed a number of new series including Interior Therapy w/ Jeff Lewis, Miss Advised and Shahs of Sunset as well as the upcoming Kandi Factory and Silicon Valley.

Prior to joining Bravo, Dees was an Executive Director of Programming at TLC and an executive at The Style Network where she oversaw a number of series including Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane and Tia and Tamara Take 2. Dees credits Thom Beers with her big break when Beers hired her as Vice President of Development at Original Productions where she developed a number of projects including Monster House and America's Deadliest Season, the prequel to Deadliest Catch.

CHRISTY WILL DO A PRIVATE, ONE-ON-ONE MEETING WITH A LUCKY ATTENDEE.

MOTHER LOVE: RADIO & TELEVISION TALK SHOW HOST

MOTHER LOVE Talk Show Host & WHW Member

Mother Love is a veteran of talk radio and television talk shows in the capacity of host, personality, relationship expert, and announcer. The candid, always entertaining media star is also an actress of stage, film and television, who has done television sitcoms, music shows and over a dozen films. She also adds author, advice columnist, motivational speaker, spokesperson and humorist to her many talents and accomplishments.

Mother Love started her multifaceted entertainment career in Stand Up Comedy in 1977 on a $50.00 bet from her girlfriends. She went into a Biker Bar and did a 20-minute routine. The bar then gave her an additional $25.00 and an invitation to be the next weekend's opener for a band. She continued Stand Up for next 15 years, sharing the stage with Steve Harvey, Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin James, Rosie O'Donnell, Ray Romano, and many others who came through Cleveland, OH, while she did Morning & Afternoon Drive Time on WGCL FM Radio.

As a Talk Radio host, she has been on a number of radio stations with formats from Faith-Based, Talk, Sports, News and Contemporary Formats. In 1989, when she was bought to Los Angeles to host a late night Talk Radio program on KFI AM 640 from 10-1 AM M-F, she became THE VOICE of LATE NIGHT TALK RADIO. After only one month on KFI, the Los Angeles Times featured her in a Calendar section piece entitled, "Hot Radio," which introduced her on a broad scale to Los Angeles and the entertainment community.

Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Mother Love embarked on a television hosting career in 1984 in Cleveland, OH where she made live appearances on local WKYC (NBC Affiliate), WEWS (ABC Affiliate), FOX and other stations, doing cooking demos, interviews, and Man on The Street segments. She was well-prepared when the opportunity arrived for her to become a Relationship Expert on the first RICKI LAKE SHOW. She was also a frequent guest on THE HOME SHOW, the live national show on ABC with Gary Collins, where joined the cast as announcer in its final season. She went on to host the late night talk show "THE MOTHER LOVE SHOW" on Fox from 11:00PM- 12:00 AM M-F and the national syndicated Talk/ Relationship show "FORGIVE or FORGET" for 2 years (20th Television Syndicated).

Her television acting credits include guest starring roles opposite sitcom stars, Will Smith on Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Candice Bergen on Murphy Brown, Roseanne, and Katy Segal & Ed O'Neil on Married with Children. She has been a guest on Hollywood Squares, with Ellen Degeneres and Whoopi Goldberg, The Wayne Brady Show, The Roseanne (Talk) Show, Day & Date, Larry King on CNN and many local news/entertainment programs around the country.

Mother Love has performed in 13 Films, with noted stars such as Tommy Lee Jones, Peter Boyle, Hulk Hogan, Shaq, Lou Ferrigno, Jack Wagner, Beverly Todd and others.

On stage, Mother Love also participated in the Vagina Monologues - twice.

She has written three books, “Half the MOTHER Twice the LOVE," published by Atria Books (a divison of Simon & Schuster), and two advice-based books, Forgive or Forget: Never Underestimate the Power of Forgiveness (HarperCollins) and Listen Up Girlfriends (St. Martin's Press). She has written pieces for several magazines, and has graced the cover of TV Guide, Diabetes Forecast, BELLE, and others.

Mother Love is a Motivational Speaker and an advocate for family good health and well-being. She was honored with the Community Service Award 2012, by The Smith Family of Pasadena/Altadena, CA; the 2011 ADA’s Spirit Award, and the 2010 USC Anneburg School of Journalism and Communications History Makers Award. Women in Business also honored her as The Most Inspirational Woman of 2010. August 13th was proclaimed Mother Love Day in her hometown, Cleveland, OH.

Mother Love is currently the Co host of dLife TV... for your Diabetes Life on CNBC since its debut seven years ago and host of The Mother Love Show heard around the world on LATALKRADIO.COM, M-F from 2:00- 3:50 PM M-F (PST).

STEPHANIE BLOCH CHAMBERS: RYAN SEACREST PRODUCTIONS

Stephanie Bloch Chambers has been a producer in reality TV for the last 12 years. She began her career in the scripted world (Newsradio, Veritas, etc.), but soon moved on to reality working on such shows as Popstars, The Ashley Simpson Show and Bam’s Unholy Union. Most recently, she has been an Executive Producer of Bethenny Ever After, It’s a Brad Brad World, Married to Jonas and has another upcoming show on Bravo.

STEPHANIE WILL DO A PRIVATE, ONE-ON-ONE MEETING WITH A LUCKY ATTENDEE.

KIRA COSTELLO: APA TALENT & LITERARY AGENCY

Kira is a Branding Agent in the Branded Lifestyle Department at APA Talent & Literary Agency. She represents projects, companies and talent in her capacity. The Branded Lifestyle Department handles licensing, endorsements, appearances and equity deals for the agency.

KIRA WILL DO A PRIVATE, ONE-ON-ONE PHONE MEETING WITH A LUCKY ATTENDEE.