Boards and Advisory
Board of Directors
Patricia Turney is Chief Technical Operations Officer at Acelyrin, Inc., a late-stage biopharmaceutical company. Prior to joining Acelyrin, Turney was SVP of Arcutis Biotherapeutics. Turney was also a senior leader at Amgen for over 20 years where she held a wide variety of roles with increasing responsibility and leadership across Manufacturing, Engineering, EH&S, R&D, and Quality.
She currently manages Amgen’s External Supply organization supporting over $5B in annual product sales along with enabling Amgen’s R&D pipeline for new product development. Her team is responsible for over 250 Raw Material and Medical Device Suppliers worldwide and 55 contract manufacturing sites spanning 10 countries.
Prior to this role, Ms. Turney led Amgen’s Manufacturing Site Operations in The Netherlands, where she was responsible for supplying patients in over 75 countries. “Parent of the Year 2001”– Ventura County Autism Society.
Ms. Turney serves on the Exceptional Minds Board of Directors as Board Chair and is a member of the LA BioMed Board. She has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the US Naval Academy and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Prior to her career at Amgen, Ms. Turney was a US Naval Aviator and served in the US Navy in various locations around the world.
Dan Glasser is the CEO of the world renowned National Ability Center in Park City, Utah. Previously, Glasser served as founder of Brigantine Holdings LLC, a media services consultancy, where he defined multi-platform messaging for an Artificial Intelligence company, provided strategic guidance for a Rogers and Cowan content start-up, and served as an expert consultant on technological industry trends and digital transformation. He has extensive experience in business development, operations, strategy, revenue generation, and content production for both start-up and growth organizations.
Prior to creating his own business, Dan served as the CEO for Film Solutions: an entertainment digital assets management provider in Los Angeles. He has held executive leadership roles in media service companies on both coasts. Glasser holds degrees from Vanderbilt University and the UCLA Anderson School of Business. He also serves on boards for the Thomas Sherak MS Hope Foundation, GRFF at Chicago Community Trust, and the D&R; Foundation in Chicago.
Susan Capps is a business executive focused on social impact strategies as part of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) efforts. She is currently Vice President of Market Access at Baylor Genetics. Her experience includes building a new corporate initiative to address equitable access of medicines for low and lower-middle income patients across the globe. Additionally, her work with the US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Initiative on Health and the Economy focuses on investing in resilient health systems for economic growth and positive social impact.
This work includes private business partnering with other stakeholders, such as the public sector, to develop health solutions. Susan is also the parent of Carter Capps, an adult on the autism spectrum, who is a past graduate and current part-time animator with Exceptional Minds. Susan’s 25+ years in business (Amgen, Eli Lilly & Co, and IMS Health) plus her direct experience with an animation artist on the autism spectrum provides her with a unique perspective to support the growth of the Exceptional Minds organization.
Mr. Alpuche has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since February 2019. Prior, he served as our: Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer from February 2018 to February 2019; Executive Vice President, Global Manufacturing and Operations from February 2017 to February 2018; and Senior Vice President, Global Manufacturing and Operations from February 2016 to February 2017. From 2012 to February 2016, Mr. Alpuche served as an independent consultant for both domestic and international companies in the food, beverage and chemical industries. Previously, he spent thirty years at PepsiCo in leadership roles of increasing responsibility overseeing domestic and international plant operations.
Earlier in his career at PepsiCo, he held a number of management roles in plant operations, product management and quality control. Most recently, he served as PepsiCo’s Senior Vice President of North America Beverages, and before that he held the position of Vice President and General Manager, Concentrate Operations, Asia and Americas. Mr. Alpuche holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Delaware Valley College and obtained an Executive Master of Science in Organizational Management from the University of Pennsylvania.
Cuong Do, MBA, is President and CEO of BioVie Inc . Prior to his appointment with BioVie, Mr. Do was President of Samsung Global Strategy Group where he helped to set the strategic direction for Samsung Group’s diverse business portfolio. He was previously the Chief Strategy Officer for Merck, Tyco Electronics and Lenovo. Mr. Do is a former senior partner at McKinsey & Company, where he spent 17 years helping to build the healthcare, high tech and corporate finance practices. Cuong often straddles the worlds of health care and high tech and has helped companies grow by pursuing new opportunities through internal development, acquisitions, corporate venturing, and partnership.
Cuong is an active entrepreneur – starting companies himself, coaching startup CEOs, and serving on startup boards. He serves or has served on the board of AngioSafe, BioVie, Curve Financial, Hope Trust, ILiAD Biotechnologies, Laava, RenalSense, and WuXi AppTec. He is active with many philanthropic activities, particularly in autism and education. He also serves or served on the board of Autism Speaks, Caring for Cambodia, Celebrate the Children school, Fulbright University Vietnam, the Institute for Exceptional Care, Newark Academy, Paper Mill Playhouse, Profectum Foundation, and the Tuck School of Business.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, U.S., and a Master of Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.
Richard Gasparian is a Director, Writer, and Producer who is equally at home in the worlds of animation and live-action. With two Emmy Award nominations and one Emmy win for his work on the iconic TV series, The Simpsons, Gasparian’s animation credits are vast. His resume includes Disenchantment, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, The Simpsons Movie, Family Guy, King of the Hill, and Dragon Tales, as well as hundreds of hours of Saturday morning cartoons. He has worked at many of the top Los Angeles animation studios including FOX, Film Roman, Bento Box, Rough Draft, Disney, Warner Bros., and Columbia TriStar. He directed and co-wrote the award-winning live-action short, Private War, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival. He also produced the short “dog-umentary,” The Corgi Conspiracy, which won the coveted Director’s Choice Award at the Atlanta Film Festival. Gasparian co-wrote, co-produced, and stars in the soon-to-be-released cult-classic horror-comedy, The Night They Saved Siegfried’s Brain.
Over Michael’s career as a Human Resources Executive, he has held various leadership positions in Business and Human Resources in Telecommunications, Biotechnology and Defense industries. Michael has been employed by GTE, Amgen, and is currently with Northrop Grumman. Throughout his career Michael has developed an expertise in Strategic Planning, Organizational Development, Leadership Development, Mergers and Acquisitions, International Human Resources and Labor Relations. Michael joined Amgen Biotechnology as a senior leader in Talent Acquisition and then transitioned into HR Business leadership roles in Finance, Information Systems, Law, and Global Operations. At Northrop Grumman, he is the Senior Human Resources Business Leader for Global Operations in Aerospace Systems. Michael earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Redlands. He also holds several Executive Human Resources credentials from The Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, UCLA Anderson School of Management Business School, and USC Marshall Business School.
Dr. Amy M. Schonfeld is a clinical psychologist licensed in the state of California. Dr. Schonfeld specializes in clinical and forensic neuropsychological assessment of pediatric through young adult populations in private practice at Golden State Neuropsychology in Calabasas, CA. She works with children, teens, and young adults presenting with a wide range of concerns including neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and medical conditions.
Outside of her practice, she is a volunteer clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is co-author of “Beyond the Label,” published by Oxford University Press in 2012. Dr. Schonfeld received her Clinical Psychology doctorate in 2002 at the San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology with a specialty in Neuropsychology, followed by a three-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) post-doctoral fellowship at UCLA.
David Siegel is the CEO of Exceptional Minds, recognized as Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2023 Midsize Nonprofit of the Year. Exceptional Minds is a nonprofit academy and production studio preparing young adults on the autism spectrum for careers in media and entertainment.
Since being promoted to CEO in 2020, Siegel has significantly elevated the organization’s impact, increasing academy enrollment by 20%, graduate job placement by 50%, and doubling the operating budget. Under his leadership, Exceptional Minds has forged partnerships with industry leaders including Apple, Disney, Mattel, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery, paving the way for an inclusive workforce and transforming entertainment industry hiring practices.
Named one of Variety’s 100 Champions for Change in the 2022 Inclusion Impact Report, Siegel has a proven track record of advancing diversity and innovation. Prior to Exceptional Minds, he spent nearly a decade at Disney, leading marketing for Disneytoon Studios, and has held key roles in talent representation, production, and business strategy. His career spans roles and consultancy for top-tier universities, and media, animation, and technology companies.
A dedicated philanthropist, Siegel has raised over $1 million with his middle son to fund clinical trials for a rare genetic disease.
He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three sons.
Advisory Board
Mark Graziano
Co-Chair
EVP, Post Production
AMBLIN PARTNERS
Emily Eddey
Head of Content, X-Ray
AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
Renard Jenkins
SVP, Production Integration & Creative Technology Services
WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY
Rob Sorcher
Executive Producer, WARNER BROS. TELEVISION GROUP
Richard Goldsmith
President, Global Distribution and Consumer Products
THUNDERBIRD ENTERTAINMENT
Aaron Parry
President
SDFX AND C03 ANIMATION
Grace Chochola
VP Post and Operations
IMAX
Steve Waterman
CEO
FILM ROMAN
Holly Schiffer
Former SVP, Post Production
HBO
Gretchen Libby
Director, Visual Computing, GTM
AMAZON WEB SERVICES
Josh R. Jaggars
President, VFX and Stereo
DNEG
Danielle Costa
Head of VFX Dept
MARVEL STUDIOS
Ramsey Naito
President, Animation & Development
PARAMOUNT ANIMATION & NICKELODEON ANIMATION
Leon Silverman
Principal and Senior Advisor
STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE CONSULTING
Jesse Torres
Director, Film Post Production
NETFLIX
Petra Mcelvenny
Manager, Visual Effects
NETFLIX
Stephanie Allen
Former EVP, Visual Effects
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Sandra Rabins
President/Producer
PATCHWORK FILMS
Todd Isroelit
Senior Vice President, Visual Effects Production
20th CENTURY STUDIOS
David Taritero
Senior Vice President
Visual Effects and Production
THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
Stephen Swofford
Vice President, Client Services – Disney Digital Studio Services
THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
Anne Sweeney
Board of Directors
NETFLIX
THE LEGO GROUP
Casey Bernay
Director of Education and Special Projects
Art Directors Guild
Deborah Braidic
VP, Chief Marketing and Communication Officer
Children’s Hospital
Los Angeles
Stephen Swofford
Vice President, Client Services – Disney Digital Studio Services
THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
Daniel Franklin
President and Founder,
Franklin Educational Services
Mike Kanfer
Digital Production Specialist
Adobe Systems
Rick Markovitz
President
Weissman/
Markovitz
Communications
Sam Nicholson
CEO & Founder
ASC
Stargate Studios
Linda Orton
Chief Marketing Officer
Alvarez & Marsal
Dr. Ricki Robinson, M.D.
Profectum
Felice Rosen
Partner
Kayne Anderson
Capital Advisors
Josh Sapan
CEO
AMC Networks
Bob Stevenson
Founder and Chief Creative Officer ngmoco:)
Valerie Vanaman
Partner Esq.
Newman, Aaronson, Vanaman Attorneys at Law
Emeritus Board
Yudi Bennett
Co-Founder
Susan Zwerman
Executive Producer, Studio
Robert Hackl
Post Production & Deliveries
Executive Media Guarantors
Barbara Helfing
Consultant & Advocate for Children with Special Needs
Ivan Rosenberg, PhD
Managing Partner
InVista Associates
Cathee Weiss
Co-Founder
In Loving Memory
Ed Asner
Founding Chair
In Loving Memory