On November 19, Top Chef’s Gail Simmons, ESPN E60’s Michael Baltierra, and the Field Foundation’s Angelique Power will join photographer, author and artist Melanie Dunea for a conversation on the power of visual content for social good – and we want you to join us.
These inspiring voices are coming together during 20/21 Vision: The Strategy Summit by PhotoShelter to celebrate how a compelling, visual narrative can change the world.
Want to be a part of the conversation? Save your spot today!
Host Melanie Dunea is a world-renowned photographer and storyteller, and a longtime friend of PhotoShelter. She knows the power of one image to make an impact, whether it’s a striking portrait that shifts the viewer’s perspective, or a moving image of New York City on lockdown that inspires people to take action. We can’t wait to see her talk with these three brilliant creative leaders, and we can promise you won’t want to miss it!
This interactive keynote session is part of a full day of connection and inspiration for creative teams. Sign up to stay tuned for more speaker announcements and a full agenda, and get to know our first four keynote speakers below!
The Power of Visual Content for Social Good
Gail Simmons, Judge, BRAVO’s Top Chef
Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her expertise as a permanent judge on BRAVO’s Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series Top Chef, now entering its 18th successful season. She is the host of Iron Chef Canada, was previously head critic on Top Chef Masters and host of Top Chef Just Desserts, Bravo’s pastry-focused spinoff of the Top Chef franchise. From 2004 to 2019, Gail served as special projects director at FOOD & WINE.
In February 2012, she published her first book, Talking With My Mouth Full: My Life as a Professional Eater. Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life ofAdventurous Eating, was released in October 2017. Nominated for an IACP award for best general cookbook, it features recipes inspired by Gail’s world travels—all made with accessible ingredients and with smart, simple techniques for successful family meals and easy entertaining.
Gail frequently appears on television shows such as The Dish on Dr. Oz, TODAY on NBC, Rachael Ray and The Talk, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by The New York Post.
Gail is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Babson College, co-founder of Bumble Pie Productions, and sits on the board of several organizations, including City Harvest and Hot Bread Kitchen. She currently lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.
Angelique Power, President, The Field Foundation
Born and raised on the southside of Chicago by a white, Jewish mother who was a Chicago Public school teacher and an African American father who rose to be Sergeant in the Chicago Police force, Angelique has an intense love for her dazzlingly creative and deeply scarred city.
As President of the Field Foundation, Angelique has led a journey with staff, board and nonprofit partners to center racial equity in the foundation’s work. Over the past four years, the foundation has changed how it funds, who it funds, has created accountability structures for community to review its work, rethought metrics, created heatmaps to clearly illustrate the design of inequity within Chicago and has updated its investment policy.
Through strategic partnerships with other foundations, under Angelique’s tenure the Field Foundation has doubled the size of its giving and its programming – allowing it to fund in the areas of Justice, Art, Leadership Investment and Media & Storytelling. These partnerships allow Field Foundation to fund individuals, for profit organizations along with nonprofits. Additionally, in 2020 the Field Foundation relocated to the nation’s first collaborative community workspace dedicated to social impact entitled FBRK’s Impact House, an entity she co-conceptualized with former Chicago Bear, Israel Idonije and other peers.
Power chairs the boards of 6018North and Enrich Chicago, an organization she co-founded, dedicated to racial equity in the arts and serves on the board of Forefront Illinois and the Advisory Committee of the Illinois Justice Project. Angelique co-chaired Mayor Lightfoot’s Transition Team, on the Mayor’s Taskforce for COVID Recovery and is a 2015 Fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago.
Michael Baltierra, Executive Editor, ESPN E60
Michael Baltierra is an award-winning journalist, producer and executive driven to develop and deliver groundbreaking content. He is a proven leader with an excellent track record in building creative teams, who is passionate about storytelling that informs, inspires and entertains.
As Executive Editor for ESPN E60, he oversees all editorial content on the network’s long-form storytelling program, including selecting, developing and programming stories. He supervises and ensures the quality of all feature scripts and in-depth story development, and manages the program’s cross-platform strategy to deliver content across ESPN’s and Disney’s digital, broadcast, and print outlets.
Michael joined E60 from ABC News, where he produced shows and news coverage for Nightline, World News and ABC’s London Bureau.
His work at ESPN and ABC has earned him national and international recognition, including 20 Emmy Awards, 9 Edward R. Murrow Awards and the United Nations Special Gold Medal.
Host | Melanie Dunea, Photographer and Content Creator
Melanie Dunea is an award-winning photographer, author and artist, best known for her revealing portraits of some of the world’s most celebrated creators, chefs, politicians, and intellectuals, as well as her lauded book series My Last Supper and numerous philanthropic endeavors.
Her most recent works, New York in Bloom and NYC on Lockdown: A Pandemic Diary were inspired by the global pandemic and cultural moment in our nation.
Dunea received numerous awards for her work from American Photography, PDN, Communication Arts, Graphis, the Society of Publication Designers, International Photography Awards, and the Lucie Foundation. My Last Supper: The Next Course won the Gourmand Award for Best in the World – USA Photography.
Dunea hails from Chicago, and for many years has called Tribeca, NYC home.
Join the Conversation
Sign up now for 20/21 Vision: The Strategy Summit by PhotoShelter to meet these four incredible keynote speakers, along with other brilliant creative people from brands you know and love.
