Meet Our Board
Carol Biondi
Carol has been an advocate for children and youth in the foster care and delinquency systems for 40 years and has served on numerous non-profit boards and on several government boards. She is currently a member of the California Governor’s Advisory Committee for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and formerly a Commissioner on the L.A. County Commission for Children and Families. She also served on the board of the Children’s Defense Fund for over 25 years, and on the boards of The United Friends of the Children and The Anti Recidivism Coalition. She is a widow, was married to Frank Biondi, and has two daughters and six grandchildren.
Ric Cantor
Ric Cantor is an award-winning director and writer of commercials, television and film. Coming from Manchester via London, he is now based in LA with his family and is committed to helping people from underrepresented communities into the film industry.
Alex Cohn
Alex Cohn is a partner and the head of content at advertising agency, Zambezi. Alex got his start as a PA and worked on feature films like Philadelphia, Men in Black, and Sleepers. Alex has written, directed, and produced content for Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, Super Deluxe, TruTv, and others and has been involved with ManifestWorks from the very beginning, regularly hosting ManifestWorks' classes, mentoring participants and putting them on jobs.
Andrew Colón
Andrew Colón is the Chief Operating Officer of both SMUGGLER and division7. A working stiff from the Bronx who ended up in Los Angeles with no particular aspiration, Andrew somehow got hired as a production assistant on a commercial in 1995. Since that early opportunity, he has only worked in commercial production, eventually transitioning after 16 years as a freelancer to a member of the full-time staff at SMUGGLER. Andrew loves working, helping people and keeping it real.
Brendan Countee
Brendan Countee is Senior Vice President of Original Programming at Showtime Networks. Before joining the board at ManifestWorks, Brendan spent a decade volunteering as a mentor for incarcerated children in Los Angeles County.
Grant DeVaul
Grant is a Private Wealth Advisor and co-founder of The Core Group at RBC Wealth Management. Grant and his wife Virginia are committed to supporting the most needy communities in Los Angeles.
Artie Gonzales
Artie Gonzalez is a Key Assistant Location Manager in television and film. Artie is also a producing partner at development company, Spirit Medicine Productions. Additionally, Artie is an advocate in the social justice reform space.
Naoe Jarmon
Naoe Jarmon is a camera operator for film, tv and movies and a member of Local 600, the international cinematographer’s guild. A relentless learner and an alumna of ManifestWorks, Naoe brings her advocacy for opportunity and access to her service as a board member. Born and raised in Inglewood, CA. She enjoys spending time with family and well-deserved naps.
Mariaesther Moncada
A native of the San Fernando Valley, Mariaesther is Vice President in the Entertainment Industries Group at Bank of America. She received her B.A. degree in Math and Economics from Wellesley College, is passionate about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, has two dogs, and enjoys coaching youth basketball.
Michele Mulroney
Michele is an LA-based screenwriter and director, and a graduate of London’s Central School of Speech & Drama. In the UK, she spent several years working with reentry programs for the formerly incarcerated, and was a residential social worker at East London’s Mill Grove Children’s Home. She mentors at several writers labs, including Sundance and Outfest, and teaches at the American Film Institute. She is a board member of the Writers Guild of America.
Dan Seaver
Dan is one of the founders of ManifestWorks and the current executive director of the organization. A former journalist and advertising copywriter, he spent more than a decade as a volunteer in a Los Angeles youth incarceration facility, and served as a Commissioner for the Los Angeles County Probation Department until 2021.
Shelly Townsend
Shelly has worked as a Commercial Production Executive for 20 years, representing many internationally acclaimed directors, and overseeing projects shooting all over the world. She is a member of the AICP Negotiating Committee, and has most recently become deeply involved in diversity issues as they relate to the film industry. She is a member of the Ghetto Film School Advisory Board, and a member of the Commercial Director Diversity Program Committee.
Chip Warren
A founding member of ManifestWorks, Chip is a storyteller at heart and has applied his passion to projects that inform, persuade, and enlighten, with a keen interest in social justice issues. Now a screenwriter, Chip has also produced and directed documentaries for film and television.
