Meet Our Jury

Jocko Sims starred in NBC’s hit medical drama, “New Amsterdam,” where he played Dr. Floyd Reynolds, the head of the cardiac surgical department. Recently, he starred in the first season of the Hulu comedy series, How To Die Alone, and he makes his return to NBC this spring for the murder mystery series, “Grosse Pointe Garden Society.”

Sims’s other notable tv credits include The Last Ship, Grey’s Anatomy, and film credits such as Dawn of The Planet of the Apes, Dreamgirls, and Jarhead.

Jocko has recently also stepped behind the camera, having written and directed his award-winning short film, “Grown,” and has since partnered up with 50 Cent (G-Unit) to develop it into a series.

John Horn is a veteran arts journalist and the entertainment correspondent for the National Public Radio show 1A. He previously covered entertainment, arts and culture for NPR’s KPCC/LAist 89.3, where he hosted the podcast Retake and the shows and podcasts The Frame and Hollywood: The Sequel. Before joining KPCC, Horn was a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, where he covered the film business; a senior writer at Newsweek; a senior editor at Premiere magazine; and an entertainment reporter for The Associated Press. His volunteer work includes Pasadena’s Union Station Homeless Services and The Geffen Playhouse in Westwood.

Annie Laks is from Chicago and earned a B.A. in Journalism and Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin. She was a publicity assistant at MGM in New York City before making the jump into film production in Los Angeles, and then at Sony. She joined Paramount Pictures in 2009 as a Creative Executive, earning her stripes on a wide range of movies such as Jason Reitman’s Oscar-nominated Up In The Air and Golden Globe-nominated Young Adult, Dinner For Schmucks, the Duplass brothers’ Jeff, Who Lives at Home, 2011’s Footloose, Ivan Reitman’s No Strings Attached, The Guilt Trip, and Robert Zemeckis’ Oscar-nominated Flight. In 2016, Laks rose to Senior Vice President of Paramount Animation, where she worked on The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. In 2019, she joined Shondaland as Senior Vice President of Creative Content, where she has been deeply involved in development for both film and television. She is a Co-EP on Bridgerton, Grey’s Anatomy, and Station 19.

Elaine Low is a staff writer at The Ankler, covering the evolution of Hollywood’s business model and work culture in the streaming age. She writes the weekly Series Business newsletter, for which she won best online columnist at the Los Angeles Press Club’s 2024 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. She previously worked for Variety, Business Insider and Investor’s Business Daily.

Erich C. Smith has been in representation going on 20 years. Smith ran the talent department at a boutique agency where he became known for identifying amazing comedic talent as well as diverse character actors. Since being at TCA, Erich has continued the work he was known for while expanding his portfolio to include staffed writers, produced playwrights, and indie film directors.

Erich C. Smith was born and raised in Detroit, MI, lives in Los Angeles with his wife and 2 children, and is an avid contributor to Breast Cancer Research and The Human Rights Campaign.

Mayan Lopez is a dynamic actress, writer, and producer known for her sharp comedic timing, heartfelt storytelling, and dedication to representation in entertainment. As the daughter of legendary comedian George Lopez, Mayan has carved her own path in Hollywood, blending humor with deeply personal narratives that resonate with audiences.

It was her role as co-creator, co-executive producer, and star of the hit NBC sitcom Lopez vs. Lopez that cemented her as a powerful creative force. The show, which explores intergenerational and cultural identity within a Latino family, is both a comedic triumph and an honest reflection of her own experiences, making it a breakthrough in diverse storytelling on network television.

Beyond her work in front of and behind the camera, Mayan is an outspoken advocate for mental health, body positivity, and women’s health issues, particularly raising awareness about PCOS. Her openness about personal struggles has made her an inspiring figure, using her platform to foster meaningful conversations about self-acceptance and perseverance. She is also a outspoken ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and has been a extra special guest judge on the Emmy Winning Rupauls Drag Race

With her signature blend of humor, authenticity, and creative vision, Mayan Lopez continues to redefine what it means to be a modern storyteller in Hollywood.

VALERIE STADLER | PRODUCER
Valerie Stadler is a producer, filmmaker, and executive whose films have screened at Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, MOCA, TIFF and the Whitney Museum. Driven by a strong sense of storytelling and understanding of the industry, Valerie navigates the line between business and creative, infusing intention and strategy into her work.

Valerie is a Co-Founder of Big Swing Productions with longtime friend and collaborator Kyra Sedgwick and Meredith Bagby. There she has developed and produced a slate of projects across film and television including SPACE ODDITY (Kyle Allen, Alexandra Shipp, Kevin Bacon), ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE (Eugenio Derbez, Eva Longoria) produced in partnership with Lin-Manuel Miranda, and FOR WORSE, written and directed by Amy Landecker, (Amy Landecker, Bradley Whitford, Nico Hiraga) which had its premiere at SXSW 2025. Valerie is currently in development on the limited series, CHALLENGER at Amazon, with Kirsten Stewart set to star as trailblazing astronaut Sally Ride.

Valerie is a Sundance Episodic lab fellow, on the Seriesfest advisory board and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and one too many cats.

McKenna Stephens is Senior Director of Development at MFF&CO where she oversees a slate of international content for the global marketplace. Prior to joining the team at MFF&CO, McKenna was Director, Global Television at the now shuttered Participant, a leading media company dedicated to entertainment and activism, where she handled their episodic projects at all stages, from inception through production and going to air including Hulu’s Interior Chinatown.

Stephens joined Participant as an Assistant, Senior Vice President of Global Television, from The Gersh Agency, where she worked in the literary department. She is passionate about telling stories that help compel positive social change and finding emerging talent. She holds an MFA in Visual Media Arts from Emerson College and a BS in Broadcast News from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

MFF & CO is a Los Angeles-based global entertainment studio driven by stories that inspire and empower. Together with Maria Farinha Filmes, based in São Paulo, and Violet Films based in London, they create impact entertainment that reaches large audiences worldwide. The collective’s guiding principle is simple: audience is impact.

Olivia LaRoche is the Head of Alternative for Roku Originals, where she oversees the development, production, and strategy for unscripted programming, including The Great American Baking Show franchise, Honest Renovations with Jessica Alba, and The Charlie Puth Show.

Before joining Roku, Olivia was one of the first hires on the Nonfiction Originals team at Netflix, where she played a key role in developing and overseeing hit unscripted series such as Nailed It!, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, Outlast, Queer Eye, and Bullsh*t: The Game Show, among others.

Earlier in her career, Olivia worked at Apple, where she managed licensing for film, music, and television.

Kristen Baldwin is a writer and editor with 25 years of experience as an entertainment journalist. In 2018, she returned to Entertainment Weekly as a TV critic, after serving as Editor-in-Chief of Yahoo Entertainment for three years. Today, she writes about all things television and pens weekly recaps of every single Bachelor franchise series. During Emmy season, she’s a regular guest host of EW’s The Awardist podcast. Hugh Grant once called her his “favorite journalist.”

Mark Johnson Bio

Laura Waters is a producer known for her innovative and diverse contributions to the industry. She founded Princess Pictures in 2003 and quickly gained a reputation for producing bold, original content that pushes creative boundaries.
Waters is best known for her collaborations with comedian Chris Lilley, producing hit series like Summer Heights High, Ja’mie: Private School Girl, and Lunatics, which showcase her ability to blend humour with sharp social commentary. Her work on these shows brought international recognition to Australian comedy when they were picked up by HBO, the BBC and Netflix for global distribution.
In addition to comedy, Waters has produced a wide range of content, including documentaries, scripted series and animation, reflecting her versatility and commitment to storytelling in all its forms. Princess Pictures has produced acclaimed projects like Wrong Kind of Black, My Year 12 Life and just launched the Disney+ adult drama series Last Days of the Space Age, body horror film Together and the Netflix comedy Son of a Donkey.
Known for championing fresh voices and diverse stories, Waters has become a key figure in the Australian TV landscape, celebrated for her ability to nurture talent and bring unique perspectives to the screen.

Oz Rodriquez Bio