Bonnie Benjamin-Phariss

Brainstormer, Business leader, Change Agent, Filmmaker, Idea generator, Journalist, Parent, Producer, Project manager

Bonnie is an award-winning executive who uses storytelling to change opinions and lead people to action. Bonnie has worked with the film industry’s greatest brands and creative leaders, including Disney, CNN, HBO, PBS and National Geographic. She has produced and developed multiplatform media projects and social engagement campaigns with financial support from prestigious Fortune 500 companies, including Intel, Merck Pharmaceuticals, and Volkswagen. Bonnie listens closely to how clients view successful multiplatform media projects, and then crafts strategies and builds teams to deliver - from concept to launch. She has the unique skills and demonstrated expertise to deliver multi-platform media projects of the highest quality in a highly creative environment that are on time and on budget. She is diplomatic, collaborative, results-oriented and mission-driven. Bonnie uniquely understand how to deliver while balancing the interests of multiple stakeholders – including clients, filmmakers, brands, marketers, agencies, broadcasters, distributors, online content providers, influencers and funders - towards a common goal. With Bonnie at the helm, it will get done. Prior to serving as a consultant, Bonnie oversaw Vulcan Productions documentary projects for 14 years. The Independent film production company, founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen, Vulcan Productions is noted for telling powerful stories that help audiences understand the world around them, respond to challenges and bring about lasting change. As Director, she provided executive management of several cross-platform initiatives simultaneously, negotiated multifaceted agreements, oversaw production from concept to premiere to evaluation, managed complex relationships and collaborations and multi-million dollar operating budgets. Prior to Vulcan, she managed the program at the Disney Institute, where she led the team that delivered a variety of executive, personal enrichment, youth and training programs designed to offer a transformative learning experience. She was also part of the entrepreneurial startup team who developed and opened the Disney Institute. Before her seven years with Disney, she worked as an independent on productions in San Francisco and New York. She served as director of research and development for public affairs programming for WNET in New York, working on productions including Mandela: Free at Last, Intifada: The Palestinians and Israel, and public affairs local programming. Bonnie was also a science reporter for the nine-part series, The Mind, and a science researcher for the eight-part PBS series, The Brain.

Making a difference

Building strong teams and collaborative partnerships, Developing and leading media projects of enduring significance a, Setting goals and achieving them., Strategic Leadership to achieve goals

Attending for the first time - 2013!