MEET OUR TEAM
LEAD FACILITATORS
Robert Strand
Executive Director
Robert Strand is a philanthropist, environmental advocate, actor, filmmaker and the founder and Executive Director of global non–profit, World Water Film Festival (WWFF). Robert applies his 30-year background as a renowned Creative Brand Strategist and Licensing expert to his passion for water justice, leading him to build this film festival to focus on water.
He worked with Marie-Cécile and Stephanie at the NBA as well!
Marie-Cécile Girard-Jones
Festival Director
Marie-Cecile is a Global Licensing, Business Development and Branding expert with 20+ years of experience managing Consumer Products programs for leading Entertainment, Pop Culture, Educational & Sports properties such as the NBA, Marvel, Sesame Workshop and CBS. Trilingual (French, English, Spanish), Marie-Cecile is a creative and strategic problem-solver with the ability to tackle complex issues.
Stephanie Schwartz
Communications Director
Stephanie Schwartz is a global marketing, communications and events executive with three decades of leadership experience across sports, entertainment, and higher education. Known for a "reputation-first" approach, she has led transformative, tech-driven marketing and brand innovations at world-class organizations including the NBA and Yale University. Stephanie is an avid AI learner and an even more avid tree evangelist.
Implementation & Execution Facilitators
Keir Worthy
Talent, Entertainment & Cross Cultural Outreach Director
Keir is a New York-based entrepreneur, businessman and former music executive at Def Jam, Elektra Records and Warner Bros Records. As a panel & showcase coordinator for the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas, he created the first rap/urban music component. He is the founder & Executive Director for the Organization of Black Designers and is a principal in the marketing firm Rhythm Alchemy Creative Consultants.
Lilly Nelson
Director of Programming
lilly.nelson.actress@gmail.com
Lilly is a Jill-of-all-trades. She can be seen acting in several films such as Electric Jesus and Tapochki, and wrote, directed, and starred in Thumb War! a feature that won awards at the Portland Film Festival, Reedy Reels and West Sound Film Festival in Seattle Washington (where she took best actress). Her recent theatre credits include Annelle (Steel Magnolias) Trouble in Mind (Judy) and Behind the Scenes (Anna).
Alan Haburchak
Director of Technical Production ahaburchak@gmail.com
Alan is a production Swiss Army Knife, with 15 years creating digital video, audio and journalism at companies like Semafor, The Wall Street Journal, Morning Brew, BuzzFeed and The New York Times. He's run teams as small as two producers and as big as 25, but also loves to shoot, edit, mix and fly drones. Alan is committed to protecting water resources for future generations and believes in the power of storytelling as tool for real change.
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Valeria Carrasco
Media Relations Director
valeria@hallettsconsulting.com
Valeria is a marketing communications expert with 15+ years of experience. She has built her career working across consumer products, entertainment and technology industries. She is passionate about helping consumers be better and think differently. Her client experience includes work for Beyond Meat, Blue Man Group, Hi-Arts NYC, KASHI, Siggi’s, Volvic, and more.
OUTREACH & Regional Advisors
Irene Trantas
Director of Educational Outreach
Irene is a Boston University graduate and is the owner of North Star Fitness, in Philadelphia PA. She is a Meisner trained actress and her theatre experience includes co-founding Intrepid Theatre Company. She has many years of experience in building outreach and development, in the worlds of fitness and theatre. Irene is thrilled to assist in bridging creative artists’ efforts to the World Water Film Festival’s upcoming projects!
Milin Patel
Water Advocate, Water Sommelier & Advisor
milin@worldofwaterconsultancy.com
Milin Patel is a water consultant with over two decades of expertise in the water industry, ignited by his fascination with water since the age of ten.
As a trusted advisor to media outlets to include BBC, ITV, and Channel 4, The Times. He specialises in water treatment, hygiene, and technology for the built environment. Milin has served as a consultant and advisor to a myriad companies and organisation’s.
Mohammed Hammie
Director, East Africa
Mohammed Hammie is a Human Rights, Water and Sanitation Journalist and Storyteller for social change based in Tanzania. He has been deeply involved in promoting water access in rural Tanzania and reporting on water issues. Working closely in the field with local communities has enabled him a rich understanding of the water crisis people face. Mo is activating events for WWFF in East Africa.
Kate Scarpetta
Senior Partnerships Programmer
Kate is a writer, actress and former professional golfer based in Santa Monica. She is the founder of The Tomboy Productions LLC. Her storytelling is obsessed with class, dark humor and unconventional female heroines. While attending Princeton, Kate studied abroad at the Institute of Kiswahili Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam. As a Pisces, Kate is drawn to water and thrilled to be part of the WWFF team.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Cecily Tyler
Award-Winning Filmmaker
An award-winning filmmaker, Cecily Tyler, has 25+ years of experience as a journalist, educator, TV director/producer and filmmaker while supporting leadership,
innovation, social impact and community engagement through film, technology and art. She has consulted and project managed in media-capacity building with non-profits, private-sector organizations, and government officials internationally in the U.S.A, Mongolia, Ghana, and The Netherlands.
Gregg Siegel
Corporate Media Sales & Revenue Management Executive
Gregg Siegel is a dynamic sales and marketing professional with strong leadership, managerial, integration and strategic planning experience. He currently serves as the SVP National & Political Sales at Sinclair Broadcast Group.
As a painter and artist, Gregg is a keen observer, seeing things others don't, and often puts things together in ways that may otherwise be missed.
Why we want to create this film festival...
For 20-years on and off, Robert studied the Meisner acting technique at the Ward Studio, where he met the WWFF Director of Programming, Lilly Nelson, which was founded by Wendy Ward in 1996 in New York City. Wendy’s impact on her students went beyond the classroom and the stage.
Wendy died in 2021 at 61 from cancer, and in her farewell message to her students she stated that her death was not a tragedy; she lived life on her own terms, did what she loved (teaching – all over the world), and created new theatre.
A group of us have been challenging each other to create content – not just for ourselves but also to translate our Meisner work into something with a greater purpose.
We've been inspired to create this film festival and dedicate it to our dear Wendy and the power of turning art into action.