We are pleased to introduce our speaker lineup for ASBPEvolve: The Biggest B2B Editorial Summit, May 28-30, 2025. Learn more about the incredible sessions these speakers, panelists and moderators are bringing to our 2025 conference here.
ASBPE members pay only $325 for three full-days of education and networking, with no travel costs! The final deadline to register is May 26, 2025.
KEYNOTE: Sean Griffey
Co-Founder and former CEO of Industry Dive
Session: The Future of Media & B2B: A keynote conversation with Sean Griffey, founder of Industry Dive
Sean Griffey is a board member for Informa TechTarget, one of the world’s largest B2B media companies, and Omeda, an audience engagement platform for media companies. Griffey initially got started in media at FierceMarkets where he served as president. Before catching the start-up bug, Griffey spent nearly 10 years as a consultant at A.T. Kearney and PricewaterhouseCoopers helping companies with a broad range of strategic and operational engagements.
EMCEE: Brendan Howard, MA
Freelance Podcast Host and ASBPE Master of Ceremonies
Brendan Howard spent more than 20 years in business and B2B journal writing, editing, creating videos and podcasts, and managing print, online and conference properties. Today, he hosts two separate podcasts for board-certified veterinary specialists and security professionals, and is hungry to develop more for other industries. In other news, he expects to be ordained as a rabbi by the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute in December 2025.
Sandy Almendarez
Vice President, Content, Informa Markets
Session: How Editorial Teams Can Navigate the Business Side — Ethically and Effectively
With over 20 years of experience, Sandy Almendarez understands the importance of ensuring engaging content aligns with business objectives. If you lose your audience, you’ve lost everything. Almendarez has held seemingly every editorial position in her career and now strategically leads the team that creates editorial, sponsored, conference and community content for SupplySide, an Informa brand that focuses on health and nutrition product development.
Justin Armburger
Freelance Creative Director, Beyond the Meeting Room, Associated Luxury Hotels International
Session: Evolving Your Brand: Design Strategies from a Supercentenarian
Justin Armburger is a Cleveland-based creative director with more than 15 years experience designing newspapers, magazines and websites. He also spent six years as an adjunct professor teaching magazine design at Kent State University. Since 2022, Armburger has been a floral designer at Molly Taylor and Co., as well as creative director of ALHI’s Beyond the Meeting Room.
Andrew Bass
Art & Production Manager, Risk Management magazine, Risk & Insurance Management Society, Inc.
Session: From Print to Screen: Transforming our Publications
With over 25 years of experience, Andrew Bass has built a career that blends award-winning creativity with strategic design. His expertise spans identity, publication, marketing, and digital media. He has led art departments at Essence Communications, McGraw-Hill, CMP Media, and Nielsen Business Media. In these roles, he shaped visual narratives that engage and inspire. Currently, Bass serves as the art and production manager at the Risk & Insurance Managment Society (RIMS). He art directs Risk Management magazine and develops digital assets, including video shorts, social media graphics, and email series. Since joining RIMS, his creative work has earned the organization over 25 design awards.
Brooke Bilyj
Founder and Chief Content Officer, Bantamedia, and ASBPE Vice President
Session: Onboarding Freelancers: An Extension of Your In-House Team; and Annual Members’ Forum
Brooke Bilyj is a national award-winning journalist, published author and PR/marketing consultant. Since founding her content marketing firm, Bantamedia, in 2013, Bilyj has worked with marketing agencies, trade publications and brands to provide content, PR, SEO and marketing for industries ranging from healthcare to horticulture. Her work has been published in more than 55 publications and more than 60 websites, earning 31 awards for editorial excellence.
Brian Bull
Senior Reporter, Buffalo’s Fire and KLCC, Oregon’s NPR network
Session: Mastering the Art of the (Tricky) Interview
Brian Bull has been a journalist for more than half his life, and has worked at NPR affiliates in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Oregon. He recently taught at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication. By his estimate, he’s probably interviewed nearly 2,000 people over those three decades. Many were nice.
Adam Butler
Executive Producer, Multimedia, Scoop News Group
Session: Developing and Executing Video Projects as an On-Camera Editor
Adam Butler is the executive producer of multimedia at Scoop News Group. He’s also a writer, podcaster and filmmaker with over 20 years of experience in the field.
Geoffrey Colon
Vice President of Strategy, Digital Surgeons
Session: Artificial Intelligence’s Biggest Stumbling Block: Trust
Geoffrey Colon is a leading voice in the marketing and advertising industry who has held executive positions at Ogilvy & Mather, Dell Technologies and Microsoft. His roster of clients includes groundbreaking social media campaigns and activations for Red Bull, Netflix, Spotify, NBC Universal, American Express, History, A&E and Coca-Cola. The author of the book “Disruptive Marketing,” Colon has also contributed to The Futurist, Advertising Age, and Fast Company. In a former life, he worked in the music industry and oversaw marketing for artists like Moby, Britney Spears, The White Stripes and Blondie. He is currently vice president of strategy for Digital Surgeons.
Brad Dennison
Director of Editorial & Policy Affairs, Healthcare Financial Management Association and Chair of ASBPE’s Ethics Committee
Session: Journalism Ethics in the Age of AI
Brad Dennison has served as the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s top content executive since 2019, when he was tapped to lead its content transformation efforts. A 25-year veteran of the news media industry, Dennison spent 15 years as a senior executive for publicly and privately held companies, including an eight-year run as senior vice president of Gannett Inc. (formerly GateHouse Media Inc.). At HFMA, he leads hfm magazine and a portfolio of award-winning e-newsletters, podcasts and other digital content.
Chelsea Emery 
Executive Editor, Staffing Industry Analysts, Crain Communications
Session: Editing: Coaching vs. Fixing
Chelsea Emery is executive editor at Staffing Industry Analysts, where she directs editorial strategy for SIA’s award-winning content, including breaking news and analysis, newsletters, Staffing Industry Review print magazine and the organization’s flagship recognition lists. Emery joined SIA in 2023 after decades covering business and financial news for organizations including Bloomberg News, Reuters and the BBC. She was also editor in chief of Financial Planning.
Khalil Garriott
Executive Editor, ABA Banking Journal and Vice President for Creative Content & Copywriting Strategy, American Bankers Association; and ASBPE Board Member
Session: Taming Digital Chaos: Right Stories & Right Distribution; and Caring for Yourself & Your Team Through Difficult Change
Khalil Garriott doesn’t want you to have to read another wordy professional bio. So instead of adding yet another protracted, milquetoast bio to the sea of them that already exist on the internet, here are a few quick fun (or not that fun; that depends on you) facts about him: He was a nationally ranked table tennis player as a teenager. He has been to seven Super Bowls. He has traveled to 12 countries.
Denise M. Gustavson
Editorial Director, Media Brands, PRINTING United Alliance
Session: Improving Collaboration: Remote, In-Office & Hybrid
Denise M. Gustavson leads the content strategy for seven publications focused on printing, packaging, and visual communications. With more than 25 years in the industry, she has a passion for sharing insights, highlighting innovation, and helping businesses navigate change. A frequent speaker and trusted industry voice, Gustavson is dedicated to supporting the growth and success of printing professionals.
Erin Hallstrom
Associate Director of SEO Strategy, Endeavor Business Media; and ASBPE Board Member
Session: Audience Strategy Networking Discussion; How AI Impacts Your SEO and What You Can Do About It; and Beyond the Numbers: Turning Analytics into Journalistic Insight
Erin Hallstrom is the associate director of SEO strategy for Endeavor Business Media, where she works with more than 150 journalists across 90 brands to implement SEO best practices. She is also responsible for Endeavor’s metrics reporting, where she uses her expertise in website analytics to help teams understand their data to make informed SEO decisions. Hallstrom holds multiple technical certifications in Google Analytics and regularly trains audience and marketing groups how best to utilize SEO for enhanced content performance.
Tiana Headley
Judiciary Reporter, Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg News Group
Session: Covering DEI in a World of Changing Policy
Tiana Headley is an award-winning journalist at Bloomberg Law, covering federal judicial nominations and diversity in the federal judiciary. A multimedia package on the lack of diverse federal trial courts earned her an Azbee Award and Dateline Award for Professional Journalists in DC in 2024. She previously worked on Bloomberg Law’s business of law team, covering the business, politics, and culture of international law firms. Her work appears regularly on Bloomberg.com and on the Bloomberg Terminal.
Nico Heins
Senior Art Director, Restaurant Business and Foodservice Director, Informa Connect
Session: From Print to Screen: Transforming our Publications
Nico Heins is a versatile art director with experience in the foodservice and convenience retail sectors. His expertise extends to art direction and graphic design for both print and dynamic digital platforms, often incorporating interactive elements to enhance user engagement. Heins has lent his award-winning design talents to prominent industry publications, including Restaurant Business, Foodservice Director, and CSP. His diverse portfolio highlights his ability to create impactful and engaging visual solutions across various business environments and media.
Stephanie Hendrixson
Executive Editor, Additive Manufacturing Media, Gardner Business Media
Session: Developing and Executing Video Projects as an On-Camera Editor
Stephanie Hendrixson reports on 3D printing technology and applications as executive editor for Additive Manufacturing Media, a B2B publication serving manufacturers. She is co-host of The Cool Parts Show, a video series that highlights innovative, unusual and sometimes weird 3D printed parts, and co-host and creator of the AM Radio podcast. She covers all aspects of AM through text, audio and video, but particularly enjoys telling stories that involve startups, AI or healthcare. Stephanie has been in manufacturing media since 2012 and is based at Gardner Business Media headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Travis Hessman
Vice President of Content, Endeavor Business Media; and ASBPE Board Member
Session: Taming Digital Chaos: Right Stories & Right Distribution; Audience Strategy Networking Discussion; Artificial Intelligence’s Biggest Stumbling Block: Trust; and Scaling Innovation
The 90+ brands that make up Endeavor Business Media carry a print legacy stretching back to the second industrial revolution. As vice president of content, Travis “The Elbow” Hessman is responsible for transforming this history into an industry-leading, nimble, digital-first portfolio. This means he spends the bulk of his time busting silos, overcoming the confines of tradition, and taming chaos.
Hessman has spent his career as a B2B journalist, starting as an intern at IndustryWeek Magazine fresh out of college. He holds a degree in English, an MFA in experimental fiction, and an MBA in business strategy. He lives in a very small house in a very cute village with his family and three dogs, three cats, three bunnies, four chickens, three hermit crabs, two fish, a tarantula, a corn snake, and a hedgehog.
Craig Johnson
Senior Editorial Director, Staffing Industry Analysts; and ASBPE Secretary
Session: Improving Collaboration: Remote, In-Office & Hybrid
Craig Johnson started as a reporter in 1993 at a weekly newspaper in California’s Central Valley. Today, he is editorial director at Staffing Industry Analysts, which covers staffing and related companies through a print magazine, daily email newsletters and more.
Jenny Jones
Award-winning Freelance Editor, Writer and Communications Lead
Session: Onboarding Freelancers: An Extension of Your In-House Team
Jenny Jones has more than 20 years of editorial and strategic communications experience. Her career has spanned newspaper journalism, nonprofit B2B publications, and internal communications. Jones specializes in transforming complex topics into clear and engaging narratives.
Corinne Jorgenson
Cognitive Scientist and Deputy Writing Manager, Proposals, Dragonfly Editorial
Session: Caring for Yourself & Your Team Through Difficult Change
As an experimental psychologist, Corinne Jorgenson’s research interests include human cognition and human-machine teaming. Corinne works at Dragonfly Editorial, where she uses her research experience to help clients create powerful and compelling messages. Outside of work, she likes hiking with her pup, Watson.
Leann Kirchner
Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), American Chemical Society (ACS)
Session: Beyond the Numbers: Turning Analytics into Journalistic Insight
Leeann Kirchner is the Sr. Product Marketing Manager at Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), published by the American Chemical Society (ACS). An award-winning marketer, she specializes in digital marketing, brand and audience development, and data-driven strategy.
With over a decade of experience in scientific media and nonprofit publishing, she has led initiatives in content performance tracking, multi-channel marketing, and paywall strategy, using data insights to drive audience growth and engagement, enhance user experience, and maximize impact.
Dr. Karen Ladley, Ed.D.
Senior Associate Director, Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism (RCJF), The Carter Center
Session: Caring for Yourself & Your Team Through Difficult Change
Dr. Ladley began her career as a broadcast journalist for tv stations in Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. After 16 years, she became an educator, working as a college program director and eventually a dean overseeing developmental education, tutoring, and disability accommodations. Ladley’s role as the senior associate director of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships in Mental Health brings her various professional experiences together, providing the opportunity to mentor and support journalists as they learn best practices in mental health reporting. She earned her undergraduate communications degree from Elizabethtown College, her Master of Education from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and a doctorate in transformative education from Kutztown University.
Karen Langhauser
Editor-in-Chief, Cell & Gene Therapy Review and Tablets & Capsules, CompareNetworks
Session: Editing: Coaching vs. Fixing
As an award-winning journalist with 20+ years’ experience in B2B media, Karen Langhauser passionately believes that B2B content does not have to boring. During her tenure at Pharma Manufacturing, she prided herself in keeping the brand’s editorial look, tone and content fresh and accessible. Under her guidance, Pharma Manufacturing won 65 editorial and design awards, including being named ASBPE’s Magazine of the Year. In 2024, Langhauser joined CompareNetworks to help bring a brand new industry resource to life — Cell & Gene Therapy Review. Happily living in NJ’s famed Asbury Park with her partner, she is a retired Garden State Rollergirl, known to the roller derby community as the ‘Predator-in-Chief.’
Michael Lear-Olimpi
Associate Professor of Communications and Media Ethicist, Central Penn College
Session: Journalism Ethics in the Age of AI
Michael Lear-Olimpi has more than 40 years of experience in journalism, and in journalism and communications education. He has reported for large-, medium- and small-market newspapers in Pennsylvania. His B2B and niche-publishing experience includes freelancing and serving as managing and chief editor for healthcare, business, logistics and legal magazines, newsletters and websites across three decades. Lear-Olimpi is editor of the award-winning student news blog The Knightly News, at cpcknightlynews.com.
Victor Li
Assistant Managing Editor, ABA Journal, American Bar Association
Session: Onboarding Freelancers: An Extension of Your In-House Team
Victor Li, an assistant managing editor, joined the ABA Journal staff in 2013 as a legal affairs writer. He manages the magazine’s Business of Law section. He had been a reporter for Law Technology News, the American Lawyer magazine and Litigation Daily (NYC). He is the author of the book “Nixon in New York: How Wall Street Helped Richard Nixon Win the White House.” A former prosecutor in the Bronx, Li earned his JD from Tulane, an MS from Columbia University School of Journalism and a BA in history from Amherst.
Rich Luna
Senior Director, Content, Associated Luxury Hotels International; and ASBPE Board Member
Session: Covering DEI in a World of Changing Policy
Rich Luna is senior director, content, at Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI). He is an ASAE Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) scholar and serves on the ASBPE board of directors. He also serves on the communications committees for the U.S. Travel Association and Association Latinos. Prior to ALHI, he was in publishing roles for Meeting Professionals International and the Boy Scouts of America, and in reporting, editing and leadership role at newspapers across the country. He received his B.A. from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Marina Mayer
Content Director, IRONMARKETS
Session: Lessons from Leadership: Career Advice from Top Editorial Leaders
Marina Mayer serves as content director of IRONMARKETS; editor-in-chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive; and is co-founder of the Women in Supply Chain Forum. Mayer an experienced B2B journalist with 19 years in the B2B space. She has moderated several panel discussions at various industry events, conferences and tradeshows, and has participated in webinars and podcasts discussing supply chain trends.
Jonathan Maze
Editor-in-Chief, Restaurant Business, Informa Connect; and ASBPE Board Member
Session: AI Show & Tell; and Lessons from Leadership: Career Advice from Top Editorial Leaders
Restaurant Business Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Maze is a longtime industry journalist who writes about restaurant finance, mergers and acquisitions and the economy, with a particular focus on quick-service restaurants. He writes daily about the factors influencing the operating environment, including labor and food costs and various industry trends such as technology and delivery. Maze has been widely quoted in media publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post and has appeared on the History Channel, the Today Show, CNBC, Yahoo Finance and NPR. He writes a weekly finance-focused newsletter for Restaurant Business, The Bottom Line, and is the host of the weekly podcast “A Deeper Dive.”
Billy Mitchell
Executive Editor, Scoop News Group
Session: Finding Focus in a Frantic News Cycle
Billy Mitchell is senior vice president and executive editor of Scoop News Group’s editorial brands. He oversees operations, strategy and growth of SNG’s award-winning tech publications, FedScoop, StateScoop, CyberScoop, EdScoop and DefenseScoop. After earning his journalism degree at Virginia Tech and winning the school’s Excellence in Print Journalism award, Mitchell received his master’s degree from New York University in magazine writing while interning at publications like Rolling Stone.
Sharon Newport, CAE
Principal, Sharon Newport, LLC
Session: Covering DEI in a World of Changing Policy
Sharon Newport, CAE is an organizational consultant, facilitator, and executive coach who partners with nonprofits, associations, and mission-driven organizations to foster transformational change. She leverages expertise in organizational development, DEI, and neuroscience-informed approaches to create practical, people-centered solutions. A former nonprofit chief executive, Newport has successfully led large-scale strategic and cultural initiatives. She also serves as adjunct faculty at Georgetown University’s Institute of Transformational Leadership, helping leaders navigate complex challenges and evolve their organizations.
John O’Brien
Editor/Publisher, ABA Journal, American Bar Association
Session: Journalism Ethics in the Age of AI
John O’Brien has nearly 32 years of experience in print and digital journalism, the last five leading the ABA Journal for the American Bar Association in Chicago. His previous work includes stints as managing editor of two daily newspapers in the Chicago area, news editor for the Chicago Sun-Times News Group and national copy chief for Patch.com. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the Public Affairs Reporting master’s program at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
Heidi Patalano
Editor-in-Chief, National Mortgage News, Arizent
Session: Improving Collaboration: Remote, In-Office & Hybrid
Heidi Patalano is the editor in chief of National Mortgage News, an Arizent trade publication covering the residential financing industry. Previously, she held senior editorial roles at The Real Deal, Us Weekly, DNAinfo, and Metro newspapers, covering everything from real estate markets to pop culture. She resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Marisa Porto
Distinguished Professor, Knight Chair in Local News and Sustainability, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Session: Covering DEI in a World of Changing Policy
Marisa Porto specializes in transforming organizations in a digital world. Before joining academia, she served as a leader for a number of news organizations around the United States. In her last position, she led a regional division of a national news organization, overseeing a multi-million budget. She has been committed to DEI for years, serving as a business instructor for the Maynard Institute and a teacher of strategic planning for the HBCU news initiative at the Center for Journalism and Democracy at Howard University. She is currently
researching how artificial intelligence is affecting the news industry.
Stephanie Ricca
Editorial Director, Hotel News Now, CoStar Group; and ASBPE Board Member
Session: Editing: Coaching vs. Fixing
Stephanie Ricca sets the editorial and content direction for Hotel News Now and its suite of newsletters, website and multimedia content, and the Hotel Data Conference. A frequent speaker and moderator at industry events, she has covered the global hotel industry for more than 15 years. Ricca holds a master’s degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
Tony Russo
Editor, Funeral Service Insider, Kates-Boylston Publications
Session: How Editorial Teams Can Navigate the Business Side — Ethically and Effectively; and Taming Digital Chaos: Right Stories & Right Distribution
Tony Russo is a veteran journalist, podcaster and author specializing in news, commentary and features. A self-described “story junkie” he has covered the craft beer revolution, combat veterans, and cults. Russo now writes the only weekly newsletter with original reporting on the funeral industry. He empty-nests on the Delmarva Peninsula with his wife and travels as often as is reasonable.
Davide Savenije
Head of Vertical Markets & Editorial Operations, Informa TechTarget and ASBPE President
Session: The Future of Media & B2B: A keynote conversation with Sean Griffey, founder of Industry Dive; How Editorial Teams Can Navigate the Business Side — Ethically and Effectively; Beyond the Numbers: Turning Analytics into Journalistic Insight; Lessons from Leadership: Career Advice from Top Editorial Leaders; Leadership Networking Discussion; and Annual Members’ Forum
Davide Savenije is the president of ASBPE and the head of vertical markets and editorial operations for Informa TechTarget. Savenije helped build up the Industry Dive editorial model and newsroom as editor-in-chief. His team’s publications are widely recognized for their journalistic excellence and impact — winning ASBPE’s Website of the Year and the Neal Award for Best Industry Coverage three times.
Sam Silverstein
Reporter, Grocery Dive, Informa TechTarget and ASBPE Treasurer
Session: Finding Focus in a Frantic News Cycle
Sam Silverstein is a reporter for Grocery Dive, a B2B news site published by Informa TechTarget. He previously wrote about property and casualty insurance for FT Specialist (formerly Money-Media), a division of the Financial Times. Silverstein has also covered the real estate business for Realtor Magazine and chronicled the telecommunications and aerospace industries for publications including Space News and Via Satellite. He has been quoted in The New York Times and appeared on TV news programs including the PBS News Hour and CNN News Central. A New York City native, Silverstein earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the George Washington University and American University, respectively. He lives with his wife and daughter in Maryland.
Sarah Sluis
Executive Editor, AdExchanger and AdMonsters
Session: Lessons from Leadership: Career Advice from Top Editorial Leaders
As Executive Editor of AdExchanger and AdMonsters, Sarah Sluis oversees the content experience across these two digital advertising and media brands. From line editing to event planning to moderating events, she makes sure the AdExchanger and AdMonsters brands show up as their best selves, with sharp, witty, accurate and informative coverage of the ad tech industry. Sluis started at AdExchanger 11 years ago as an associate editor. Over her years at AdExchanger, she’s documented the rise and maturity of programmatic tech as data-driven advertising has spread far and wide in its marketing applications.
Andrea Wells
Vice President, Content, Wells Media Group Inc.
Session: How Editorial Teams Can Navigate the Business Side — Ethically and Effectively
Andrea Wells is vice president of content for Wells Media Group Inc., overseeing coverage for its print and digital platforms, including Insurance Journal, Claims Journal, Carrier Management and Insurance Journal TV. She is a veteran insurance journalist with more than 20 years’ experience covering the property/casualty insurance industry. Wells has won several awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), including awards for original research for her work on Insurance Journal’s annual salary survey of retail insurance agencies and its annual survey of young insurance agents. Prior to writing about insurance, she spent a few years in nonprofit public relations roles and a few months driving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.
Scott Wenger
Senior Economics Editor, World Bank
Session: Improving Collaboration: Remote, In-Office & Hybrid
Scott Wenger is a senior economics editor at the World Bank, where he focuses on economic mobility and development, sustainable business and climate risk. Previously, he most recently managed a content development firm, was an editorial director at Barron’s and a group editorial director at Arizent, formerly SourceMedia, managing six titles, including Financial Planning magazine. Over his career, Wenger has managed editorial teams or reported for some of the nation’s top media outlets, including the New York Daily News, CNN, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal and The Hartford Courant. In addition, he worked as a healthcare analyst at Alex. Brown & Sons, has been an editor-writer for the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Financial Research and recently passed the Series 65 exam for financial advisors. This year, Wenger was elected to a third term on the board of governors of SABEW, the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.
Registration
ASBPE members pay only $325 for three full-days of education and networking, with no travel costs! The final deadline to register is May 26, 2025.