2024 AIS Evolve Summit Guests

Taner Osman is co-founder of Westwood Economics & Planning Associates. He also holds an appointment in the Department of Urban Planning at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Osman’s research in the fields of urban planning and local economic development has been published in numerous academic journals, including the Journal of Regional Science, Urban, Studies, Research Policy, and the International Regional Science Review. He is a co-author of the book, The Rise and Fall of Urban Economies: Lessons from San Francisco and Los Angeles, published by the Stanford University Press. He is regularly quoted in the media, including outlets like the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Los Angeles Business Journal, and he has made numerous radio and television appearances. Dr. Osman holds a Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and an M.S in Regional Economics from the University of Massachusetts.
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In over 18 years at Fremantle, Tom has worn many hats. He began in scripted digital and comedy development marrying old school TV with the then emerging world of iPhones, YouTube, and Facebook. He then segued to co-found the digital animal-centric brand “The Pet Collective” before becoming FM’s global head of social media. Currently he heads up AI and automation for the company. With a quirky skill set and a strong belief in the convergence of technology and the arts, he’s one of the few Hollywood people who has sold TV shows and can also code Python. Previous to Fremantle he worked in live news production and reality TV post-production. He began his career as a stand up comic.
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Tyler Fazakerley ("Faz") started his career at Pixar Animation Studios in February 2007, initially serving as a Systems Administrator within the Systems department. He contributed to a series of celebrated Pixar films, such as "Ratatouille," "WALL-E," "Toy Story 3," and "Brave." His role evolved over the years, and he managed Systems teams for projects including "The Good Dinosaur," "Finding Dory," and "Incredibles 2," as well as the Academy Award-winning "Inside Out" and "Coco." Eventually, Faz moved into the role of Director of Systems for "Toy Story 4" and "Soul," both of which won Oscars, as well as for "Onward" and "Luca." As Vice President of Systems, Faz oversees the studio's technology infrastructure, which encompasses high-performance computing, theaters, recording studios, editorial systems, workstations, teleconferencing, and production pipeline software engineering. Before joining Pixar, Faz operated a technology consulting firm in the San Francisco Bay Area and played a role in launching Apple's first retail store in the region. Originally from Washington, D.C., he pursued his education in Oxford and later attended Emerson College in Boston, MA. He resides in Oakland, CA, with his wife and two children.
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Vicki Dobbs Beck has more than 30 years of broad-based management experience in the entertainment industry. Variety named her a “Digital Innovator to Watch in 2020,” and in 2019, the Advanced Imaging Society recognized Vicki with a Distinguished Leadership Award for being a significant “entertainment industry growth catalyst.” Currently, Vicki is VP, Immersive Content for Lucasfilm and has overall responsibility for ILM Immersive, the award-winning storytelling studio that launched in 2015 to pioneer a new era of interactive entertainment in virtual and mixed reality across multiple platforms. ILM Immersive allows audiences to interact with engaging characters and worlds, inviting fans everywhere to “Step Inside Our Stories” in ways never before possible. The studio, formally known as ILMxLAB, aspires to create connected experiences that transform places, spaces and our daily lives as we transition from story-telling to story-living. Vicki is a member of the Television Academy; the Producers Guild of America; and a BAFTA Associate member. She is also Chairman of AIXR’s Advisory Group and an Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles-based Infinity Festival. Vicki received her MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business where she also completed her undergraduate studies, earning a BA with distinction in International Relations.
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