Announced by the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) during the HPA Tech Retreat, the 2023 Young Entertainment Professionals Class is a program Incubated in 2016 by the Women in Post committee. The program advances the organization’s goal of cultivating and encouraging the next generation of worthy entertainment professionals to follow a career in the media content industry.
The program nurtures the development of talent between the ages of 21–32 years old with mentoring and education, introductions to industry leaders, invitations to events, and access to resources that will further their careers. The program, which has accelerated the careers of over 100 graduates to date, has evolved into a robust networking, mentoring, and education resource for young professionals working in the industry.
YEP class members, selected by HPA committee, are encouraged to take advantage of the full spectrum of HPA activities, including the HPA Tech Retreat and HPA Awards. They are paired with advanced career mentors who often become long-term supports as they continue to advance. YEPs have frequent opportunities to take center stage. YEPs have been seated on panels at the HPA Tech Retreat and at the SMPTE Annual Technical Conference, produced a webinar series, and contributed columns to the HPA NewsLine e-newsletter.
Here are the names of the participants in the 2023 YEP Class:
Victor Amigo, Eluvio
Lauren Balladares, Freelance
Luke Birch, Netflix
Ekaterina Buchneva, Sensor Tower
Allison Eilhart, ROE Visual
Jamie Foley, 495 Productions
Jazmin Freire, Black Cake
Allyson Geiger, Marvel Studios
Maddie Hong, Netflix
Colin Hughes, Light Iron
Vivian Ip, Independent Filmmaker
Rachel Jobin, 6P Color
Haley Kreofsky, Freelance
Jennifer Losch, Work Editorial
Erik Mahoney, Paramount Pictures
Kara Prichard, A+E Networks
Cassandra Rodriguez, Pixar
Erick Silvera, Freelance
Sarah Xu, Fox Entertainment
Simon Yahn, Technicolor Creative Studios
Jimmy Zhu, Scanline VFX
The YEP photo (above) shows the participants (left to right): Nicole Harmony, Kara Prichard, Jimmy Zhu, Sarah Xu, Victor Amigo, Maddie Hong, Cassandra Rodriguez, Matt Klein, Luke Birch, Jazmin Freire, Simon Yahn, Haley Kreofsky, Jen Losch, Lauren Balladares, Allison Eilhardt, Jaxon McLennon, Katia Buchneva, Jamie Foley, Erik Mahoney, Alexa Lowndes, Colin Hughes. Not present: Erick Silvera, Allyson Geiger, Vivian Ip and Rachel Jobin.
HPA President Seth Hallen remarked, “Of all the HPA initiatives that bring value to our industry and community, the YEP program is one of the most important. Connecting the brilliant and talented next generation with mentors is critical, and it has been incredibly rewarding to watch the YEPs create their own networks that shape our community. Once again, the members of the 2023 YEP class have impressive accomplishments and important perspectives. I can’t wait to see what they can achieve as they move forward and contribute to the advancement of our industry.”
The YEP program is sponsored in part by AVID. For further information, visit hpaonline.com.