The Reel Champions Executive BOARD
TRC is run by a small, but mighty group of volunteer entertainment professionals who are dedicated to increasing representation of minority genders behind the camera and in the boardroom. Some are former mentees and mentors in the
NEXT GEN: Executive Diversity Mentorship Program.

President
Sydney Yockey
A graduate of the NBCU Page Program (September 2020 Cohort) and Northwestern University (Class '20), Sydney Yockey is an Associate Producer on unscripted competition shows including AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR, AMERICA'S GOT TALENT Seasons 19 & 20, and AGT: FANTASY LEAGUE. In addition, Sydney produces and DP's short films, music videos, and web series with a focus on diverse, women-led stories. Prior to working in production, she supported the president of Universal Television Alternative Studio.

Head of Digital Strategy
Julia Hess
Julia Hess is a Chinese-adoptee originally from the Philadelphia suburbs, now based in Los Angeles. Hess is a Boston University graduate and a proud MAIP (Multicultural Advertising Internship Program) alum. She is a director and producer in the narrative film and documentary world. She’s focused on normalizing diversity on screen and telling authentic stories that spotlight communities that are not often highlighted in mainstream Hollywood. Currently, Hess is producing a indie sports documentary as well as an indie feature film. Recently, she directed an episode for the pilot season of the webseries, HOMEGIRLS. She also directed the short film, SINCERELY, YOUR FRIEND, winning awards at Film Festivals including Audience Choice award at the California Women's Film Festival 2023. Previously she's worked on shows such as SNOWFALL, KENAN, BETTER THINGS, Amazon's WISH LIST GAMES, THE BACHELOR, and $100,000 PYRAMID, among others. Hess also has experience as a Content Producer, creating social content for food brands and an entertainment streaming company.

Head of Programming
Sabrina Ortiz
Sabrina Ortiz, originally from Boston, MA, and currently based in LA, is a Colombian and Venezuelan multidisciplinary artist, photographer, director and producer. She graduated from Emerson College in 2019 and has since gained 5+ years of experience working in fashion, entertainment PR, talent management and film/tv development at several companies including HBO, Lionsgate, and currently Lucasfilm. In her current PR role at Lucasfilm, she’s helped strengthen fan engagement by leading and implementing DEI efforts that identify and cultivate new multicultural voices and tastemakers. Sabrina also serves as executive producer of iridescent, a creative studio and artist-driven production company that specializes in creating bold, boundary-pushing scripted and unscripted content that showcases the voices and visions of emerging artists, filmmakers, designers and brands.

Head of Growth & Impact
Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal
Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal is a DGA Grand Prize & Student-Emmy winning Writer/Director and Activist, known for her film BACKLOG (Cannes official selection), which is currently being packaged as a feature. After adapting the short, the BACKLOG feature script won Stage 32 and Catalyst Studios’ Empowering Women Script Competition. Most recently, she wrapped a 31-day shoot at SONY Studios for her sci-fi epic, Europa, a film she wrote and directed about a privatized space mission, produced by ETC@USC (Emerging Technology Center) with the support of SONY and Oscar-winning VFX company, Pixomondo. Jacqueline is an alum of the Creator’s Playlab Fellowship, the Fox Fellowship, The Athena Writer’s Lab, Stowe Story Labs, honored in 2021 by the United Nations Development Programme, and was recently named a Semi-Finalist for the Athena List, for BACKLOG. She has four features in development, with her next film Gaslight filming Summer 2025.Jacqueline is a member of The Reel Champions, WIF, and Film Fatales, volunteering in programs for all three. She holds an MFA in Film Production from USC, as the John Huston Directing Scholar and is represented by 3 Arts, CCE, and Del Shaw.