University of Southern California

Originally from Houston, Texas, Giovanna Desselle has happily turned her childhood television obsession into a career as Vice President, Original Programming for STARZ. In her role, Giovanna manages both Current series and Development for scripted projects across the network; series include POWER BOOK II: GHOST, POWER BOOK III: RAISING KANAN, P-VALLEY, comedy RUN THE WORLD, as well as period dramas SPARTACUS: HOUSE OF ASHUR, BECOMING ELIZABETH and DANGEROUS LIAISONS. Giovanna joined STARZ from ARRAY, the production company led by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay, where she shepherded critically acclaimed series QUEEN SUGAR and CHERISH THE DAY.

She was also instrumental in launching DuVernay’s inaugural slate of projects, developing and selling nine new series including NAOMI, COLIN IN BLACK AND WHITE with Colin Kaepernick, DMZ with Rosario Dawson, among others. Giovanna’s tenure at ARRAY represented a monumental career shift from her extensive background in marketing and publicity. Prior to ARRAY, Giovanna led West Coast corporate communications and series publicity for BET Networks, where she managed numerous scripted, unscripted and tentpole programs including BEING MARY JANE, REAL HUSBANDS OF HOLLYWOOD, BOOMERANG, AMERICAN SOUL, BET AWARDS, among many others. She also held marketing and publicity roles at Showtime Networks, UPP Entertainment, and The Rose Group Agency; she started her career at CAA in Television Packaging.

Giovanna holds a BS in Economics from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania. She currently serves on the Board of HRTS Associates. The former triathlete is a die-hard foodie, with a penchant for logic puzzles, sweeping costume dramas, true crime, and all tales of the grift.

Jason Lubin is a manager-producer and the principal at First Story Entertainment, which he founded in 2018. The lit management company represents a diverse roster of talented writers and directors with fresh voices in all genres for Film and TV. The company’s clients have been on the writing staffs of a plethora of shows, sold series to multiple networks, and directed films selected for the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals. In 2021, two of the nine participants selected for the highly competitive WBTV Writers Workshops were clients. In the feature space, First Story clients have written films starring Robert De Niro and John Malkovich, sold specs to Searchlight Pictures and Sony International and had scripts selected for the prestigious annual Black List. Jason also develops both feature film and television projects under the company’s banner. Prior to starting First Story, Jason was a seasoned development executive. He worked at Lynda Obst Productions as the Head of Development and at Lionsgate, where he rose to Story Editor in the Motion Picture Group. Jason cut his teeth as the assistant to CEO Jon Feltheimer and was names on of Variety’s Ten Assistants to Watch in 2013. A graduate of USC, Jason currently sits on the university’s Board of Governors as the School of Cinematic Arts’ representative as is a former President of the Trojan Entertainment Network.

David Person is a veteran television development executive and filmmaker who previously served as the director of original programming and production for IFC, the cable channel owned by AMC Networks. In this position, he co-oversaw several programs, including Documentary Now!, Sherman’s Showcase and Year of the Rabbit, as well as the Independent Spirit Awards and digital programming for The Comedy Crib.

Before working in television, David produced documentary feature films, including Beer Wars, several award-winning narrative feature films, and animation projects for Brain Zoo Studios (Dreamscapes for Microsoft Screensavers and LEGO: Star Wars commercials).

David earned a BA in film production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2004.

Patrik-Ian Polk is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and producer whose work has helped expand the landscape of Black LGBTQ+ storytelling in film and television. Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, he has built a career centered on elevating the voices, experiences, and narratives of queer Black communities. In recognition of his cultural impact, the Los Angeles Times named him to its “Diverse 100” list in 2016, highlighting his role as a leading creator bringing Black gay stories to both television and film.

Polk made his feature film debut with Punks (2000), an independent project he wrote, produced, and directed, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He went on to create the groundbreaking television series Noah’s Arc, which aired on Logo for two seasons and remains a landmark in queer Black representation. Polk later expanded the series into a feature film, Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom (2008).

His additional film credits include The Skinny (2012), featuring Jussie Smollett, and Blackbird (2015), starring Mo’Nique, Julian Walker, and Isaiah Washington both of which screened at festivals before theatrical release. Through his body of work, Polk continues to shape contemporary queer cinema and pave the way for more inclusive storytelling across the industry.