Channel G Team

Cynthia A. Phillips – Executive Director

Cynthia A. Phillips is a writer, producer and social entrepreneur. She holds a doctorate in agricultural economics and degrees in economics and statistics from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. She served as a Director of International Marketing and in risk management at American Express for over 7 years. She now serves as a consultant to businesses, educational institutions, and social profit organizations in the areas of strategic planning and development, marketing, and monitoring & evaluation of programs. She developed ‘Sedona Green’ programming as the Sustainability Program Coordinator for Sedona International Film Festival. In addition, she lectures in the area of environmental and community sustainability most recently at NYU and University of Texas at Austin. She is the Founder and Director of the Global Social Change Film Festival and Institute which launched in April 2011 in Ubud, Bali. She is also on the advisory board of the San Francisco Green Film Festival.

Phillips produced and directed Identity, Thought and Vision: Discussions with Jewish, Arab and Druze Israeli Artists a project which included a 54-minute documentary, a conference at the University of Michigan as well as a traveling exhibit of the artists’ work. She produced and directed a documentary featuring five African presidents which was shot at the U.S. State Department and the Smithsonian. The film was sent with supporting materials to members of Congress and the United Nations in a successful effort to raise $24 million to support programs for African economic development. She has secured funding for her projects from the Ford Motor Company, Parke-Davis, Ford Foundation, GTN, University of Michigan, as well social profit organizations and individuals. Her screenplay draft of The Study of Position was accepted at the 2009 Squaw Valley Writer’s Conference where Phillips worked with mentor Judy Roscoe to refine the screenplay. In addition to writing and producing her own projects, she is producing three independent films which are in development: Sustainability & Gratefulness, Luna’s Highway and Blood & Water. In 2009, Phillips was awarded a Arizona Commission for the Arts grant for her writing.

Colleen Mihal – Director of Social Media & Community Development

Colleen Mihal is a communications specialist and educator dedicated to promoting media democracy. She currently works as the social media manager and communications director for the Global Social Change Film Festival & Institute. Previously, she has worked with Free Speech TV (Denver) and contributed footage to the Glass Bead Collective’s film Terrorizing Dissent. Driven by her belief that education is the heart of social justice and engaged citizenship, she has taught media and communication courses at the College of Marin, the University of Colorado, Virginia Tech, and Google. She is currently writing her dissertation at the University of Colorado, Boulder on neoliberalism, de-democratization, and the public sphere. Visit her online at www.colleenmihal.com and www.gscffi.tumblr.com.

Anh Nguyen – Consultant, Web Presence, Research & Social Game Research

Anh Nguyen is a web presence and WordPress consultant with over 15 years experience in website production and administration. Anh is fluent in Portuguese and has worked both in the United States and abroad. Anh is a graduate of Vassar College.

Sally Navarro- Bookkeeping & Operations

Sally Navarro is a gifted administrator serving leadership roles in HOAs and other enterprises after a long career as a director in corporate technology services. She is also a talented artist working in metal sculptures and painting.