SYNOPSIS
Join us for a dynamic discussion with actors who have taken proactive steps towards forging a path for themselves and others in this ever-changing media landscape. 

This program is made possible through the generous support of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation along with SAG-AFTRA’s Ethnic Employment Opportunities and NextGen Committees.

Estimated program end time: 8:30 PM

PANELIST BIOS

Allen Maldonado - Actor, Writer, Entrepreneur 
Allen Maldonado is one of young Hollywood's busiest stars on the rise. The multi-talented actor, writer and entrepreneur currently stars opposite Tracy Morgan and Tiffany Haddish on TBS comedy series The Last O.G. which premiered to record ratings for TBS and has just finished filming for a 2nd season. Allen is also a writer for the show. Additionally, he can be seen in ABC’s award-winning sitcom Black-Ish with Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross. Just released, Maldonado appears on the big screen in Sony’s feature film remake of Superfly.

Outside of his acting career, Allen is a successful entrepreneur. He runs a record company (Get It Done Records), a production company (Only Son Productions) and a t-shirt line (Vineyards Phinest), where a portion of the proceeds go to his foundation. As a staunch advocate for higher education, community service, and encouraging youth to pursue the arts, Maldonado is the founder of Demo Nerds, a foundation that provides free acting classes, tools, and services for at-risk youth and foster children in the inner cities of Los Angeles. Last year he joined the tech world by launching the short-film streaming app, EVERYBODY DIGITAL, and is holding the First Annual Everybody Digital Film Festival October 19-21 at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, NY.  www.maldonadoiseverywhere.com 

Franchesca “Chescaleigh” Ramsey - Actress, Writer, Producer, Director, Influencer
Franchesca “Chescaleigh” Ramsey is an actress, writer, producer, director and influencer. The very busy Franchesca is the host of MTV’s popular web series Decoded with Franchesca Ramsey, which has been ordered for a seventh season. Franchesca also appears on her own podcast Last Name Basis, which she co-hosts with her husband Patrick Kondas. Franchesca is also developing a Comedy Central TV series titled Franchesca & Show as well as rewriting a feature film for 20th Century Fox. Past credits include writer/performer on the Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore where she created the popular #HASH IT OUT segment, and the infamous original viral video “Sh*t White Girls Say… to Black Girls.” Her debut book, Well That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist was published by Grand Central Publishing in May 2018. She can also be seen in Maroon 5’s music video Girls Like You. Lastly, Franchesca is a popular guest speaker at colleges and universities across the country. www.franchesca.net/

James Chen - Actor, Filmmaker
Currently seen recurring in his third season as Kal on The Walking Dead on AMC, James can also be seen this Fall in recurring guest-star roles on the new Dick Wolf series F.B.I. on CBS and the Marvel series Iron Fist on Netflix. You may also recognize him from two seasons as CSU Detective Adrian Sung on Law & Order: SVU. His other TV work includes Blue Bloods, NCIS: LA, The Blacklist, Elementary, Person of Interest, Sleepy Hollow, and Running Wilde. He’s had the pleasure working in international studio films such as The Amazing Spiderman, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Labor Day, and We Need To Talk About Kevin. Catch him now in a recurring role on Netflix’s crime-thriller, Seven Seconds, as well as in his award-winning performance as Ning in the independent film darling, Front Cover. James also guest-starred with Tracy Morgan on The Last O.G. on TBS as well as with Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson on Broad City. He will also shortly be seen starring in the independent film Fluidity from the award-winning writer-director Linda Yellen.

Regionally some of the wonderful theaters he has collaborated with are the Chautauqua Theater Company, The Guthrie Theater, and the Philadelphia Theater Company. Of his dozen plus narrated audiobooks, some of his favorite titles include Prayer of the Dragon and Chinese Yankee which can be found at Audible.com. As a developing writer and filmmaker his latest short, The Swap, has played at the Kingston Film Festival, the PAAFF. He grew up training in classical piano, is conversational in Mandarin, and is currently building on years of traditional martial arts training with MMA. He holds an MFA in Acting from the Yale School of Drama, where he received the Dexter Wood Luke Memorial Prize. IG: @jameschennyc // T: @JamesCchen // www.JamesCchen.com. 

Sunita Mani - Actress, Dancer, Comedian
Sunita Mani is an actress, dancer, and comedian most uniquely recognized for her gyrations in the viral music video Turn Down for What, a member of the comedic dance troupe, Cocoon Central Dance Team, and 'Trenton' on USA network's Mr. Robot. Sunita currently plays 'Arthie' in the Netflix original series, Glow, as well as 'Fatima' in the CBS All Access series, No Activity. In features, Sunita can be seen in Don't Think Twice alongside Mike Birbiglia and in the upcoming feature Wine Country, starring Amy Poehler. Sunita has guested on network television shows like Broad City (Comedy Central), Search Party (TBS) and The Good Place (NBC).  

Adam Moore - National Director, EEO & Diversity, SAG-AFTRA - Moderator
Adam Moore is the National Director of EEO & Diversity for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Since 2005 with SAG, and now SAG-AFTRA, Adam leads the union’s equality and inclusion plan of action strategy to realize the union’s responsibilities to its members and staff in ensuring safe, respectful workplaces—free of unlawful harassment and discrimination—through industry- and organization-wide leading-edge enforcement efforts, empowering education and community creation. Adam operates as the lead change agent to develop and execute equality and inclusion programs and initiatives that engage all levels of SAG-AFTRA’s membership and staff as well the news and entertainment media industries at large. He directs the union’s enforcement of existing practices regarding contractual policies and services related to unlawful discrimination and harassment as well as the evaluation of these areas to ensure best practices to end predatory and exploitative behavior. As an inclusive and innovative community leader, Adam functions as an ambassador and guardian of SAG-AFTRA’s culture while influencing and initiating meaningful change.