Social Media Week

The Social Pulse:

• Panel Guest

  Jillian Ney, Ph.D.
  CEO & Co-Founder
  Social Intelligence Lab
  LinkedIn

  Jillian Ney, Ph.D., is a digital anthropologist and the founder of The Social Intelligence Lab (The SI Lab) - a global community for professionals working with social and internet data. She is also the UK’s first “Dr. of Social Media.” Ney completed her Ph.D. in social media and consumer behavior.  
  
  Her research focused on how technology is reshaping both online and offline behavior, with a particular interest in how people present themselves and interact online to reveal insights into real-world actions. Since then, she has developed methodologies that help businesses understand customer behavior by applying behavioral science to social and other online data. A strong advocate for ‘social listening,’ Ney works to expand the value of social and internet data as a broader source of insight, not just from social media. She promotes improved practices in digital conversation analysis and supports professionals through The SI Lab, where she shares content, hosts events, offers training, and facilitates job growth and technology access in the sector. Ney is a pioneer of the social listening field, by sharing her unique insights into the social media world we hope you’ll have a deeper understanding of the future of social media listening!
  
  Ney is well-regarded across many sectors. Voted one of the ten most influential women in digital marketing under the age of 30 by The Drum in 2012, she was also voted as a data influencer in the DataIQ 100 list in 2020 and 2021, and HotTopics Global Data Influencers in 2020.

So.....

• Panel Guests

  Terry and Kaniyia
  Influencers
  Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | TikTok

  Bailey Lavender
  Influencer
  Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok

  
  
  

  Meagan Eby
  Instagram | YouTube | TikTok 

   

Game Changers:

• Panel Guests

  Amelia Berg
  Marketing Coordinator
  Savannah Bananas
  LinkedIn

  Amelia Berg is a Marketing Coordinator at Fans First Entertainment, where she blends her creative skills in photography, graphic design, and social media management to engage and grow the brand's online presence. A 2022 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Amelia holds a degree in Photography and Film, with a minor in Media Studies. Growing up in Northern Virginia, Amelia combines a passion for visual storytelling with a deep understanding of digital media to craft compelling content that resonates with audiences.

   

  Anna Kate Lebold
  Social Media Marketing Manager
  Savannah Bananas
  LinkedIn

   

   

Movie Night:

Breaking Stories, Building Platforms:

• Panel Guests

  Brookley Cromer
  Reporter
  FOX Carolina
  Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
  

  Brookley Cromer, a reporter and multimedia journalist at FOX Carolina News, joined the station in 2015.

  An Upstate native, Brookley grew up in Easley. She studied political science at Clemson University. She holds a degree in mass media communications from the University of South Carolina Upstate. Brookley also has a renowned Poynter Institute’s TV Power Reporting Academy certification.

  As a multimedia journalist, Brookley writes for television and online platforms, shoots and edits her stories, and goes live. She covers trials, breaking news, and cold case investigations. She also has a weekly segment, Getting Answers, focusing on road issues in the Upstate.

  As a Fox Carolina News team member, Brookley has earned four Emmy Award nominations and was awarded multiple STAR Awards from the South Carolina Broadcasters Association for Best Evening Newscast. Brookley has been featured in documentaries on FOX Nation and Investigation Discovery for her coverage of criminal cases.

  Brookley enjoys all things true crime outside the newsroom, hiking, interior decorating, and traveling. She and her husband, Matt, live in Greer with their teacup Pomeranian, Finn.

  Whitney Sullivan
  Morning Anchor & Multi-Platform Producer
  WLTX Columbia
  Instagram | LinkedIn

  Whitney Sullivan is an anchor and multi-platform producer for WLTX-TV, creating content for and appearing on the station's daily morning newscast. She attended grade school in Richland District Two and graduated with honors from Clemson University.

  In 2023, was named the South Carolina Television Personality of the Year by the South Carolina Broadcaster’s Association. In addition, she received the Merit Award for Anchor of the Year. During her time at the station, Whitney has been nominated for over half a dozen Emmy awards for her work as a producer, reporter, and anchor. In 2020, the Columbia Veteran Affairs Health Care System presented her with the Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award.

  Beyond her professional accomplishments, Whitney is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and serves on multiple boards of nonprofit organizations in the Midlands. As a storyteller deeply rooted in the community, Whitney embodies a passion for uplifting, informing, and encouraging others.

Reality Check:

• Panel Guests

  Sam McKinney
  Social Media Influencer
  Season 21 participant on The Bachelorette
  Instagram | TikTok
  

  Sam McKinney is a 28-year-old contractor from Murrells Inlet, SC. He is one of 5 siblings and is a twin. He also played collegiate football briefly at Wofford College as a free safety, and his first game ever was against Clemson. Sam currently resides in Myrtle Beach and spends most of his time with his Australian Shepherds, Breaker and Maya.

  Thomas Nguyen
  Social Media Influencer
  Season 21 participant on The Bachelorette
  Instagram | TikTok
  

  Thomas Nguyen is a fitness trainer and retirement advisor from Atlanta, Georgia. He has an older brother and two younger siblings. He was a collegiate and professional swimmer and enjoys playing volleyball and playing with his two dogs, Milli and Rue. He was on season 21 of The Bachelorette and was eliminated in week 5.

Elevating Excellence:

• Panel Guests

  Darien Rencher
  Clemson Alumni & Content Creator
  Instagram | TikTok

  Darien is a former athlete who played football at Clemson University from 2016-2021. He graduated with his undergraduate and master's degrees. He left a 5-time ACC Champion, 2-time National Champion, Clemson Athletic’s Man of the Year, and a Disney Spirit Award Winner (given annually to the most inspirational figure in college football).

  Throughout his collegiate career and life post-football, he has found a passion and built a business in the world of content creation through personal and collective storytelling. This all kickstarted at the birth of NIL, where he maximized his opportunity and built his platform. Since then, he has built a personal following of over 400k across major social platforms, commercially worked with numerous national brands, and creatively collaborated with prominent modern sports and culture figures.

  He is also now married to his college sweetheart, Makenzie Rencher, and they have two beautiful children, Beckham and Kacen.

  Coralie Bertrand
  Social Listening Research Consultant
  Chick-fil-A
  LinkedIn
  

  Coralie Bertrand is a seasoned insights analyst with 10 years of experience in social media, specializing in trend analysis, sentiment research, and social listening. She excels at transforming complex data into actionable insights that help businesses refine their value propositions through real-time, transparent social commentary. Coralie is proficient in various advanced analytics tools, including Quid, Meltwater, FanFinder360, and Google Trends, to uncover meaningful insights that drive strategic decisions.

  Five years ago, Coralie began working with Warner Bros., supporting strategic marketing initiatives and theatrical and streaming content launches. During this time, she gathered valuable insights to inform key decisions across major brands such as HBO, HBO Max, CNN+, Warner Bros., DC Entertainment, Cartoon Network, and Adult Swim.

  For the past two years, Coralie has contracted with Chick-fil-A, where she has led consumer insights efforts, reporting and analyzing data to support brand strategy, marketing campaigns, and seasonal promotions. Her work in social listening has been pivotal in refining the company's approach to consumer engagement, optimizing targeting, and enhancing promotional content. More recently, her role has expanded to include employer brand reporting and integrating team member feedback into her insights to improve organizational strategies and the team member experience.

  Chizorom Okoronkwo
  Ph.D. Student
  Graduate Teaching Associate
  University of Central Florida
  LinkedIn
  

  Chizorom Ebosie Okoronkwo (M.S., New York University, 2016) is a graduate teaching associate at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and a 2nd year doctoral Ph.D. student in Strategic communication.
  
  His research interests include crisis, leadership and equitable communication in organizational and intercultural contexts, including academia and practice. His secondary research interest includes human-machine communication, particularly instructional design within the context of AI literacy interventions.
  
  Chizorom or Ebosie’s academic background is in Economics and Business Finance, with a double major Bachelor of Science degree from Brunel University of London, a Master of Science in International Marketing from King's College of London, and a second M.S. from NYU in Corporate Communications and Public Relations.
  
  His career background is in digital marketing, PR, and corporate communications, with agency experience working for the global PR and Communications agency Hill + Knowlton Strategies in Nigeria for about 7 years, with clients in the economic development, technology, finance, FMCG and OTT service industries.
  
  Simultaneously, his passion for digital marketing, food, culture, and hospitality led me to entrepreneurship. I created and ran a PR agency focused on clients in the hospitality and tourism space.

From Viral to Vital:

• Panel Guest

  Chelsie Hall
  CEO & Co-Founder
  ViralMoment
  LinkedIn

  Chelsie Hall is the CEO and co-founder of ViralMoment, where she empowers brands to unlock the potential of social video and decode the complexities of internet culture. ViralMoment is the only AI technology that can watch hundreds of thousands of social videos so that brands can see past the algorithmic fog, enabling them to craft potent strategies, safeguard their reputation, and gain a deeper understanding of their audience.
  
  Chelsie is an expert on the intersection of culture and content, passionate about understanding how influence moves through society. An award-winning technologist, she is driven by the challenge of inventing creative solutions to wicked problems.
  
  Before founding ViralMoment, Chelsie was instrumental in shaping the Department of Defense's disinformation technology assessment methodology. She has also led a design thinking firm. Chelsie is a proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, where she earned a master's degree in Integrated Innovation for Products & Services.