From Chapman University in Orange County California, Catalyst gives listeners a chance to learn about the Creative Industries through conversations with individuals from a wide array of backgrounds who are working in CI all over the globe. Hear how CI is influencing the public and private sector alike, and how local influences shape a region's creative landscape.
141: Season Sixteen Premiere -What Storytelling Looks Like in the Creative Industries
Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this 'hands-on' experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 16 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.
Back with a new and exciting look at working within the creative sector, Catalyst starts our season with two exciting interviews. First up is Kaitlyn Lee who sat down to interview Dany Gaitan a PR Manager for Disney Consumer Products. Dany started working with the company in 2009 at Disneyland, then moved through special events and public affairs before landing in consumer products. He talks about his pivot from pre-law to public relations while at Chapman, walks through what a typical workday looks like, and explains how Walt Disney Studios and Disney Experiences differ as places to work. Dany also gets into a few of his favorite PR campaigns, including April Pools Day, the annual Deadpool celebration and a Fantastic Four product launch in New York that put him up overnight at the TWA Hotel. The interview closes with Gaitan discussing what it takes to last in PR, emphasizing communication with your superiors and the value of building a real network.
Closing our first episode of the season is an interview with Robbie Brenner, President of Mattel Studios and Chief Content Officer, who spoke with Senior Izze Sanor about career growth, creativity, and the power of storytelling. The pair discuss how Robbie studied drama at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts before realizing she would rather shape stories from behind the scenes than perform them, and she reflects on the early jobs and unexpected breaks that turned her into a producer. Much of their conversation centers on Barbie and the challenge of turning one of the most recognizable brands in the world into a film with real meaning and cultural weight. Robbie explains how she balances brand expectations against creative freedom and why she believes a story needs urgency and purpose to work. They wrap their conversation with Brenner sharing how her definition of success has shifted over time, from Oscar nominations to something closer to legacy.
7 May 2026
140: Season 15 Finale- Crafting Narratives in the Creative Landscape
Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this 'hands-on' experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 15 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.
To begin the last episode of the season Mariana Fernandez leads us through a fun and informative conversation with published writer and editor, and English Instructor at Irvine Valley College, Lisa Alvarez. The pair discuss Lisa's newly published short story collection Some Final Beauty and Other Stories, and she opens up about what first drew her to advocacy work. They also dig into the short stories themselves, exploring how each one builds toward characters Lisa had always wanted to see represented in print. They close the conversation by reflecting on the current wave of ethnic-centric literature being published today and what she believes makes her own collection distinct within that landscape.
And as a season finale, we have an interview with Mike Gravagno the Senior Content Marketing Specialist at Workiva. Mike talks to Sydney Snider about his life and career trajectory. They discuss his roles as a content marketing manager, podcast host, and editor and explore how he first found his way into the world of podcasting. Mike reflects on the early days of the medium, when podcasting was still a niche pursuit, and walks through how dramatically the industry has shifted since then in terms of production standards, audience expectations, and the growing number of creators entering the space. The conversation expands into the creative process behind editing, the skills required to do it well, and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into shaping a compelling show. They close out the episode with the podcasts Mike loves listening to and the advice he would give anyone looking to start a show or find their footing in an industry that keeps evolving.
30 Apr 2026
139: The Intriguing Secondary Markets of CCI
Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this 'hands-on' experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 15 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.
We begin this week with Margarette Quiambao sits down with Bekah Phillips, Director of Social Media and Graphic Design at the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana. Together they trace Bekah's path from a senior-year internship at the theater to how she grew into a leadership role. They walk through what her position entails from day-to-day content decisions to the larger creative vision behind the Frida's social presence. Bekah offers an inside look at what it takes to build and maintain a brand that reflects a genuinely independent, community-rooted institution. Listen along as Bekah opens up about how now her aesthetic sensibilities inform the visual identity of Orange County's only arthouse cinema. Equal parts practical and personal, this conversation is a compelling portrait of what creative leadership looks like at the intersection of film culture and digital communication.
We wrap the episode this week focusing on Sean Cleary, Chief Operating Officer of Phillips Auction, who sat down for an interview with Kiera Freeman to talk about what it is like to work at one of the world's leading auction houses. Their fascinating conversation covers prehistoric dinosaur bones; Picasso canvases; and duct-taped bananas. Sean pulls back the curtain on how an auction actually works, from sourcing and valuing artwork to choreographing a live sale, and offers a frank look at the operational complexity most people never see. Their conversation highlights the logistical precision required to move multimillion-dollar pieces across the globe, how technology is reshaping the auction world, and what it means to work at the intersection of commerce, culture, and creativity. For anyone who has ever wondered what happens before the gavel falls, this episode has the answer.
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