Judging Panel: Heather Mason

Heather founded Caspian Agency in 2005, to bring a strategic discipline to high-level gatherings and convenings for good. Caspian has produced conferences for Hewlett Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Omidyar Network, as well as the Skoll World Forum for the past 19 years. Prior to launching Caspian, she worked in TV and film development, and was the first Director of the Student Program at the American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997. She also created and produced the largest non-official event at the Sundance Film Festival in 2000. In 2024, she debuted The Impact Lounge as an Official Sponsor at the Sundance Film Festival, bringing Changemakers together with Filmmakers to shine a light on the ecosystem of impact filmmaking and content creation. The Impact Lounge was hosted a featured panel at Cannes 2024 in the American Pavilion.

Heather is an instructor in the Masters Hospitality program at San Diego State, and she serves on the boards of Women Founders Network, Entrepreneurs Organization, Utah State Alumni and is on the Board of Trustees of Utah State University.

She was a consultant on convening design for the Rockefeller Foundation, and the editor and key contributor for their Convening Guide. She is a frequent keynote speaker, MC, and moderator, and is represented by ConferenceEmcees. Heather is also the creator of the conferences, SUREFIRE Girls and CEO-U.