Desireé TALLEY

VP, Legal & Business Affairs REVOLT Media & TV
St. John’s University School of Law

Desireé Talley is an award-winning attorney and creative advocate known for her impactful work in bridging the gap between law and pop culture. As the founder of POPLAW, she simplifies legal complexities, advocating for the fair representation and protection of creative minds. With a background in entertainment law and a career spanning roles at BDG Media, Viacom Media Networks (Paramount), ASCAP, Pandora Media (Sirius XM) and Turner Entertainment Networks (TruTV), Talley has honed her expertise in representing creatives. Her journey is fueled by her passion for storytelling and her commitment to influencing culture through law. Through POPLAW, she empowers creatives and artists by providing access to comprehensive legal resources, ensuring their intellectual property is safeguarded.

Today, as vice president of legal & business affairs at REVOLT Media & TV, Talley continues to shape the industry and champion the rights of artists. A graduate of Hampton University, St. John’s University School of Law and the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU, her journey exemplifies the transformative power of passion and advocacy in shaping culture. Over the last 24 months, Talley has spearheaded all operations in the legal department at REVOLT, including but not limited to several content acquisitions, development or linear, digital and social audiovisual shows; inducted over 20 new podcasts into the newly launched creator network and premiered a festival with over 30,000 attendees.

Talley has also emerged as a powerful media voice in the conversation where business, law and pop culture intersect. She is tapping into her creativity and taking her talents from behind the scenes to the main stage. She has been a featured speaker at The Creative Collective NYC’s CultureCon and partnered with General Assembly x Sofar Sounds for a discussion about Women In Music. Awarded as a Top 40 under 40 Lawyer from the National Black Lawyers Association, Talley has also been honored for representing creatives at the 2019 I Am African & I Can Awards.

RISING STAR FINALISTS

Joe PILERI

Chief Legal Officer

Mission Driven Finance

Harvard Law School

As the leader of Mission Driven Finance’s Care Access Real Estate REIT (CARE), Joe Pileri addresses the childcare crisis by expanding access to affordable, child-care-friendly real estate. CARE will invest in residential and commercial childcare properties, integrating wealth-building features to support providers, particularly in underserved communities. Pileri has designed and overseen CARE’s legal framework, aiming for transformative impacts on childcare providers across California and beyond. Active in the impact investing legal community, he shares his expertise through organizations like the Impact Investment Legal Working Group. Committed to training future lawyers, Pileri has taught at various law schools, focusing on transactional skills for public interest work. Outside of his professional commitments, he advocates for those with rare blood disorders and supports entrepreneurial initiatives in developing countries.

Celaena POWDER

General Counsel

Seismic

UCLA School of Law

Celaena Powder is the general counsel at Seismic, where she drives growth and innovation in the sales enablement sector by overseeing all legal, compliance and information security affairs. An entrepreneur at heart, she co-founded a startup during law school at UCLA and later built a successful career at Gunderson Dettmer, facilitating over a billion dollars in investments for startups. Since joining Seismic in April 2021, Powder has established the legal and information security departments, achieving a 90+% employee approval rating for her team's performance. As a strategic advisor, she handles matters including corporate governance and global expansion, while securing significant deals and managing information security during crises. Beyond her professional roles, she leads Seismic’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and actively mentors emerging legal professionals through TechGC.

Andrew ULLOA

Head of Legal & Corporate Secretary

ChowNow, Inc.

Notre Dame Law School

Andrew Ulloa is a seasoned in-house counsel and business partner, having served at several L.A.-based companies over the past 11 years, including his current role as head of legal at ChowNow, a leading online ordering platform that connects independent restaurants with their diners. At ChowNow, he has guided the small but mighty legal team for the past three years. During his time in the role, Ulloa has implemented a novel contract lifecycle management enterprise program that has resulted in a 35% faster turnaround time in reviewing and executing company agreements. He has also served as a key corporate strategist in the face of regulatory challenges such as fee transparency and marketplace facilitator taxation, working with regulators to ensure the company's ongoing compliance and significantly mitigating risk.