Mark Avnet, Founder and Chief Learning Office of Converging Arts Professional Development, brings over 25 years of senior leadership, learning and development, talent growth, thought leadership, and innovation experience to clients and partners. Prior to founding Converging Arts, Mark was Head of Learning and Development at 360i, a well-known large digital-first advertising and marketing agency. Mark developed and facilitated programs to help the large employee base develop manager and leadership excellence, and interpersonal and group communication skills using Everything DiSC, Presentation and Writing Skills workshops, Ideation techniques, Unconscious Bias awareness and mitigation practices, dealing with digital disruption, and more. He created and delivered live, video-based, and online courses for employees and clients. In addition to the workshop curriculum, Mark worked directly with clients including Coca-Cola, many of the Nestle Brands, Barilla, Kraft, Mondelez, Canon, Mattel, Dentsu, Harlem Children's Zone, and Oscar Mayer. Mark's academic credentials include Professor and founding Chair of the Creative Technology program at VCU Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter, widely recognized as the nation's top graduate school in advertising and marketing. Prior to that, Mark was Chair of Communications at Russell Sage College/Sage Colleges of Albany, Visiting Professor at Marist College, and Adjunct professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Communication. Other advertising industry roles include Senior Vice President and Director of Technology and Production at Ammirati Puris Lintas, Chief Technology Officer and Head of the Innovation Lab at Lot21 Interactive, Head of New Media at @radical.media, and Executive Producer and Head of Production at Hearst New Media.