Prepared. For Life. Gala 2024

Maureen Bosetti

Chief Investment Officer, IPG Mediabrands

Maureen has worked in the Media business for 25+ years as a leader in Strategic Investment guiding both clients and agency teams to driving maximum value in the marketplace.  She has also focused on building relationships with the media partners to better facilitate the negotiations and client’s executions in market.

Maureen began her career as an Assistant Media Buyer in National Broadcast at the inception of IPG’s General Motors MediaWorks buying unit and was quickly promoted to a Buyer overseeing GM’s $300MM+ Sports investments.  Maureen then went to work on the sales side at Discovery Communications as a Sales Planner.  Maureen crafted sales plans and marketing ideas for such clients as Procter & Gamble, Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, Exxon Mobil and M&M Mars.

After Discovery, Maureen went to back to the agency side working at Universal McCann for four years on the Coca-Cola account.  While working on Coca-Cola Maureen ran their high-profile Olympics sponsorship which was more than $100MM in addition to managing their juices and water brands.  Maureen joined Optimedia, NY in April 2004 as a VP, Associate Director in charge of buying for T-Mobile, BMW, ServiceMaster among other brands.  In March of 2010 Maureen was promoted to EVP of the National Video department overseeing the strategic investments across all clients including Pizza Hut, Bridgestone Tires and Liberty Mutual representing billings more than $400MM.

Maureen joined Initiative in February of 2016 as the Chief Partnerships Officer overseeing all investments across the portfolio of clients including Amazon/Amazon Prime Video, T-Mobile, Liberty Mutual, Merck, Gilead, and Lego to name a few.  Maureen currently serves as the Chief Investment Officer at IPG Mediabrands working closely with the agency teams to develop strategic partnerships in the marketplace that yield both efficiencies and impact for clients.

Maureen graduated from Fordham University with a BA in Communications.  As an active member of the media industry Maureen is on the 4 As National Broadcast Committee, IAB Video Board, VOX Media Council and the Sandy Hook Promise Media Advisory Board.In 2010, Maureen was named as one of Broadcasting and Cable’s Next Wave of Leaders.  Maureen was also named one of the 2013 Working Mothers of the Year as selected by She Runs It and in 2013 AdWeek highlighted Maureen as a Media All Star.  Maureen was recently honored by She Runs It for the Changing the Game awards which highlighted her advancements when it comes to more inclusive buying practices.

Harold Bryant

Executive Producer and Executive Vice President, Production, CBS Sports

Matthew Brauner

President, Brauner International Corp.

Matthew Brauner, President of Brauner International Corp. began his career in customs brokerage and freight forwarding in 1982 when he joined the family business started by his grandfather Curt Brauner in 1931. Matthew following in his father Harold’s footsteps took over as President of the company in 2004.

He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and received his MBA from Fairleigh Dickenson in 1988. He obtained his Customs Brokers license in 1991.

Married to Karen Brauner with two grown children, daughter Laura and a son Christopher.

Professional accomplishments:

• Awarded the Captain of Industry by the New York/ New Jersey Freight Forwarders and Brokers Association.
• Past President of the New York New Jersey Freight Forwarders and Brokers Association
• Former board member of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association
• Current member of the Customs committee of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association
• Past board member of the Cocoa Merchants Association of America

Scouting Involvement:

• Eagle Scout
• Proud father of an Eagle Scout
• Scout summer camp counselor
• Former Scoutmaster
• Former Troop Committee Chair and current Chartered Organization Representative
• Merit Badge Counselor and Troop Eagle Scout counselor
• National Jamboree contingent leader

Phillip Koblence

COO & Co-Founder, NYI
Co-Founder, Nomad Futurist

Phillip Koblence is a pioneer, strategic executive and thought leader in the data center and network space. He co-founded NYI (www.nyi.net) in 1996 and has successfully grown the company from a single data center in Lower Manhattan to a robust network with executional capabilities in key national and international markets. His leadership, focus on customer experience, and ability to cut through complexity and hype, has positioned NYI as an industry leader in high-touch infrastructure solutions. Phillip is also CEO of Critical Ventures, a consulting practice offering a range of services to help clients, owners and investors optimize the value of critical infrastructure assets. He sits on the DE-CIX North America Advisory Board as well as on the Board of OIX and Apolo.

In the last few years, Phillip co-founded the nonprofit Nomad Futurist Foundation and Podcast to demystify the world of critical infrastructure and inspire younger generations, particularly in underserved communities, to join the industry. In addition to being a frequent speaker at key industry events, Phillip has helped introduce large audiences of high school students to the world of digital infrastructure and the technologies that power our digital world. The Nomad Futurist mission has spread internationally with the support of its many sponsors and ambassadors.

Phillip’s recent accolades include the iMasons 2023 IM100 Award for outstanding contributions to the digital infrastructure industry and recognition as a Top 10 LinkedIn Data Center Influencer by DataCentre Magazine. He has been profiled by Data Center Knowledge, TheWHIR, MSPMentor, and NJ BIZ. Phillip has an engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He lives with his wife and two children in Montclair NJ.

Good Scout Award Honorees

2014 – 2023

Andrés Acebo, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, New Jersey City University

Amina Baraka, Poet, Singer, Actress, and Writer

Elizabeth Berman, President & CEO of Continental Food & Beverages, Inc., Inca Kola

Dan Bowens, TV Anchor, Good-Day New York, WNYW-Fox 5

Natalie Brathwaite, VP, Government Relations & Public Affairs, Fidelity Investments

Paulette Brown, Past President of the American Bar Association and Partner, Locke Lord LLP

Daniel Cannon, Chief Compliance Officer, Schindler Elevator Corporation

Samuel Collado, National President, National Supermarket Association

Luis O. De La Hoz, FVP Director of Community Lending, Valley National Bank

Xiomara Guevara, Executive Director, MCOHA

Howard Haughton, Chief Executive Officer, Eva’s Village

Francis Howitt, Team Coordinator Program, Strategy Team, Rockefeller Foundation

Everett M. Johnson, Shareholder, Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A.

Penny Joseph, VP, Community Relations & Corporate Outreach, Panasonic Corp. NA

Levi Holmes II, Director of Safety and Security, Newark Board of Education

Marc Larkins, Worldwide VP Corporate Governance & Security, Johnson & Johnson

Hon. Jose L. Linares, Ret. Chief District Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of NJ

Julia A. Lopez, Senior Litigation Associate, Reed Smith LLP

Dep. Chief Edgar Martinez, Jersey City Police Department

Dan Mateo, Partner, Holland and Knight, LLP

Vaughn McKoy, General State Regulatory Counsel, PSE&G

Monica Martinez Milan, Owner, Stumpy’s Hatchet House

Maria L. Nieves, President & CEO, Hudson County Chamber of Commerce

Marjorie Perry, President & CEO, MZM Construction Co., Inc.

Lillian A. Plata, Partner, McManimon Scotland & Baumann

Michael J. Plata, Immediate Past President, HBA-NJ and Partner, Archer & Greiner

Miguel Alexander Pozo, Member, Cozen O’Connor

Jose Rivera, Wealth Advisor, UBS Financial

John Rosero, Vice President, Prudential

William Sanchez, Award Winning Producer of Imagenes, Rutgers University

Christine Ann Soto, Executive Legal Affairs, NJ Department of Education

Anna María Tejada, Assistant General Counsel, S&P Global

Patrick Terborg, Founder and Managing Member, TD+Partners

Rafael Toro, Public Relations Director, Goya

Camelia M. Valdes, Prosecutor, Passaic County

Mr. Franklin Walker, Associate Superintendent, Schools for Jersey City, NJ

Cid Wilson, President/CEO, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR)

Wilson “Chuck” Woodridge, Principal, Woodridge Chen Architects

This year, we have four Scout speakers to honor our Scouting programs.
Join us and hear why Scouting America means so much to them and their families.

Genesis

Tiger Cub Scout
Pack 229
River Edge

Luke

Webelos Scout
Pack 192
Wayne

Kira

Eagle Scout
Troop 1908
Edgewater

Roarke

Scout
Troop 60
South Orange

We thank our 2023 Diamond, Silver, and Bronze Sponsors