James Berk
James Berk
CEO, Participant Media

CSU Northridge

Music (1981)
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  • Began his career as a high school music teacher in South Los Angeles.
  • Became the youngest principal in the history of the Los Angeles Unified School District in 1990.
  • Participant Media focuses on socially relevant feature films, documentaries and television. Known for films such as An Inconvenient Truth, Fast Food Nation and The Soloist.
  • Founding executive director of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Foundation.
  • As president and CEO of Hard Rock Café International, he was responsible for the restaurant and retail chain’s worldwide operations in 29 countries and led the Save the Planet Foundation, Hard Rock’s humanitarian arm.

Notable CSU Alumni in entertainment & media

Darla K. Anderson
Producer, Pixar Animation Studios

San Diego State

Bachelor of Arts, Environmental Design (1982)
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Walter R. BarangerFullerton
Senior Editor, News Operations, New York Times

CSU Fullerton

B.A. Journalism (1986)
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Tony BaxterLong Beach
Creative Advisor to Walt Disney Imagineering 
Former Senior Vice President, Creative Development
CSU Long Beach
B.A. Art (1969)
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Annette BeningSan Francisco
Actress

San Francisco State

B.A. Theatre Arts (1980)
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Phillip Boutté Jr.Long Beach
CEO/Art Director
9B Collective Studio​

CSU Long Beach

B.A., Art Illustration (2007)
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Dominque BraudDominguez Hills
Post-Production Co-Producer, The Simpsons, 20th Century Fox Television

CSU Dominguez Hills

BA, Interdisciplinary Studies (1997)

Paulette Brown-HindsSan Bernardino
Founder, Voice Media Ventures

Cal State San Bernardino
B.A., English (1990)

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Rubén J. CarbajalFullerton
Actor and Original Cast Member, Hamilton

CSU Fullerton

Bachelor of Arts, Theatre Arts - Musical Theater (2015)​
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entertainment & media
Northridge