James Berk

CEO, Participant Media

Music (1981)

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