Each year in May, we are proud to highlight young innovators with SCN: The Nine, and, this year, many of these new leaders are passionate advocates of diversity and inclusion—often due to having to personally overcome equality issues in the workplace. Read on to learn more about the 2021 class of SCN: The Nine.
The Nine 2021
Meet 2021's Class of SCN: The Nine
Amanda Boyer
Title: General Manager
Company: AV Chicago
Why You Need to Know Her: Amanda Boyer, 34, is passionate about the business of AV—she’s a whiz at organizing things and turning big ideas into actionable plans.
“I love the tech and I love the people,” Boyer said when asked about why she loves AV. “There is always something new to explore and learn.”
Read Amanda Boyer's SCN: The Nine profile.
Gladys Marroquin
Title: Audiovisual Consultant
Company: Newcomb & Boyd
Why You Need to Know Her: Gladys Marroquin, 27, has never shied away from learning something new. She has always rolled up her sleeves, consulted with mentors, and got down to business. She is now an up-and-coming leader in the AV consulting field. Her journey has not always been an easy one, however. For a time, she contemplated leaving the industry following some rough treatment she received based, she believes, on her gender. “Women and other marginalized folks often feel undesired by the industry, for different reasons. When you are trusted, supported, and given more responsibility, it makes a real difference in how you see the industry,” said Marroquin.
Read Gladys Marroquin's SCN: The Nine profile.
Sarabeth Mullins
Title: Doctoral Student
Company: Sorbonne Université
Why You Need to Know Her: Sarabeth Mullins, 27, has AV in her DNA. “I got started around the dinner table. My father is Thom Mullins, who was the chair of the AVIXA Standards Committee from 2017 to 2020,” she said. “I grew up hearing him talk about all facets of sound, and I guess it influenced me more than he planned. When I was 9 or 10, I drew an auditorium and designed a speaker system for it. My dad keeps that drawing hidden away somewhere as professional blackmail.”
Read Sarabeth Mullins' SCN: The Nine profile.
Narin Nara
Title: Digital Media Producer
Company: AVIXA
Why You Need to Know Him: While you may not recognize his face, you will definitely recognize Narin Nara’s work. As a digital media producer at AVIXA, Nara, 32, is responsible for a large portion of the association’s social media and video content.
Nara, a member of AVIXA’s content delivery team, is focused on supporting the company’s content strategy and working with its technical team to optimize delivery methods through various digital channels.
Read Narin Nara's SCN: The Nine profile.
Paul Richards
Title: Marketing Director, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships
Company: PTZOptics and HuddleCamHD
Why You Need to Know Him: Paul Richards, 33, demonstrates every day how modern marketing can elevate pro AV. Just ask the nearly 27,000 subscribers of PTZOptics’ YouTube channel. “I’m the closest person to a YouTuber that the AV industry has,” he said. “We’re empowering our customers through education. The customers don’t really care about the specs anymore. They want to know how a product will work for them.”
Read Paul Richards' SCN: The Nine profile.
Jess Rhoades, PMP, CTS
Title: Project Manager
Company: AVI-SPL
Why You Need to Know Her: Jess Rhoades, 32, combines her skills in sales support and project management with her penchant for collaboration and active listening to help streamline processes and workflow for companies in and out of the AV sector. This equitable focus helps ensure her projects move forward successfully and exceed profit expectations. “My goal as a project manager is to create an environment of psychological safety in order to foster collaboration and creative problem-solving. We need all of our ideas to weather this industry’s rapid changes,” said Rhoades.
Read Jess Rhoades' SCN: The Nine profile.
Mike Slamer, CTS
Title: Strategic AV Engineer
Company: Discovery Inc.
Why You Need to Know Him: Mike Slamer’s mission as strategic AV engineer at Discovery Inc. is to help people communicate more effectively. His biggest job challenge is with communications and standards, and how we use technology to connect with a digital handshake. He emphasizes the importance of people being able to clearly hear your message as foundational in creating a great user experience.
Read Mike Slamer's SCN: The Nine profile.
Jennifer Steinhardt
Title: AV Account Manager and Marketing Specialist
Company: Audio Visual Associations
Why You Need to Know Her: Strong, beautiful, brave, candid, and open are words that have been used to describe Jennifer Steinhardt. The 33-year-old hopes to create opportunities for people and make the industry more welcoming for all. Some of you from Twitter, and others may recognize her from her podcast The Mental Mary Show, where she discusses mental health, diversity, and her personal struggles with autism, ADHD, and depression.
Read Jennifer Steinhardt's SCN: The Nine profile.
Erica Williams
Title: Manager, AV and Collaboration
Company: Henderson Engineers
Why You Need to Know Her: Erica Williams, 31, is a technical force to be reckoned with … and has been for most of her life. “It was no surprise to anyone when I began working in technology—I’ve always had a knack for it.
“Communication is something I’ve always been interested in, and using technology to help people communicate effectively is the best of both worlds,” she added. “When done right, you’re not simply transferring data from Point A to Point B; you’re creating an environment where people have an experience. Getting to help curate that experience drew me in.”
Read Erica Williams' SCN: The Nine profile.
Former SCN: The Nine Inductees
Want more of SCN The Nine?
Check out the complete list of SCN: The Nine inductees here.
Click here to read more stories from the May 2021 issue of SCN.
