CUTTER CONNECTIONS
Cutter Connections is a mentorship program designed to unite professional women from all career stages of the advertising, entertainment, and digital media industries. At our events, young women entering the field are able to sharpen their network skills and develop relationships with experienced creative professionals.
Professional. Female. United. Forward.
OUR MENTORS
Jessica Sherif
Writer | Director | Producer
Jessica Sherif is a writer, director and producer whose work has been featured on platforms like Netflix, Hulu, A&E, E! and Starz. Her work centers on identity, purpose, and belonging, often through the lens of comedy or romance. Jessica is deeply committed to mentorship and creative community building.
Ayana Baraka
Cinematographer
Ayana Baraka was the Director of Photography for the 3x Emmy-nominated ESPN and Religion of Sports docuseries "In the Arena: Serena Williams" and the Paramount+ documentary "Uncharted" about Alicia Keys’ “She Is The Music” Camp which premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
Maple Shipp
Director | Creative Director
Maple is a director and award-winning film creative with over a decade years of experience in creative direction, production, and post-production. She specializes in directing emotional storytelling and family content, and leads teams for both live action and animated productions.
EVENTS
December 2023
Crossing Boundaries and Mixing Mediums
At the event, “Crossing Boundaries and Mixing Mediums,” hosted at Nice Shoes, our panel of industry experts talked about navigating the ever-changing landscape of the entertainment industry and spilled some special tips for our mentees about how to make the most of their network and skillset as they enter the industry.
A final HUGE shout out to our sponsors: Nice Shoes, William Chris Vineyards and My First Job in Film.
June 2022
Reviving the multi-hyphenate
The world has changed and so have we - more of us than ever are starting independent businesses and trying on multiple professional hats - DP/Directors, Writer/Producers, Editors/VFX/Animators, etc.! So, we gathered to answer questions about the benefits and challenges of working for oneself, why it’s important to have a versatile skillset, how to overcome the stigma of having more than one title, and how to stay relevant and hirable via word of mouth alone.
Our esteemed moderator Director/Producer/Writer, Rebecca Eskreis and brilliant panelists DP, Jendra Jarnigan, Director/Editor, Farah X, Director/Writer/Producer, Assal Ghawami, and Producer/Director, Katie Leary walked us through their journeys to success and reflected on what they’d wish they’d known earlier.
December 2019
An Evening with Women Screenwriters
Cutter Connections celebrated its 9th event which honored both aspiring and accomplished female screenwriters. Most excitingly, we have now welcomed over 700 (!!!) women in the tristate area looking to connect with likeminded artists in advertising, television, and media.
April 2019
Women in Sports: Take the Field
Cutter Connections held its 8th event celebrating the trail-blazing achievements of female leaders in the field of Sports and Entertainment. Over 50 women congregated in the spacious offices of New York audio house Sound Lounge to hear expert panelists, trade career advice and sharpen their networking skills thanks to the sponsorship of SVG and Newhouse Sports Media Center. The impressive list of mentors and mentees present held roles in production, development, marketing and creative direction from companies ranging from the MLB Network to Whistle Sports, CBS Sports, NBC Olympics and The Players Tribune.
OUR SPONSORS
