Matt Dreher

Matt brings two decades of leadership experience on four continents to his role as the CEO of New Debate. A former Green Beret, he reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with U.S. Army Special Forces, commanding operations from the Baltic Sea to Central Asia. He served more than three years in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and more than a decade in Europe to defend NATO Allies from Russian aggression. Matt speaks four languages and studied at UCLA and Duke University.

His passion for the philosophical foundations of western liberalism was the genesis of the New Debate idea. Matt strongly believes the liberalism that inspired the U.S. Constitution, French Rights of Man and the Citizen and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights is under threat in the 21st century. With autocrats, plutocrats and demagogues dominating the media space, Matt created New Debate to be a new kind of media company capable of fighting back.

Matt will join New Debate full time in 2022.

Cort Kristensen

A veteran of more than 20 years in the entertainment industry, Cort’s credits include 12 feature films, 10 documentaries, 8 TV series and numerous commercials. He has also directed multiple short films and a feature documentary.

Cort rose in the industry under the tutelage of Michael Apted, former President of the Directors Guild of America and Governor of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and one of the most accomplished directors of the past half-century.

Cort is a devoted student of Hollywood’s storied efforts to push back against fascism and communism during the last era when liberalism was under attack and knows the entertainment industry can rise to the challenge again. He is also committed to improving education and has lectured at Pepperdine University and Florida Atlantic University.

James “Alex” del Castillo

Alex brings a wealth of experience to his role as the SVP of Business Affairs, from his legal background to leadership positions with major consultancies. As a lawyer, he rose to become an Assistant State’s Attorney in Chicago, Illinois, where he prosecuted hundreds of felony criminal cases, including more than 35 jury trials.

As a market leader with Booz Allen Hamilton, Alex managed more than 60 million-dollars worth of government contracts covering more than 50 staff across the United States and Europe. A graduate of George Washington University and DePaul University, he is an expert in the development of business strategy, plans and policy. In working as a consultant for the U.S. federal government, he also became an authority in the monitoring and analysis of malign activity in the media realm.

Along with his life-long study of history and literature, this experience led to a natural alignment with the New Debate ethos.

Dan Poole

Working from out of the UK in London, a filmmaker and an actor; Dan originally trained at the prestigious Mountview Theatre School in London. As an actor Dan has performed in the award-winning JERUSALEM, at the Royal Court Theatre (London), Twelfth Night at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, through to films such as, Dungeons and Dragons, Batman Begins and Mike Leigh’s, Peterloo. Whilst acting he began developing his own work, and as a director, producer, cameraman, he has worked for HBO, the BBC, Discovery, ITV, Channel 4 and MTV, with his work having been broadcast via global networks.

Dan’s first feature documentary, the award-winning MUSE OF FIRE, featured numerous experts (not to mention a Who’s Who of British acting royalty) to discuss the contemporary relevance of Shakespeare and to make his work more accessible for a new generation, it was supported by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and Shakespeares Globe.

He started Timebomb Pictures in 2010 which is the production company behind all of his work to date. His latest directed feature documentary, THEATRE OF SURVIVAL, about the first fully inclusive arts venue in apartheid South Africa, recently played on SKY Arts and MNET, it was voiced by acting legend, James Earl Jones. He writes and produces much of his own work.

Dan’s love for film has brought many of the most talented professionals in the industry to his projects, and he now brings 20 years of filmmaking experience to New Debate.

Louise Dylan

Louise Dylan studied Art History at UCL before attending the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama in London. Louise completed her Acting degree with professional credits in the BBC’s Merlin and indie film, Vampire Killers. Since then she has enjoyed a career in film, TV and theatre within the UK and the US: including the BBC’s adaptation of Emma and Marianne Elliot’s Old Vic production of Sweet Bird of Youth.

Louise is always eager to learn more about the art of filmmaking and has been assisting behind the scenes since graduating from Central. She served as an executive producer on the British romantic comedy, The Knot before joining Timebomb Pictures and also assisting the head of production at creative agency Alpha Century on national campaigns.

Over the last decade Louise has worked alongside Timebomb Pictures to help promote meaningful storytelling with the aim of effecting positive social change. She assisted producers on the award-winning documentary Muse of Fire which aired on the BBC. The film aims to demystify Shakespeare’s works for a wider contemporary audience. Over 100 of these inspiring and educational interviews with world renowned artists can be found on the Globe Player website. Most recently Louise co-produced The Space: Theatre of Survival (Sky Arts/ Mnet). The documentary was graciously supported by the Bertha Foundation and narrated by the legendary James Earl Jones. It highlights the outstanding efforts of the artists who found strength and agency in their craft during the oppression of 1970s apartheid South Africa.

Maria Consuelo Gonima

Maria Consuelo Gonima is the VP of communications who brings more than 15 years of experience telling burgeoning stories. Gonima most recently founded Big Smile Co, a marketing communications practice, and previously led communications strategies from video streaming disrupting TV at Hulu, influencer content changing advertising with Fullscreen, and philanthropy merging with tech innovation at the Annenberg Foundation.

She has also collaborated with storytellers like Lionsgate, Paramount, FOX, Comcast, Audible, Survios, and beyond. Living the multi-hyphenate dream in Los Angeles, she is a longtime DJ, curator and creator. Gonima has enjoyed speaking at institutions such as Harvard Business School, ArtCenter, and UCLA, and made her rap debut on NBA 2K9

Frank Miller

Frank brings more than two decades of military experience to his role as VP of Risk, Security & Intelligence (RSI) at New Debate. He has led initiatives with state and non-state actors globally, to include government agencies and the intelligence community. As a senior non-commissioned officer with U.S. Army Special Forces, the Green Berets, he received a Silver Star and two Bronze Star Medals for Valor for his actions under fire in combat.

With extensive operational experience in Europe, Asia, and South America, he is highly effective in developing innovative solutions in uncertain and politically sensitive environments, and is an expert in human and physical infrastructure development, technical and physical surveillance, foreign and domestic military equipment, demolitions and risk analysis.

Emma Campbell-Mohn

Emma Campbell-Mohn works at the intersection of business and international politics, advising Fortune 500 companies on how to respond to geopolitical challenges and changing regulatory environments. Her work has been published in media outlets and think tanks around the world, ranging from the Diplomat to Brookings’ Lawfare. Prior to entering the world of consulting, she previously served as a research analyst at Goldman Sachs’ Global Markets Institute, which operates as Goldman’s public policy think tank. At Goldman Sachs, she researched and wrote reports on national and international policy issues.

Emma earned a Master of Science in Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she focused on political economy, security studies, and China affairs. At MIT, her thesis earned Special Recognition for the CSIS / SAIS Janne Nolan Prize for Best Article on National Security/International Affairs. Additionally, she was part of the inaugural class of Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University in Beijing, where she earned a Masters in Management. She was a student at Duke University where she graduated with distinction with majors in Political Science and Chinese. Her work has also been featured in the Financial Times, Washington Post, Wilson Center’s New Security Beat, and Chatham House’s International Affairs.