IBPA Publishing University 2026

I've spent more than two decades building and leading operations across industries, managing global portfolios, founding ventures, and turning strategy into execution. I know how to build things that last.I also grew up reading science fiction and fantasy, and never stopped. The sense of wonder, the world-building, and the characters who face impossible odds and find a way through shaped how I think about leadership, resilience, and what it means to do hard things well. At our new venture, Big Bear Press, I lead acquisitions, operations, and the business foundation that gives great authors a real home. My job is to ensure the press runs well enough for Sandy to focus on the work that matters most: helping exceptional writers tell their best stories.

**

Your “Ask the Experts” consult schedule is:

Fri May 15, 8:15am-8:40am                  
Table 4
Group
Distribution
Jared Kuritz, Strategies PR & Zoundy

Fri May 15, 9:15am-9:40am                  
Table 10
Group
AI in publishing
Phil Marshall, Spoken