OUR TEAM

A Los Angeles native and UCLA graduate, Anne-Marie continues to have a very busy career on television and in major motion pictures.

Anne-Marie represented the Screen Actors Guild as a national board member and 4 term first Vice President, from 1997-2013; the first African American to be elected to that position in the union's history. Anne-Marie was honored to be presented the 2016 Screen Actors Guild Ralph Morgan Award, the highest honor an actor can receive for service to her union and the first African American to receive the honor.

Anne-Marie currently sits as chairwoman and parliamentarian of her neighborhood council.

Since 2015, Anne-Marie has been working with the LAPD creating, co-producing and directing a series of public service announcements. She has also served as Mistress Of Ceremonies for the LAWPOA Symposium and will be mc’ing, once again, in 2017. Anne-Marie was awarded the 2017 Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Rosa Park’s Award and was named by Congressman Adam Schiff the 2017 Silver Lake Woman Of The Year.

Anne-Marie starred in several successful television series, including, In The Heat of the Night, What’s Happening Now, In Living Color, Melrose Place etc...  For five seasons she portrayed Congresswoman “Bobbie Latham” on CBS’s hit military drama JAG, followed with appearing as “Sharon Upton Farley” on the hit WB comedy Girlfriends. Ms. Johnson starred as “Donna Cabonna” on the Disney Channels hit television series, That’s So Raven and had a recurring role on Tyler Perry’s TBS hit sitcom, House Of Payne. Anne-Marie has guest starred in multiple hit shows including Leverage, N.C.I.S,  Bones, just to name a few. Her 2016 credits include guest starring roles on Major Crimes, Grey’s Anatomy, Castle,and recurring roles on NCIS.L.A. and Days Of Our Lives. She will soon be seen the limited Netflix comedy series, My Wet Hot American Summer, 10 Years Later.

Anne-Marie's feature credits include Hollywood Shuffle, Strictly Business, Imo Git U Sucka, Robotjox, True Identity, Down in the Delta,  L.A. Riots Spectacular, and About Fifty.

Peter Samuelson has been described as a “serial pro-social entrepreneur”.  In 1983, inspired by a little boy battling an inoperable brain tumor, Peter conceived of the Starlight Children’s Foundation—an international charity dedicated to granting wishes for seriously ill children.  Starlight has grown to offer eight core psycho-social programs, each restoring some of the laughter, happiness and self-esteem that serious illness takes away from kids and those who love them. 

As parents and healthcare providers confirmed the positive psychological and often medical impact of Starlight programming, in 1990 Peter brought together leaders including Steven Spielberg and General  Norman Schwarzkopf to create Starbright World, an online social network to educate, encourage and empower children to cope with the medical, emotional and social challenges of their illness.   In 2005, Starlight and Starbright World completed a formal merger and became the Starlight Children’s Foundation, with offices throughout Australia, Canada, The United Kingdom, Japan, Israel, and across the United States.  Starlight now has a combined operating budget of $50 million and serves over 6 million children annually.  Since inception, Starlight has raised and deployed internationally over $1 billion and served 60 million seriously ill children. 

In 1999, Peter co-founded with Sherry Quirk, First Star, a separate national 501(c)(3) charity headquartered in Washington, D.C. that works to improve the public health, safety, and family life of America’s abused and neglected children.  

With Peter as President, First Star provides “top-down” systemic leadership to provide quality and compassionate care for children within the child welfare system, basic civil and legal rights for every child and safe, stable and permanent homes for all children. First Star's program to create 4 year residential programs for high school age Foster Youth on university campuses nationwide began at UCLA in 2011, and has thus far replicated to the University of Rhode Island, University of Connecticut, Rowan University New Jersey, University of Central Florida, Loyola University Chicago, City University of New York, and at George Washington University in the District of Columbia. Negotiations are underway to expand to additional campuses in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Florida. 
In 2008, Peter founded EDAR, “Everyone Deserves A Roof” to develop and widely distribute through established service agencies a mobile single-user homeless shelter on wheels.  EDARs cost $500 each and so far 300 homeless clients use them nightly. 

Peter is a graduate of Cambridge University with a Masters in English Literature and the fourth of five family generations employed in the film industry. After serving as production manager on films such as The Return of the Pink Panther, he emigrated from England to Los Angeles and produced Revenge of the Nerds, Tom & Viv,  Wilde, Arlington Road and 20 other films.  Peter served on the founding Board of Participant Media Inc., Jeff Skoll’s pro-social media company. Peter Samuelson is President of ASPIRE, the Academy for Social Purpose in Responsible Education, whose undergraduate courses have been successfully piloted at UCLA

Wonde was inspired to pursue a career in International Development after experiencing extreme poverty as a young child in Ethiopia. After acquiring a Bachelor of Arts in International and Global Studies from Portland State University and a Masters in International Studies and Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, Wonde returned to Ethiopia with the Peace Corps. As an Agriculture and Nutrition Development Worker, Wonde was tasked with combating food insecurity in Tekea, a small rural town in Northern Ethiopia. Although his service was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wonde was able to cultivate relationships and establish areas of mutual interest for future projects with various stakeholders at his assigned community. The potential projects included the introduction of transitional and modern beekeeping practices, enhanced soil fertility through vermicomposting, increasing the number of individuals with farmers insurance and establishing English and sports clubs at the primary and secondary schools. Upon his return to the States, Wonde is committed to serving those who have been most impacted by the global pandemic. 

As an actor, Elliott Gould is an iconic presence.  Having starred in films such as Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H, The Long Goodbye and California Split - as well as being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the comedy Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Elliott has the uncanny ability to morph into his roles seamlessly.  Mike Hale of The New York Times described Elliott’s performance as private eye Philip Marlowe in The Long Goodbye as ‘eccentric, loopy, intensely likable…’.

Elliott has taken on challenging roles in movies that have spanned every known genre.  He became known to a new generation of viewers thanks to his portrayal of Jack Geller, the father of Courteney Cox and David Schwimmer on ‘Friends’, and his unforgettable role as Murray in American History X made audiences cringe during the dinner scene with Edward Norton, ending with his advice to Norton’s mother:  “Doris, you don’t know the world your children are living in’.

As an activist, Elliott has championed causes and inspired social change in the world that our children are living in.

When the edict came down to end long term care services for the elderly residents of the Motion Picture Home’s fabled Long Term Care Unit, Elliott provided guidance and helped to legitimize the actions of those who fought to keep the doors open - resulting in a victory that insured long term care for motion picture and television industry elderly.   Elliott’s work with Holocaust survivors and Jewish causes has positioned him as a real ‘macher*’ who gets it done.  Having been bestowed with the Freedom of Expression Award, it is only one of the tributes and accolades that Elliott has received for his generous participation and leadership in social causes.

“I’m touched to be working with The Man/Kind Project, and look forward to helping to make a difference in the lives of impoverished Holocaust survivors”, remarked Elliott when asked about his appearance in PSA (Public Service Announcement) videos for Man/Kind’s campaign to raise attention and support for survivors.  Richard Stellar, founder of Man/Kind added “I’ve seen Elliott in action - he has a huge heart and his guidance will be crucial to our growth and focus.  We welcome him to our Advisory Board and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”

*macher - a person of importance and stature - a mover and shaker

Abdullah “Abby” Hall (They, Them, Theirs) is the Artistic Director of the Tran Chorus of Los Angeles (TCLA) the premier all Trans-identified chorus in America. A twenty year veteran of Business & Legal Affairs, at Paramount Pictures. Currently the CEO of the Hollywood Disruptor and a Producer with Picture Lock Entertainment.  Abby also serves on the Board of the Mankind Initive, GALA Choruses (Gay & Lesbian Choral Association) Board of Directors and APAIT Board of Directors.