Annenberg alum panel: Rising stars in conversation with Women’s Leadership Society

Join the Women’s Leadership Society for a USC Annenberg alum panel and a Q&A session following. Read more on the speakers for this event below:

• Shelby Durkin began her career assisting on multiple viral partnership campaigns between Doja Cat and brands such as Taco Bell and JBL. Durkin has since architected partnerships between numerous SALXCO clients and global brands Captain Morgan, Uber, Celsius, Tequila Don Julio, Fender, MAC Cosmetics, and Alo Yoga. Her next partnership launching this spring is DJ duo Two Friends as JBL Global Ambassadors. She has been recognized for her work in HITS Magazine as a Noisemaker and by Forbes as a member of the 2024 30 Under 30 class. Durkin graduated from USC Annenberg in 2020 with a communication major and minor in music industry from USC Thornton. During her time at USC, she interned at WMA, Live Nation, Universal Music Group, and SB Projects
• Gisel Ruezga is the community relations and hockey development assistant at the LA Kings. She works under the non-profit arm of the LA Kings, the Kings Care Foundation, and oversees all fundraising efforts, and manages all game night activations for the foundation. Previously, she was a talent assistant at ID Public Relations where she worked with a roster of 30+ clients, including directors, writers, showrunners, actors, musicians, etc. She is a double Trojan, graduating with her bachelor’s degree in communication in 2020 and then graduating with her MA in public relations and advertising in 2021. She is a first-generation college student and a Los Angeles native.
• Megan Ely is the associate producer on LA Times Today, a nightly news magazine show that airs on Spectrum News 1. She’s produced segments for the show with guests like LA County Sheriff Robert Luna, ballerina Misty Copeland, and Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper, as well as several LA Times reporters. Before coming to LA Times Today, Ely worked as a News Assistant at KABC in Los Angeles. She graduated from USC in 2020 with a BA in journalism. While attending USC, Ely interned at E! News, KTVU in Oakland, and Goop Inc. On campus, she executive-produced The Buzz and produced ATVN for Annenberg Media. 

From left to right: Megan Ely, Shelby Durkin, and Gisel Ruezga