hi! you found the backstage pass to

Carla

Carla Escanillas
say it like KAR-lah es-kah-NIL-yahs

I'm passionate about work on the business side of the things people line up for: concerts, fandoms, and live events. Campus shows, Forbes summits, a book launch, and a few campaigns I can't name in public.

graduating Cornell Dec 2026 · open to roles in live events, music & entertainment marketing, and comms

Carla smiling in front of a red temple wall in Japan
that's me! ★
currently CMO @ MCFAB + launching danah boyd's book
prev: Forbes, NextGen, secret missions
  • $4M+ raised for nonprofits
  • 140K+ followers managed
  • National Heifer International revenue award
  • 111% team growth in 3 months
  • 6 Forbes events supported
  • 3.9 GPA · Dean's List

The work

open a folder

five projects, five folders. click one to look inside ↓

ForbesLive

Six Forbes events, from Philadelphia to Cannes: run-of-shows, speaker briefs, vendors, and an AI workflow that builds run-of-show documents.

Events intern · Forbes Media · Summer 2026

open

Concerts & Promotions

From VP of Promotions to Chief Marketing Officer at MCFAB, plus indie artist PR at WVBR-FM.

MCFAB · WVBR-FM · Electric Buffalo Records · 2021–now

open

Secret Identity

140K+ followers, an artist's team on the other end of the DMs, and a name I can't print here. redacted

Fandom → marketing · ask me about this one ;)

peek

Setlist

A concert-memory and stats app I developed after BuzzFeed's Builder Lab, putting what I learned into a final pitch.

Builder Lab · Buzzfeed · SUMMER 2026

open

Data Are Made, Not Found

Launching danah boyd's book: marketing memo, social rollout and Meta ads, tour planning, and the venue search for the launch party.

Project coordinator · Fall 2026 · Cornell University x University of Chicago Press

open

Tour dates

so far

every event I've worked on, in order

  1. 4.23.22
    Flo MilliMCFAB · Ithaca, NY · VP of Promotions
    ✦ on-site
  2. 2021–22
    WVBR listening parties + in-station concertsWVBR-FM · Ithaca, NY · Promotions Director
    ✦ on-site
  3. 4.12.2026
    Daniel EzraMCFAB · Ithaca, NY · incoming CMO
    MCFAB
  4. 6.17.26
    Self-Made 250Forbes · Philadelphia, PA · Events Intern
    ✦ on-site
  5. 6.23.26
    Top Creators SummitForbes · Cannes, France · Events Intern
    supported
  6. 6.25.26
    World's Most Influential CMOsForbes · Cannes, France · Events Intern
    supported
  7. SUM '26
    Forbes 30/50 5th Anniversary CelebrationForbes · New York, NY · Events Intern
    supported
  8. SUM '26
    ForbesBLK SummitForbes · TBA · Events Intern
    supported
  9. 9.10.26
    Power Women's SummitForbes · New York, NY · Events Intern
    ✦ attended
  10. 9.25.26
    Preacher LawsonMCFAB × CUPB · Ithaca, NY · CMO
    MCFAB
  11. 10.9.26
    Fangirl Forward NYCFangirl Forward · New York, NY · Production Assistant
    ✦ on-site
  12. 11.14.26
    Q&A with ???MCFAB · Ithaca, NY · CMO
    coming soon
  13. 3.17.27
    Ty Dolla $ign + ???MCFAB · Ithaca, NY · CMO
    coming soon
✦ on-site I was there working it ✦ attended worked on it, then went supported behind the scenes

The reading list

research

what I study when I'm not at a show

Independent study w/ Claire Wardle · 2026

From definitions to a curriculum

"Media literacy" keeps getting redefined. I'm tracing how it evolved alongside information literacy, news literacy, and AI literacy, and comparing the media literacy courses schools around the world have actually put in place so that I can make a recommendation for a curriculum.

The goal: turn that research into Decode the Media Around You, a high school media literacy course with lesson plans, rubrics, and state standards alignment.

literature reviewcurriculum designmedia literacyAI literacy
Define how four literacies overlap
↓
Compare courses implemented worldwide
↓
Recommend a curriculum approach
↓
Goal Decode the Media Around You
Platforms & behavior

Chilling effects

An exploratory pilot study design on how algorithmic suppression of content changes what people choose to post, with a survey instrument in Qualtrics.

Plus a full Trust & Safety playbook and report for "Blurb," a fictional platform, backed by 49+ verified footnotes.

survey designtrust & safetyplatform governance
AI in practice

Making AI do the paperwork

At Forbes, I trained Claude and ChatGPT to recreate face sheets and A/V run-of-shows, synced from Google Drive to Smartsheet.

It sits on top of coursework on AI failures, trust & safety, and platform behavior, so I know where these tools break as well as where they help.

workflow automationprompt engineering

The setlist

experience

tap a track for the liner notes

Carla · Live 2020–nownewest first!
01Chief Marketing OfficerCornell Multicultural Community Fueled Activities Board (MCFAB)Sep 2026–now
  • Lead all marketing, promotional strategy, and external communications for campus events featuring prominent entertainers of color
  • Draft all press materials, brand statements, and external-facing communications
  • Oversight of the marketing team and guest experience team through day-of execution
02Project Coordinatordanah boyd · Data Are Made, Not Found book launchMay 2026–now
  • Manage timelines, stakeholder communication, and deliverable tracking
  • Create promotional materials and run Facebook ads through Meta Business Suite
  • Wrote the launch marketing memo and contributed to the launch party venue search
03Production AssistantFangirl Forward NYCOct 2026
  • A fan-to-professional career event in New York
  • Supported setup, guest check-in, guest experience, programming, the networking mixer, and breakdown
  • Led timekeeping and audience Q&A for one of the event's two panels
04ForbesLive Events InternForbes MediaJun–Aug 2026
  • Supported Self-Made 250, Top Creators Summit, World's Most Influential CMOs, Power Women's Summit, Forbes 30/50, and ForbesBLK
  • Owned the vendor sourcing process from scratch for the Female Founder's Marketplace and Gift Bags
  • Speaker briefs, face sheets, run-of-shows, and A/V materials for senior leadership
  • Built an AI workflow that recreates face sheets and A/V run-of-shows
05Senior Corporate TrainerNextGen Avenue MarketingJun 2022–Dec 2025
  • Managed marketing campaigns for 7 major nonprofit clients, including Doctors Without Borders, Heifer International, and the National Park Foundation
  • Generated $4M+ in revenue and won Heifer International's national award for highest annual revenue
  • Expanded into 6 new East Coast markets
  • Built a recruiting and onboarding process that grew headcount 111% in 3 months
06Social Media Manager secret identityAn artist fan account · ask me about this one ;)Mar–Oct 2022
  • Co-managed a 140K+ follower promotional fan account on X
  • Worked directly with an artist's team on campaigns, streaming events, and promotional activations
07VP of PromotionsMCFABSep 2021–Sep 2022
  • Planned and executed campus concerts: venue coordination, talent logistics, artist communications, vendors, and promo campaigns
  • Flo Milli: handled a last-minute green room relocation and security sweep
08Promotions DirectorWVBR-FM · Electric Buffalo Records · Cornell Media GuildSep 2021–Sep 2022
  • Ran PR and promo campaigns for indie and alternative artists: media lists, press pitches, interviews, on-air appearances
  • Coordinated ticket giveaway partnerships with Dan Smalls Presents
  • Hosted live listening parties and in-station concerts
09Overtime CaptainOvertime, Inc.May–Sep 2020
  • Worked with production and talent teams delivering sports and entertainment content to Overtime's 100M+ subscribers
  • Pitched original fan experience concepts, including VIP events and merch activations
encore

Cornell University
B.S. Communication, Media Studies Concentration · Dean's List · December 2026

Meet the crew

(it's just me)

hi, I'm Carla!

I'm a Cornell senior who has spent the last five years working toward the business side of the things I love: concerts, fandoms, and live events. I've run promo for campus shows, co-managed a 140K-follower fan account, raised millions for nonprofits, and supported Forbes events from Philly to Cannes.

I care about how audiences find the things they love, and about making the night itself unforgettable. I study media literacy and platforms on the side, which makes me a little obsessive about how people actually behave online.

— Carla ✦

Carla smiling, holding a rose, in a room of purple balloons
me!
Carla looking out at Mount Fuji across a lake
off duty ✈ Mt. Fuji
played AAU basketball 4th–12th grade 🏀 best show ever: Harryween 2021 GRAMMY U member Filipino · music is in my blood studied Spanish for 8 years love to travel ✈ Japan this year, Switzerland next

Carla Escanillas presents

Carla Festthe skills lineup

Live now · available Dec 2026 · willing to travel

headlining

Events & Ops✦Comms & PR

venue research & selection·vendor management·run-of-show & A/V production·F&B·registration·sponsorship fulfillment·gifting & swag·budgets & invoices·on-site execution

press releases & pitches·media lists & coverage tracking·executive briefings·brand voice & storytelling·social strategy

with special guest

AI & Automation

Claude·ChatGPT·Gemini·workflow automation·prompt engineering

also appearing

Excel·PowerPoint·Google Workspace·Smartsheet·Social Tables·Meta Business Suite·Photoshop·Canva·Qualtrics·Slack·conversational Spanish

Rain or shine · no re-entry · one very organized new hire

And that's a wrap.

Thanks for stopping by! Hiring for live events, music, or entertainment marketing? Leave a note or find me on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn ↗ Resume ↗

pass me a note! ✉

© 2026 Carla Escanillas made with glue sticks & good vibes