A thing to be grateful for
We all crave human connection and have a new appreciation for the value of spending time with people we love, respect and admire. I'm so grateful for the team at MAS with whom I'm lucky enough to spend my days, for we work, play, laugh, and inspire each other. We value individuality as much as collective collaboration.
And our team will soon be growing! We're adding a pool of Gen Z talent with fresh ideas and perspectives to our new MAS Residency Program. We hope to recruit the most creative, insightful, brave, and bold thinkers to be contributors on our unique team—not coffee runners.
Applications will be accepted beginning Nov 15th and the program will run throughout 2022. Spread the word—we’re talking real industry experience with big brands.
– Melissa Mahon, EVP Operations
A thing to appreciate
I am truly grateful for such easy access to fantastic cultural experiences in the city that keep my passion for art and technology alive. As a member of the creative team, I always like to keep what I produce fresh. And as a resident of New York City, nothing inspires me more than a trip to a museum. While we all come from different backgrounds, nothing connects a community like a safe space, which is why I am thankful for museums. Through free and reduced admission, plus access and inclusion strategies, museums are making it more accessible to connect to our communities.
Frick Collection at 945 Madison Avenue, offers masterpieces from the Renaissance to the early twentieth century, and truly feels like a trip back in time. The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens is another favorite of mine - this is the only museum in the country dedicated to the moving image in all its forms, featuring fully interactive exhibits and a number of theatres. Any afternoon spent here learning about the history of cinema, animation, video games, even puppetry (Jim Henson fans, anyone?), never fails to get me excited about my role in the industry.
– Christine White, Motion Designer
A thing worth considering
I am so thankful that in my role, I get to constantly talk to brands about their strategies and upcoming experiences. Tis the season for corporate holiday parties and this year there is a large spike in brands adopting an Awards Show style event to spread the cheer. By taking pointers from the entertainment industry, they can create a must-watch celebratory experience and recognize their employees in an elevated and meaningful way all from the comfort of their own homes. Are you all seeing this trend in the industry?
– Jess Ritter, Director - Business Development + Marketing
A thing I can’t live without
Early in 2020, I started an experiment. My goal at the beginning was simple. I wanted to document what it was like to be at home. Working in the events industry, being home for extended periods was not a common occurrence. Working in technology, I chose an app over a paper journal, and the app I chose was Day One. For the last 610 straight days, I have documented at least something about each day. Some days I will write, some days it's just a photo of something I ate. One thing, however, caught me unexpectedly. On day 366 of this experiment, I had a notification, "On this day in 2020..." It was an instant window back in time that I was not expecting. More than a year and a half later, circumstances have changed, and my days are much busier than they were in March of 2020. One thing hasn't changed, and that is my use of Day One. I am thankful every day for that window into the past and a quick glimpse of what I was doing or eating. I challenge you to give it a try as we move into a season of reflection and giving thanks.
– TJ Hucka, Senior Director of Technology
A thing to sign up for
A thing I'm thankful for is also a thing you can sign up for. Along with being up to date on all of the visual, digital, meta, memed, cubed, nft'd, and all things culturally relevant, even the creatives at MAS need to keep our fingers on the pulse of business. It's a lot, so I am thankful for the daily email Robinhood Snacks. They offer clever and digestible financial news bites that give readers insights about what is happening to companies through a financial lens. The best part is, while snacks lives up to it's snackable name, it also includes relevant links to articles that dive deeper into any of the topics covered. And, of course, there is even a podcast.
– Dana Bruington, EVP Creative
A thing that makes a difference
I think I am thankful for? Seasonal Napkins. Seems a small thing, doesn’t it? As we have spent the last….millenia anchored to our homes and I’m finding the small things are really what makes the difference day to day. A reminder that there are moments in life to celebrate and that time is passing. Taking an opportunity to remember, no matter how trivial or contrived, that there is joy and light in the world and that ‘this too, shall pass.’ Finding extra enjoyment in silly decorations and amazement into the traditions of others. We know the biggies; Halloween, Christmas, St. Patrick’s day. At our house, we are taking a larger moment for Dragon Boat Festival Day (June 14th) or Pi Day (3.14) or pulling out my light saber for May the 4th. Life can get serious and stressful in a hurry. Small things add up to big things and there is a whole heck of a lot of fun in big things. Bring on the ridiculousness. P.S. November 13th is World Kindness Day...
– Bryce Bermingham, Producer