Yianni Stamas heads up an ever growing panel of experts who have the commitment to serve the community

About Us - Meet Our Team - Yianni the Consultant

John "Yianni" Stamas, Jr. Consultant for Media Education and Community Building

Yianni began his career as an apprentice for three years at Zoetrope Studios headed by "Godfather" filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola in Hollywood then a few years later moved to New York City and started a communications company. With this company he worked with clients including Lincoln Center of the Performing Arts, the Film Society of Lincoln Center, NYC Department of Education, the New York Public Library and Dramatics NYC. Yianni keeps his roots as an actor and performing magician alive as co-artistic director of the Magic Neighbors troupe as well as can ride a unicycle while juggling.

About Us - Meet Our Team - Rodger the Librarian

Rodger Taylor, Supervising Librarian and Author
Rodger Taylor is the Supervising Librarian of the Teen Central program at the Grand Central Branch of the New York Public Library in Manhattan, a program that serves the approximately 90 branches throughout NYC in partnership with Yianni's Lights Camera Read Platinum Pia contest and workshops and helps to facilitate the Summer Reading NYC Platinum Pias semi-finalist regionals portion of the competition.

Rodger is also an author, having co-written the critically acclaimed book "Einstien on Racism". His articles on city life, jazz, early African American New York, and the African Burial Ground have been published in local newspapers and magazines, including several in "New York Newsday". He also oversees teens who author content for the over 70 publications of the Platinum Pias publishing network. Rodger received a grant from the Animating Democracy Initiative.

About Us - Meet Our Team - Alex the Entertainer

Alex Corrado, actor, director and Platinum Pias Awards host
Probably best known as the guy who stuffs Anthony Hopkins in the back of a van in "Hannibal" (and then gets eaten by wild boar at the end of the movie) Alex was also one of the leads in the landmark NBC reality show "The Restaurant" with Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito that revolutionized the dining industry. And now Alex and Yianni are developing the web reality show "Beauty Meets Entertainment: Battle for the Pia" that is beauty, entertainment and education. You can see Alex interviewing the next batch of Pia hopefuls consisting of salons and reality stars (including Jacqueline Laurita from "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" and Tracy DiMarco from "Jerseylicious") in a video shoot at the Tri-State area's biggest North East beauty show Emiliani Beauty Expo. Who will win the next Platinum Pias? No one knows for certain until the celebrities make their decisions at the nationals. But one thing is for sure, Alex will be onstage as the Platinum Pias host!

About Us - Meet Our Team - Alina the Magazine
Editor-in-Chief

Alina Bloomgarden, Editor-in-Chief of the over 80 Media Space NYC Publications
Alina Bloomgarden made history when she co-founded Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis. She also produced the most successful kids show in the history of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in conjunction with the Film Society of Lincoln Center called "Reel to Real for Kids" - which is how she met Yianni and they became friends over a decade ago.

Alina currently is the Editor-in-Chief for tthe Platinum Pias publications nown as Media Space NYC which is a network of internet magazines in a variety of niche topics and interests that feature stories on celebrities, role models, achievers and other participants in the the build to the next Platinum Pias Awards.