Expertise: Classic Films & The Oscars

Available for in-person lectures in: All Markets

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Dan, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

A lifelong film lover, Dan Hudak has worked extensively as a film critic in print, radio and television. He has provided film reviews and commentary for WPLG-TV (ABC) Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, ABCNews.com, the Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, CNN.com, indieWIRE.com, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Newsday, Orlando Sentinel, San Francisco Examiner and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

He is the owner of Hudak On Hollywood, Inc., and his popular "Hudak On Hollywood" lectures are given throughout the United States. He is the former chairman of the Florida Film Critics Circle and a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association. He studied Film History and Criticism at Bard College and the University of Miami, where he received his M.A. in Film Studies. To give Dan a piece of your mind, e-mail him at dan@hudakonhollywood.com.

Expertise: Classical Music & Opera

Available for in-person lectures in: Denver

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Betsy, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Music historian Betsy Schwarm spent a dozen years on the air at the vintage KVOD radio, "The Classical Voice of Denver." She has also taught university-level music appreciation, but is especially known for her user-friendly approach to talking about classical music. She gives pre-performance talks for Opera Colorado, has frequently spoken at the Colorado Symphony, and has written ten books on classical music as part of her Classical Music Insights series. The most recent of these is Classical Music Insights:  Between the Wars (2021). More than 200 of her articles are available on Encyclopædia Britannica online. Additionally, she writes for classical performers and organizations throughout the US and abroad, and teaches for the University of Denver Enrichment program, as well as other organizations.

Expertise: Medieval & Renaissance Art, Poster Art Of The 1960s

Available for in-person lectures in: Denver

Available via Zoom? No

To book Scott, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Scott B Montgomery is Professor of Art History at the University of Denver, where he teaches classes on Medieval art, Renaissance art, and the art of the 1960s poster movement. His books include Saint Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins of Cologne. Relics, Reliquaries and the Visual Culture of Group Sanctity in Late Medieval Europe (Whitney: Peter Lang Press, 2009) and Casting Our Own Shadows: Recreating the Medieval Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (co-authored with Alice A. Bauer) (New Orleans: University Press of the South, 2012). He has published numerous articles on saints in medieval art, pilgrimage, relics and reliquaries, and 1960s psychedelic poster art. His award willing documentary film, The Tale of the Dog (produced with Dan Obarski) was released in 2020.

Expertise: Bird Habitats, Feedings & Identification

Available for in-person lectures in: Denver

Available via Zoom? No

To book Leslie, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Leslie Clemensen is an Audubon Trained Naturalist and Certified Backyard Bird Feeding Specialist. In collaboration with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Project NestWatch and the Colorado Bluebird Project, she currently serves as an Outreach Coordinator for the Bluebird Monitoring Project with Douglas Land Conservancy. Leslie leads bird walks and hikes in the Douglas County area and is employed by Wild Birds Unlimited. Leslie is a retired educator and Colorado native who is passionate about connecting people with nature and helping all enjoy birds and other wildlife in their backyards and beyond.

Expertise: Legal Studies, History & Pop Culture

Available for in-person lectures in: South FL & Denver

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Adriana, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

A highly regarded criminal defense attorney with over 20 years of experience, Adriana is known for her reliable counsel, effective strategies, and assertive defense for clients facing federal investigation or prosecution. Adriana has successfully represented clients in federal courts across the U.S., including the District of Colorado, Southern District of New York, and Southern District of Florida. A dynamic speaker and presenter, media outlets (including ABC’s 20/20, NBC 6 (Miami-Dade, FL), Telemundo, and Univision) have featured Adriana as a legal commentator/contributor. Adriana has also appeared as a panelist/moderator/lecturer on webcasts and seminars such as The Knowledge Group and NBI.

When she’s not in the courtroom, Adriana delights in educating audiences about legal history, Constitutional rights, cases in the news, and the convergence of law and pop culture.

Expertise: Art Valuation & Appraisal

Available for in-person lectures in: Denver

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Christine, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Christine Whaling is an independent Art Advisor and Appraiser with over a decade of experience in the global fine art and luxury market. Based in Denver, she advises clients nationally on buying, selling, and collection management. Christine also provides formal appraisal reports for a variety of intended uses including: financial planning, charitable donation, insurance coverage, estate tax, and equitable distribution. She is a generalist appraiser, with a specialty in Fine Art (paintings, drawings, sculptures, and prints). 

Christine holds a Bachelor's in Art History from Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, California and a Master's in Art History and Art World Practice from the University of Glasgow and Christie's Education in London, United Kingdom. She is a member of the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) and adheres to the highest industry standards for appraisal report writing.

Expertise: Legacy Organization & After-Loss Consulting

Available for in-person lectures in: Denver

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Kylee, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Kylee Bandy is the founder of After Loss Advisors, a firm specializing in legacy organization and after-loss consulting. After the death of her father in 2018, Kylee experienced the “business side of death” — the overwhelming logistics and task management that follow a loss. She founded After Loss Advisors to ensure others wouldn't feel as alone or unprepared as she and her family once did. With a background in leadership and project management, and shaped by her own personal loss, Kylee brings a unique blend of empathy and practical support to her work. She is a Certified After Loss Professional through Professionals of After Loss Services (PALS).

Expertise: Architecture & How Biomimicry Affects Us All

Available for in-person lectures in: Denver

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Cynthia, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Cynthia Fishman AIA, BSpec, LEED AP, ACUE, Fitwel Ambassador is the founder and Director of the Biomimicry Design Alliance, a research and architecture consulting group consisting of designers and scientists from the Denver, CO area. She received her Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University in Houston, Texas, and was part of the first matriculating class at Arizona State University to earn a Master of Science in Biomimicry, the only accredited program in the world. Cynthia was an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning for many years and has earned a Certificate In Effective College Instruction from the Association of Colleges and University Educators / American Council on Education.

She has given both Zoom and in-person presentations all over the country including as a speaker at the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Rocky Mountain Green Conference in Denver, CO, at the Rocky Mountain Natural Building Conference in Golden, CO, as the keynote speaker at the USGBC Arizona State Conference in Tempe, AZ and at the 2019 AIA (American Institute of Architects) National Convention in Las Vegas, NV. She was the recipient of the AIA Colorado Leadership Award in 2015 and was a winner of the Engineering News Record (ENR) Mountain States Top Young Professionals competition in 2018. Cynthia has also been awarded the AIA National 2019 Young Architects Award which honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the architecture profession early in their careers.

Cynthia is also the Executive Director of the Ecosa Institute whose mission is to "To teach regenerative design and ecological principles that align human aspirations with nature’s systems—empowering students to create resilient, responsible solutions through integrated education."

Expertise: Literature & Language

Available for in-person lectures in: Denver

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Mary, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Dr. Mary DeForest has spent a lifetime listening in on one-way conversations across time, where later writers echo, honor, or subvert their predecessors. Their stories layer text upon text like translucent veils. The result is a kind of literary hologram, where ancient figures shimmer above their descendants, casting long shadows and unexpected light.

Her talks draw from a lifetime of published books and articles, spanning half a century. In returning to them with fellow readers, she hopes to discover something new—hidden patterns, unexpected voices, and fresh insights.

Expertise: Tourism & Hospitality

Available for in-person lectures in: Denver

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Lynn, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Dr. Lynn Minnaert is the Dean of the School of Hospitality at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her research interests include social tourism, family tourism, the social impacts of the Olympics and social legacy initiatives in the meetings industry. Prior to joining MSU Denver, she held teaching and leadership positions at Edinburgh Napier University, New York University, the University of Surrey and the University of Westminster.

Expertise: Biology & Botany

Available for in-person lectures in: Denver

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Catherine, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Dr. Catherine (Cath) Kleier earned her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her doctoral research focused on convergent evolution and the ecophysiology of the cushion plant growth form in California and Chile.

Dr. Kleier dedicated two decades to teaching biology, ecology, and environmental science, primarily at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. She received a National Geographic award in 2013 and was named a Fulbright Scholar to New Zealand in 2014. The following year, she was honored as the Carnegie Foundation Colorado Professor of the Year.  In 2023, Dr. Kleier joined Metropolitan State University of Denver as the Associate Vice President of Faculty Affairs, where she leads initiatives in faculty recruitment, development, and retention.  In 2024, she represented MSU Denver in the inaugural Kazakhstan–U.S. University Consortium. She further advanced her leadership credentials by completing the WICHE (Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education) Academic Leadership Academy in 2025.  Dr. Kleier is also the author of two popular Great Courses® series on plant biology and plant identification.