Tom Freston

Tom Freston is the author of UNPLUGGED: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu. He is a co-founder of MTV and the former CEO of Viacom, where he oversaw Paramount Pictures. After launching a successful clothing export company out of Afghanistan and India, Tom transitioned into the media landscape, helping found MTV and bringing it to international fame in more than 150 countries.

Before his Viacom roles, he ran MTV Networks for 17 years, overseeing Nickelodeon, VH1, Comedy Central, and other legendary networks. He is a board member of Imagine Entertainment and a board member emeritus of both the American Museum of Natural History and the think tank New America. He currently serves as Board Chair of The ONE Campaign, an anti-poverty advocacy organization focusing on Africa.