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The Roundtable

"SPAC in Conversation" will return on 10/22 featuring Julie Scelfo

By Joe Donahue
Published October 20, 2025 at 11:33 AM EDT

Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s popular fundraising event, “SPAC in Conversation,” returns on Wednesday, October 22 in the historic Hall of Springs, featuring award-winning journalist, former New York Times staff writer and media ecologist Julie Scelfo. Founder and Executive Director of Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA), Scelfo will lead an inspiring discussion on “fighting back against runaway tech to protect our kids’ childhoods.” 
 
A veteran journalist and mother of three, Julie Scelfo founded MAMA after witnessing how screen addiction, exploitative algorithms, and a lack of regulation have created an increasingly unhealthy and unsafe media environment for children. 
 
Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA) is a unique chapter-based grassroots movement that has established 35 chapters across 22 states in just 18 months, with more forming nationwide. Under Scelfo’s leadership, MAMA has helped pass nation-leading legislation in New York to combat addictive social media feeds and protect children online, mobilized support for the federal Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), and advocated for banning personal devices during the school day.

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The Roundtable SPAC SPAC in ConversationMothers Against Media AddictionJulie Scelfo
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Joe Donahue
Joe talks to people on the radio for a living. In addition to countless impressive human "gets" - he has talked to a lot of Muppets. Joe grew up in Philadelphia, has been on the area airwaves for more than 25 years and currently lives in Washington County, NY with his wife, Kelly, and their dog, Brady. And yes, he reads every single book.
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