Meet Julien's Auctions

Company Bios

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Darren Julien is the founder of Julien's Auctions and President. A third-generation entrepreneur, Darren has been in the auction industry for his entire business career. As President he is charged with the overall vision and expansion of the Julien’s brand. He is also responsible for creating, planning, implementing and integrating the strategic direction of the organization and heads the Global Leadership team. He is a graduate of the Reppert School of Auctioneering which was established in 1921 and earned a Reppert Diploma, a sign of excellence in the field. It is his experience, expertise and enthusiasm that has propelled Julien's Auctions to the market leader position.

Darren’s unique understanding and sincere passion for the entertainment and sports memorabilia markets led him to found Julien’s Auctions in 2004. His network and marketing talents fueled early sale partnerships with Christie’s and Sotheby’s including Property from the Estate of Johnny Cash, CHER, and designer Bob Mackie along with rock and roll and film sales.

The innovative marketing campaigns and environments created by Julien has led the auction house to the dominant position it maintains in the industry. Collaborating with the famous and exclusive, Julien’s produces high profile auctions around the world, customized for particular markets and collectors. With high profile events in the sports, film, music and art markets, Julien’s has received international recognition for its auction events that attract thousands of collectors, investors, fans and enthusiasts from around the world. Darren has been responsible for the sales of iconic artifacts and notable collections including the property of Marilyn Monroe, PELÉ, Mohammed Ali, Bette Midler, Joan Collins, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Lady Gaga, the street artist Banksy, CHER, Michael Jackson, U2, Jimi Hendrix, Barbra Streisand, Bob Hope, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, among many others.

In 2016, Darren oversaw the three-day auction event of MARILYN, featuring property of famed acting coach Lee Strasberg, Lord David Gainsborough-Roberts and the infamous Jean Louis dress the legend wore at Madison Square Garden in 1962. Julien’s Auctions was recently awarded its second placement in the Guinness Book of World Records for the sale of the world’s most expensive dress ever sold at auction, the Marilyn Monroe “Happy Birthday Mr. President” dress which sold for $4.81 million. In 2009 Julien’s first achieved placement in the Guinness Book of World Records for the sale of Michael Jackson’s white glove which sold for $480,000, making it the most expensive glove ever sold at auction.

Julien’s vision, risk-taking, innovative marketing plans and industry reputation have created one-of-a-kind exhibition partnerships with the Museum of Style Icons in Ireland, the Museo de la Moda in Chile, the Hard Rock Café in New York, and the Palms in Las Vegas, to name a few.

Darren’s passionate focus on all things pop culture and contemporary sets Julien’s far apart in the auction industry. His innovation and differential strategy of “take the auction to the targeted buying crowd” has been responsible for much of the brand’s success. In addition, Darren’s early adoption of digital real-time bidding has enabled the company to build a truly global buying audience.

Julien regularly appears in media as an industry expert and has been featured on The Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, CNN, the BBC and many other high profile news outlets. A proud native of Indiana and self-described “world traveler”, Darren lives in Los Angeles, New York and London.

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Martin J. Nolan is a Founder, Executive Director and a principal of Julien’s Auctions. As Executive Director, he is responsible for assisting in formulating the company’s future direction and supporting tactical initiatives. He also manages the accounting, human resources, transaction processing systems, and legal and tax departments. Nolan monitors and directs the implementation of strategic business plans and is a member of the Global Leadership team that manages Julien’s Auctions worldwide.

Prior to joining Julien’s in 2005, Nolan’s extensive financial background included executive positions on Wall Street for over a decade with Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan Chase. A graduate of Reppert School of Auctioneering, Martin earned a Reppert Diploma, the sign of excellence in the field of auctioneering. Martin’s efforts are also concentrated on developing and expanding the company’s presence in Europe, Australia and Asia where Julien’s has maintained continued success with Nolan’s impressive global relationships. He has led Julien’s to build an ever-expanding international client base managing the company’s proprietary relationships with international exhibition partners such as the Museum of Style Icons in Ireland, The Museo de la Moda in Chile and The Mall Galleries in London which presented the 2016 record-breaking auction Pelé: THE COLLECTION featuring property of the three-time World Cup Champion, FIFA Player of the Century and Brazilian Football icon.

Nolan’s passion for popular culture and the auction industry is only matched by his dedication to philanthropic efforts alongside Julien’s Auctions. A firm believer in the power of celebrity, Martin routinely assists charities in raising much needed funds and has conducted auctions for numerous high profile organizations including MusiCares, the Recording Academy charity that provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in need.

As a principal of Julien’s, Martin has been responsible for the planning and execution of high profile artifact auctions and collections. The innovative marketing campaigns and environments created by Julien’s Auctions has led the auction house to the dominant position it maintains in the industry. Collaborating with the famous and exclusive, Julien’s produces high profile auctions around the world, customized for particular markets and collectors. With high profile events in the sports, film, music and art markets, Julien’s has received international recognition for its auction events that attract thousands of collectors, investors, fans and enthusiasts from around the world. Martin has managed the sales of iconic artifacts and notable collections including the property of Marilyn Monroe, PELÉ, Mohammed Ali, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Lady Gaga, CHER, Michael Jackson, U2, Jimi Hendrix, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, among many others.

In 2016, Martin oversaw the three-day auction event of MARILYN, featuring property of famed acting coach Lee Strasberg, Lord David Gainsborough-Roberts and the infamous Jean Louis dress worn by the legend at Madison Square Garden in 1962. Julien’s Auctions was recently awarded its second placement in the Guinness Book of World Records for the sale of the world’s most expensive dress ever sold at auction, the Marilyn Monroe “Happy Birthday Mr. President” dress which sold for $4.81 million.

Martin regularly appears on broadcast programs and international networks including the Today Show, CNN, CNBC the BBC and Reuters representing Julien’s Auctions in the global media. Born and raised in Athlone, Co. Roscommon, Ireland, he resides in Los Angeles and New York.

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Jason is responsible for the management, operations and organization of the company, along with an additional emphasis in overall marketing, new media, and helping the company to build on their Hollywood and Rock ‘N’ Roll categories.

Jason was born and raised in Northern California, and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Communication Arts from Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television and a Bachelor of Arts in English from CSU Sacramento.

In 2007, Jason launched the industry first Original Prop Blog website, which he created to benefit and serve the public interests of the art market. The site features thousands of articles about collecting, authentication, news, opinion and more.

In 2012, Jason created the Rock Subculture Journal website, which publishes his own work as a photojournalist with original concert reviews and Rock ‘N’ Roll photography. Jason has photographed hundreds of music artists at live events as press spanning a wide range of eras and genres, building a portfolio of hundreds of thousands of Rock ‘N’ Roll photographs.

Jason worked as a Producer for ABC Studios on Prop Culture, a new anthology docuseries about movie props and costumes that is streaming on Disney+.

Jason is currently co-executive producer and co-host on the YouTube series, That Pop Culture Show.

Jason brings over a decade of experience in building brands specializing in pop culture, fandom, and the collecting markets to Julien’s Auctions. Jason is focused on expanding into related market segments, leveraging his expertise in a wide range of collectibles and memorabilia. A collector himself, Jason has extensive experience in many roles in a variety of art markets, from movie and television props and costumes to stage and studio used instruments and wardrobe from Rock ‘N’ Roll to comic books, vintage gaming, toys and more.

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Khamini Crawford joined Julien’s Auctions as the Director of Finance in 2021, and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 2023. She oversees all accounting and financial operations including receivables, payables, payroll administration, cash flow management, and financial analysis. She also assists the executive team with financial planning.

Khamini holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of Cape Town and an accounting degree from California State University, Northridge. She began her accounting career at Nigro Karlin Segal and Feldstein, LLP where she assisted in the audit of major movie production companies for a couple of years. In addition to her audit background, she has over ten years of hands-on financial accounting experience working for private corporations in Los Angeles.

Khamini loves traveling and enjoys the fact that Julien’s Auction works with high profile clients worldwide.

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Elizabeth Bray has worked in the jewelry business for over 20 years. She received a Fine Arts degree from Carnegie Mellon University and after graduating, her first job was working for a family of diamond dealers on 47th Street in Manhattan. After receiving her Graduate Gemologist degree from The Gemological Institute of America, Elizabeth spent nearly a decade working for Christie's Auction House in New York, Chicago and Beverly Hills. At Christie's, she was privileged to work on the Elizabeth Taylor Collection, The Collection of Doris Duke, and handle other prominent collections and important gemstones. In 2010, her book, "Jeweler to the Stars: The Jewelry of Paul Flato" was published by ACC Art Books. She was a contributing author to the book, "The Jewels of Trabert & Hoeffer-Mauboussin" published by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 2014. Elizabeth has conducted historical research for the New York jewelry firms, Oscar Heyman Brothers and Harry Winston. Since then, Elizabeth enjoys freelance jewelry appraisal and cataloguing work.

While her interests primarily lie within pre- and post-World War II American fine jewelry, Elizabeth is passionate about all jewelry, costume and fashion and enjoys seeing how collections reflect personal style and historical significance.

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Alexis is a pop culture and entertainment enthusiast who received her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of Arizona Global and a Master of Business Administration degree from Purdue University Global. Alexis brings over ten years of experience in project management and leadership, recently working as a Core Lead Cast Member for the Matterhorn attraction at Disneyland Resort. Alexis enjoys collecting anything antique, with a focus on antique cameras and film memorabilia. Through her dedication and knowledge, Alexis hopes to foster excellent experiences for the customers of Julien’s Auctions.

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Originally interested in business management, Joanna worked as a Merchandise Supervisor for Santa Monica amusements, over eight years. Now at Julien’s Auctions, Joanna is the operations logistics manager, overseeing receipt and allocation of consignments among different bits of the company. Joanna finds inspiration in all things art, music, and sports making Julien’s Auctions an ideal space to work.

While on a creative endeavor she studied Shakespeare and English literature, favorite reads include Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, etc.

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Kody Frederick joined Julien’s following 6 years of work in various roles in TV and Film Production.

After graduation from Boise State University with a degree in Economics, Kody left his home roots of Idaho to explore his more creative side, finding work as a Producer with Cinema Relics. This opportunity helped establish Kody’s understanding of TV and Film production and over six years Kody would be involved with various projects ranging from/though not limited to; the development of CNBC’s West Texas Investors Club (2014), Producer and star of YouTube fan favorite Fan-O-Rama: A Futurama Fan Film (2016) to his role as a Segment Producer on the Disney+ docuseries, Prop Culture (2020).

Currently Kody’s role as Gallery Director range from the oversight of gallery and event operations to the production and management of future Julien’s Auctions marketing events and outreach.

Kody strives to contribute to Julien’s Auctions recognition as the #1 Auction House for celebrity estates and Rock ‘N’ Roll ephemera by implementing new and innovative strategies to help expand their reach and building a brand that people describe as more of an experience than a lot number.

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Being raised in a family of antique collectors, Mitchell early on developed a fascination for rare and unique objects. As a child he spent much of his free time collecting photographs and ephemera and hunting flea markets for lost treasures. His love of history later inspired him to travel the world where he made his home in a number of diverse locations including New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Alaska, Japan, Bangkok, and Istanbul. While living in New York he attended NYU and honed his research skills by working on notable projects such as curating antique books for an exhibit at the Museum of Natural History, interning at Swann Auction Galleries, and providing appraisal consultation work for various television productions including American Pickers, Pawn Stars, and Storage Wars.

Mitchell spent over eight years as a rare book dealer in Seattle, over five years as a principal appraiser for HW Inc. in New York City, and has been a defining member of the Julien's Auctions team in Los Angeles since 2013 where his specialties include fine and decorative art, printed and recorded media, and Hollywood and Rock 'N' Roll memorabilia

Mitchell is a member of the National Auctioneers Association, a graduate of the appraisal studies program at NYU, and has successfully completed the USPAP course and exam which highlights the congressionally recognized standards promoted by the Appraisal Foundation.

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Trent is an antique and pop culture memorabilia specialist and museum professional who received his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is currently completing a Master of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University in Museum Studies. Trent brings over eight years of experience in artifact and collectibles management, as well as having designed and managed permanent exhibits at multiple Southern California museums. Special projects have included a complete redesign of museum galleries, co-curating an exhibit for the Young Research Library at UCLA and overseeing a large-scale museum artifact relocation of about 4,000 objects. Trent serves as the President of the Board of Directors for the Lomita Railroad Museum Foundation and is a member of the California Association of Museums and Society of American Archivists.

Trent has received honors for his participation in local government, including a recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives. In his spare time, Trent collects antique clocks, cameras, Disneyana and enjoys working on classic cars.

Through his passion and enthusiasm, Trent hopes to use his valuable skills and experience to help drive Julien’s Auctions forward.

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Jeremy Kinser grew up in the Southern United States in a family devoted to spending weekends browsing estate sales and flea markets.

After completing his university studies, Jeremy moved to Los Angeles and began working in the entertainment industry before transitioning to a rewarding career as a journalist. He served as a writer and editor at numerous publications, where he interviewed and wrote profiles of an array of celebrities ranging from Cher to Lady Gaga. He lives in Hollywood – his dream since childhood – and attends every TCM film festival, enjoys hiking in L.A.’s canyons, collects vintage cookbooks and midcentury glassware, is working down his list of the world’s greatest museums to visit, and still spends weekends browsing estate sales and flea markets.

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Ricardo (Ricky) Limon was born and raised in California. Ricky comes to Julien's with an extensive background in warehouse management, most recently the Estate of Michael Jackson. In 2010, Ricky joined the Julien's team.

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Jennifer Lorenzi is from Miami, FL and has earned degrees at Florida State University while studying in London, England (B.A., Art History) and Istituto Marangoni, in Milan, Italy (Intensive Diploma Fashion Design). Jennifer previously worked at Kerry Taylor and Augusta auction houses as well as with top New York designers, stylists, art galleries and museums. She currently specializes with the costume and fashion collections at Julien’s Auctions.

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Nima holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Technical University of Berlin [Technische Universität Berlin] and a Master of Science degree from Steven's Institute of Technology in New Jersey. Since 2001, he has been working in information technology in multiple capacities such as network administrator, software developer, project manager, and founder. In 2007 he co-founded the auction software platform SAM and sold it to Bidpath in 2015 where it is used by numerous auction houses. He has been the Data Manager at Julien's Auctions since 2017, where he is integral to the electronic set-up of every auction conducted throughout the year.

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Adrian Montes was born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley and returns to Southern California after an eight year stint in New England where he managed the warehouse of Forced Exposure Music Distribution. Adrian has also served time at various record shops in the Los Angeles area. He brings an enthusiasm for music, film, sport, fashion, art and pop culture happenings and mementos.

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Lanka is very excited to help facilitate the purchase of such iconic and historic items beloved worldwide. Prior to embarking on her new adventures at Julien’s Auctions, she had the privilege to work for and under the mentorship of two ambitious, entrepreneurial, first-time business owners at Soul Fitness LA and Azla Ethiopian Eatery.

Lanka is big on being of service to her community. In 2013, she began volunteering with “Share-A-Meal”, a program under the 501c3 non-profit organization Khalsa Peace Corp. Lanka was subsequently hired to work with Khalsa Peace Corps and loved having a job that allowed her to practice “seva” which is to be of service to those in need.

Lanka graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California at Los Angeles. She is most recently using her Concentration in Creative Writing to write historic tales for her darling nieces to connect with their heritage.

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Ben Raphael Sher received his Ph.D. in Cinema and Media Studies from UCLA, where his scholarship focused on American film and television history, genre, and archival research and methods. As part of a fellowship funded by Bette Midler, he was trained to process special collection materials, and created an institutional finding aid for the Phyllis Diller Collection at the UCLA Library, Performing Arts Special Collections. In 2015, he won UCLA’s Distinguished Teaching Award.

Since 2005, Ben has written about film, TV, and popular culture for various publications including Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide, Backstage, syfy.com, the Shout! Factory blog, and ChillerTV.com. His scholarship has appeared in the anthologies New Queer Horror Film and Television (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2021) and From Madea to Mogul: Theorizing Tyler Perry (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2016).

Prior to coming to Julien’s, Ben worked as a TV and podcast producer, specializing in pop culture history. Most recently, he was Senior Producer on three seasons of the award-winning AMC documentary series Eli Roth’s History of Horror.

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Tyler has lived in Southern California his entire life. He has had a diverse background of jobs. He’s been a dockhand, a server, a laborer, ski patrol, gym manager, warehouse worker/driver and in construction management. He enjoys boating, rock climbing, skiing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Two of his favorite shows are American Pickers and Antiques Roadshow. He comes to Julien’s with a great appreciation for authenticity, beauty, and history.

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Lucas Talbot is a Los Angeles native who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism at California State University, Northridge. He comes to Julien’s Auctions in 2021 with an extensive knowledge of sports as he once worked at Fox Sports and CBS Sports. Being a Journalism major, he is grateful that he can continue to practice his writing as a Cataloguer/Researcher for the Sports Department at Julien’s Auctions. In his free time, he loves to watch his favorite teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers, play ball and continues to develop a strong passion for film and television.

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Everything Gracie Williams creates is characterized by her obsession with all things vintage (music, clothing, and culture). Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Gracie amassed a collection of vintage clothing and memorabilia at a young age by scouring estate sales and antique shops. It was through these items that she developed a deep appreciation for history, research, and storytelling. In 2021, Gracie graduated with a B.F.A. in writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design and began her career as a journalist for publications such as Flaunt, American Songwriter, Far Out, Grace Influential as part of the Princess Grace Foundation, and more.

Gracie brings her love of historic memorabilia and Old Hollywood to the Julien’s Auctions team.

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Morgan Woolsey has been a fan of genre film ever since her dad sat her down to a double feature of Night of the Living Dead and Alien at the young age of 11. A longtime singer and musician, Morgan enjoys all kinds of music, from madrigals and Motown to Georgian folk music and heavy metal. Her combined love of horror and music led her to pursue a PhD in Musicology at UCLA, exploring trends in horror film scoring and sound design. This also led her to organize the first silent movie night with C3LA: Contemporary Choral Collective of Los Angeles, premiering a live a cappella vocal score for Jean Epstein’s 1928 film adaptation of The Fall of the House of Usher.

During her time as an academic, Morgan published articles and reviews on a broad range of topics (and continues to do so now that she’s outside of the ivory tower). From music in Blaxploitation vampire movies to the moral panics that tend to follow LGBTQ filmmakers and musicians around: if a film, song, or performance made someone clutch their pearls or worry about its effects on “the youth,” Morgan probably loves it and wants to learn more about it.

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