 |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |
WHO WE ARE
Women in Entertainment (501c3) launched in 2015 to bring together forward-thinkers from all areas of the entertainment industry to explore a variety of topics that greatly impact women: from human rights and women’s leadership, to storytelling across platforms and empowering the next generation of women to emerge as creative powerhouses.
Women in Entertainment (501c3) launched in 2015 to bring together forward-thinkers from all areas of the entertainment industry to explore a variety of topics that greatly impact women: from human rights and women’s leadership, to storytelling across platforms and empowering the next generation of women to emerge as creative powerhouses.
OUR HISTORY
Women in Entertainment is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2015 by Renee Rossi and Gretchen McCourt. Incubated as a program at ArcLight Cinemas, the co-founders saw incredible growth in the first year and quickly developed the program as its own nonprofit organization to reach women across the country working in and aspiring to work in the entertainment industry.
In the past eight years, we have launched an annual summit, a film screening and Q&A series, networking evenings, mentorship programs, our WIE Network, and a series of workshops to provide women the tools to succeed.
Most recently, WIE has launched the podcast "In Her Words." The launch of In Her Words represents a new chapter for the WIE organization and a new channel by which our community can engage with and listen to our esteemed speakers. It will allow us to hear directly from accomplished visionaries about their personal experiences, ups and downs, and more.
OUR MISSION
Our programming is designed to spark a broader, more transparent dialogue that focuses on current and emerging topics with analysis and depth that has not yet been explored by a dedicated program.
Together, we seek to find creative answers to the challenges facing women in the entertainment industry. WIE is a place of action, not accolades.
We believe that when one of us rises, we all rise.
WIE Summit
Seventh Annual
The seventh annual summit will take place on February 28, 2024. Subscribe to our newsletter below to stay updated on speaker submissions and other events we are hosting throughout the upcoming year!
A SELECTION OF OUR PAST SPEAKERS
CREATORS
Pictured -- Dee Rees, Screenwriter (Pariah, Bessie, Empire)
Paul Feig, Actor & Filmmaker (The School for Good and Evil, Minx, Bridesmaids, A Simple Favor)
Connie Britton, Actress & Producer (The White Lotus, Dirty John, Nashville, American Horror Story, Friday Night Lights)
Ava DuVernay, Academy Award-nominated Director, Producer and Screenwriter (Selma, 13th, A Wrinkle in Time)
Patty Jenkins, Director (Wonder Woman)
Lauren Graham, Actress (Gilmore Girls, Parenthood)
Issa Rae, Creator and Actress (Insecure)
Krista Vernoff, Emmy Award-nominated Producer and Showrunner (Grey’s Anatomy)
Greta Gerwig, Actress and Screenwriter (Lady Bird)
Nancy Meyers, Director (It's Complicated, The Parent Trap)
Gloria Calderón Kellett, Executive Producer and Co-Showrunner (One Day at a Time)
Mona May, Costume Designer (Clueless, Enchanted, Romy & Michele's High School Reunion)
EXECUTIVES
Pictured -- Victoria Alonso, Marvel Studios EVP of Production and Executive Producer (Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel)
Jennifer Lee, Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer and Director (Frozen)
Karen Bailey and Susan Lewis, Senior Vice Presidents of Original Programming, STARZ
Erika Anderson, Regional Director, Slate
Jo Sharon, Co-CEO of Magical Elves
Julie McNamara, Executive VP of Original Content, CBS All-Access
Maril Davis, Executive Producer of Outlander (STARZ)
Paula Kaplan, EVP of Talent and Development, Viacom Digital Studios
Jennifer Barrett, Head of Entertainment, Creative Shop at Facebook
Ty Stiklorius, Founder of Friends at Work, Producer (La La Land)
Teri Weiss - Executive VP Television Development, Dreamworks Animation
Jeanne Mau - Senior Vice President, TV Programming Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, NBCUniversal
LEADERS
Pictured -- Geena Davis, Actor and Founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
Gabrielle Carteris, President of SAG-AFTRA
Tatiana Lee, Hollywood Inclusionist at RespectAbility and Founder/Editor of Accessible Hollywood
Dawn Chmielewski, Senior Editor of Media, Entertainment, and Tech, Forbes
Maria Burton, Director and DGA Women's Steering Committee Co-Chair
Joy Press, writer for Vanity Fair and Author of Stealing the Show: How Women are Revolutionizing Television
Jamele Hill, Journalist at The Atlantic, Host of Jemele Hill is Unbothered podcast
Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO, GLAAD
Kirsten Schaffer, President of Women in Film
Ellen McGirt, Senior Editor at Fortune Magazine, co-chair The CEO Initiative
Monica Trasandes - Director of Spanish Language and Latinx Media and Representation, GLAAD