June 22, 2022:
Sixth Annual WIE Summit!
The sixth annual Women in Entertainment Summit took place on June 22, 2022 at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles, CA. The full-day event featured a series of keynotes, panels and fireside chats with some of the industry’s most successful and progressive minds.
This Year's Agenda
Staying Original in a World of Recreations
8:45 - 9:30 am
Why do some reboots fail and some become as beloved as the original? Should it be a shot-for-shot remake or a reimagining? Aside from reboots, how are creatives staying true to the goal of making a great story relevant to a new audience.
Moderated By:
Erika Anderson, West Coast Director, The Slate Group
Panelists:
Casey Kriley - Co-CEO, Magical Elves
Anjali Midha - CEO & Co-Founder, Diesel Labs
Teri Weiss - Executive VP Television Development, Dreamworks Animation
Anastasia Puglisi - Senior Vice President, Wolf Entertainment
Jessica Knoll - Author, Producer, Screenwriter (Luckiest Girl Alive)
New Media - More Content, More Options, More Audience
9:35 - 10:05 am
Media companies are exploring how to extend their content through all lines of business, including social, gamification and new digital channels. This panel will discuss new approaches to storytelling and the channels that are best helping companies reach more audiences in this new reality.
Moderated By:
Dana Block - Senior Vice President, Digital Entertainment and Consumer Technology, Metro Public Relations
Panelists:
Jess Kessler - Head of Content & Creator Marketing, Audible
Jennifer Braunschweiger - Senior Director of Content Marketing, Shutterstock
Kaitlyn Powell - Vice President of Talent, Bright
Diversity of Thought
10:10 - 10:40 am
Are stories truly authentic if the creative team behind them is not thoughtfully representative of different schools of thought? Throughout this panel artists and executives will speak about the strides they have made to ensure diverse teams and storytelling. This panel will discuss the many advantages of building a veritable team that accurately depicts stories both behind the camera and in front of it.
Moderated By:
Lisa Guerrero - Journalist, Inside Edition
Panelists:
Jeanne Mau - Senior Vice President, TV Programming Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, NBCUniversal
Iram Parveen Bilal - Pakistani Filmmaker (I'll Meet You There)
Zakiyyah Alexander - Executive Producer/Showrunner for “grown-ish"
Celebrating Pride: Queer Representation On and Off Screen - Fireside Chat
10:45 - 11:05 am
Representation is a nuanced topic because different forms of representation can achieve very different outcomes. This fireside will explore the complex path of queer representation both onscreen and offscreen.
Moderated By:
Linda Grasso - Host, SheSez Podcast; Editor in Chief, Ventura Blvd
Panelists:
Megan Townsend - Director of Entertainment Research & Analysis, GLAAD
Monica Trasandes - Director of Spanish Language and Latinx Media and Representation, GLAAD
Fireside Chat with Alexandra Shipp, Actress (Barbie, tick tick…BOOM!)
11:10 - 11:35 am
Lunch
Fireside Chat with Chandler Kinney, Actress (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin) and Reign Edwards, Actress (The Wilds)
12:15 - 12:45 pm
Fireside Chat with Karen Pittman, Actress (And Just Like That…)
12:55 - 1:15 pm
Pathways for Producers
1:20 - 2:00 pm
The production process is much more than finance and at times the responsibilities may seem endless, but what does it truly mean to be a producer? From creative to line and scripted to non-scripted, a universal answer has yet to exist. Every production is different, but how can one translate the skills they’ve acquired on one set onto the next?
Moderated By:
Linda Grasso - Host, SheSez Podcast; Editor in Chief, Ventura Blvd
Panelists:
Charmaine DeGraté - Writer and Co-Executive Producer (House of the Dragon, LucasFilm)
Susan Cartsonis - Partner, Film Producer, Resonate Entertainment
Amanda Spain - Vice President of Longform Acquisitions, MSNBC Films
Dan Martin - Executive Producer, FOX
Fireside Chat with Sofia Carson, Actress, Singer (Feel The Beat, Descendents)
2:05 - 2:25 pm
Negotiating Skills: IP and the Future of Talent Rights
2:30 - 3:20 pm
On this panel, we will explore what you need to know as you begin to negotiate deals for both yourself and your projects.
Moderated by:
Erika Anderson - West Coast Director, The Slate Group
Panelists:
Tiauna Jackson - Founder & CEO of the Jackson Agency
Tomii Crump - Senior Vice President Talent and Casting, NBCUniversal
Jenna Gates - Agent, UTA
Hilary Zaitz Michael - Lit Packaging Agent, WME
Julie Candelaria - Producer; Principal, All About the 360, Inc.
Fireside Chat with Paul Feig, Actor & Filmmaker (The School for Good and Evil, Minx, Bridesmaids, A Simple Favor)
3:25 - 3:55 pm
Fireside Chat with Connie Britton, Actress & Producer (The White Lotus, Dirty John, Nashville, American Horror Story, Friday Night Lights)
4:00 - 4:20 pm