The conversation will feature the leading women behind this year’s most acclaimed films and television series. These talented actresses will share insights into their latest projects, discussing how they are leveraging their platforms to educate audiences and shape the future for the next generation of Hollywood leaders.

Olsen currently stars in Azazel Jacobs’ “His Three Daughters” with Carrie Coon and Natasha Lyonne, as well as “The Assessment” alongside Alicia Vikander. Olsen is well known for her Golden Globe-nominated role as Candy Montgomery in “Love and Death” and as Marvel’s Scarlet Witch in “WandaVision,” which earned her an Emmy-nomination. Up next, she will star in A24’s “Eternity” opposite Miles Teller and Callum Turner and “Love Child” with Charles Melton.  

Hahn is leading the Disney+ limited series “Agatha All Along,” reviving her Emmy-nominated character Agatha Harkness from “WandaVision.” Last year, she received an Emmy for her performance in “Tiny Beautiful Things,” and prior to that was seen in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” Hahn is also known for her roles in “Transparent,” “Bad Moms,” “We’re the Millers,” “Tomorrowland,” “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and many more.   

Mau became the first trans woman to be nominated for best supporting actress in a limited series at the Emmys for “Baby Reindeer” earlier this year. Prior, Mau was a production fellow for the Netflix documentary “Disclosure,” a producer on the short film “Work” and a series regular on the HBO Max series “Generation.” She also wrote, produced, directed and starred in the short film “Waking Hour,” which won the NewFest Audience Award. 

Squibb most recently starred in “Thelma” and appeared as Nostalgia in “Inside Out 2.” The 94-year-old actress is also well known for her work in Martin Scorsese’s “Age of Innocence,” Alexander Payne’s “About Schmidt” and “Nebraska,” which earned her Golden Globe and Oscar-nominations for her role as Kate Grant. Up next, Squibb will be seen in the comedy feature “Lost & Found in Cleveland” and in Scarlett Johansson’s feature directorial debut, “Eleanor the Great.”

The Actress Roundtable panel is open to all attendees of the Power Women Summit on Dec. 3 at The Maybourne Beverly Hills. More panels and speakers will be announced soon. To purchase tickets and for more information about the Summit, visit thewrap.com/pws.

Sponsors include South Coast Plaza, Loeb & Loeb LLP, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Disney.

For sponsorship inquiries, contact Lynne Segall, CRO of TheWrap, at lynne@thewrap.com. 

About Power Women Summit

TheWrap’s Power Women Summit is the essential gathering of the most influential women across entertainment and media. The event aims to inspire and empower women across the landscape of their professional careers and personal lives. With the theme, “Aspire,” this year’s PWS provides one day of keynotes, panels, workshops and networking. For more information visit thewrap.com/pws. 

About TheWrap

TheWrap is the leading, authoritative digital news organization covering the business of entertainment, fashion and media. Founded by award-winning journalist Sharon Waxman in 2009, TheWrap is the only independently owned Hollywood trade, serving as a reliable and trusted source of breaking news, investigative reporting, expert analysis, exhaustive awards season coverage and in-depth features for over 15 years.

The post Elizabeth Olsen, Kathryn Hahn, Nava Mau, June Squibb Join Actress Roundtable at Power Women Summit appeared first on TheWrap.

The list will be published in conjunction with TheWrap’s Power Women Summit, a yearly gathering of the most influential women in entertainment and media, on Dec. 3 at The Maybourne Beverly Hills. 

“Women are at the forefront of change in Hollywood,” Sharon Waxman, founder and editor-in-chief of TheWrap, said. “TheWrap’s Changemakers List recognizes the incredible women who are breaking barriers in entertainment, proving that their leadership is essential to the future of the industry.”

The Changemakers List celebrates extraordinary women from all corners of culture who are making a significant impact. These visionaries are transforming the entertainment landscape through innovation, creativity and fearless leadership. They are championing peace and social progress as activists, driving industry evolution as executives and entrepreneurs, pushing creative boundaries as artists and content creators and inspiring change through their talent and influence.

Honorees will be featured in print and online publications and will be invited to attend an exclusive event the night before the Power Women Summit. For reference, view TheWrap’s 2023 honorees can be viewed here.

The nomination deadline is Oct. 31, and accomplishments must have occurred after Dec. 5, 2023. Selected Changemakers will be notified directly by mid-November. 

Submit your nomination highlighting the individual’s accomplishments from the past year. Whether it’s yourself or someone you admire, TheWrap wants to hear about the groundbreaking work that’s changing the industry!

About TheWrap

TheWrap is the leading authoritative digital news organization covering the business of entertainment, fashion and media. Founded by award-winning journalist Sharon Waxman in 2009, TheWrap is the only independently owned Hollywood trade, serving as a reliable and trusted source of breaking news, investigative reporting, expert analysis, exhaustive awards season coverage, and in-depth features for over 15 years.

The post TheWrap Opens Submissions for 2024 Changemakers List appeared first on TheWrap.

With the theme of “Aspire,” the Power Women Summit reconvenes live and in person for a packed program including Elizabeth Olsen (actress, “His Three Daughters”), Stacey Abrams (CEO, Sage Works Productions and Senior Advisor, Rewiring America), Brittany Broski (creator, host and comedian), Amy Pascal (producer, “Challengers”) and Nava Mau (actress, “Baby Reindeer”), among many other speakers to be announced.

“The Power Women Summit is not just a celebration of extraordinary women but a platform for real change,” TheWrap editor-in-chief and event founder Sharon Waxman. “By bringing together the most influential women in entertainment, media and beyond, we create a space where ideas are exchanged and leaders are inspired.”

Attendees will connect with influential leaders, hear from inspiring speakers, elevate their personal brand, find their untapped potential for success and ultimately get motivated by powerful women who have achieved greatness.

The summit will feature award-winning actresses, producers, digital creators, executives and more.

The speakers confirmed for this year’s event are:

• Elizabeth Olsen, actress, “His Three Daughters”
• Stacey Abrams, CEO, Sage Works Productions and Senior Advisor, Rewiring America
• Brittany Broski, creator, host and comedian
• Amy Pascal, producer, “Challengers”
• June Squibb, actress, “Thelma”
• Nava Mau, actress, “Baby Reindeer”
• Ariana Madix, TV personality and actress
• Paige DeSorbo, TV personality, fashion tastemaker and co-host, “Giggly Squad”
• Judith Light, actress and producer
• Marva Smalls, EVP, Global Head of Inclusion, Paramount
• Susan Sprung, CEO and National Executive Director, PGA

More names to be revealed soon.

An All-Inclusive Ticket Includes:

• All-day access to inspirational panels and breakout sessions
• Participation in enriching learning workshops
• Valuable connections at various networking opportunities
• Live performances
• Gourmet food and drinks, including a networking lunch on the Terrace
• Exclusive Cocktail Party admission, reserved for speakers and ticket holders for a memorable post-event experience
• WrapPRO membership

Registration is now open. Use code EARLYBIRD for 25% OFF. Offer expires on Oct. 22.

Sponsors include South Coast Plaza, Loeb & Loeb LLP, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Disney.

For sponsorship inquiries, contact Lynne Segall, CRO of TheWrap, at lynne@thewrap.com. 

About TheWrap

TheWrap  is the leading, authoritative digital news organization covering the business of entertainment, fashion and media. Founded by award-winning journalist Sharon Waxman in 2009, TheWrap is the only independently owned Hollywood trade, serving as a reliable and trusted source of breaking news, investigative reporting, expert analysis, exhaustive awards season coverage, and in-depth features for over 15 years.

The post Elizabeth Olsen, Stacey Abrams, Nava Mau, Brittany Broski Join Power Women Summit 2024 appeared first on TheWrap.

Diana Nyad, World Champion Athlete, World Renowned Inspirational Speaker & Author and Jodie Foster, Actress, “Nyad”

Diana Nyad, World Champion Athlete, World Renowned Inspirational Speaker & Author

Danielle Brooks, Actress, “The Color Purple”

Saweetie, Grammy-Nominated Artist, Entrepreneur & Philanthropist

Gloria Calderón Kellett, Showrunner, Writer, Producer, Director and Actress

Gigi Gorgeous, Author, Transgender Activist & Digital Content Creator

Diane Warren, American songwriter

Maria Menounos, Author, Health Advocate & Host, “Heal Squad”

Molly Sims, Founder, YSE Beauty & Host, “Lipstick on the Rim” and Emese Gormley, Cohost, “Lipstick on the Rim”

Molly Sims, Founder, YSE Beauty & Host, “Lipstick on the Rim”

Cassidy Hutchinson, Former White House Aide & Author, “Enough”

Candace Parker, Mother, Businesswoman, Broadcaster & 3x WNBA Champion

Allyson Felix, 7-Time Olympic Gold Medalist & Cofounder and President, Saysh

Sharon Waxman, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, TheWrap

Stan Walker, Multi-Medium Creator & Musician

Vivian Odior, Global Head Of Marketing, WhatsApp

Tana Nugent Jamieson, EVP & Co-Head, A+E Studios

Susan Sprung, CEO, Producers Guild of America (PGA)

Sophia Amoruso, Entrepreneur, Founder of Trust Fund & New York Times Best Selling Author

Shayna Weber, Screenwriter, Producer & Creative Executive, International Screenwriters’ Association (ISA)

Sara Wilson, Founder of Digital-First Brand, Content Community Consultancy SW Projects

Robbie Brenner, President, Mattel Films & Producer, “Barbie”

Radhi Devlukia, Plant-Based Cook, Recipe Developer & Mission-Driven Entrepreneur

Rachel Nichols, TV Host & Sports Reporter

Nicole Pollard Bayme, Fashion Stylist & Founder, Lalaluxe

Monica Field, Pilot & Entrepreneur

Molly Burke, Content Creator, Model, Speaker, Author & Advocate

Mika Pryce, SVP of Production, Paramount Pictures

Melissa Berton, Executive Director, The Pad Project

Marie Donoghue, VP, US Sports Content and Partnerships, Amazon

Liza Koshy, Actress & Creator 

Liza Katzer, Executive Producer, “Ted Lasso,” and “Shrinking”

Lilly Singh, Award-Winning Entertainer, New York Times Best-Selling Author & Gender Equality Advocate

Lauren Stein, Head of Creative, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Lara Richardson, Chief Marketing Officer, Hallmark Media

Kim Granito, CMO, AMC Networks

Keri Moore, Co-President of Worldwide Theatrical Marketing, Motion Picture Group, Lionsgate

Jordan Reddout, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer & Screenwriter, “The Other Black Girl”

Johanna Faries, SVP & GM, “Call of Duty,” Activision Blizzard

Jocelyn Sabo, SVP of Scripted Development, Television Group, Lionsgate

Jenefer Brown, EVP & Head of Global Products and Experiences, Lionsgate

Janine Nabers, Showrunner, Cocreator & Writer, “Swarm”

Jacey Duprie, Creator, Founder & Creative Director, Wyeth 

Helen Lee-Kim, President of International, Motion Picture Group, Lionsgate

Elissa Karasik, Screenwriter & Co-Executive Producer, “Lessons in Chemistry”

Dr. Stacy Smith, Founder and Director, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative & Board Member, She Is the Music

Dana Asher-Levine, Executive Stylist & Founder, The Clothing Therapist

Christine D’Souza Gelb, Co-Founder & CEO, 2AM & Executive Producer, “Past Lives,” and “Earth Mama”

Christina Wootton, Chief Partnerships Officer, Roblox

Christina Bellantoni, Journalism Professor & Director, Annenberg Media Center

Chriselle Lim, Creator, Founder & Creative Director, Phlur

Chelsea VonChaz, Period Doula & Founder, #HappyPeriod

Carolyn Strauss, Executive Producer, “The Last of Us” and “Somebody Somewhere” 

Carolyn Moneta, Partner & Head of Digital-Brand Partnerships Crossover, WME

Candice Lambert, Celebrity Stylist 

Anne Kennedy McGuire, Chair, Podcast, Loeb & Loeb

 Alette Segerstrom, Actress

Aida Rodgers, Executive Producer, “Barry” 

Diane Haithman, Senior Contributing Business Reporter, TheWrap

Raquel “Rocky” Harris, Reporter, TheWrap

Kristen Lopez, Film Editor, TheWrap & Author, “But Have You Read the Book?”

Loree Seitz, TV Reporter, TheWrap

Dessi Gomez, Audience Reporter, TheWrap

The post Power Women Summit 2023 Speaker Portrait Gallery: Danielle Brooks, Diana Nyad, Jodie Foster, Saweetie and More | Photos appeared first on TheWrap.

The content creator and influencer spoke during a live recording of the “Lipstick on the Rim” podcast, hosted by Molly Sims and Emese Gormley at TheWrap’s 2023 Power Women Summit.

“I want to preface by saying I do not have any kids. So take this with a grain of salt, but my belief coming from social media is I don’t think that landscape and that climate will ever change and become what parents want it to become,” Singh said. It creates a climate “that forces us to compare ourselves to other people, that gets us in the comments reading an argument and arguing with other people, because that’s how engagement is formed.”

Gormley followed up by asking about tools that can be provided to children to navigate the environment social media creates.

“I will even do it for you,” Singh said of making a toolbox. “We need to give our kids, and ourselves — let’s be real, not only our kids — the best tools and mindset possible to understand what social media is. Things like, I meditate and journal enough to know that when someone says something to me on social media, it actually has nothing to do with me.”

Sims picked up on her remark and repeated it.

“Whether or not I like you has nothing to do with you, because I could like you, and then she could not like you,” Singh said, noting that them having “different opinions” clearly has nothing to do with the object of those opinions. “It’s really our projection onto other people, and when you get deeper and you get more mindful, you understand those things.”

Singh went on to discuss “The Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island,” a free animated series she worked on in collaboration with Headspace. The series teaches one mindfulness exercise per short 10-minute episode.

Singh acknowledged that her career benefits from social media, and she also evaluated how it affects her thinking patterns.

“I’m going to be honest, social media is why I have a job. It’s why I’m sitting here. I started making YouTube videos. I started creating content. I built a community. I built an audience,” she said. “My brain — I’m both happy and sad to report — thinks in terms of social media, it thinks in terms of content.”

Throughout the session, Singh joked that a man must have set the thermostat at the conference because every woman in the room was cold.

“Like right now I’m sitting here, I’m like, ‘Oh, it’d be such a funny reel, live, like we show a guy at the thermostat,'” Singh said. “My brain is thinking like this all the time.”

“I’ve also been forced to constantly reflect on my relationship with social media, because it is a double-edged sword. I think it’s a beautiful tool for unity. We’ve seen it accomplish amazing things,” she added. “I’ve raised so much money for charity, my nonprofit, because of social media, but I’ve also had some of the worst days of my life because of social media.”

Listen to the episode here and watch the full live recording below:

The post Lilly Singh Doesn’t Think Social Media Will ‘Become What Parents Want’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Speaking as part of the 2023 Power Women Summit’s panel, “Game On: Empowering Women in Sports,” presented by Amazon and moderated by Rachel Nichols, Donoghue emphasized how her intention to bring women behind the scenes of big content deals with female athletes has shaped her work and why “having more women in the room is helpful.”

“I’m in a position now where I own making sure we have women, making sure we have diversity. I’ve thrown my body in front of hirings to make sure we’re being intentional in front of the camera, behind the camera, in the offices where decisions are made,” Donoghue said at the Tuesday event held at The Maybourne Beverly Hills. “We have to be really intentional about it.”

“Obviously, I’ve appreciated and known the value in sports forever,” she continued. “I honestly think what’s helping now is there are women in buying positions. You see that sponsorship for the NWSL we just did a few weeks ago? There are women in those buying positions, and they’re owning it. They want the association with female athletes and women’s sports. It will always be a little harder, at least for the foreseeable future, but let’s just own it and support each other.”

Joining Donoghue on the panel were Allyson Felix, the seven-time Olympic Gold medalist and cofounder and president of Saysh, and Candace Parker, the three-time WNBA champion-turned-businesswoman and broadcaster. Rachel Nichols moderated.

Parker noted during the conversation that “the last three, four years” have seen an uptick in appreciation for women’s sports.

“Everybody’s like, ‘Women’s sports!’ It’s like, ‘We’ve been telling you. This is nothing new,’” Parker said, humorously.

And with that uptick in appreciation from audiences, Donoghue said, comes the added responsibility of sports world professionals and decision-makers to “make sure we reflect the population in our audience” on the court and behind the scenes across gender, race, age and more.

“A diverse team leads to better decisions … If you want the best content in the world, the best chemistry, I pick the best teammates and people who want to make great teams,” she said.

For all of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit coverage, click here.

The post Amazon Sports VP Says Female Execs ‘Have to Be Really Intentional’ in Diverse Hiring: ‘Having More Women in the Room Is Helpful’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Writers from “Lessons in Chemistry” and “The Other Black Girl” came together with executives from Sony, “Call of Duty” and Roblox to share their insights into the world of adapting material. The conversation took place Tuesday at “The Art of Adaptation: Storytelling Across Mediums” as part of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit.

Stein estimated that about 95% of her business is based on intellectual property.

“It gives security to buyers,” Stein said. “It’s shocking to me though, that the days of truly original ideas are so rare.” She added that she gets excited when she gets to work with an original idea.

“But yeah, I don’t see IP going anywhere,” she added.

Stein said that she isn’t a gamer or a deep genre fan, but explained that having someone like her on a project helps them to find new audiences. She said that’s especially important with books, which don’t have as large of a built-in fanbase as IP from some other mediums. Projects she’s working on include adaptations of video games like “God of War” and “Horizon Zero Dawn,” as well as the “Wheel of Time” book series.

“You are going to piss somebody off, so you want to give the true fans something,” Stein said. “You want to give them a lot. But there are always going to be people that are angry that you don’t stick to the exact thing, and you just can’t do that in TV.”

She argued that the original way something is done doesn’t always translate in a new space. So, she said, she looks for writers sensitive to not alienating the fans while also not alienating new audiences.

One creator who came out of being a fan was “The Other Black Girl” co-showrunner Jordan Reddout.

“I read it when it first came out,” Reddout said of the original book she helped to adapt. She and her writing partner begged to get into the room for “The Other Black Girl,” she said.

“It’s something that obviously speaks very close to my heart as a Black woman who came up in predominantly white spaces,” Reddout said. “You need that passion, you need that love for the material to carry you all the way through.”

“People have a lot of opinions about adaptations,” Reddout said. But, she noted, a book like “The Other Black Girl” doesn’t get pulled apart the same way a genre book like “Game of Thrones” does.

“For us, it was really more nailing the thematic — the messaging,” Reddout said.

Their writers’ room focused on what they were trying to say with the show, she said. Early on in that room, they went around answering, “What do you want to see from the book?” The room was also mostly Black women, which allowed them to contribute their experiences.

“Lessons in Chemistry” screenwriter and co-EP Elissa Karasik said that she always immerses herself into the source material when working on an adaptation. However, she puts all thoughts of that final destination and form to the side while doing that.

Translating what makes the original material work into a new form is about tapping into its essential truths, Karasik said. She looks for what she connects to in the storytelling and the characters, she added, because she believes that those essential truths transcend the story’s form.

“I always come back to the term ‘honoring,’ like ‘honoring’ the source,” Karasik said. But, she continued, “That can look like a lot of different things,” nodding to the balance between staying true to the source while adding a new perspective.

Of course, sometimes that means making major shifts — like toning down how much of the book’s story was told from the dog’s perspective. She said that both she and co-showrunner Lee Eisenberg felt strongly that spending too much time in the dog’s voiceover “was going to kill the thing, wasn’t going to service the story we were trying to tell.”

The panelists also offered their predictions for the future of adaptations.

“The future of storytelling is immersive,” Roblox’s Christina Wootton argued. She is in charge of partnerships for the online platform, which allows users to connect with other fans and create 3D worlds. It features a range of styles, from classic blocky characters to more highly detailed spaces that fans can dive into.

That includes partnerships with franchises like “Saw X” and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton,” letting the public into a Roblox-ified version of those properties. She noted that their projects involve building based on the fans’ feedback, iterating and creating experiences that work for all ages.

Johanna Faries, who works at Activision Blizzard as a senior vice president and general manager of the “Call of Duty” franchise, offered her own prediction for the growth of IP.

“Video games have not yet made it to the Oscars, but they will,” Faries said. “I may not be alive when that happens in a couple of decades. But it’ll happen.”

The panel was moderated by TheWrap film editor Kristen Lopez.

For all of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit 2023 coverage, read here.

The post Adaptations Are a Balancing Act, Execs and Writers Say appeared first on TheWrap.

That’s the advice that the five industry leaders on “How to Be a Boss: Dealmakers, Deciders, Disruptors” panel presented by Loeb & Loeb, shared at Monday’s Power Women Summit.

Moderated by TheWrap’s Rocky Harris, the panel included Anne Kennedy McGuire, podcast chair, Loeb & Loeb; Carolyn Moneta, partner and head of Digital-Brand Partnerships Crossover, WME; Mika Pryce, SVP of production, Paramount Pictures; Tana Nugent Jamieson, EVP and cohead, A+E Studios; and Sophia Amoruso, entrepreneur, founder of Trust Fund and New York Times bestselling author.

“I would step out and ask people questions and get advice from time to time,” Moneta said. “I’m almost envious of the formalized spaces WME has created for mentorship through ERGs [employee resource groups] and through other things. So I wouldn’t dwell on the fact that you might not have this like, consistent person in your life.”

The panelists challenged attendees to dismantle traditional notions of mentorship.

“I don’t think you have to sort of sit there and think, ‘Oh my gosh, a mentor is at least five or 10 years older than me; they’re at a certain level in their career,'” echoed Nugent Jamieson. “My mentors are my posse of my girlfriends who were raised in the business together. I’m vulnerable with them. I ask questions. I give them advice. If you’re looking for a mentor, break out of your mind exactly what that looks like, because it could be some of your dearest friends who have great advice for you that can kind of help you rise in your career.”

Kennedy McGuire went even further, defining the difference between a “sponsor” and a “mentor.”

“I think I probably have several mentors, who I look for in different aspects of my career — at my firm, outside of my firm, at production companies — who give great advice and who I go to bounce ideas off of,” she explained. “And then there’s sponsors at my firm who are saying my name in rooms where I can’t be at — that either I’m not in or that I haven’t gotten to yet. And I think also being a boss, I seek to be a sponsor for the women and other people at my firm where I can now say their name and rooms that they can’t be in. So I think it’s important to have both and understand the difference between those as you’re coming up.”

Pryce remembered how one mentor not only changed her career, but also her mindset.

“There was one individual named Alli Shearmur; I interned for her and she was sort of a stalwart in the business and was for a long time. She understood what I needed. She understood that there were not many women who held her position; she was president of Lionsgate at the time,” Pryce recalled. “She knew and articulated things that I was afraid to say, which I think when you are a woman can sometimes feel a little bit icky. Like claiming the idea of ‘I want to be a boss.’ That can be a very tough thing to sort of own.”

Pryce continued: “I remember her in a meeting saying, ‘She wants to be me,’ as the president. That was truly the moment where I was like, ‘Huh, that’s an interesting idea. Maybe?’ And I still don’t know. But that is very important in terms of a mentor — being able to also see your potential and help you articulate that for yourself.”

Perhaps Amoruso put it best:

“Asking advice is the biggest gift you can give other people, because what you’re telling them is, ‘You’re smart!’ I think a lot of people are afraid to ask advice. And all I do is spray advice … When you’re moving up in your career, you don’t really have a lot of time to feel your way around in the dark. And getting advice from people who have been there — you know, take it with a grain of salt — but at the same time, it can really accelerate your career in ways that wouldn’t necessarily happen if you didn’t have that one data point that could get you from here to there.”

For all of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit 2023 coverage, click here.

The post Top Female Executives Say Even Bosses Need Mentors – Here’s Where to Find Them | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

For Molly Burke, a content creator, model and author, the key to being a good ally is “actively choosing to learn about things that you might not understand.”

“With social media nowadays, there’s really no excuse,” Burke said during TheWrap Power Women Summit’s “Breaking Barriers: Redefining the Status Quo” panel. “When I started 10 years ago, disability as a community did not exist online, there was no such thing as disabled content creators. But now you cannot open an app without finding #DisabilityAwareness and go down the rabbit hole of learning from so many diverse voices within our community and in fun, entertaining ways. So to me, it’s making the effort to educate yourself, learning when to pass the mic and when you can amplify the voice with your mic.”

Actress and creator Liza Koshy acknowledged that there can pressure and “a little bit of shame” admitting there’s things you may not know, but that allies don’t have to know everything.

“We have every ounce of information in the palm of our hand … if you are in pursuit of it, use that tool very intentionally, seek out the creators that are making the learning journey joyful,” Koshy said. ” And if it’s not on the internet, pick up that book, keep libraries open, whatever it is to learn about a different perspective … that in real life experience is so valuable to learn of somebody else and their cultural background and upbringing.”

Transgender activist and digital content creator Gigi Gorgeous added to never be afraid to stand up for someone else.

“I literally feel the best allies are just those who listened to what I say. When I first transitioned, it was giving she/her, my new name is Gigi, whatever and they would correct people when we were out,” Goregous said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, my God, that’s my soldier. I literally have a warrior in the streets.” Like, I’m no longer scared when I’m with this person and I think that works for so many different communities.”

Once allies take the time to become more informed and are ready to begin speaking up for those who are underrepresented, Koshy urged them to “be intentional about the words you share, because they have power.”

While there’s a natural tendency as humans to want to be liked by other people, entreprenuer Radhvi Devlukia argued that you can’t control how people view you.

“If we’re choosing to put ourselves out there online, we’re choosing to have people who follow us or buy the things that we share or are investing in us, we have to be okay with not being seen the way we want to be seen, because we are choosing to do that,” Devlukia said. “If you’re going online expecting yourself to be loved by 100% of the people, you’re going online for the wrong reasons, because everybody is hurting in some way and they are going to have a bad day and they may take it out on you. But all of that comes with the territory. So you can’t have the good without the bad.”

“If you believe in something and you have a thread through everything that you do with the right intention, you will not feel bad for sharing your view,” she added. Education is everything. So find your thread of intention and work your way through life using that thread and make sure you’re sticking with that.”

For all of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit 2023 coverage, click here.

The post Content Creators Say Allyship Is ‘Actively Choosing’ to Learn About What You May Not Understand appeared first on TheWrap.

“We have to become the CEO of our health. We have to learn,” the host of “Heal Squad” said during a panel on women’s health at TheWrap’s 2023 Power Women Summit. Menounos noted that most people are at a “kindergarten level” when it comes to health and that most people rely on outside people such as doctors to dictate what their body needs.

“Unfortunately, it isn’t until you’re in a situation that you realize, ‘Oh s–t, this is really on me. I really need to figure this out,” Menounos said.

Menounos found herself in that very position in the November o2022. The health advocate knew that something was wrong with her, but her primary doctor did not take her complaints seriously. It was only after getting a second opinion that she was eventually diagnosed with Stage 2 pancreatic cancer. After undergoing surgery, she is now cancer-free. But the harrowing experience has left her with a new outlook when it comes to medical diagnoses.

“I always say don’t be committed to your diagnosis. Be committed a possibility because that’s the only place magic exists. It’s the only place God can do his work,” Menounos said. “We believe in sports teams. We believe in Tom Cruise winning the Oscar. We believe in all this s–t, but we don’t believe in ourselves.”

Both Chelsea VonChaz, the founder of #HappyPeriod, and Melissa Berton, executive director of The Pad Project, echoed Menounos’ sentiments that women need to learn more about their own health.

“In order to combat [misinformation], it’s best for us to talk about it. Like seriously talk about your health. Be an advocate for your body,” VonChaz said during the panel.

That also means becoming more comfortable talking about anatomy and normal bodily functions. Called the first Black menstrual cup movement, #HappyPeriod is an organization that focuses on menstrual health education, advocacy and access. VonChaz noted that a “funny” thing she noticed is that no matter if she’s talking to girls who have yet to start their periods or women in their 40s, “both age groups are afraid of saying vagina or coochie or pussy.”

Berton, a Los Angeles-based English teacher who is also the executive director of The Pad Project, an organization that provides menstrual products to low income areas, pointed out that the general discomfort she’s noticed from her female students often extends to their relationships with their bodies.

“When I say, ‘What’s the answer to this?’ [the boys] say the answer. Most of the time — not all the time — the young women in my class will say, ‘This may not be right.’ ‘This may have already been said,'” Berton explained. She then argued that this mentality conditions women to trust doctors’ opinions over their own pain and noted that we need to teach young people to “be confident.”

“We’re going to be the best advocate, when it comes down to it,” Berton said.

VonChaz also highlighted one under-examined part of one’s health: finding a supportive community. VonChaz pointed to a story she found on social media about a woman who is going to prison for having a miscarriage that she had no control over.

“This is why we need more doulas. This is why we need more birth workers. This is why we need more education ourselves. So if we are at home and something happens, like what do we do?” VonChaz said. “It’s super scary. And at the same time, it’s a reflection of what a lot of Black and brown people and poor people have been going through for decades. So I’m hoping that by people actually forming their own community and safe spaces that they’re able to push forward with their education and their own advancement for their health.”

Though small steps have been taken to better understand women’s health, it still has a long way to go. “Women and women’s healthcare has been so underfunded compared to general health healthcare,” Berton said.

For all of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit 2023 coverage, click here.

The post Maria Menounos Urges Women to Be the ‘CEO of Our Health’ in Wake of Cancer Diagnosis appeared first on TheWrap.