Last week, leading executives and creatives from across the music, television and film industries came together for a high level dinner to share solutions for how we truly move the needle for women in entertainment in 2018. Led by guest speakers Keri Putnam CEO of the Sundance Institute, director Alma Har’el and manager/activist Ty Stiklorius, we left the room armed with actionable ideas for how we continue to drive forward momentum. After a year of marching, speaking out and making our voices heard, we are more than ready to make good on that promise of action. Everyone can be a part of the solution. Here are ten things you can do to make a difference.
1. Take the pledge. Make a personal commitment to create a diverse workforce within your department and company, or on your productions. And set measurable goals.
2. Build data, source data and utilize data to help make the case for equal hiring practices and diverse content creation. We want to see our own stories.
3. Be mindful and intentional about expanding your professional network. How are you ensuring that you're connecting to and meeting with people across race, gender and socio-economic class?
4. Utilize existing models that drive inclusivity such as Dr Stacy Smith’s inclusion riders and Alma Har'el’s Free the Bid.
5. Call out bias and bad behavior when you see it. We have to bring these issues out into the open and hold companies to account.
6. Mentor and sponsor women. Don’t just give advice and guidance, pick up the phone, make introductions, go to bat for people.
7. Use the notion of ‘shining’ to amplify other women’s ideas.
8. We need more women financially investing in other women. How do we make the case to a wider network of high net worth women that investing in diverse content makes good business sense?
9. Use your privilege. If you’re in a position of power or influence, use it to support those with less.
10. If you can't make the system work for you, build your own systems. Lets use entrepreneurship as a tool by which to lead by example.
Audrey Buchanan, Ty Stiklorius, Dee Poku, Laura Rister, Tory Tunnell
Tasya van Ree, Antoinette Clarke, Dee Poku, Tricia Clarke Stone
