Topic: Women's Empowerment

America Ferrera

America Ferrera is an award-winning actor, director, and producer known for her many iconic roles in TV and film including Ugly Betty, Real Women Have Curves, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Superstore, and most recently Greta Gerwig’s history-making Barbie, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. For her breakthrough performance in Ugly Betty, Ferrera was awarded an Emmy, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe, as well as ALMA and Imagen Awards. In addition to being nominated for an Academy Award for her powerful performance as “Gloria,” she was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for “Best Supporting Actress”, and was honored with the 8th Annual SeeHer Award by the same group.

Released in theaters on July 21, Barbie has broken countless box office records, with a domestic opening of over $214M and over $470M worldwide. The film, since its opening, has recorded a $1.5 billion dollar box office and was the highest-grossing film of 2023.

Ferrera can also be seen in Dumb Money, a 2023 Sony and Black Bear Pictures’ dramedy directed by Craig Gillespie, based on Ben Mezrich’s book The Antisocial Network, also starring Seth Rogen, Sebastian Stan, Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Shailene Woodley, Anthony Ramos, Dane DeHaan, and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and had a wide release on September 29th.

Subsequently, Ferrera will make her feature directorial debut with an adaptation of Erika Sánchez’s New York Times bestselling novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter which is currently in development at MGM/Orion Pictures. IS THIS CURRENT/UPDATED? The film, written by Linda Yvette-Chavez tells the story of Julia Reyes, a sharp-tongued teen with dreams of becoming a famous writer somewhere far away from Chicago and her traditional Mexican immigrant parents who wish she was more like Olga, her sister, now eternally perfect since her tragic death. As Julia seeks to break free of her oppressive home, she tries to uncover her sister’s truth, and in the process gains a deep understanding of the wounds her family carries.

In January 2022, Ferrera was announced as the face of Covergirl’s “Fresh Clean Skincare” collection, the company’s first clean, vegan skincare line.

Ferrera starred in the Apple TV+ series, WeCrashed opposite Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway. In the series, Ferrera plays Elishia Kennedy, a successful CEO and entrepreneur who is conned into leaving her own company and joining WeWork but is eventually pushed out.

Ferrera executive produced and directed episodes for two seasons of Netflix’s hit Dramedy, Gentefied. The series follows three Mexican American cousins and their struggle to chase the American Dream.

She also executive produced, directed, and starred in NBC’s beloved workplace comedy, Superstore, which ended its six-season run on March 25, 2021.

In July of 2020, Ferrera was announced as a Founding Investor of Angel City Football Club, a National Women's Soccer League team representing her hometown, Los Angeles, California.

A longtime activist, Ferrera launched Poderistas in 2020 alongside 9 other prominent activists, leaders, and businesswomen, including Eva Longoria Bastón and Christy Haubegger. Poderistas is a digital lifestyle community and non-profit built to inform, affirm, and inspire Latinas to leverage their power and transform their lives, their community, and their nation.

Ferrera is also a prolific speaker having spoken at major events such as TED, the DNC, and March for Our Lives. She was also the opening speaker and chair of the Artists’ Committee for the Women’s March on Washington in 2017. Her activism has extended on screen in several television documentaries including Not Done: Women Remaking America for PBS, the EPIX TV mini-series, America Divided, Showtime’s groundbreaking documentary, The Years of Living Dangerously, and Nicholas Kristof’s series for PBS Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.

In 2016, Ferrera co-founded HARNESS, with her husband Ryan Piers Williams and friend Wilmer Valderrama. HARNESS is a community of artists, influencers, and grassroots leaders leveraging art and storytelling to power change and create a more equitable world.

Ferrera released her first book, American Like Me, which landed on the New York Times best-seller list. It is a vibrant and varied collection of first-person accounts from prominent figures about the experience of growing up between cultures in America. Curated and edited by Ferrera, the anthology includes essays that share her own perspective of growing up as the daughter of Honduran immigrants in Los Angeles. Contributors to the book include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Roxane Gay, Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Congressman Joaquin Castro, Kal Penn, Uzo Aduba, Jenny Zhang, Michelle Kwan, Padma Lakshmi and many others.

Some of Ferrera’s television and film credits include Real Women Have Curves; Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (parts 1 and 2); Diego Luna’s biopic, Cesar Chavez, (ALMA Award Special Achievement in Film); Ryan Piers Williams' The Dry Land, (Best International Film Edinburgh Film Festival); Ryan Piers Williams’ drama X/Y, which she co-produced and starred in; David Ayer’s crime thriller End of Watch; Ricky Gervais’ Special Correspondents; It’s a Disaster; Lords of Dogtown; and How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer, among many others. She lends her vocal talents to the Oscar-nominated franchise film How to Train Your Dragon as Astrid.

On stage, she has appeared off-Broadway in Terrence McNally’s Lips Together, Teeth Apart; Laura Marks’ Bethany; and Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, directed by Trip Cullman. She graced the stage as Roxie Hart in the West End production of the hit musical, Chicago.

In 2006, Ferrera founded her own television and film production company, Take Fountain.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ferrera is the youngest of six children. As a graduate of the University of Southern California, Ferrera studied International Relations while pursuing her film and television career. She currently resides in New York City with her husband and two children.

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart is the Founder of the first multi-channel lifestyle company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, an entrepreneur, bestselling author of 99 to date lifestyle books, and Emmy award-winning television show host. Reaching more than 100 million devoted fans on a monthly basis through her magazines, television shows, books, and products for the home, sold on Martha.com and at multiple retail and online outlets, Martha is the “go-to” source for the homemaker. She and her talented staff provide trusted, timely, and useful information on all aspects of everyday living: cooking, entertaining, gardening, home renovating, collecting, organizing, crafting, healthy living, holidays, weddings, and pet care, both in print and social media.

Raised in Nutley, New Jersey, in a family of six children, Martha developed her passion for cooking, gardening, and homekeeping at an early age. Her mother taught her the basics of cooking, baking, canning, and sewing; her father introduced her to gardening at the age of three. Martha earned a bachelor’s degree in history and architectural history at Barnard College. Upon graduating, she became a stockbroker on Wall Street, where she gained her early business training. After moving to Westport, Connecticut, in 1972, she developed a catering business that showcased her remarkable talent and originality. Her unique visual presentation of food and the elegant recipes she created for her thriving event and catering business were the basis for her first book, Entertaining, published in 1982. 97 more have been published, including bestsellers such as Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook, Martha Stewart’s Cooking School, Martha Stewart Flowers, The Homekeeping Handbook, The Martha Manual: How to Do (Almost) Everything, and Martha Stewart’s Organizing.

Martha's business sense and creative vision provided the framework for launching her namesake company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 1996, and the expansive multimedia portfolio that includes award-winning properties such as Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, marthastewart.com, The Martha Living Show and The Martha Show (which over a span of 19 years earned 18 Emmys), Martha Stewart’s Cooking School on PBS, and Martha Bakes on PBS. Martha teamed up with longtime friend and collaborator, Snoop Dogg, for Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party on VH1. Martha’s first foray into primetime, which includes both talk and informative cooking show elements, received an Emmy nomination.

In addition to its media properties, Martha Stewart’s branded products can be found in tens of millions of homes and in thousands of retail locations. Martha was a pioneer in bringing beautifully designed, high-quality products to mass market with Martha Stewart Everyday products at Kmart. Today, her brand offers high-quality, functional, and affordable products across various product categories including a home collection created for Macy’s; crafts at Amazon; office supplies and organization at Staples; a collaborative line of products with QVC, including apparel, accessories, food, wine, seasonal décor, and garden; a meal-kit delivery service, Martha & Marley Spoon; the online wine shop, Martha Stewart Wine Co.; gift baskets with iGourmet; coffee with Barrie House and many others.

Martha launched Martha.com, a direct-to-consumer online platform that combines Martha’s beautifully designed products and carefully curated goods with dynamic and engaging content all in one place. Other current retail partnerships include a brand shop with Wayfair including accent furniture, lighting, home décor, textiles, housewares, and more; The Everyday System™, a line of customizable organizational solutions for the entire home, with California Closets; and a robust Amazon brand shop that features books, coffee, food, pet care, garden, seasonal décor, crafts, outdoor furniture, window coverings, and area rugs. She also recently launched CBD-infused wellness gummies, oils, and soft gels for humans in partnership with Canopy Growth in 2020.

The Martha family of branded products is owned by Marquee Brands, a leading global brand operator and marketer owned by investor funds managed by Neuberger Berman. Martha joined the Marquee Brands team in 2019.

In 2007, Martha unveiled the new Martha Stewart Center for Living at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. The center is an outpatient facility for geriatric medicine, providing clinical care and education for patients, offering training for physicians, and coordinating healthy-aging research and practices. Martha was inspired to create the center by her mother, Martha Kostyra, who remained active and engaged in life to the age of 93. In June 2019, Martha opened a second Martha Stewart Center for Living location at Mount Sinai-Union Square dedicated to her grandchildren, Jude and Truman.

Mindy Kaling

Emmy-nominated writer, producer, New York Times best-selling author, director, actor, and Tony award winner, Mindy Kaling has been named one of the brightest voices of her generation.

At the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, Kaling premiered her debut screenplay titled Late Night.  With a cast including Emma Thompson, Reid Scott, Ike Barinholtz, Amy Ryan, John Lithgow, and Kaling herself, the film received critical acclaim at the opening weekend of the festival and sold to Amazon Studios for a record-setting $13 million US rights deal. Late Night opened in the US on June 7th, 2019. Emma Thompson was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as ‘Katherine Newbury’ in the film.

Kaling broke out onto the scene at the 2002 New York International Fringe Festival with her original stageplay Matt and Ben which she co-wrote with her college roommate Brenda Withers. The play was not only named one of Time magazine's "Top Ten Theatrical Events of The Year" of 2002 but also caught the eye of TV producer Greg Daniels who offered Mindy a job to come work on an NBC television pilot called The Office.

At 24, Kaling joined the eight-person writing staff of The Office as the only woman. Kaling’s contract also allowed her to participate as an actor and she took on the role of celebrity-obsessed "Kelly Kapoor."  During her 8 seasons at The Office, Kaling wrote 23 episodes of the show (more than any other writer). Some of the episodes she wrote include fan favorites such as “The Injury,” “The Dundies,” and “Diwali” for which she became the first woman of color to be nominated for an Emmy in any writing category. During her time at The Office, Kaling also directed two episodes and served as both producer and executive producer on over 117 episodes of the series. Kaling and her fellow writers and producers were nominated five consecutive times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.

After signing an overall development deal with Universal Television, Kaling created The Mindy Project, which she starred in and executive produced from 2012-2017.  Kaling and her fellow writers were nominated for a Writers Guild Awards in the New Series category in 2013. Kaling wrote 25 episodes of the 117 episodes created for the six-season run of the series. In 2018, Kaling created and served as an executive producer on the NBC comedy Champions for which she wrote three of eight episodes.

In 2020, Kaling released the critically acclaimed series, Never Have I Ever for Netflix. The 10-episode series released in May is a modern comedy-of-age comedy about the complicated life of a modern-day first-generation Indian American teenage girl, Devi Vishwakumar. Breakout actress, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan portrays Devi and was cast in the role after submitting to an open call for the role, which welcomed 15,000 submissions. According to Netflix, season 1 of Never Have I Ever reached 40 million homes around the globe in its first four weeks of release. It recently wrapped its fourth and final season. In addition, it was announced that Kaling will write, produce and star in an untitled comedy for Universal opposite Priyanka Chopra. Co-written with Dan Goor, the film will revolve around a big wedding in India and the ensuing culture clashes. The duo is also penning Legally Blonde 3, which will star Reese Witherspoon reprising her role as Elle Woods.

Kaling is also the co-creator and Executive Producer of The Sex Lives of College Girls, which in 2021 had the biggest premiere of any comedy on HBOMax. The show was picked up for a third season in December 2022 after the success of its second season premiere.

Previously, Kaling released a mini-series adaptation of the popular film Four Weddings and a Funeral for Hulu. Kaling served as a writer and executive producer on the project. The series premiered on July 31, 2019.

In between all of her TV ventures, Kaling has released two New York Times best-selling comedic memoirs – Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) in 2011 and Why Not Me in 2015. Kaling released a collection of essays in partnership with Amazon in October 2020 that featured topics including her new role as a single mom, the perks of not having a husband, and her struggle with social anxiety. Most recently, Kaling launched her imprint Mindy's Book Studio for Amazon Publishing, with the mission of publishing titles from new and emerging diverse voices.

As an actor, Kaling has also appeared in many films including Judd Apatow’s The 40-Year Old Virgin, the Oscar-winning Pixar film Inside Out,  Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time alongside Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon, and as a part of the star-studded cast of Oceans Eight.

This year, Kaling received the prestigious Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television from the Producers Guild of America. In 2022, Kaling International was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential Companies. In 2012, Kaling was named to the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World List. She was honored with the 2014 Glamour Women of the Year Award and most recently was a 2019 ELLE Women In Hollywood honoree. In 2018, Kaling delivered an impactful commencement address at Dartmouth College and received the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.

Amal Clooney

Amal Clooney is a barrister who specializes in international law and human rights. She represents clients before international courts, including the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the European Court of Human Rights. Alongside court work, she provides advice to governments and individuals on legal issues in her areas of expertise.

Ms. Clooney is ranked in the legal directories Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading barrister in international human rights law, public international law, and international criminal law. She is described as “a brilliant legal mind,” a “first-class international lawyer,” a “natural lead advocate” who is “tactically first class” and “a rare combination of intellectual depth and pragmatism.” The directories also spotlight her “superb advocacy” and “commanding presence before courts” and describe her as “a dream performer before international tribunals.” They also emphasize that she is “fantastically innovative,” very sophisticated in pushing the boundaries with an ability to galvanize “heads of state, foreign ministers and business … in a way that is very effective” for victims of human rights abuses. She is described in the legal rankings as having a “passionate commitment to the law and compassion for the people it serves,” “one of the finest advocates for the rights of victims in the sphere of international criminal prosecution” and “in a league of her own at the Bar.”

Ms. Clooney frequently represents victims of mass atrocities, including genocide and sexual violence. She has acted in many landmark human rights cases in recent years including the world’s first and only trials in which ISIS members have been convicted of genocide against Yazidis. Ms. Clooney also represents over 400 Yazidis in the first civil case in a U.S. court seeking to hold ISIS financiers responsible for supporting the terror group while it was committing its well-documented genocide.

She has represented Armenia in a case involving the Armenian genocide and was recently counsel to 126 victims of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, at the International Criminal Court. She has also led a Legal Task Force on Accountability for Crimes Committed in Ukraine, established at the request of the government of Ukraine to advise on delivering justice for victims of crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. And she is a member of the Working Group on Compensation for Damage Cause to Ukraine, a group of international legal experts appointed by President Zelenskyy to advise on legal mechanisms for survivors of the conflict to claim compensation. In 2021 she was appointed Special Adviser to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

Ms. Clooney also represents political prisoners around the world and has helped to secure the freedom of journalists arbitrarily detained for their work across the globe. In 2020 Ms. Clooney was the recipient of the Gwen Ifill Award for ‘extraordinary and sustained achievement in the cause of press freedom’ from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Ms. Clooney served as a senior advisor to Kofi Annan when he was the UN’s Envoy on Syria, as Counsel to the UN Inquiry on the use of armed drones, and as a rapporteur for the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute on the independence of the judiciary. She is a member of the UK’s team of experts on preventing sexual violence in conflict zones and the UK Attorney General’s panel of experts on public international law. From 2019-2021 she also served as deputy chair of an International Bar Association Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom chaired by former UK Supreme Court President Lord Neuberger.

Prior to joining the London Bar, Ms. Clooney completed a clerkship in The Hague at the International Court of Justice and worked as a prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. She was admitted to the New York Bar and practiced as a litigation attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York.

Ms. Clooney is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Law School and a Senior Fellow at the Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute. She has co-authored the leading textbooks The Right to a Fair Trial in International Law and Freedom of Speech in International Law, published by Oxford University Press.

She and her husband George co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which provides free legal support to victims of human rights abuses in over 40 countries. One of their initiatives, TrialWatch, shines a light on injustices by monitoring criminal trials and advocating for the rights of imprisoned journalists, LGBT persons, women, minorities, and human rights defenders. Another flagship initiative, The Docket, gathers evidence of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity to trigger prosecutions and civil suits and advocates for the rights of victims in those trials. The foundation’s recent initiative, Waging Justice for Women, uses strategic litigation to advance women’s rights in Africa.

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon, an award-winning actress and producer, has created the kinds of unforgettable characters that connect with critics and audiences alike. She won an Academy Award for her portrayal of "June Carter Cash" in Walk The Line and was later nominated for her performance in Wild, which she also produced. She starred in beloved films Sweet Home Alabama, Legally Blonde, and Election, among others. Witherspoon continues to utilize her Hollywood platform to drive the production of female-centric content with Hello Sunshine, a cross-platform media brand and content company, which she founded.

Witherspoon can be seen starring alongside Ashton Kutcher in the Netflix romantic comedy Your Place Or Mine, which she also produced. She also starred in and executive produced season two of Apple’s The Morning Show, under her Hello Sunshine banner. The Morning Show has earned eight Emmy nominations, a SAG Award, and a Critics Choice Award for its first season, and also garnered Witherspoon an Emmy nomination for season two.

Witherspoon also played the dual role of actress and producer in the hit Hulu series Little Fires Everywhere. One of the most watched original series on Hulu to date, Little Fires Everywhere earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding limited series. Witherspoon also executive produced and starred in two seasons of HBO's critically acclaimed Big Little Lies, with the first season winning eight Emmy Awards, four Critics’ Choice Awards, and two SAG Awards Witherspoon starred opposite Nicole Kidman, who co-produced the first season under her Blossom Films production banner alongside Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine. David E. Kelley, who adapted the script, also served as an executive producer. The show, originally adapted from the novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, also starred Meryl Streep, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz, Adam Scott, and Alexander Skarsgard. Hello Sunshine earned a total of 18 Emmy nominations across shows Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere, and The Morning Show.

Witherspoon added best-selling author to her list of credits with the release of her book Whiskey in a Teacup, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times best sellers list. The book invites readers to share in Witherspoon’s Southern heritage through her signature style, staple recipes, and favorite traditions. She also released her book Busy Betty in the fall of 2022, a children’s book about a young, energetic girl who has big dreams for the future. The book will receive a sequel Busy Betty & the Circus Surprise.

Founded by Reese Witherspoon, Hello Sunshine is a media company that puts women at the center of every story it creates, celebrates, and discovers. Hello Sunshine tells stories across all platforms—scripted and unscripted television, feature films, animated series, podcasts, audio storytelling, and digital series—all shining a light on where women are now, and helping them chart a new path forward. Hello Sunshine is also home to Reese’s Book Club and the newly launched RBC app. Fast-growing in reach and influence, this community is propelled by meaningful connections with stories, authors, and fellow members. Recently Hello Sunshine acquired Sara Rea's SKR Production to expand its unscripted content, and also announced the launch of their Kids & Animation Division to create content that celebrates a younger audience. Hello Sunshine was named the #2 Most Innovative Company in Media for 2020 by Fast Company magazine and one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential Companies of 2021.

Hello Sunshine has produced various television series including Truth Be Told, Surface, Daisy Jones and the Six, From Scratch, and Where The Crawdads Sing, based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Delia Owens. Co-produced by Witherspoon and alongside 3000 Pictures, the film earned a People’s Choice Awards nomination for Drama in 2022 and Critics Choice and Golden Globes nominations for Best Original Song by Taylor Swift in 2023. The production company also released the highly anticipated series The Last Thing He Told Me on Apple TV+ starring Jennifer Garner, as well as the new reality competition series My Kind of Country for Apple TV+.

Witherspoon launched Draper James, a retail brand with a focus on fashion, accessories, and home décor inspired by the American South. The brand is named after Witherspoon’s grandparents, Dorothea Draper and William James Witherspoon, who remain amongst her greatest influences today. Draper James launched direct-to-consumer online at DraperJames.com, followed by its first brick-and-mortar store opening in Reese’s hometown of Nashville. The brand has since expanded and now has four stand-alone stores in Nashville, Dallas, Atlanta, and Lexington.

Witherspoon's extraordinary performance as June Carter Cash in the 20th Century Fox biopic Walk the Line earned her the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, as well as the BAFTA, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, New York Film Critics Award, Broadcast Film Critics Award, People’s Choice Award, and 11 other awards. Other film credits include Disney’s A Wrinkle In Time, helmed by Ava Duvernay; Universal Pictures’ animated musical comedies Sing and Sing 2; the Nancy Meyers-produced feature Home Again, written and directed by Meyers’ daughter, Hallie Meyers-Shyer; Warner Bros. comedy Hot Pursuit starring opposite Sofia Vergara; Paul Thomas Anderson-directed Inherent Vice alongside Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Joaquin Phoenix and Maya Rudolph; Warner Bros’ The Good Lie, directed by Philippe Falardeau; Jeff Nichols’s coming-of-age drama Mud, with Matthew McConaughey; 20th Century Fox’s romantic comedy This Means War, alongside Tom Hardy and Chris Pine; Water For Elephants, with Robert Pattinson and Christoph Waltz; Dreamworks’ Monsters vs. Aliens; hit comedy Four Christmases opposite Vince Vaughn; Sweet Home Alabama, which had the largest opening at the time for a female-driven romantic comedy; breakout hits Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2 as the loveable “Elle Woods;” Mira Nair's Vanity Fair; Gary Ross' Pleasantville; Alexander Payne’s Election as “Tracy Flick;” and the teen cult classic, Cruel Intentions.

Shiza Shahid

Shiza Shahid is an entrepreneur, investor, technologist, activist, and world-renowned impact leader. She co-founded the Malala Fund with Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, and led the organization as founding CEO, focusing on creating access to high quality education for all children around the world.

Shiza is passionate about the future of technology and the powerful impact it can have on people’s lives, and actively invests in startups that have the potential to advance humanity.

A former business analyst with McKinsey & Co, Shiza has her finger on the pulse of economic and technology trends around the globe. In partnership with AngelList, the largest Venture Capital Platform in the world, Shiza launched NOW Ventures through which she invests in mission-driven tech startups that are solving the world’s most pressing challenges through technology, innovation, and high-growth business models. Shiza is also the founder of The Collective, a community of leading entrepreneurs that come together to build collaborative change.

Widely recognized for her humanitarian work and tech innovation, Shiza has receiving many awards as a thought leader. She was named one of TIME's "30 Under 30 People Changing the World," Forbes' "30 Under 30 - Social Entrepreneurs," and a Tribeca Institute Disruptive Innovator. She is a member of the WEF Global Agenda Council and has been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, Fast Company, Elle, Glamour, Town and Country, The Edit, CNN, ABC, Al Jazeera, MSNBC, and others.

A prominent speaker, Shiza has spoken regularly at major international events, including Aspen Ideas Fest, Milken Global Institute, Forbes Women, Fortune Most Powerful Women, Inc Women, Women Moving Millions, the World Economic Forum, and others.

Shiza is also the host of the new USA Today show "ASPIREist," which inspires millennials to take action on the issues that matter most.

Shiza graduated from Stanford University with University Distinction and studied exponential technologies at Singularity University, which is dedicated to applying futuristic innovations to advancing humanity.

Tererai Trent

Dr. Tererai Trent, founder of Tinogona Foundation and inspirational speaker, has touched millions with her story—including Oprah Winfrey, who chose Dr. Trent as her “all-time favorite guest” after 25 years and more than 30,000 guests. Because of her amazing never-give-up attitude and desire to give back to others, Dr. Trent's life is an inspiration and a lesson in perseverance.

Dr. Trent is also featured in Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a New York Times bestseller written by columnist Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.

In inspiring keynotes, Tererai Trent passionately commands a room as she talks about the power of dreaming with a purpose, the importance of education, women’s empowerment and the four Ps of women in leadership: power, passion, purpose, and procreation. Her eloquence and rich authenticity leave audiences with a lasting impression of what it means to overcome humble beginnings and to achieve one's dreams.

As a child growing up in a cattle-herding family in rural Zimbabwe, Dr. Trent dreamed of getting an education. Married young and the mother of three by age 18; she was bound to an abusive husband who beat her when she expressed her desire to learn. But Dr. Trent was undeterred. She met Jo Luck, a woman who worked for Heifer International and inspired the young mother with the words, “If you desire your dreams they are achievable.” Without a high school diploma and with only her mother’s encouragement to aim high, Tererai subsequently wrote down her five dreams on a scrap of paper; going to America to achieve a bachelor's, a master’s degree, and a doctorate degree along with the seemingly insurmountable goal of giving back to her community.

Sealed the list of dreams in a tin can, and buried the tin under a rock. In doing so, she became her own dream keeper and broke down the vicious cycle of poverty in her life despite facing incredible odds and many obstacles.

Today, Tererai earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in the United States. Now, through her organization Tinogona, which means “it is achievable” in her native language, she is working to realize the last dream— “giving back to her community by creating educational opportunities for girls and women in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

In partnership with Oprah Winfrey and Save the Children, Dr. Trent is rebuilding 9 schools in her native country and improving learning for more than 4,000 girls and boys.

Currently an adjunct professor in Monitoring & Evaluation in Global Health at Drexel University, School of Public Health, Dr. Trent is a senior consultant with more than 18 years of international experience in program and policy evaluation, and has worked on five continents for major humanitarian organizations. As a fellow at the Center of AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) at UC San Francisco, Dr. Trent conducted research on HIV prevention in Sub Saharan Africa with a special focus on women and girls.