See Jane Spotlight
Here's the latest from behind the scenes.

Mariana van Zeller’s Investigations Reveal the Minds, Motivations, and Economic Impact of Black Markets
By Mary Ellen Holden We first met Marianna van Zeller a year ago when the Geena Davis Institute hosted an Influencer Screening celebrating the launch of Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller, an original series investigating the world’s most complex, dangerous, and harrowing black markets. Nominated for a 2021 News and Documentary Emmy Award, its second […]

Disney’s Reimagine Tomorrow Digital Destination Celebrates Inclusion for Everyone
By Mary Ellen Holden On September 1, The Walt Disney Company launched its Reimagine Tomorrow digital destination, a large-scale platform for amplifying underrepresented voices and untold stories. It champions the importance of accurate representation in media and entertainment and introduces the tagline, “A place where we all belong.” Latondra Newton, senior vice president and Chief […]

Chris Nee and Kerri Grant Bring Invisible Communities and Careers to Life in Ada Twist, Scientist, Coming to Netflix
Image: © Netflix By Mary Ellen Holden Ada Twist, Scientist, based on the best-selling books, is coming to Netflix as an animated preschool series on September 28th. It follows the adventures of eight-year-old Ada Twist, a pint-sized black female scientist with a giant-sized curiosity who aspires to discover the truth about absolutely everything with the […]

Video Gaming for Good – The Time is Now, Learn How
By Mary Ellen Holden Can the video gaming ecosystem help promote healthy boyhood to manhood? Will a deeper understanding of video games support the development of positive gender norms in the offline world? How do we move from the notion that video games are harmful and promote toxic masculinity to see the good in gaming? […]

Industry Leaders are Redefining What it Means to be API in Entertainment – Simply Put, They Want More
By Mary Ellen Holden The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media (the Institute) co-hosted a robust panel discussion at The Bentonville Film Festival (BFF), a forum to champion women and diverse voices, on August 3rd regarding what it means to be API in the Entertainment Industry. The conversation was particularly timely given the alarming […]

UNICEF’s Gender Equality Leaders Discuss the Impact of Private Sector Advertising
By Mary Ellen Holden In collaboration with UNICEF and its partners, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media unveiled a new Gender Bias and Inclusion in Advertising in India report at a Virtual See Jane Salon on April 21, 2021. This research assessed the role of advertising media in reinforcing and challenging harmful gender […]

Nielsen’s New Research Prompts Advertisers to Defund Hate
By Mary Ellen Holden This month, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media celebrates the vibrant and diverse culture of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and their contributions to society. Industry data and consumer insights have identified Asian Americans as a driving force in the U.S., both as cultural influencers and powerful consumers. […]

Wolfwalkers Celebrates The Power of Friendship, Empathy, and Discovery
Photo Credit: Apple By Mary Ellen Holden Powerful and empowering, the folk animated feature film Wolfwalkers, seven years in the making, is nominated for Best Animated Feature for the upcoming Oscars and EE British Academy Film Award (BAFTA). The co-production between Irish studio Cartoon Saloon, and Melusine Productions has been widely recognized and celebrated throughout […]

Closing The STEM Gender Gap Across Borders Through Research, Policy & Partnerships
By Mary Ellen Holden Related Links Research Study Creators’ Toolkit On this International Women’s Day, we spotlight Hannah Young, a seasoned diplomat with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office who currently is the Deputy Consul General at the British Consulate General New York. Hannah is a proven leader, driving progress and stemming the gap […]

OpenGate Entertainment Breaks The Hollywood Pitch Paradigm
Photo Credit: OpenGate Entertainment By Mary Ellen Holden OpenGate Entertainment is disrupting the traditional Hollywood pitch process. Through data-driven marketing, OpenGate identifies unique stories from a diverse group of content creators. OpenGate develops creative concepts through a multi-stage process to create a compelling, salable pitch package. Co-Founders Mike Anderson and Jeff Hood, both successful technologists […]