Bias still exists — whether conscious or not — in the hiring process today, yet there may be an unexpected tool to help overcome that problem: artificial intelligence.
Midway through the virtual Oct. 7 SoCal Women’s Leadership Summit event, attendees will be invited to join one of four breakout tracks — “Professional Development,” “Mentoring & Networking,” “Community,” and “Diversity, Equality & Inclusion” — with studio execs, vendor reps, and diversity experts offering a bevy of insights into the state of today’s M&E industry.
Among the panels will be “Tackling Bias (AI and human) in the Recruitment Process,” which will see moderator Jessica Fernandez, Women in Technology Hollywood (WiTH) board member and head of content security awareness and training for Amazon Studios leading a discussion on why AI holds promise for eliminating bias in multiple ways, including assessing the entire pipeline of candidates. She’ll be joined by Edie Givens, SVP of people and organization for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Talia Robinson, SVP of HR for ViacomCBS, and Dolores Tersigni, founder and president of Ellavate.
Their discussion — in the “Diversity, Equality & Inclusion” breakout track — will be followed by the presentation “Leveraging Neuroscience for Unbiased Leadership,” which will look at how understanding neuroscience can be used on multiple work fronts, from tackling bias to managing stress.
Other breakout track presentations include:
• In the “Professional Development” track, Valerie Hull, associate, CEO and board services of healthcare and life sciences for Heidrick & Struggles, will moderate the session “How To Navigate Your Career In a World of COVID, Contraction and Consolidation,” with Bill Simon, global sector leader of M&E for Korn Ferry, and Ann Carlsen, founder and CEO of Carlsen Resources.
They’ll be followed by “Research and Insights: Managing the Human and Business Impact of COVID-19,” with Nina Skorus-Neely, WiTH secretary and VP of business technologies and workplace solutions and consumer products for WB Technology, moderating a discussion around the changes in consumers’ attitudes, behaviors and purchasing habits during the pandemic. She’ll be joined by Tania Massad, research and insights of consumer products for Warner Bros., and Nicol Turner Lee, director of The Center for Technology Innovation (CTI), and senior fellow for the Brookings Institution.
• The “Mentoring & Networking” track will kick off with “Reverse Mentoring To Drive New Thinking and More Equitable Workplaces,” as Ching-Ching Chen VP of content partnerships and strategy for Capital Music Group, Patty Newby, project manager for Gener8tor, and Adrienne Palm, director of gBETA Musictech, discuss the benefits of reverse mentoring programs.
They’ll be followed by Kathryn Brillhart, cinematographer and director, and Brooke Noska, VFX producer and co-VFX supervisor for “The Orville,” in the discussion “The Ripple Effect: Choosing Technology as a Career Path,” as they share their insights after taking part in the ETC@USC’s (Entertainment Technology Center at USC) innovation project “The Ripple Effect.”
• The “Community” track begins with “Leveling the Playing Field: Getting More Women in Tech,” with five nonprofit organizations —STEM Advantage, PepUp Tech, CodeTalk, STEAM:CODERS and DIY Girls —weighing in on how they’re advancing equity and driving more diversity in technology roles and careers in Hollywood. Nadya Ichinomiya, WiTH chairwoman and executive director of Sony’s Agile Center of Excellence, will intro the discussion, which will be moderated by April Schneider, chairwoman of WITH Community Engagement and executive director of IT and TV distribution for Sony Pictures.
They’ll be followed by the session “How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter,” presented by Alyssa Gallagher, leadership author and speaker, who’ll lead a workshop that uncovers top leadership qualities, especially during the pandemic.
The SoCal Women’s Leadership Summit is presented by Women in Technology Hollywood (WiTH), sponsored by Key Information Systems, and produced by MESA. For regular program updates, visit the event website here. To register, click here.
To sponsor SoCal Women’s Leadership Summit 2020, contact Evie Silvers at [email protected], or Garrett Finley at [email protected].
