LOS ANGELES (April 23, 2024) — Today, the Geena Davis Institute (GDI) proudly marks its 20th anniversary with a vitalized rebrand. Through this, the organization is continuing to showcase its longstanding mission to champion the representation of six major intersecting identities in global entertainment media. Founded in 2004 by two-time Academy Award-winning actor Geena Davis, GDI has been at the forefront of influencing equitable portrayals of gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, disability, age 50+ and body type.
Over the past two decades, GDI has played a pivotal role in pioneering the use of data driven research to measure and influence onscreen representation in global entertainment media. GDI is proud to have achieved gender parity for female lead characters in family films and children’s TV programming.
In a joint statement, Geena Davis, the Founder and Chair and Madeline Di Nonno, President and CEO said:
As we celebrate two decades of impact, we remain vigilant in our commitment to systemically increase inclusivity onscreen for other marginalized identities such as race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA, Disability, Age 50+ and Body Type. However, our success is tied to our deep relationships with studios, networks, brands, agencies and creators.
The rebrand was entirely made possible by funding from the Nielsen Foundation, whose mission is to power and advance inclusive innovation and representation in the media and technology industries, especially through the use of data and research. The lead sponsors of GDI’s 20th anniversary are The Walt Disney Company, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Bloomberg, NBC Universal, Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery. To commemorate its 20th anniversary, GDI will be celebrating with many of its longstanding donors, sponsors and partners in Los Angeles on December 7, 2024.
For more information on the rebrand and organization’s 20th anniversary celebrations, visit Geena Davis Institute’s official website: www.geenadavisinstitute.org
About Geena Davis Institute
Founded in 2004 by two-time Academy Award Winning Actor Geena Davis, the Geena Davis Institute (GDI) is the only global research-based organization working collaboratively within entertainment media to systemically increase the onscreen representation of six major identities: gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, disability, age 50+ and body type. If they can see it, they can be it.
