The modern media consumer does not live in a vacuum of a single identity. As our global landscape becomes explicitly interconnected, the stories told by brands and entertainment networks must reflect this complexity. Yet, a persistent gap remains between the desire for authentic representation and the systemic execution of inclusive content. To address this friction, the Geena Davis Institute convened an elite group of creators, executives, and strategists for a dedicated See Jane Salon at Luminary NYC.
This exclusive gathering served as a critical nexus for challenging the status quo, exploring how intersectionality in advertising and hollywood can move from a corporate buzzword to an active, operationalized metric. Attendees were given a first look at two vital pieces of research: Getting Intersectionality in Advertising Right and Taking the Lead: Girls and Young Women on Changing the Face of Leadership.
Designed for decision-makers who shape public culture, this dialogue interrogated the responsibilities of leadership and the concrete toolsets required to eliminate unconscious bias from scripts, storyboards, and casting briefs. By combining rigorous, machine-learning data with the lived experiences of top agency leaders, the salon carved out a definitive roadmap for the future of inclusive commercial and cinematic media.
The evening commenced at Luminary NYC with a reception that allowed industry peers to connect, setting a collaborative yet focused tone for the heavy cultural critique ahead. The formal proceedings opened with a welcome from Cate Luzio, Founder and CEO of Luminary, who underscored the importance of hosting such vital conversations within spaces dedicated to professional advancement and systemic equity. Mary Ellen Holden, leading the New York Council for the Institute, then framed the evening's charge: media is not merely a reflection of society; it is an active architect of social aspirations.
Madeline Di Nonno, CEO of the Geena Davis Institute, took the stage to anchor the room in hard data. Presenting the Institute’s latest findings, Di Nonno illuminated the precise gaps where advertising copy and global leadership narratives fail marginalized communities. By bringing the Institute’s signature data-driven objectivity to the forefront, she demonstrated that systemic change relies on identifying unconscious bias before production ever begins—a methodology uniquely optimized by their GD-IQ testing tools.
The conversation shifted from systemic data to creative application during an intimate fireside chat featuring Kate Daggett (Head of Creative, North America, Facebook) and Lora Schulson (Director of Production, 72andSunny NYC). Rather than discussing diversity in the abstract, the panelists dove into the mechanics of production and campaign development. They grappled with the tension of maintaining top-tier creative craft while completely re-engineering the pipeline to be inclusive, sharing insights on how empathetic brand-building yields deep cultural relevance.
The salon culminated in an exclusive, advanced screening of the documentary This Changes Everything. Executive produced by Geena Davis, the film provided an investigative look at Hollywood's gender disparity through the lived testimonies of its most prominent artists. Watching the data points from earlier in the evening come to life on screen left the audience with an undeniable sense of urgency as the event wrapped, transforming a room of observers into an aligned cohort of advocates ready to change the industry fabric.
This See Jane Salon was made possible through an intentional partnership with Luminary NYC, a premier professional community space that directly aligns with the Institute’s mission to elevate women, challenge systemic stereotypes, and nurture forward-thinking leadership.
The underlying research highlighted throughout the evening was developed in collaboration with Plan International, a global partner dedicated to assessing and advancing how girls and young women view their potential within the cultural leadership landscape.
When representation is distorted or absent, society internalizes these limitations, stunting the leadership aspirations of girls and women worldwide. The insights shared at this salon prove that combating gender disparity requires looking past baseline diversity check-boxes.
If the industry continues to ignore data-validated bias, it risks creating media that is culturally obsolete and socially harmful. The Geena Davis Institute remains the premier authority guiding content creators through this transition, offering the research tools and cross-industry community needed to replace legacy stereotypes with authentic, multi-dimensional human narratives.
The conversations that unfold within our See Jane Salons shape the actual scripts, commercials, and media campaigns that billions of people interact with daily. This level of strategic insight and peer-to-peer influence is not available in the public domain.
By becoming a member of the Geena Davis Institute, you gain exclusive access to groundbreaking data, proprietary toolsets like the GD-IQ, and a network of values-driven executives who are actively redefining cultural standards. Do not just witness systemic change—drive it from the inside out. Join our community today to inform your next creative decision with authority.
