Mary Ellen Holden (she/her) is the Senior Director, Corporate Initiatives at the Geena Davis Institute. With over twenty-five years of experience in media, marketing, and business development across entertainment, news, sports, live events, and licensing, she is renowned for her expertise in cable television. Formerly holding senior positions at USA Network, MSNBC, and Nickelodeon, Mary Ellen led initiatives that shaped industry alliances and fostered innovation.
As the Founder and CEO of MEH Solutions, LLC, she provided strategic consultation to prominent organizations such as Discovery Networks, Jack Myers Advancing Diversity, MediaVillage franchises, Springboard Growth Capital, and more. Prior, Holden was the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Research at Newspaper National Network LP, where she led the Research team for Delaney’s 2015 Publisher of the Year Runner-Up. Her career journey began with impactful roles in promotional licensing, sponsorship sales, and sports marketing for distinguished entities like the United States Olympic Committee, Hanna-Barbera, and Jim Henson Productions.
Holden’s dedication to promoting unbiased and stereotype-free content for audiences of all ages has driven her involvement with pioneering initiatives like “The Big Help” and “CityKids” (while at Nickelodeon) and her contributions to the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. The Institute was the 2022 recipient of the Governor’s Award from the Television Academy at the 2022 Emmys in recognition of the organization’s profound, transformational and long-lasting contribution to the arts and/or science of television.
A valued speaker on gender, diversity, and inclusion, she shares her insights at industry conferences, academic institutions, and corporations, Additionally, she represents the Geena Davis Institute as a member of the Unstereotype Alliance, furthering the Institute’s goal to eliminate unconscious bias and challenge stereotypes in media portrayals by telling stories through authentic portrayals that reflect our diverse world.
