Wednesday, November 13th, 2019

3:50 PM - 5:00 PM

Sponsored by Alliance for Women in Media SoCal

Track II: Haas Conference Center, Room 172-173

Women in the Industry: Developing Film, Television, Branding & OTT About Women - A Golden Age in Hollywood and Indie Production

Tanya Wright, SAG Award Winner, Orange is the New Black; HBO’s True Blood

Wendy Sweetmore, Executive Producer, Dreamtime Entertainment (former Senior Exec. MGM/Mark Burnett Productions)

Marina Grasic, Co-Managing Partner, Oakhurst Entertainment

Sandra Lord, Founder/CEO, Creative Career Strategies | Women Helping Women in Entertainment | Lord Entertainment Group

Marilyn Anderson, Award-Winning Film & TV Writer, Author and Playwright

Denise Muyco, co-founder and CEO, StratusCore, Moderator

Tanya Wright is a two-time Screen Actors Guild award winner for her portrayal of Crystal Burset in Orange is the New Black. She has starred in some of the most highly rated, critically acclaimed shows of our time including "24", ER, THE GOOD WIFE and 7 seasons on HBO's TRUE BLOOD --gaining her first-rate media education from some of the most prolific, talented and dynamic show runners in the history of television. Tanya has written and directed content for brands like Genesis Press Publishing and National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS. Before she embarked on an acting career, Tanya worked at the New York Times and companies like J. Crew and Estee Lauder as a content creator.

Tanya has written, produced and starred in the feature film, Butterfly Rising (semi-finalist/HBO Best Narrative Feature); was a playwriting fellow at the Mark Taper Lab and has authored 2 books.Wright’s “A Turn to Grace,” (a script set against the Harlem Renaissance), was a semi-finalist in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ annual Nicholl’s Screenwriting Competition (the Oscars). Likewise, the Mark Taper Forum’s Blacksmyth’s Playwriting Program performed her “Prelude to a Revolution.” Tanya has written, produced, directed and starred in all content for her @hairiette haircare line where she received the SOBRO award for Most Innovative Business. She created and taught her BUA class (Business of the Unique Artist) to MFA writing, acting and directing candidates at The New School in NYC. She is the author of several TV pilots and feature films. She earned a literature degree from Vassar College.

Wendy Sweetmore, Executive Producer, Dreamtime Entertainment (former Senior Exec. MGM/Mark Burnett Productions): Wendy's mission is to empower women and children to reach their highest potential. She achieves this through her entrepreneurial ventures, creating high quality content with a conscience, advocating for women and leading non-profit organizations. A seasoned Media Executive with over 25 years of experience working with entertainment companies globally. As a Producer of original high-quality content, Wendy has mastered all aspects of the creative process, including writing, production, development, PR, marketing, brand integration and sales, throughout her distinguished career Career highlights: • As Senior Executive for Mark Burnett Productions during growth stages (now MGM), Wendy created, produced and sold content for domestic and international TV markets. Shows produced by the company during Wendy’s tenure include; The Voice (#1 Series in America), Celebrity Apprentice, Survivor, and Shark Tank, while the company also garnished numerous Emmy Awards. • Worked with Hearst Publications to create content extension for their internationally recognized magazines including: Elle, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire and Seventeen Magazine. • Collaborated with top brands for show development including: Walmart, & P&G • Produced acclaimed TV series including: Oprah’s Big Give (ABC), The Apprentice (NBC), and number #1 comedy show in Australia Just Kidding (Channel 9, Aus). • Created and produced over 120 hours of original programming in the Documentary/Special Feature’s Department for Rupert Murdoch’s UK Network, Live TV. • Creative Director for Foresight, Buena Vista’s UK consulting marketing arm, developing and launched comprehensive marketing campaigns for multi-million dollar films. Personally, Wendy is the Founder of LINA, (Ladies International Networking Association), a professional group for high-achieving women that share their collective knowledge and experience to help others.

Marina Grasic has produced or executive produced such films as Academy Award© Winner “Crash,” which made over 200 million worldwide, “Alpha Dog,” “Smart People,” “New York, I Love You” and “Welcome to Me.” With over 20 years of experience in the film and television industry, Ms. Grasic has an extensive know how as a Producer, Executive Producer, Finance Attorney, and Executive. A former entertainment attorney with a JD in international law, Ms. Grasic was co-founder and COO of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and built it into one of the leading independent feature film companies dedicated to the production of high-quality independent films. As an entertainment attorney, Ms. Grasic was involved in more than 200 film transactions with studios and large independent production companies, including such pictures as “The Aviator,” “Terminator 3,” “Around the World in 80 Days,” “End of Days,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” “The Bachelor,” and “Autumn in New York”. Previously, Ms. Grasic partnered with producer Chuck Gordon (“Die Hard,” “Field of Dreams”) setting up international output deals for major feature films and a revolving line of credit of $500M. Currently, she is a Partner at Oakhurst Entertainment with four films in pre-production.

Sandra Lord, Founder/CEO, Creative Career Strategies | Women Helping Women in Entertainment | Lord Entertainment Group | Los Angeles Film & TV: SANDRA LORD is a Master Career and Business Strategist, Networking Expert and former Talent/Lit Manager, who’s worked with professionals at various levels – from ACADEMY®, EMMY®, VMA and CINE award winners and nominees to emerging talent, content creators and entrepreneurs in film, TV and music. Her clients describe her unique, strategic approach as "LIFE CHANGING.” A strong proponent of women’s empowerment, diversity and the vital importance of networking, Lord has played a crucial role in Hollywood over the last several years through her various endeavors and has been a key figure in facilitating access and connections. Her longstanding, esteemed award winning Hollywood Networking Breakfast®, which she launched on the Paramount Studios lot, was named by Backstage as the “Best Networking Event in L.A.”, and has been featured on K-CAL9/CBS and in VARIETY. Whether strategizing with clients regarding career or business brand and direction, creating, writing, producing or directing a project, or producing an event, Sandra Lord has developed, in her own inimitable style, a reputation for “thinking outside the box.” She delights in “innovative concepts,” and is known for her ingenious strategies, as well as ground-breaking projects, opportunities and ideas to successfully navigate Hollywood. Lord speaks regularly on strategy, networking, self-empowerment, diversity, and fostering esteem, confidence, adding a different perspective, and vital angle to various entertainment industry panels, workshops and seminars at which she appears. She serves as mentor to many and is known for her extraordinary commitment to inspiring others to accomplish their goals at the highest levels possible, in any medium.

Marilyn Anderson, Award-Winning Film & TV Writer, Author and Playwright: Marilyn Anderson is an author, playwright and award-winning writer for film and television. She is writer-producer of the family film, “How to Beat a Bully.” Her romantic comedy feature, “Cold Feet,” is set to go into production in 2020. Marilyn won a LUMINAS Award for the Positive Depiction of Women in Film & Television, and the Writers Guild of America honored her as a writer on the WGA’s list of 101 Best Written TV Series over the past seven decades. Her TV credits include Murphy Brown, FAME, Sherman Oaks, Friday the 13th – the Series, and Carol & Company, starring Carol Burnett. She also co-wrote the movie, “Making Mr. Right” on Lifetime TV. Marilyn is author of the bestselling personal finance book, “How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short.”  It was featured in Forbes and USA Weekly and won an Award as the Best Book on Saving Money & Living Well of the Year.  Her humorous relationship book, “NEVER KISS A FROG: A Girl’s Guide to Creatures from the Dating Swamp,” is published in 10 countries. She wrote and produced two Web Series based on her books, and NEVER KISS A FROG is being developed as a feature film. In addition, Marilyn is an accomplished playwright. Her newest play, “As Good as Gold,” is a comedy about women and gender parity in Hollywood.

Denise Muyco, Co-Founder and CEO, StratusCore: Denise Muyco is co-founder and CEO of StratusCore, a content production technology company that is moving digital content production into the cloud. Denise has nearly 20 years of experience in the film industry as a serial entrepreneur. She founded StratusCore in 2011 to enable artists and content producers to take advantage of emerging cloud technology to streamline the content creation process and make it more cost effective for artists and studios alike. Previously, Denise founded OneView Technologies (acquired by HP Enterprise) which offered software to manage rights for films played on airplanes, cable networks and on-demand hotel services. In the late '90's she was the head of product management for AtomFilms (acquired by Viacom) where she helped produce some of the first internet-exclusive films and animations. Denise has a Bachelor of Arts in political economics, as well as a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington. Denise is a Board Member of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association and collaborates directly with industry guilds and associations.