Women in Technology Hollywood (WiTH) and the nonprofit group STEM Advantage hosted a Women’s History Month celebration at the NBCUniversal Training Center at Universal City Walk in Los Angeles on March 28.
Attendees heard from a panel of entertainment industry veterans on the topic “Finding Your Voice: How to Contribute Impactfully at Work.”
Speakers discussed what it means to find your voice in today’s work environment and emphasized that having a voice is synonymous with having an identity and securing a seat at the table in the industry.
Speakers stressed the importance of recognizing that each woman’s voice brings a unique perspective, underscoring the significance of their ideas, and emphasized the necessity of having confidence in sharing ideas, and that being seen and heard is integral to one’s identity.
Bringing one’s uniqueness and perspective to the forefront, particularly in environments where women are underrepresented in leadership roles, is crucial, speakers said.
Dr. Lynda Murray-Thomas, senior director of application delivery and strategy at Universal Parks & Resorts; Amy Sinko, SVP of web and client solutions at Lionsgate; Jessica VanHook, director of software engineering for Apple and Android platforms at Crunchyroll; and Emily Villalba, associate software engineer at Sony Pictures, and a STEM Advantage alumna, were on the panel.
Kavita Anand, SVP of IP and rights management for Qvest, and a member of the WiTH Community Engagement Committee, moderated.