Dr. Stacy L. Smith, founder of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and longtime thought parter of TheWrap, was honored Tuesday with an exclusive VIP dinner in Beverly Hills after a day at the 2025 Power Women Summit, presented by STARZ #TakeTheLead.
Joining TheWrap and sponsor Eli Lilly and Company for a plated seafood dinner at the exquisite Avra Beverly Hills were other Power Women Summit panelists, thought leaders and industry decision-makers to toast Smith and her tireless research in equality and inclusion.
Many prominent USC colleagues also joined for the evening, including Annenberg Foundation Executive Director Cinny Kennard and Dean of USC Annenberg Willow Bay.
Speaking with TheWrap last year, Smith, whose work in equality and representation in media with USC began some 20 years ago, laid out the future she envisioned for the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.
“We want to create change,” she said. “Our staff at the initiative is growing. They’re smart and interesting and from every background, and so for me, it’s really important to listen to them when we are picking topics that we don’t have solutions on and carving a way forward to make a difference in this world. How do we make a difference for those whose voice might be dampened, whose credibility might be challenged?”
At this year’s Power Women Summit, Smith presented findings from a new study on health representation in film and TV, co-leading TheWrap’s panel called “Changing the Narrative on Health in Storytelling,” presented by Eli Lilly and Company.
Read on for more photos from Smith’s honors in Beverly Hills.
Cinny Kennard, Executive Director, Annenberg Foundation, Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Founder, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Brenda Robinson, President, Film Independent
Katy Schell, Vice President, Edelman and Jessica Thompson, Eli Lilly and Company
Willow Bay, Dean, USC Annenberg and Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Founder, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative
Sharon Waxman, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, TheWrap welcomes guests
Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Founder, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, W. Michael Sayers, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and Jennifer Palacios, Head of Client Strategy, UTA
Hannah Stocking, Actress, Comedian and Creator and Jo Cronk, Co-CEO, Whalar
Ty Stiklorius, CEO of Friends at Work and Sharon Waxman, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, TheWrap
Lisa Siskind Bilgrei, Global Head, Go-to-Market and Content Programming, Google TV, Alexa Marcasciano, Imagine Entertainment and Jo Cronk, Co-CEO, Whalar
Sharon Waxman, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, TheWrap, Constance Zimmer, Actress, and Simran Baidwan, Executive Producer, “The Pitt”
Andrea Mara, Author and Associate Producer, “All Her Fault” and Kate Myers, Author, “Excavations” and Co-Executive Producer, “Dig”
Megan Bycel, Meta and Lisa Siskind Bilgrei, Google TV
Alexa Marcasciano, Imagine Entertainment, Katherine Pieper, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Sami Pastron, UTA, Amanda Farrand, Imagine Entertainment and Jennifer Palacios, UTA
