In sixth grade, Stacey Abrams finally won the spelling bee. Samantha Bee was brought near to tears reflecting on the moment seeing the billboard for “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” in Times Square for the first time. Eva Longoria recalled the terrifying word “yes,” in accepting her first directing gig.

“It takes so much to make a career that you love and that you want,” Bee said at the event. “There’s so many building blocks and so many kicks in the teeth that you take along the way. There’s so much that goes into those moments where you can really sit back and go ‘this is a miracle.’”

Every powerful voice has to begin somewhere. And during an April 9 virtual panel, titled “Women in Focus: Women, Big Tech and The Future of Hollywood,” guests Abrams, Longoria, Bee, Dana Walden, Samantha Barry and Jennifer Salke discussed their backgrounds, experience in the entertainment industry and advice for creatives and students at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. With over 600 people registered to attend the panel, the conversation, set up through a Chapman partnership with Glamour magazine, covered “cancel culture,” the #MeToo movement and diversity and inclusion in the industry. Janice Min, a contributing editor at TIME Magazine, served as moderator.

“The role of media, our role, is to change culture,” said Longoria during the event. “You're not going to change policy until you change culture. And that’s what we can do — that’s the power that we have.”

Over the past five to 10 years, an emphasis on gender balance in the workforce has brought a positive impact to the stories we see being told, said Walden, the chairman of entertainment at Walt Disney Television.

“The stories that are being told are more and more told through the point of view of a woman and are being commissioned by a woman, and that is making them better and the stories richer,'' Walden told The Panther. “When you take a snapshot of your corporate workforce, it should reflect the audience you are trying to serve. When that happens, the audience is served more effectively.”

Even the traditionally male-dominated field of comedy is becoming more diversified, said Bee, who noted that an “exfoliation of the industry” is in progress as executive heads from older generations begin to “fade away.” 

“I don't think any of these problems are solved by a long shot, but I do think it has changed for the better and will continue to change for the better as we pry open people’s minds and force new ideas in,” Bee told The Panther.

During the event, Min asked Abrams and Walden their thoughts on what Hollywood will look like in the next five years. Abrams, for one, will begin work in the entertainment industry in a personal dream of hers with her own production company Stageworks Productions. 

“I’ve got a series in development with CBS and working on another series,” Abrams said at the panel. “This for me is much like the rest of my life; I have never just done one thing … I read and watch television and movies. I love what you all do in Hollywood and so it is a dream of mine to be able to be a part of it.” 

For Walden, Hollywood will look more like the “Women in Focus” panel. 

“We’re going to see companies run by women. I think we’re going to see much more diverse organizations,” she said. “I suspect that post-pandemic, when people genuinely feel safe to go back out into the world, our business will again expand and I’m excited about that … It’s going to be an explosion of fantastic stories told by a diverse range of storytellers and really high-quality productions.” 

For young people entering Hollywood during this evolutionary time who are afraid of an uncertain future, Walden suggests getting a foot in the door to see how a big media organization operates.

“You're not only trying to do a good job, but you're trying to see where inside of an organization you fit in a way that will make you most happy,” Walden said. "Don't be too hard on yourself if, when you first come in, you don't find the exact right opportunity.”

For those same people, Bee suggests honing in on your own voice. 

“What do you really want to say? What is a message that you want to send the world for the entirety of your career?” she said. “Knowing what you like is almost half of the entire battle of your career. It may not be the exact career you think it’s going to be, and it may take a different shape, but if you love that kernel of a thing, you'll love your career.”