SCAD LUMINARIES

Partnering with the brightest minds and most compelling personalities in entertainment, fashion, beauty, art, sports, tech, sustainability and wellness, Marie Griffin is a master class of communication. Throughout the span of her career, Griffin has served as a Seventeen magazine editor, US director of Paris-based trend forecasting bureau Promostyl, as well as VP of global marketing and new business development at pop culture research firm POP-EYE. She has spent more than a decade trend forecasting for and strategizing with the world’s most valuable brands. In 1995, she launched Griffin Marketing & Public Relations, a first-of-its-kind solely broadcast PR firm and media, communication, and public speaking training advisory amassing an unparalleled client list. Under the umbrella of her eponymous company, Griffin developed keynote series CATNIP® to target the most compelling aspects of subjectivity. What’s Your CATNIP?® is an interactive lecture created to give students a deeper understanding of how their individual strengths and qualities make them stand out and afford them a competitive advantage. 

Raised in France and educated in Stowe, England, Peter Dunham offers a global lens to his design perspective. He studied modern languages at Oxford’s Exeter College and business administration at the American University in Paris. After graduating, Dunham pursued real estate in New York City before moving to Los Angeles in 1998 where he formed his interior design company. In 2003, he launched his eponymous fabric and wallpaper collection, now sold by 16 showrooms worldwide. To house a growing collection of handcrafted furniture, textiles, and vintage finds, Peter opened the Los Angeles design district’s Hollywood at Home in 2007 — a leading destination for aesthetes. As an interior design firm, Dunham and his team split their time between restoring landmarked houses and collaborating with renowned architects on ground-up projects. Current work includes a modernist Marmol Radziner house overlooking the Pacific in Montecito, Calif., as well as several residences in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Newport Beach, the state of Montana, and an iconic 1963 Horace Gifford house on Fire Island in New York. The Wall Street Journal describes his style as “Merchant Ivory Moderne” and “restraint with a kick.” His international style embraces color and pattern, mixing bespoke furnishings, vintage finds and modern luxuries. His design work has been featured in Architectural Digest, ELLE Decor, House and Garden, House Beautiful, Coastal Living, Wall Street Journal, Veranda, Domino, Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, and more. Dunham is on ELLE Decor’s A-List and included in Vendome Press’ new book Inspired Design: The 100 Most Important Designers of the Past 100 Years.

Jon Batiste is a force of nature and a powerhouse of creativity and connection. For seven years, he infused millions of homes with his signature energy and warmth as the bandleader for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. An Academy Award and seven-time Grammy Award-winning artist, he blends music, storytelling, and activism to inspire and unite. His electrifying talks go beyond words; they are experiences that invite audiences to embrace creativity, mindfulness, and the power of community.

Daniel Martin is a beauty authority and social activist with a passion for education and self-improvement. Technically trained and highly sought after, Martin has more than 25 years of experience as a professional makeup artist for the beauty, fashion, and entertainment industries. His timeless approach to achieving understated, elegant, and sophisticated looks that highlight his clients' natural beauty has won over celebrities, models, brides, editors, and executives alike. Among Martin's loyal clientele are Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh and Emmy and Golden Globe winners Ali Wong and Elisabeth Moss, as well as Gemma Chan, Greta Gerwig, Jessica Alba, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jessica Biel, and Meghan

Markle, for whom he created a now-famous wedding-day makeup look in 2018. He has been recognized for his contributions to the beauty industry by Marie Claire including the "New Guard Artist of the Year" Image Maker Award as well as being named Makeup Artist of the Year in 2019 by InStyle. In addition to being a regular contributor to leading beauty, fashion, and lifestyle publications, Martin is known for his work as a beauty educator, offering global makeup classes and workshops. He has honed his expertise through an appreciation and deep understanding of how skin types and complexions play a crucial role in the efficacy of makeup and skincare. From his early start at the MAC counter in his local Seattle Nordstrom to an apprenticeship and later teaching position at Aveda, Martin has gone on to hold various positions of great influence in the beauty industry: creative color consultant for Honest Beauty, brand ambassador for Dior Beauty, and now global director of artistry & education at Tatcha (the first-ever appointment of an Asian American in an executive-level post within the beauty industry). A member of both the Asian American and LGBTQIA communities, Martin uses his platform to serve underrepresented and marginalized groups in the beauty industry and beyond, working closely with charitable organizations such as Act to Change, APEX for Youth, Callen-Lorde, and Room to Read in a continued effort to contribute culturally and empower others. Most recently, he was an honoree on Gold House's annual A100 list in recognition of his impact on society and culture.

Born and raised in London, Emma Chadwick fell in love with dance at a very young age. Devoting her studies to the art of movement, she went on to gain a first-class honors degree in dance and performance. Accepted into the prestigious Ballet Basel directly out of school, Chadwick worked closely with some of the world's leading ballet and modern dance choreographers, which shaped the creative she is today. Drawn to working freelance, she discovered a niche role in movement direction where she could enhance the physicality of fashion and advertising briefs by helping talent push their physical boundaries and guide them to fulfill their utmost potential. Whether on still photography sets, large-scale film productions, or fashion shows, Chadwick's approach originates from the inside out — understanding the talent and what makes them move and then aligning those intricacies with the designer's vision. She has choreographed fashion shows for brands and designers including Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Ralph Lauren, Proenza Schouler, Coach, Gabriela Hearst, Khaite, and Priscavera, among others. Her advertising clients include Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Loro Piana, Cartier, Missoni, MAC Cosmetics, Omega, Jimmy Choo, Carolina Herrera, Glossier, and Shiseido. Her work has been published in American Vogue, V Magazine, and T: The New York Times Style Magazine.

Andre Dickens is the 61st mayor of Atlanta, bringing a lifelong commitment and dynamic vision to drive the city's global progress as a place of opportunity. A native Atlantan and graduate of Atlanta public schools, Mayor Dickens is focused on expanding opportunities, equity, and prosperity for all residents.

Joshua To is Meta’s vice president of design, leading the AR, AI, and wearables team that creates products like the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses, Project Orion AR glasses, and others. He also oversees a discovery incubation team in Meta Reality Labs that explores new products and device form factors.

Before joining Meta, To was a design leader at Google and played a key role in the development of Google AR/VR, Google Lens, and Google Wearables. He also founded Google’s Artist in Residence program and contributed to leading Google’s affordable housing initiative in the Bay Area.

To has always been passionate about creating projects that blend design, entrepreneurship, and technology. In his spare time, he has founded two nonprofit organizations, WellDone International and Soup.

Angelica Munson is the global chief digital officer and executive officer of Shiseido Company, Limited. With a keen eye for transformative strategies and a proven track record, Munson leads the Digital Transformation Office, integrating a spectrum of digital strategies and services including data analytics, digital marketing, CRM, media, e-commerce, beauty tech, AI, and digital education into effective and sustainable programs and initiatives. Her more than 20-year career spans management roles at global brands like Estée Lauder, Clinique, Fast Retailing, and BMG Music, where she honed her expertise in launching and scaling direct-to-consumer ventures, crafting captivating digital experiences, nurturing communities, and fostering employee engagement.

Beyond her corporate endeavors, Munson extends her influence as an advisory board member for cutting-edge companies specializing in AR/VR, AI, and cloud technologies. Recognized as one of Brand Innovators’ Top 50 Women to Watch, she actively shapes industry discourse through thought-provoking panels and podcasts at esteemed gatherings such as WWD summits, SXSW, and Cosmetic Executive Women, Brand Innovators, and Dreamforce conferences. Munson’s commitment to diversity and inclusion takes center stage, exemplified by her impactful address at the 2023 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Recently named as one of the Top 25 Women Chief Digital Officers of 2024, Munson continues to illuminate the digital landscape with her leadership and mentorship across the enterprise.

Bob Chavez was a longstanding executive at Hermès of Paris, Inc. since his appointment as president and chief executive officer of Hermès North America in 2000. Chavez oversaw all business interests in the U.S. and Latin America and led Hermès’ remarkable growth and expansion in the Americas region, now with more than 36 boutiques, as well as the hermes.com flagship website. Under Chavez’s direction, the storied French house is considered the gold standard of global luxury. Most recently, Chavez was appointed to the Board of Directors of Macy’s Inc.

As the global entertainment lead at the architecture, design, and planning firm Gensler, Bob Weis brings to life unique experiences for clients spanning the company’s 33 practice areas, including entertainment, lifestyle, hospitality, retail, sports, mixed use, cultural institutions, wellness, and workplace. Previously as president of Walt Disney Imagineering, Weis was responsible for creating, designing, and developing some of Disney’s most iconic projects around the globe, including the Shanghai Disney Resort project and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida. Weis has been recognized with numerous industry accolades and awards, including multiple honors from the Themed Entertainment Association, including Best New Theme Park for Shanghai Disney Resort and the Buzz Price Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his continuing work with Gensler, he remains closely connected to his Disney roots through a multi-book project with Disney Publishing, demonstrating his unique position as a creative leader with in-depth industry knowledge.

An editor, stylist, and creative consultant for renowned publications, Bruce Pask has held directorial posts at T: The New York Times Style Magazine, GQ, and Cargo Magazine. His styling and design work includes iconic campaigns, runway shows, and television broadcasts. Pask received Emmy honors for his designs for the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors and, along with Oscar-nominated designer Julie Weiss, the 85th and 86th Academy Awards. He has also created costume designs for the Broadway productions of Design for Living (2001) and Promises, Promises (2010). Pask’s more than 20-year career in the fashion industry led to his tenure as men’s fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, where he now serves as senior editorial director. Pask is widely recognized as a key figure and mentor in the fashion industry, admired for both his style and aesthetic. In 2023 he was honored with the Award for Cultural Diplomacy by the U.S. Consulate General in Florence, Italy.

Dana Naberezny is vice president of the Jewelry Design and Innovation Workshop (JDIW) and chief innovation officer of jewelry at Tiffany & Co. Naberezny began her career at Tiffany & Co. in 1995 and held various leadership positions in product development, supply management, and product engineering. In 2006, she continued her ascent in the jewelry and watch industry by leading the product development divisions at David Yurman and Movado where she oversaw functions of research and development, engineering, CAD, prototyping, project management, and sourcing. From 2014 to 2016, she served as a management consultant, stewarding large-scale business transformation initiatives across the fashion and accessories industries. After rejoining Tiffany & Co. in 2016, Naberezny created and launched the brand’s Jewelry Design and Innovation Workshop in 2018, advancing collaborative technologies and craftsmanship to ensure the brand continues its pioneering role within the industry and the LVMH network. 

Danielle Chocron is the managing director of Blonde + Co, a dynamic New York-based creative agency with an impressive client roster that includes L’Oréal Paris, Yves Saint Laurent, Kérastase, Kiehl’s, and Dazzle Dry. Chocron oversees client relations, strategy, business development, and talent, bringing a passion for blending creativity and authenticity to help brands craft real, impactful stories. With extensive experience in both large and boutique creative agencies, Chocron has developed deep expertise in brand marketing and development. She began her agency career at R/GA, leading production and client services for L’Oréal Paris, Bank of America, and Pfizer. She later moved to Ogilvy, where she spearheaded digital initiatives for Dove and Vaseline. At Estée Lauder, she served as vice president of consumer engagement, integrating digital, social, PR, retail, media, and marketing while pioneering the brand’s first influencer programs. Most recently, at Publicis, she managed the L’Oréal account for Garnier, Lancôme, and Matrix, in addition to leading special projects for Cartier and a VR retail experience for Cadillac.

Dean Maltz is managing partner of Shigeru Ban Architects, an award-winning architectural firm led by Shigeru Ban, his longtime friend and business partner of more than 40 years. Maltz is responsible for executing Ban’s creative vision for sustainable projects in North America. Maltz founded his own firm in 1990, beginning a professional affiliation with Ban in 1999. As leaders in sustainable design and construction, they implement innovative design solutions that often include natural, recyclable, and reuseable materials for both professional and humanitarian projects. Maltz’s notable projects include the AIA National Honor Award-winning Aspen Art Museum, the AIA NY Honor Award-winning Nomadic Museum, the Society of American Registered Architects Metal Shutter House, and the Chicago Athenaeum Award-winning Cast Iron House. Maltz’s humanitarian work in the U.S. includes the Make It Right House, completed in 2009 with the Make It Right Foundation for those who lost homes due to Hurricane Katrina. Maltz is the recipient of the AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit, the American Society of Interior Design Pinnacle Award, and the Peter Cooper Public Service Award. He is also a vocal proponent for the use of mass timber construction, a sustainable alternative to concrete and steel. He is a frequent lecturer and public speaker, advocating for low-carbon design practices.

Jessica Cruel is the editor-in-chief of Allure, where she leads the development of editorial content for print, digital, and video platforms, as well as the Readers’ Choice Awards and Best of Beauty Awards franchises. Cruel also consults on brand projects including the Allure Podcast, the Allure Beauty Box subscription program, and the Allure Store. Cruel joined Allure in 2019, first as features director and, more recently, served as the title’s content director. As content director, Cruel spearheaded The Melanin Edit, a new Allure platform exploring all things relating to Black beauty, skincare, and wellness. Prior to joining Allure, Cruel served as deputy beauty director at Refinery29 and has also held editorial roles at SELF and POPSUGAR. Throughout her decade-long career in the beauty media industry, she has extended her experience to hosting podcasts, speaking at events, and appearing in live television segments.

Kate Aronowitz is a seasoned design executive who has built and led world-class design teams at several iconic Silicon Valley companies. She currently serves as the lead operations partner at GV (formerly Google Ventures), where she coaches portfolio companies on design processes, product development, and management strategies. Aronowitz began her career at eBay, where she joined the first user experience team and later became a senior manager of user experience and design. She then moved to LinkedIn, starting their user research team as the director of design. At Facebook (now Meta), she served as the company’s first design executive, growing the design organization from 20 to 200 people and establishing multidisciplinary teams across various design disciplines. After Facebook, Aronowitz served as the vice president of design at Wealthfront, a leading fintech company. In her current role at GV, she leverages her extensive experience to empower portfolio companies, advocating for incorporating design thinking into high-level business strategies. Aronowitz holds a B.A. in graphic design from the Savannah College of Art and Design and has been recognized as one of the most influential designers by Fast Company and Ad Age.

Matthew Llewellyn has been a brand steward for many companies at the forefront of the beauty industry. His visionary concepts have been used to great effect by powerhouse brands such as Kiehl’s, Abercrombie & Fitch, Bobbi Brown, La Mer, Jo Malone, Fresh, and Clinique. Llewellyn collaborates closely with clients and partners to understand their customers’ needs, desires, and aspirations, and then harnesses these insights into innovative and immersive retail experiences.

A true digital and experiential disruptor, chief integrated marketing officer of e.l.f. Beauty Patrick O’Keefe has committed more than 15 years to the beauty industry as a brand progenitor. His integrated approach — whether through digital activations, paid media, data-driven marketing, content, or influencer and retail partnerships — is just the foundation of his expertise. He joined the e.l.f. Beauty team in September 2019 to create the integrated marketing communication team, tasked with delivering bulletproof brand consistency across all channels for every brand in the e.l.f. Beauty portfolio. An integral contributor on go-to-market strategies, O’Keefe leads their marketing efforts to explore new frontiers. Prior to e.l.f., he was the vice president of integrated consumer communications at L’Oréal. He has also worked at Shiseido supporting hairdressers, makeup artists, nail technicians, and estheticians to build their experiential marketing programs.

Robin Marshall has been creating, recharging, and activating iconic beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands for more than 20 years — from global powerhouses like Shiseido, Estée Lauder Companies, and e.l.f. Beauty to disruptive indie darlings like OUAI and Summer Fridays. Prior to joining Case Agency, she spent 15 years in corporate retail leadership roles, but her beauty obsession is a result of her very early career working behind the counter for Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Lancôme.

Trey Laird is the chief executive and creative officer of TeamLaird, a strategic marketing, branding, and creative agency he founded in 2021. TeamLaird works with many of the world’s leading brands focused on the fashion, beauty, and luxury lifestyle categories. The agency’s mission is to collaborate with brand leaders to use creative disruption as a strategic weapon to drive relevance, impact, and growth. TeamLaird has overseen the highly visible global brand transformation of BOSS, as well as new brand campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger, Aman Hotels, and the recent relaunch of Stuart Weitzman featuring Kim Kardashian. Prior to launching TeamLaird, Laird built his previous agency Laird+Partners into the world’s largest creative firm in its category. For more than 20 years, Laird led creative campaigns for Tiffany & Co., Tom Ford, Karl Lagerfeld, Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein, Tory Burch, Gap, Coach, Jimmy Choo, Donna Karan, and Zegna, among many others. Laird has also partnered with many of the world’s most influential personalities from Beyoncé to Madonna, Gigi Hadid to Lewis Hamilton, David Beckham to Sarah Jessica Parker, Lady Gaga to Shawn Mendes. He has also worked in depth across the global beauty and fragrance landscape for Estée Lauder, Coty, InterParfums, and Puig, among others. For almost a decade, Laird also served as the creative director for the CFDA American Fashion Council, where he mentored many emerging design talents and also directed special projects for Anna Wintour at Vogue for many charitable and industry initiatives. His work has won numerous industry awards including a Cannes Lion and multiple Clios. In 2019, Laird also founded the new digitally focused fitness brand AARMY in partnership with world-renowned coach Akin Akman. AARMY uses the physical experience of movement across different modalities to train your mind to live your best life. Its digital platform is filmed in an industry-leading visual style with an elevated cinematic quality. The New York-based brand just launched a new content partnership with Lululemon in 2022 and a luxury performance apparel line with Net-A-Porter.

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today. Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as well as personal essay collections Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, each of which became an immediate bestseller. The audio version of Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls is a 56th Annual Grammy Award Nominee for Best Spoken Word Album. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling collection of fables Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary (with illustrations by Ian Falconer). Sedaris was also the editor of Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories. His pieces appear regularly in The New Yorker and have twice been included in The Best American Essays. There are more than 10 million copies of his books in print and they have been translated into 25 languages. He and his sister, Amy Sedaris, have collaborated under the name The Talent Family and have written half-a-dozen plays, which have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center, and The Drama Department in New York. These plays include Stump the Host; Stitches; One Woman Shoe, which received an Obie Award; Incident at Cobbler’s Knob; and The Book of Liz, which was published in book form by Dramatists Play Service. Sedaris’ original radio pieces can often be heard on the public radio show This American Life. He has been nominated for three Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word and Best Comedy Album. A feature film adaptation of his story C.O.G. was released after a premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. Since 2011, Sedaris can be heard annually on a series of live recordings on BBC Radio 4. He published a collection of his diaries, Theft By Finding, Diaries (1977-2002), in 2017, followed by the art book David Sedaris Diaries: A Visual Compendium. His nationally bestselling essay collection Calypso was published in 2018. A second volume of his diaries was published in 2021.

As the global leader of McKinsey’s apparel, fashion, and luxury sector, Gemma D’Auria partners with companies and their executives on holistic transformations to accelerate sustainable growth and create lasting change on performance and health. Bringing more than two decades of consulting expertise across the U.S., Middle East, and Europe, D’Auria helps clients with growth strategies, advanced analytics, and digital advancements, as well as capability building at scale. She is passionate about fostering leadership development, enhancing customer experience, and driving innovation. D’Auria regularly publishes knowledge and insights relevant to the retail and fashion/luxury sectors and leads and co-authors McKinsey’s annual State of Fashion report published in collaboration with The Business of Fashion, as well as the annual Sporting Goods Industry report. As one of the global leaders for McKinsey’s CEO Excellence practice, she works closely with executives on their leadership journey, as well as their organizations and family-owned businesses to ensure purposeful operating models, capabilities, and skills. Before joining McKinsey, D’Auria worked in the investment banking division of J.P. Morgan in London.

As founder and creative director of luxury accessories brand Brother Vellies, Aurora James uplifts global cultural traditions, supporting artisan communities around the world. A vice chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, James is also the founder of the nonprofit advocacy organization Fifteen Percent Pledge, channeling the collective creativity of the design community to make the global economy a more equitable place for historically excluded groups. James founded Brother Vellies in 2013 with the mission of preserving traditional African design practices and techniques, emphasizing fair labor practices and job creation. She initiated the Fifteen Percent Pledge in June 2020 as a call to action, since generating more than $12 billion of revenue for Black-owned businesses. Author of the widely acclaimed memoir Wildflower, James was honored with the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2015. In 2021, she was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People, nominated for the CFDA American Accessories Designer of the Year, and recognized with the CFDA Founder’s Award for her work with the Fifteen Percent Pledge.

Widely regarded as a leading industry visionary, five-time Emmy Award winner Genndy Tartakovsky has created some of the most highly acclaimed animated projects of the last few decades. Tartakovsky is credited with shaping the prominence of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, where he developed the hit animated series Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Sym-Bionic Titan, and Primal. His celebrated feature film work includes the Golden Globe Award-nominated Hotel Transylvania as well as its two sequels and spinoff shorts.

SCAD deFINE ART honoree Zanele Muholi (b. 1972, Umlazi, South Africa) is a boundary-pushing artist esteemed for their work exploring notions of Black identity, community, and advocacy. A self-described visual activist, Muholi prioritizes the depiction of marginalized people from queer communities in both their home country of South Africa and around the globe. Through striking photographs, film, and sculpture, the artist honors the complex lived experiences of Black individuals, underscoring the vital need for visibility and agency.

A graduate of Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art in London, British designer Peter Copping began his career at Sonia Rykiel with the “Queen of Knits” before joining Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton as head of womenswear, showcasing his penchant for redefining and celebrating femininity. After more than a decade at Louis Vuitton, he was named creative director of Nina Ricci in Paris and Oscar de la Renta in New York, where de la Renta, who had once been a designer at Lanvin under Antonio Castillo, designated Copping as his successor. Most recently, Copping served as head of couture at Balenciaga where he directed the ateliers for the reintroduction of the couture collection and followed as head of VIP and special projects. Now, as the newly appointed artistic director of Lanvin, Copping lends his expertise and immaculate leadership to the legacy fashion and design house.

Designer and founder of her globally recognized fashion house, Tory Burch is redefining the who, what, and wear of luxury. Growing up on a farm in Valley Forge, Penn., and later studying art history at the University of Pennsylvania, she developed a deep well of inspiration that informs her creative vision. Burch moved to New York in the 1990s, honing her expertise at Zoran, Harper’s Bazaar, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, and Loewe before launching her debut collection in 2004. With a refined understanding of what the industry lacked, she built her brand with a clear purpose: to create a lifestyle label that champions women. In 2009, she founded the Tory Burch Foundation to provide women entrepreneurs in the U.S. with capital, education, and community. Today, every Tory Burch product supports this mission. Burch’s accolades include the 2024 TIME 100, Harper’s Bazaar’s Designer of the Year, CFDA Accessory Designer of the Year, Parsons School of Design Table Award, Forbes’ Most Powerful Women in the World, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Sandra Taub Humanitarian Award. Her first book, Tory Burch: In Color, became a New York Times Best Seller, and her designs have been featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Burch serves on multiple boards, including the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the Wharton School’s Jay H. Baker Retailing Center, and the Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She is a Founding Advisory Council Member of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a trustee at The Barnes Foundation.

Six-time Academy Award-nominated and two-time Golden Globe Award-winning actress Amy Adams has built an impressive body of work, challenging herself with each new role. Her Academy Award-nominated roles include Junebug, for which she also received the Special Jury Prize for Acting at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival; John Patrick Shanley's Doubt; David O. Russell's The Fighter and American Hustle, for which she also won a Golden Globe Award, a Critics Choice Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award; Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master; and Adam McKay's Vice. Her other film credits include a Golden Globe-winning role in Big Eyes as well as Enchanted, Disenchanted, Justice League, Arrival, Nocturnal Animals, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Her, Julie and Julia, Dear Evan Hansen, The Woman in the Window, Trouble with the Curve, On the Road, The Muppets, Night at the Museum 2: Battle at the Smithsonian, Sunshine Cleaning, Charlie Wilson's War, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, and Catch Me If You Can.

In 2018, Adams starred in the limited series Sharp Objects, which she also executive produced, winning a Critics Choice Award and earning Golden Globe, SAG, and Emmy Award nominations for her performance. In 2022, she made her West End debut starring in an evocative new production of Tennessee Williams' beloved play The Glass Menagerie. Alongside partner Stacy O'Neil, Adams launched the production company Bond Group Entertainment, which produced her new film Nightbitch and is currently developing adaptations of The Holdout and Finding the Mother Tree that Adams will star in, among other projects. Adams is currently in production on At the Sea, a new drama from Kornél Mundruczó and Kata Wéber. She most recently wrapped production on the film Klara and the Sun, directed by Taika Waititi.

A three-time Academy Award nominee, writer and director Chris Sanders is best known for his work on Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Croods. A Colorado Springs, Colo. native, Sanders grew up drawing and penning short stories. He applied and was accepted to CalArts' animation program after his grandmother discovered the school in a newspaper article. He went on to work for Disney as a story artist on Rescuers Down Under and received writer, story by, or screenplay credits on Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Mulan. Sanders wrote, storyboarded, and directed Lilo & Stitch with Dean DeBlois, earning his first Oscar nomination. In addition, Sanders voiced (and continues to voice) the titular character of Stitch. Sanders joined DreamWorks Animation in 2006, contributing to the Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda franchises and reteaming with DeBlois to direct How to Train Your Dragon, earning his second Oscar nod. Following the success of that franchise — which includes two Oscar-nominated sequels, a multiple Emmy Award-winning TV series, multiple theme park attractions, and countless consumer products — Sanders partnered with Kirk DeMicco to write and direct the Academy Award-nominated blockbuster The Croods, establishing yet another DreamWorks franchise. Sanders made his live-action directorial debut with The Call of the Wild, starring Harrison Ford. His latest film is DreamWorks' The Wild Robot, which released to critical acclaim in September 2024. Sanders is a member of the Academy Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, ASIFA-Hollywood, and the Visual Effects Society. In addition to his three Oscar nominations, Sanders has been recognized by ASIFA-Hollywood numerous times throughout his career, winning four Annie Awards as well as earning numerous accolades around the world for his work.

Colleen Atwood has won four Academy Awards for her costume designs: for Tim Burton's hit adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, Rob Marshall's period drama Memoirs of a Geisha and musical Chicago, and David Yates' Wizarding World spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Among her many other honors, Atwood has also received Oscar nominations for her work on Marshall's Into the Woods and Nine, Rupert Sanders' Snow White and the Huntsman, Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Sleepy Hollow, Brad Silberling's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Jonathan Demme's Beloved, and Gillian Armstrong's Little Women. A frequent collaborator with Burton, her previous films with the director include Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Dumbo, Big Eyes, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Mars Attacks!, Planet of the Apes, Big Fish, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

She also collaborated with Demme multiple times, on his Oscar-winning Best Picture Silence of the Lambs as well as Philadelphia and Married to the Mob. In 2023, Atwood teamed up again with Marshall for Disney's live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. On TV, Atwood's credits include Burton's Addams Family continuation Wednesday, Marshall's Tony Bennett: An American Classic, Supergirl, Arrow, High Fidelity, and The Tick. She counts among her many other film credits Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Bombshell, Tomb Raider, The Cloverfield Paradox, Public Enemies, The Tourist, The Rum Diary, Alice Through the Looking Glass, Mission: Impossible III, In Time, Gattaca, That Thing You Do!, Mumford, Wyatt Earp, Manhunter, and Firstborn, which marked her first film as a costume designer.

Colman Domingo has been nominated for numerous awards across stage and screen, including an Academy Award, Tony Award, Independent Spirit Award, and Olivier Award, and won an Emmy Award, Astra Award, AAFCA Award, NAACP Image Award, and Black Reel Award. His role as Civil Rights Era leader Bayard Rustin in Rustin earned him Oscar, Golden Globe Award, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild nominations. His other film and TV credits include the SAG Ensemble Award-nominated The Color Purple and an Emmy Award-winning role in HBO's Euphoria, as well as Zola, If Beale Street Could Talk, Selma, Candyman, Fear the Walking Dead, and many others. His latest film is the acclaimed Sing Sing, which he starred in and executive produced. He and Raúl Domingo also executive produced the upcoming thriller It's What's Inside, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

A decorated stage actor, Domingo starred in The London Evening Standard Award-winning The Scottsboro Boys at the Young Vic in London, in a role which he originated in both on- and off-Broadway productions. He is also well-known for his appearances in the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award-winning musical Passing Strange. As a playwright, Domingo made his British and Australian theatrical debuts with his solo play A Boy and His Soul. He also starred in his play Wild With Happy, which is now an Audible original podcast. As a director, Domingo has helmed plays at the People's Light Theatre, Huntington Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, Actors Theater of Louisville, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Domingo will next be seen in the Netflix limited series The Madness, Antoine Fuqua's Michael Jackson biopic Michael, and the Netflix comedy series The Four Seasons.

Daisy Ridley continues to make her mark on Hollywood as one of the most dynamic actors of our time. She is best known for her breakthrough role as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a role she reprised in the sequels Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. She is set to return to the role for a New Jedi Order film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Her other film credits include Young Woman and the Sea, The Marsh King's Daughter, The Inventor, Sometimes I Think About Dying, Chaos Walking, Ophelia, Peter Rabbit, Murder on the Orient Express, Only Yesterday, and The Eagle Huntress. She has also lent her voice to audiobooks and documentary films, including Islanders, Asteroid Hunters, Baba Yaga, and The Dawn of the Art. Additionally, she sang the duet "At the Ballet" from A Chorus Line with Anne Hathaway for Barbra Streisand's Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway album. In 2016, Ridley was honored with an Oscar Wilde Award by the nonprofit US-Ireland Alliance, which recognizes the contribution of Irish actors in film.

Ridley has several upcoming projects in the works. Her first, the noir thriller Magpie, is based on a story she developed and premiered at SXSW in 2024. Ridley recently completed filming on the London-set thriller Cleaner and is currently filming the survival thriller We Bury the Dead. She has several more projects in development, including an Agatha Christie-centered murder mystery series, The Christie Affair; an adaptation of The Better Liar for Amazon that Ridley will star in and executive produce; the futuristic thriller Mind Fall; and an adaptation of the bestselling novel The Women in the Castle, about three widows whose late husbands planned an assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler.

Demi Moore has proven to be one of the industry's most accomplished performers, lending her talents to an array of revered films and television both in front of and behind the camera. Moore set a record in 1995 when she became the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, a testament to her star power and box office appeal. In the late 1980s, Moore's acting career took off when she starred in St. Elmo's Fire. She has since starred in A Few Good Men, Ghost, Indecent Proposal, Disclosure, G.I. Jane, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Bobby, Flawless Happy Tears, The Joneses, Another Happy Day, Brave New World, Corporate Animals, Rough Night, Blind, and Please Baby Please. Moore can most recently be seen in the FX anthology series Feud: Capote vs. The Swans and Coralie Fargeat's The Substance, which premiered to rave reviews at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Moore will next appear in Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace's Paramount+ drama Landman, starring alongside Billy Bob Thornton.

Moore earned a Golden Globe Award nomination and an Emmy Award nomination for starring in and producing the 1950s-set miniseries If These Walls Could Talk. She also directed one segment of the Lifetime anthology film series Five, earning a Directors Guild Award nomination for her work. Moore released her New York Times-bestselling memoir Inside Out in 2019, which delves into her career and personal life, laying bare her defining tumultuous relationship with her mother, her marriages, her struggles balancing stardom with motherhood, and her journey toward openheartedness. She has also lent her voice to the podcast Dirty Diana, which will be adapted into an Amazon series that Moore will executive produce and star in. Moore is a co-founder of Thorn, a nonprofit building technology to defend children from sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking.

Felicity Jones is best known for her Academy Award, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Golden Globe Award-nominated starring role opposite Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything. Born and raised in the U.K., Jones started her acting career as a young child while continuing to pursue her education, eventually receiving a degree from Oxford. U.S. audiences first took notice of her in 2011's Like Crazy, a role that earned her a Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival and Breakthrough Actor from the Gotham Awards. Jones has also starred in the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex, the Star Wars prequel Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and The Aeronauts, which paired her onscreen with Redmayne again. Her other film credits include Inferno, A Monster Calls, The Invisible Woman, True Story, Breathe In, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and The Midnight Sky.

Her extensive TV credits include the critically acclaimed BBC adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank, a guest-starring role on HBO's hit series Girls, and an adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. Jones last starred in and produced the thriller Dead Shot. She has also starred in and executive produced the Netflix drama The Last Letter from Your Lover, based on the novel of the same name by Jojo Moyes. Jones can next be seen in The Brutalist, which premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival to critical acclaim. She is also set to star in Train Dreams opposite Joel Edgerton and the holiday comedy Oh. What. Fun. opposite Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Dominic Sessa.

Isabela Merced is a highly regarded actress, singer, dancer, and songwriter with multiple high-profile projects on the horizon. Merced recently earned critical acclaim for her role in Fede Álvarez's new Alien installment Alien: Romulus as well as for her portrayal of Aza in Turtles All the Way Down, the adaptation of John Green's New York Times bestselling novel of the same name. Her extensive filmography includes the Marvel Comics adaptation Madame Web, the revisionist Romeo & Juliet tale Rosaline, Warner Bros.' remake of Father of the Bride, the Netflix original thriller Sweet Girl, and a voice role in DreamWorks Animation's Spirit Untamed. Her other film credits include Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Let It Snow, Instant Family, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and Transformers: The Last Knight. Merced will next star in the second season of HBO's critically acclaimed drama series The Last of Us, portraying Dina, a free-wheeling spirit whose devotion to Bella Ramsey's Ellie is tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit. She is also set to star as Hawkgirl in Warner Bros. and DC's highly anticipated Superman franchise.

Jason Reitman is a four-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker who made his feature film debut with the 2006 Sundance Film Festival hit Thank You for Smoking. Reitman earned Oscar nominations for directing Juno and Up in the Air, the latter of which also earned Reitman a Golden Globe Award, WGA Award, and BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay. His other films include Young Adult, Tully, The Front Runner, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Reitman also executive produced the Oscar-winning film Whiplash and the Jean-Marc Vallée-directed Demolition and served as a producer on the cult hit Jennifer's Body and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. He also produced four seasons of the Hulu comedy series Casual. Reitman was an artist-in-residence at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), where he co-created the smash hit Live Read series. He currently serves as a governor in the director's branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Recently, Reitman made headlines as the leader of a coalition of more than 35 filmmakers acquiring and preserving the historic Village Theater in Westwood, Calif.

Perhaps the most successful film and television producer of all time, Academy Award-nominated Jerry Bruckheimer's credits include the monumentally successful Pirates of the Caribbean, Top Gun, National Treasure, Bad Boys, and Beverly Hills Cop franchises as well as such hits as Black Hawk Down, Pearl Harbor, Remember the Titans, Enemy of the State, Armageddon, Con Air, The Rock, Crimson Tide, and Flashdance. His latest blockbuster, Top Gun: Maverick, quickly became his most successful movie ever, with a global box office of nearly $1.5 billion that broke his own record for the largest Memorial Day Weekend opening ever. Bruckheimer released four films in 2024: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Young Woman and the Sea, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. He is currently in production on an as-yet-untitled film set in the world of Formula 1 racing starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski.

On TV, Jerry Bruckheimer Television (JBTV) has produced some of the most successful series of the past 25 years, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its four spinoffs, Without a Trace, Cold Case, and the 10-time Emmy Award-winning The Amazing Race. His other TV credits include Lucifer, Fire Country, and Hightown. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Bruckheimer's films have collectively grossed nearly $15 billion. He has also produced more than 2,000 hours of television. His projects have been honored with 49 Academy Award nominations and seven wins, 145 Emmy Award nominations and 23 wins, and nine Grammy Award nominations and five wins, among other accolades. A Detroit native, Bruckheimer developed a lifelong passion for movies and sports, especially ice hockey. He fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2019 when he founded the NHL's expansion Seattle Kraken with businessman David Bonderman, which started play in 2021–22.

Jharrel Jerome has quickly become one of the most recognized, celebrated, and praised talents in Hollywood following his breakout role in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight. As the lead in Ava DuVernay's Netflix limited series When They See Us, Jerome won the 2019 Emmy Award for Lead Actor in a Miniseries, the 2020 Critics Choice Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television, and the 2020 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series, or Dramatic Special. His film credits include Selah and the Spades, Robu, Monster, Concrete Cowboy, and First Match, and his TV roles include the HBO special Between the World and Me and the ABC live special Live in Front of a Studio Audience: 'All in the Family' and 'Good Times' as well as the series I'm a Virgo, Full Circle, Mr. Mercedes, and Tales.

A Bronx native and LaGuardia Arts High School graduate, Jerome is also a compelling rapper and hip-hop artist committed to versatility and storytelling in equal measure. He asserted himself as a hip-hop contender in 2023 with his official debut project Someone I'm Not, released in four carefully crafted packs — Rap Pack, Trip Pack, Love Pack, and Trap Pack. Jerome will next appear in William Goldenberg's biopic Unstoppable, which follows the true story of Anthony Robles, a three-time All-American wrestler and collegiate national champion who was born with one leg. Jerome will also lend his voice to the upcoming Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, the third installment in Sony's Spider-Verse universe of animated films.

British actor Jodie Comer is best known for her role as Villanelle in the BBC America cult hit series Killing Eve. Comer won both the Emmy Award for Lead Actress in a Drama Series and BAFTA Award for Best Leading Actress in 2019 and earned Critics Choice Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations during the show's run. Her other TV credits include Help, Thirteen, Talking Heads, The White Princess, Rillington Place, Doctor Foster, Lady Chatterley's Lover, My Mad Fat Diary, Remember Me, Inspector George Gently, Vera, Law & Order: UK, Coming Up, Casualty, Good Cop, Silent Witness, Doctors, Justice, Waterloo Road, Holby City, and The Royal Today. Comer most recently starred in Jeff Nichols' 1960s-set The Bikeriders, based on the photobook of the same name by Danny Lyon, and the thriller The End We Start From, based on Megan Hunter's novel. Her other film appearances include The Last Duel and Free Guy.

In 2022, Comer made her Broadway and West End debuts in Suzie Miller's Prima Facie, opening to rave reviews in both locations. Comer won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play as well as the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performances in the one-woman play. Comer recently completed production on Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes. Her other upcoming films include Kenneth Branagh's The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde and Michael Sarnoski's The Death of Robin Hood.

Kathryn Hahn returns to her Emmy Award-nominated role as Agatha Harkness in the Marvel Cinematic Universe limited series Agatha All Along. She first starred as Agatha in the critically acclaimed 2021 series WandaVision alongside Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, receiving her second of three Emmy Award nominations. Hahn was nominated for her first Emmy Award for her role in Amazon's Transparent and received an additional nomination for Hulu's limited series Tiny Beautiful Things. Her other TV credits include The Shrink Next Door, I Know This Much Is True, Mrs. Fletcher, The Romanoffs, I Love Dick, Happyish, Parks & Recreation, The Newsroom, Girls, Crossing Jordan, Four Kings, Hung, and Free Agents. She also has lent her voice to the animated series Central Park, Chozen, Bob's Burgers, and American Dad.

A prolific film actor, Hahn has appeared in the Golden Globe Award-nominated Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and received a Gotham Awards nomination for her role in Private Life. Her other film credits include Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, Flower, Bad Moms, Captain Fantastic, The Do-Over, She's Funny That Way, Tomorrowland, This Is Where I Leave You, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, We're the Millers, Revolutionary Road, Step Brothers, The Last Mimzy, The Holiday, and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. A Northwestern University and Yale School of Drama graduate, Hahn made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning revival of Boeing-Boeing and has also starred in productions of Dead End, Ten Unknowns, Chaucer in Rome, and Camino Real. She will next star in the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

Throughout his career, Kevin Costner has varied his acting, writing, producing, and directing choices with comedy, action, and drama productions. Costner has appeared in such popular box office hits as Silverado, No Way Out, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, The Bodyguard, Wyatt Earp, JFK, The Untouchables, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Tin Cup, Thirteen Days, For the Love of the Game, The War, 3,000 Miles to Graceland, Dragonfly, The Upside of Anger, Rumor Has It, The Guardian, Mr. Brooks, Swing Vote, Man of Steel, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Three Days to Kill, Draft Day, Black & White, Criminal, Hidden Figures, The Highwaymen, and Let Him Go. He also starred in and produced the History Channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys, which received 16 Emmy Award nominations, while Costner won Best Actor from the Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. In 2023, he added his second Golden Globe acting win for Paramount's hit Yellowstone, which he also executive produces.

Costner's exceptional filmmaking abilities were showcased in Dances with Wolves, which he produced, directed, and starred in. The film, his feature directorial debut, won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. He last directed the critically acclaimed Open Range in 2003. In 2024, he released the first installment of Horizon: An American Saga, a multifaceted look into the American West that he is directing, producing, and starring in. Through his company Territory Pictures, Costner is also executive producing the upcoming Civil War spy drama The Gray House for Paramount+. He also produced and co-authored the New York Times bestselling adventure novel The Explorers Guild. When Costner is not working on films, he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar in his band, Modern West, and can be seen playing venues across the U.S.

Kieran Culkin is best known for his performance in HBO's critically acclaimed series Succession, winning an Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and two Critics Choice Awards for his role as Roman Roy, among numerous other nominations and honors. He is also well-known for his role in Edgar Wright's 2010 cult favorite film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, starring opposite Brie Larson, Anna Kendrick, and Michael Cera. In 2002, Culkin starred in Igby Goes Down alongside Susan Sarandon, Jeff Goldblum, and Claire Danes, winning a Critics Choice Award for Best Young Actor for his performance. His other film and TV credits include No Sudden Move, Fargo, Father of the Bride, Father of the Bride Part II, Weiner Dog, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, The Mighty, The Cider House Rules, Music of the Heart, Paper Man, Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, She's All That, Nowhere to Run, and It Runs in the Family. In 2021, he hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Ed Sheeran.

On stage, Culkin starred opposite Michael Cera in the Broadway production of This Is Our Youth, reprising the role of Dennis after performing in both Steppenwolf Theatre and Sydney Opera House's productions. Culkin also made his West End debut in the play in the role of Warren. Culkin also starred opposite Matthew Broderick in Kenneth Lonergan's off-Broadway production of The Starry Messenger and received an Obie Award for his performance as Justin Hammond in the Vineyard Theatre's After Ashley. His other stage credits include the Playwrights Horizons production of James Lapine's The Moment When and the Second Stage Theater production of Suburbia. He will next star in the revival of the cutthroat business play Glengarry Glen Ross set to open in 2025.

Lupita Nyong'o is an Academy Award-winning Kenyan actor, producer, and New York Times bestselling author. Nyong'o made her feature film debut in Steve McQueen's Academy Award-winning 12 Years a Slave, earning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics Choice Award, an Independent Spirit Award, and an NAACP Image Award for her role as Patsey. She since has made her mark on the industry as Nakia in Disney and Marvel's Black Panther franchise as well as in Jordan Peele's critically acclaimed horror film Us, earning a SAG nomination, NAACP Image Award, and the New York Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress for her dual role as Adelaide and Red.

In 2024, Nyong'o served as president of the international jury at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival and was honored with a CinemaCon Star of the Year Award. Nyong'o most recently starred in Paramount's A Quiet Place spinoff A Quiet Place: Day One, which released in June to critical acclaim and major box office success, making the film the most successful debut in the blockbuster franchise. In 2019, Simon & Schuster released the children's book Sulwe authored by Nyong'o, which explores colorism, or the preferential treatment of those with lighter skin, and how this issue impacts children from a young age across the globe. She also narrated the bestselling book for Netflix's Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices, which earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Performance in a Children's Program.

Margaret Qualley has become one of the most sought-after actors of her generation in the years since her esteemed debut on the critically acclaimed HBO series The Leftovers. She has earned two Emmy Award nominations for her roles in the Netflix limited series Maid and the FX limited series Fosse/Verdon, also earning Critics Choice Award nominations for both. Qualley's film credits include Native Son, Novitiate, Seberg, My Salinger Year, Donnybrook, Adam, The Nice Guys, Palo Alto, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, Sanctuary, Stars at Noon, Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness, and Drive-Away Dolls. She has also appeared in Olivia Wilde's short film Wake Up, Hideo Kojima's critically acclaimed video game Death Stranding, and a Kenzo Perfume ad campaign filmed by director Spike Jonze. Qualley can be currently seen starring opposite Demi Moore in Coralie Fargeat's The Substance, which won the Cannes Film Festival's Best Screenplay Award and the Toronto International Film Festival's People's Choice Midnight Madness Award. Her upcoming films include Ethan Coen's Honey Don't, starring with Aubrey Plaza and Chris Evans; Richard Linklater's Blue Moon, starring with Ethan Hawke and Andrew Scott; and Huntington, starring with Glen Powell.

British actor Marisa Abela is a formidable talent who continues to make an indelible impression in the U.K., Hollywood, and beyond with a series of commanding and complex roles across both film and television. Abela has garnered unanimous critical praise for her performance as iconic Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse in Back to Black, as well as for her reprisal as publishing heiress-turned-investment banker Yasmin Kara-Hanani in HBO and BBC One's hit hedonistic banking drama Industry — with Vanity Fair calling her the "star of the season." Prior to this success, Abela appeared in Greta Gerwig's billion-dollar blockbuster Barbie, the espionage thriller Rogue Agent, and the improvisational romance She Is Love. She made her TV debut in the British action series COBRA. Abela recently wrapped production on her leading role in Steven Soderbergh's thriller Black Bag alongside Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, and Regé-Jean Page. Abela is a graduate of the highly acclaimed Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, where she still resides.

Mikey Madison is swiftly solidifying her status as a highly sought-after actor across both film and television. With an impressive array of projects under her belt, Madison's talent and versatility have garnered widespread acclaim. Madison stepped into the spotlight in the titular role in Sean Baker's Anora, which premiered in competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and won the Palme d'Or. Her other film credits include Paramount's highly successful Scream 5, where she appeared alongside the cast of the original 1996 cult classic. She also had a memorable role in the Academy Award-nominated Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, where she shared the screen with Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie.

Beyond her film endeavors, the Los Angeles-based Madison continues to make waves in TV, notably in her role in FX's critically acclaimed series Better Things. Starring alongside series creator Pamela Adlon, Madison's compelling portrayal adds depth and nuance to the acclaimed show, earning her praise for her contributions to the ensemble cast. She also stars with Academy Award winner Natalie Portman in the Apple TV+ limited series The Lady in the Lake, which debuted in July.

Five-time Emmy Award and two-time Golden Globe Award nominee Natasha Lyonne continues to push boundaries as a producer, actor, writer, and director after more than four decades in the industry. Lyonne is best-known for her award-nominated roles on Orange Is the New Black, Russian Doll, which she co-created, and Poker Face, which she executive produces under her Animal Pictures banner. Lyonne was signed by the Ford Modeling Agency as a young child and was cast as Opal on Pee-wee's Playhouse at 6 years old. She has also appeared in Slums of Beverly Hills, But I'm a Cheerleader, Everyone Says I Love You, The Grey Zone, Sleeping with Other People, Blade: Trinity, Party Monster, Kate & Leopold, American Pie, Detroit Rock City, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Irresistible, Portlandia, Girls, Inside Amy Schumer, The Simpsons, Documentary Now, The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, and Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. She has also directed episodes of Shrill and High Fidelity, as well as the Netflix special Get on Your Knees.

On stage, Lyonne has starred alongside Ethan Hawke in the off-Broadway production of Blood from a Stone and garnered critical acclaim for her performance in Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Tigers Be Still. Her other stage credits include Love, Loss, and What I Wore and Two Years. In 2024, Lyonne's Animal Pictures company signed the first U.S. talent deal with the independent entertainment group Sister. Lyonne can currently be seen in Azazel Jacobs' His Three Daughters. She will next appear in Marvel Studios' reboot of The Fantastic Four in 2025 and lend her voice to Paramount's new animated Smurfs movie. She also recently wrapped production on Taika Waititi's film adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's bestselling novel Klara and the Sun.

Pablo Larraín is one of the most celebrated Chilean filmmakers and producers working today. He is a founding partner of Fabula Producciones, a company dedicated to film and television production and one of the most prolific production houses in Latin America. His films include No, which starred Gael García Bernal and earned an Academy Award for Best International Feature nomination in 2013; El Club, which won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2015 and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best International Feature Film; and Jackie, starring Natalie Portman, and Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart, both of whom were nominated for Best Actress Oscars for their performances in the films. His film El Conde won the Best Screenplay Award at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, while cinematographer Edward Lachman received an Academy Award for Best Cinematography nomination. His most recent film, Maria, stars Angelina Jolie and premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival.

Through Fabula, he has produced numerous films and television series, including A Fantastic Woman, winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018; the documentary The Eternal Memory, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and won the Goya Award for Best Ibero American Film; the TV series Midnight Family (Apple TV+), El Dentista (ViX), and Baby Bandito (Netflix); and the documentary The Doomsday Cult of Antares de la Luz (Netflix).

Pamela Anderson has cemented her status as a cultural icon, captivating audiences with a consistently evolving career that has surprised and entertained throughout. Born and raised in Canada, Anderson was discovered while attending a football game, which led to an offer to appear in a Labatt's Beer commercial and later to her Hollywood career. Best known for her role on the blockbuster series Baywatch — which became the most-watched series in the world upon her joining the cast, with over 1.1 billion viewers weekly — Anderson has also starred in the series Home Improvement, VIP, and Stacked. Among her other recent acting work, Anderson made her Broadway debut in 2022 as Roxy Hart in Chicago, receiving universal acclaim and an award from Playbill. Her starring role, offered to her by producers Rob Marshall and Barry Weissler after her stint on Dancing with the Stars, served as a moment of reinvention and a new direction in her career.

In 2023, Anderson released her New York Times-bestselling memoir, Love, Pamela and starred in the Emmy Award-nominated Netflix documentary Pamela, A Love Story, both of which gave an intimate glimpse into her life and career. Anderson received rave reviews as the star and title character in the Gia Coppola-directed The Last Showgirl, which premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and earned her the Golden Eye Award at the Zurich Film Festival. She will next star opposite Liam Neeson in Paramount's revival of The Naked Gun. This fall, Anderson will release her first cookbook, I Love You: Recipes from the Heart.

RaMell Ross is an artist, filmmaker, writer, and liberated documentarian. He has been awarded an Aaron Siskind Foundation Individual Photographer's Fellowship, a Howard Foundation Fellowship, and a USA Artist Fellowship. He was also named a 2022 Solomon Fellow at Harvard University. His feature experimental documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening won a Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and a 2020 Peabody Award. The film was also nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film at the Academy Awards and an Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. Ross holds degrees in sociology and English from Georgetown University and is an associate professor in Brown University's visual art department. His work is held in various public and private collections, including the Museum for Modern Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the High Museum. His book Spell, Time, Practice, American, Body was shortlisted for the Kraszna-Krausz Foundation photobook award.

Richard Linklater's feature films include Slacker, Dazed and Confused, the Before trilogy, Boyhood, Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood, and Hit Man. Linklater has been nominated for five Academy Awards and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director for his work on Boyhood, filmed over the course of 11 years. A native Texan, he serves as artistic director of the Austin Film Society, one of the country's largest film organizations. The society operates a repertory theater, manages a film studio, and has given more than $2.2 million in grants to Texas filmmakers.

Sebastian Stan has built an impressive career with notable performances and multiple award recognitions. In 2024, he received the Silver Bear Award for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin Film Festival for his role in A Different Man, playing an aspiring actor with neurofibromatosis who undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. Stan also garnered Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Critics Choice Award nominations for his transformative portrayal of Tommy Lee in Hulu's Pam and Tommy limited series. Stan has portrayed the role of Bucky Barnes in seven of the billion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe films, including Avengers: Endgame, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America: Civil War, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as the Marvel miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He recently wrapped production on Marvel's Thunderbolts, reprising his beloved role as Barnes.

Stan's other film credits include Fresh; Endings, Beginnings; Destroyer; I, Tonya; Dumb Money; Sharper; The 355; Monday; Logan Lucky; The Martian; Ricki and the Flash; and Black Swan. Stan's TV appearances include Gossip Girl and Greg Berlanti's miniseries Political Animals, for which he earned a TCA Award nomination. On the stage, Stan made his Broadway debut opposite Liev Schreiber in Eric Bogosian's Tony Award-nominated revival of Talk Radio. He also starred alongside Maggie Grace and Ellen Burstyn in the 2013 revival of William Inge's Picnic. Stan's next film, the highly anticipated The Apprentice, premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and earned rave reviews for both the film and Stan's performance. The film, which stars Stan as Donald Trump alongside Jeremy Strong as lawyer Roy Cohn, chronicles the relationship between the two men in 1980s New York.

British artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen is an Academy Award winner and British Film Institute Fellow. His critically acclaimed first two features, Hunger and Shame, starred Michael Fassbender and won McQueen the Camera D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Fassbender the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival, respectively. McQueen's 12 Years a Slave dominated awards season, winning the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award, and AAFCA Award for Best Picture, while McQueen received DGA, Academy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe directing nominations. McQueen's anthology series Small Axe, comprising five original films about resilience and triumph in London's West Indian community from the late 1960s through the early 1980s, was awarded Best Picture by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and received 15 BAFTA Television nominations. Three of the series' five films played at the 58th New York Film Festival and two were selected for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. Blitz, his latest film, premieres in theaters and on Apple TV+ in November.

McQueen's most recent documentary work is the feature Occupied City, about the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. His past documentary works include the BAFTA-winning three-part series Uprising, about the tragedy and aftermath of the New Cross fire, which he co-directed and produced. He also served as a co-producer on Three Minutes: A Lengthening, directed and co-written by Bianca Stigter. The recipient of many accolades for his work as a visual artist, McQueen was awarded the Turner Prize in 1999. He represented Great Britain at the Venice Biennale in 2009 and has exhibited his artwork in major museums around the world.

Zoe Saldaña has steadily earned a reputation as one of the most versatile and respected powerhouses in the film and TV industry, with a remarkable career spanning more than 20 years as an actor and producer. As the only actor in history to have starred in four films that have grossed more than $2 billion — including the top three highest-grossing films of all time, Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Avengers: Endgame — Saldaña remains passionately committed to seeking compelling and indelible roles.

Most recently, Saldaña starred in and executive produced the independent film The Absence of Eden, directed by Marco Perego in his feature film debut. She currently stars in Taylor Sheridan's undercover CIA drama series Lioness for Paramount+, which she also executive produces with her production company Cinestar Pictures. Saldaña can currently be seen in the Spanish-language musical crime comedy from Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez, which premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and took home the Jury Prize. Saldaña received the festival's prestigious Best Actress Award alongside the female ensemble.

British Ghanaian artist and photographer Campbell Addy draws inspiration from his culturally diverse upbringing, which has informed an intricate discovery of self and a unique eye. Since graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2016, Addy has garnered international honors including British Fashion Awards in 2018 and 2019. He was also named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 List in 2021. The artist’s first monograph, Feeling Seen: The Photographs of Campbell Addy, debuted in 2022 to critical success. In 2023, Addy collaborated with 180 Studios to create the major solo exhibition I ❤ Campbell. Featuring a newly conceived set of images, original paintings, and a short film shot on location in Ghana, the show reflected a personal meditation on Addy’s roots and inspirations. Following a year of artistic growth, Addy was honored with the British Fashion Council’s Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator.

A designer with more than 10 years of professional experience as a footwear architect, Dominic Dina has contributed a fresh perspective to Reebok, New Balance, and most recently PUMA. Dina specializes in the seamless blending of anatomy, style, and function, with an approach to shoemaking rooted in understanding the wearer and their unique lifestyle.

Founder of her namesake heritage brand known for understated, timeless design, Eileen Fisher established her original concept in 1984 — a system of shapes that work together to help women get dressed easily — that still defines her signature label today. A forerunner in sustainability, Fisher implemented a circular manufacturing model starting with the launch of her innovative Renew take-back program in 2009, designed to preserve the value of the brand’s clothes at every stage, in any condition. To date, EILEEN FISHER has collected more than two million garments. The eco-atelier is a certified B Corp, leading a global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy with a commitment to people and planet while maintaining a healthy business. Fisher’s sustainable efforts have been widely recognized with honors including the Pioneer Award at the 2022 CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards. Fisher was the 2021 FIT Changemaker in Corporate Sustainability honoree and was named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 Visionary list that same year. She received the Positive Change Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2019.

With a B.A. in visual communication design and auxiliary studies in culture from Seoul National University, Jiyoon Yoon interprets life as a UI designer at KRAFTON. As the lead on the highly anticipated life simulation game inZOI, Jiyoon Yoon takes an imaginative approach to idealism through infinite mods and destiny-defining character actions.

Founder of the famed London design showroom Soane Britain, Lulu Lytle is a force in home design, preserving British craft heritage while showcasing her dedication to the art of eye-catching detail. Soane delivers beautiful furniture, lighting, fabric, and wallpaper through collaborations with the best craftspeople in the U.K., creating objects that have the longevity of genuine antiques. Lytle’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2010, after discovering the last remaining rattan factory in England was going into foreclosure. Lytle boldly bought the factory — where furniture for the Titanic and Sir Edwin Lutyens’ British Embassy were made — and refreshed the practice with modern and iconic designs. In 2016, she bought a chair manufacturer with a similar fate, once again ensuring the protection of endangered artisanry. A decorated designer, Lytle received the prestigious and coveted Order of the British Empire during the King’s Birthday Honors.

Red Godfrey’s career spans more than 20 years of brand and product leadership in design, merchandising, and marketing for global corporations, designer labels, multi-brands, and vertical retailers. Born and raised in London, Godfrey entered the industry as a designer for Maria Cornejo in Paris and went on to work for Katharine Hamnett, where she first developed a passion for sustainability before establishing her own design and branding consultancy. Named global creative director at Nike in 2004, she led the brand’s overall strategic vision before joining Nordstrom in 2010. Establishing the Fashion Office in 2013, Godfrey aligned the company’s viewpoint on fashion, trends, and style across design, merchandising, buying, and marketing for both Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. In 2016, she was named vice president of creative for Nordstrom Inc.

California-born designer Willy Chavarria began his creative career in commercial art, studying graphic design at the Academy of the Arts before finding his true calling in fashion. Chavarria’s work channels a commitment to human dignity and uplifting the underrepresented through the transformative power of design. His collections blend a sensitive, cinematic approach with contemporary political themes, creating garments that tell compelling stories of resilience and identity while visually articulating a compelling story of the spirit. Inspired by his Mexican American heritage, street culture, and civil rights movements, Chavarria’s work speaks to the beauty found in everyday life. Beyond fashion, he collaborates with organizations advocating for social justice and striving to be a voice for the voiceless. His provocative runway presentations have earned recognition from Barneys, Dover Street Market, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Brown’s. A finalist for the International Woolmark Prize in 2018, Chavarria received the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2021 and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s National Design Award for Fashion Design in 2022. Most recently, he was honored as the 2023 CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year.

Ben Dreith leads Dezeen’s feature coverage of architecture, interiors, and design in the U.S. and the Americas. He has written widely about architecture and interior design and was previously the managing editor for Canada’s NUVO magazine.

As fashion director at Refinery29, Irina Grechko oversees all style coverage across the platform. During the last 10 years as a writer, print and digital editor, and stylist, she has profiled fashion and lifestyle at publications like NYLON, The Knot, Washingtonian, and People StyleWatch. Grechko’s fashion expertise has also been featured in the Associated Press, Byrdie, and Marie Claire, as well as on numerous industry podcasts, panels, and workshops. She graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a B.S. and B.A. in journalism and writing, literature, and publishing. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Rob Gruhl is a seasoned innovator at Nordstrom, where he spearheads the strategic adoption and scaling of generative AI technologies across the organization. With more than 30 years of experience in technology leadership, Gruhl views generative AI as the most significant change in his career, revolutionizing how creativity, design, and business intersect. In his current role, Gruhl guides initiatives that leverage AI to enhance employee productivity, streamline software development, and create dynamic, engaging experiences for customers. Beyond driving practical outcomes, he is passionate about fostering fluency in generative AI, empowering individuals to rapidly learn new skills and take on challenges that previously felt out of reach. Known for his approachable style, optimism, and commitment to choosing kindness, Gruhl mentors teams on navigating AI adoption with confidence and creativity. Through his leadership, he illustrates how generative AI can be a transformative force, enabling us all to build extraordinary solutions and solve more ambitious problems.

Known for her keen eye and sharp prose, Cathy Horyn is one of fashion’s most authoritative journalists. A native of Coshocton, Ohio and the daughter of a newspaperman, Horyn graduated from Barnard College in 1978 with an English degree and later received her master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. She initially covered public schools and then became a features writer, chronicling fashion for The Detroit News and The Washington Post. Between 1994 and 1998, Vanity Fair contracted Horyn to cover fashion. In 1998, she joined The New York Times as chief fashion critic, simultaneously writing articles for The New York Times Magazine. In 2015, Horyn joined New York Magazine as a critic-at-large. Now at The Cut, she continues to shape fashion discourse with unmatched influence.

An on-camera host, producer, writer, and reporter known for engaging and educational content in the beauty and industry space, Kirbie Johnson knows how to make a headline, break a story, and engage an audience. Johnson is co-founder and producer of Gloss Angeles, a top-10 fashion and beauty podcast on Apple, and a contributor to publications including Air Mail Look, Allure, Cosmopolitan, Byrdie, The Cut, and more. She pens the bi-weekly beauty industry newsletter Ahead of the Kirb. Johnson’s on-camera career began at POPSUGAR where she grew the company’s beauty video presence to more than 500 million views. She blends her love of beauty with her interest in pop culture for her Allure column The Scenario. Her personality and expertise have landed her interviews with Rihanna, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Viola Davis, Scarlett Johansson, and Ariana Grande. She has scored exclusive engagements such as Kim Kardashian’s venture into skincare and behind-the-scenes of Euphoria. Johnson broke countless new reports for Bravo and collaborated with Kosas, Neutrogena, CoverGirl, Allies of Skin, Spotify, Audible, RHA, Fresh, BeautyStat, DirecTV, St. Tropez, OGX, Sunday Riley, StriVectin, and CeraVe, including the brand’s Michael Cera campaign. She recently traveled with Cetaphil to Singapore and Berlin as the brand’s on-the-ground reporter at global dermatology conferences. In 2025, she was invited by e.l.f. to appear in the beauty brand’s Super Bowl commercial with Judge Judy.

Dominique Petit-Frère is a celebrated urbanist and founder of Limbo Accra, a forward-thinking spatial design and research studio that reimagines unfinished building projects, particularly those shaped by the remnants of extraction. Rooting her practice in the concept of the ruin, Petit-Frère recontextualizes sites of abandonment or condemnation. Her work frames these liminal spaces not as symbols of decay but as opportunities for reinvention and cultural reimagining. To further her educational outreach, Petit-Frère founded the Limbo Museum in Accra, Ghana, a site-specific institution that fosters artistic exchange, innovation, and ecological regeneration.

Barbara Sallick is the co-founder and senior vice president of design at Waterworks, the premier luxury brand of kitchen and bath fittings, fixtures, furniture, and accessories, which she founded with her husband in 1978. Sallick travels the world sharing her expertise with both students and professionals. She is the author of several design titles and has contributed to books by renowned classical architecture and design experts Phillip James Dodd and Don Ruggles. Sallick is the honorary chair of Rooms With A View and chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council at BU Wheelock. She is a member of the Decorators Club and serves on the Board of the Decorators Club Education Fund. In 2015, Sallick was named Connecticut Cottages & Gardens Innovator of the Year.

A French makeup artist turned beauty mogul, Violette Serrat brings effortless Parisian chic to the world. The beauty entrepreneur channels her aesthetic into her namesake brand VIOLETTE_FR as a love letter to self-expression, art, and timeless beauty rituals that celebrate individuality. VIOLETTE_FR was developed as a reminder that we were born perfect — an approach to beauty that is both totally natural and deeply creative. Celebrating individuality and differences rather than fixating on trends, VIOLETTE_FR encourages all to have fun with makeup and, most importantly, believe in the je ne sais quoi within us all.

A longtime journalist and host, Sara Tan is Refinery29’s beauty director, overseeing all editorial beauty content. She is also the co-founder and co-host of beauty podcast Gloss Angeles, one of the top-10 fashion and beauty podcasts on Apple. Tan has more than 14 years of editorial experience and was recently the West Coast editor at Bustle, where she helped build the website’s fashion and beauty vertical. She has contributed to various women and lifestyle publications including Allure, InStyle, People, Parents, Coveteur, Brides, and Women’s Health. Tan is a member of TeachAAPI’s NextGen Advisory Board and an advisor for the Asian American Girl Club.

Stefano Tonchi is a fashion journalist, author, and curator. Over the course of his award-winning career in the magazine industry, he served as editor-in-chief of W, creator and editor-in-chief of T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and fashion creative director for Esquire. Under his leadership, W won five National Magazine Awards, and T and Esquire were each named Magazine of the Year by the Society of Publication Designers, among other accolades. Recently he was the contributing global chief creative officer for the L’Officiel group, overseeing its print and digital editorial content in more than 30 countries. Tonchi now serves as the founder and editorial director for the Palm Beach-based multimedia brand PALMER. Tonchi serves on the Board of the International Center of Photography and is an advisor and contributor to SCAD.

An award-winning journalist with 16 years of experience, Carli Whitwell launched her career in newspaper, later transitioning to magazine work with staff roles at Hello! Canada and ELLE Canada. In July 2019, she joined Refinery29 Canada as deputy editor and later ran the R29 Canada team. Since 2022, Whitwell has been the senior director of editorial for Refinery29 globally, leading the editorial team to deliver innovative and renowned content including the UV safety platform Sun Blocked, the femme-focused column My Period, the R29 x SCAD Next In Beauty event, and more. She is a global brand representative, appearing at events, in panels and on national television. She most recently appeared on Good Morning America. With a background spanning news, beauty, fashion, culture, and lifestyle, Whitwell lends her varied expertise to the empowerment of women and non-binary people. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in fashion and beauty, including Margot Robbie, Issa Rae, Donni Davy, Adwoa Aboah, Elle Fanning, Zoë Kravitz, Mandy Moore, Lana Condor, among others.

As Refinery29’s entertainment director, Melissah Yang oversees all entertainment and gaming strategy and content. After joining Refinery29 in June 2021, Yang merged her personal and professional passions by launching the platform’s award-nominated franchise Good Game, which aims to elevate women and femme gamers while cultivating a space that is inclusive of everyone. With expertise in creating lifestyle content at the intersections of gaming, fashion, beauty, and culture, she launched Refinery29 on Twitch where she serves as host during interviews with top industry leaders. Yang partners with brands like Maybelline, Coach, and Audible. Across her 12 years of experience, Yang has interviewed the biggest names in Hollywood and beyond, including Nicole Kidman, Timothée Chalamet, Jenna Ortega, Pedro Pascal, Oprah Winfrey, and Blackpink’s Lalisa Manobal. She was named a Digiday Future Leader finalist, nominated for The Drum Awards’ Editorial Innovation of the Year, and co-hosted the*gamehers Awards. Prior to Refinery29, she led social and programming at CNN Entertainment and was a news editor at Bustle.

Hiroyuki Sanada is an international star and one of Japan's most distinguished and celebrated actors of his generation. A Golden Globe Award winner and two-time Emmy Award winner, he has starred in over 70 films in a film, television, and theater career that has spanned more than half a century, garnering the attention of both American and foreign audiences alike. Sanada most recently starred in and produced the critically acclaimed Shōgun, where he became the first Japanese actor to ever win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama — part of a record 18 Emmy Award wins the show received. Sanada's roles on film include The Twilight Samurai, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, The Last Samurai, The Wolverine, 47 Ronin, Avengers: Endgame, Minions, Mortal Kombat and its upcoming sequel, John Wick: Chapter 4, Bullet Train, Army of the Dead, Minamata, The White Countess, Railway Man, and The City of Your Final Destination. Sanada's career is just as impressive on the small screen, with a credit list of dozens of shows including Lost and Westworld. Sanada is also an established stage actor, working in both Japanese and British theatres. His role as The Fool in Shakespeare's King Lear earned notable theatrical praise and an honorary MBE for contributions to the British and Japanese cultural exchange with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

With various firsts in her already impressive career, Laverne Cox is a four-time Emmy Award-nominated actor, Emmy Award-winning producer, and a prominent equal rights advocate and public speaker. Cox's groundbreaking role as Sophia Burset in the critically acclaimed Netflix original series Orange is the New Black brought her to the attention of diverse audiences all over the world. This role led to Cox becoming the first openly transgender actor to be nominated for an acting Primetime Emmy Award and made her the first trans woman of color to have a leading role on a mainstream scripted TV series. Cox's other film and TV roles include Uglies, Inventing Anna, Promising Young Woman, Jolt, and Bad Hair. She has also hosted Live from E! and If We're Being Honest as well as her own podcast, The Laverne Cox Show. In addition to these roles, Cox produced the documentaries Disclosure and Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word, both Emmy Award winners, and Free CeCe. She will next star in the comedy series Clean Slate, which she also executive produces, alongside George Wallace. An artist and an advocate with an empowering message of moving beyond gender expectations to live more authentically, Cox is the first openly transgender person to appear on the covers of Time Magazine, British Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Essence, among others.

Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer (The Duffer Brothers) are the creators of the worldwide phenomenon Stranger Things. They write, direct, and are executive producers on the series, which is Netflix's most popular English-language series of all time. Prior to Stranger Things, the brothers wrote and directed the film Hidden and wrote and produced episodes of the FOX series Wayward Pines. In 2022, the Duffer Brothers announced the launch of their production company, Upside Down Pictures. They currently produce the Olivier Award-winning West End production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Kate Trefry. The play will premiere on Broadway in March 2025. In addition to the expansion of the Stranger Things franchise via an untitled animated series, the company will produce the upcoming original Netflix series The Boroughs and Something Very Bad is Going to Happen. Upside Down Pictures also has multiple projects in development, including a live-action series adaptation of Death Note.

Noah Centineo continues to expand his talents as an actor and producer. Centineo currently stars in Netflix's The Recruit, for which he also serves as an executive producer. The second season of the dramatic thriller premiered in January 2025. Centineo rose to fame in the wildly popular Netflix trilogy To All the Boys I've Loved Before, an adaptation of Jenny Han's bestselling novel trilogy. Centineo won an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance for the first film and has reprised his role as Peter Kavinsky in the Netflix spinoff series XO, Kitty. He first came to prominence in the ABC Family/Freeform series The Fosters, earning a Teen Choice Award nomination for his work. He also appeared as a guest star in the spinoff Good Trouble. Centineo's other film and TV credits include Dream Scenario, Black Adam, Charlie's Angels, The Perfect Date, and Sierra Burgess is a Loser. He will next appear in Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland's Warfare. In 2019, Centineo made his directorial debut with the music video for Arty's single "Save Me Tonight," starring alongside actor Lily Collins. He launched his own production company, Arkhum Productions, in 2023, focusing on comedy and drama projects that emphasize social commentary. Through Arkhum, Centineo will star and produce the short film Meta for Prime Render Studios. Centineo is also the co-founder of the nonprofit organization Favored Nations.

Sophie Skelton is a talented and versatile actor who has firmly cemented her place in the British acting landscape across a career spanning more than a decade. Skelton started training in ballet at the Royal Academy before moving to musical theatre and stage productions. Best known for her role on the BAFTA Award-winning, Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-nominated Outlander, Skelton's film and TV credits include Castlevania: Nocturne, 211, Day of the Dead: Bloodline, Ren, and Another Mother's Sun. Skelton made her screen debut in 2012 in the second series of the British crime drama DCI Banks. She will next star in the upcoming British thriller Row, which also features Bella Dayne and Akshay Khanna.

A three-time Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated actor whose work spans television, film, and theater, Uzo Aduba is a formidable talent to be reckoned with. Aduba is best known for her role as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren in Netflix's critically acclaimed Orange is the New Black, a performance that garnered her Emmy Awards in both drama and comedy — joining Ed Asner as the only actors to win Emmys for the same role in both categories. She won her third Emmy Award for portraying Shirley Chisholm in the 2020 FX miniseries Mrs. America and collected an additional Emmy nomination for her role in HBO's In Treatment. Aduba's other film and TV credits include Greedy People, The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat, Painkiller, Solos, Lightyear, National Champions, Miss Virginia, Beats, Candy Jar, My Little Pony, American Pastoral, and Tallulah. On stage, Aduba made her Broadway debut in 2007's Coram Boy. She has also appeared in Godspell, The Maids, and Clyde's, earning Tony Award and Drama League Award nominations for the latter. She will next star in Netflix's Shondaland series The Residence, inspired by Kate Andersen Brower's book of the same name, and Paramount's Roofman, based on the true story of spree-robber Jeffrey Manchester. Through her production company Meynon Media, Aduba is set to star in and produce All Her Little Secrets for Showtime. In September 2024, Aduba released her first book, The Road Is Good, a powerful memoir of Black immigrant identity, the story of an unforgettable matriarch, and a unique coming-of-age story from the perspective of a Nigerian American.

Walker Scobell currently stars as the titular character in the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which has been celebrated as a top series for the platform. His performance earned him a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Male TV Star in 2024. Walker broke out opposite Ryan Reynolds in Shawn Levy's The Adam Project for Netflix, which remains one of Netflix's most watched original films. He can also be seen as the lead in Secret Headquarters opposite Owen Wilson, a Paramount film from producer Jerry Bruckheimer.