Women in Entertainment Announces 2025 Annual Summit in Los Angeles

Kathy Bates, Erin & Sara Foster Among Others to Speak at Eighth Annual Women in Entertainment Summit

LOS ANGELES, May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Women in Entertainment (WIE) announced today that it will host its eighth annual summit on June 17, 2025, at the iconic Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California. This year's event will bring together leading voices from across the entertainment industry for a full day of thought-provoking panels, fireside conversations, and interactive sessions that spotlight timely issues shaping the future of entertainment.

WIE 2025 Speakers include:

• Kathy Bates, Actress and Executive Producer (Matlock)
• Jennie Snyder Urman, Showrunner and Executive Producer (Matlock)
• Erin Foster, Creator/Executive Producer/Writer (Nobody Wants This)
• Sara Foster, Executive Producer (Nobody Wants This)
• Sheila Ducksworth, President of CBS Studios/NAACP Venture & Executive Producer (Beyond the Gates)
• Nikki Toscano, Co-Creator, Showrunner, Writer, Director, Executive Producer (Long Bright River)
• Lisa Taddeo, Author, Creator, and Executive Producer (Three Women)
• Alison Hoffman, President of STARZ Networks
• Diana Dapito, Head of Consumer Content, NA for Audible, Inc.
• Ashley Williams, Founder of Hallmark's Make Her Mark Women's Directing Program
• Laurel Duquette, Head of Entertainment and Media of Snap Inc.
• Sarah Malkin, Director of Entertainment Content at Reality Labs, Meta
• Candissa Williamson, General Counsel for Hartbeat
• Leslie Koch, SVP, Creators and Social Strategy at TelevisaUnivision
• Sara Rea, Head of Unscripted for Hello Sunshine
• Candice Lim, Host of ICYMI at Slate Magazine
• Jessica Lee Gagné, Director of Episode 207 and Director of Photography, Severance
• FredAnthony Smith, SVP of Non-Scripted for SMAC Entertainment
• John Mass, President of Content Partners
• Tobias Queisser, CEO of Cinelytic

Co-founded by Renee Rossi (Relativity Ventures) and Gretchen McCourt, WIE brings together experienced leaders in the entertainment and marketing worlds to address a range of pivotal and timely issues that affect women. This year's summit will focus on a range of topics, including the evolving economics of content creation and distribution, the growing influence of niche platforms and tailored audiences, shifting genre trends, and the impact of emerging technologies on storytelling and audience engagement.

"Creating spaces for women to share knowledge, connect with industry leaders, and support each other is at the heart of what we do, all year round," said Rossi, co-founder of Women in Entertainment. "As the entertainment landscape evolves with new technologies, rising competition, and growing audience expectations, sharing information, challenges, and triumphs, as one community, becomes more vital than ever. Whether in front of or behind the camera, we're here to empower women and help them thrive."

This year, WIE's exclusive media partner will be Slate Magazine. Sponsors of the 8th annual Women in Entertainment Summit include Presenting Sponsor STARZ, Supporting Sponsor Hallmark Media's Make Her Mark, with additional support by Moviepass, First Entertainment Credit Union, Buzzer PR, Screenvision, Amazon/UA, Prima Pavé, Poppi, Pop & Bottle, Ving Vodka, Teremana Tequila, Fresh Victors Mixers, LesserEvil Snacks, Angeleno Beauty, GoMacro, UNREAL, That's it., Nature's Path Organic Foods, Rodin Photography, and Solely.

Tickets for the 8th Annual Women in Entertainment Summit are now available at the link here. Questions or interest in sponsoring or participating in the summit can be directed to [email protected].

About Women in Entertainment
Women in Entertainment is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2015 by Renee Rossi and Gretchen McCourt. Incubated as a program at ArcLight Cinemas, the co-founders saw incredible growth in the first year and quickly developed the program as its own nonprofit organization to reach women across the country working in and aspiring to work in the entertainment industry. WIE has launched an annual summit, a film screening and Q&A series, networking evenings, mentorship programs, the WIE Network, the In Her Words podcast, and a series of workshops to provide women with the tools to succeed. WIE's programming is designed to spark a broader, more transparent dialogue that focuses on current and emerging topics with analysis and depth that have not yet been explored by a dedicated program.

Media Contact
Paul Bilardo
[email protected] 

SOURCE Women in Entertainment