That Time the Golden Globe Foundation Rolled Out the Red Carpet for Gen Z's Media Mentors
I saw The Devil Wears Prada 2 the same day it released, and as the credits rolled I thought to myself, The only thing better than one epic mentor...is two. It made me smile, because just 48 hours earlier Être girls met a runway full of mentors thanks to our new partnership with the Golden Globe Foundation.
How did this HAPPEN?! I heard one girl delightedly whisper to a girl seated next to her.
I KNOW, came the reply. Did she just say she interviewed OPRAH?!
She did, indeed, I grinned to myself, and the magnitude of the moment did not escape me. Because while Golden Globe Foundation Board member and international correspondent Miriam Spritzer recounted what it felt like to ask Oprah Winfrey what she called "the question of a lifetime," middle and high school Être girls were raising their hands to ask brave questions of their own.
Questions that brought legendary panelists Simone S. Oliver, Thais Klein, Stephanie Sporn and Miriam Spritzer into a game-changing conversation that lasted all morning.
OK, seriously...how did this happen?
Être, the mentorship platform I founded that brings girls directly into boardrooms and face to face with female leaders, is 100% girl-led and girl-driven. We only visit companies girls ask to see (think Google, Spotify, Pinterest, LoveShackFancy, Nasdaq, YouTube...) and we only meet women in industries where girls are eyeing that workplace (think finance, sports, STEM and more).
Put simply, when girls ask...we ask.
That's exactly what happened when two Club Être chapters in NYC asked to meet leaders in journalism. We don't just want to meet women IN the news, one club founder explained. We want to meet women DOING the news.
The timing couldn't have been better.
Having just had our new partnership with The Golden Globe Foundation announced in Worth Magazine, I reached out to Miriam Spritzer with the girls' request. And in what felt like moments she had amassed a panel of media mentors that had Être girls buzzing. And inside 10 minutes of my email mentioning current and former leaders from Condé Nast (Executive Creative Director), Refinery29 (former Editor in Chief), Vogue, Architectural Digest, Harper's Bazaar and more, attendance spots were filled and excitement was sky-high.
What stories did these panelists share and what wisdom did they impart?
From first jobs and fast-moving news stories to reflections on role models and red carpet moments, every panelist kept the room enthralled. Who were their influences, how many countries have they worked in and why it's important to help the woman coming up behind you - all four women spoke with passion, detail and keen insight. Notably, phones lay still on tables as girls hung on every word.
What questions did Être girls ask as hands shot up for the Q&A?
They asked about internships (and received smart tips about media companies with high school intern and summer programming - see below) and college majors, what it's like to be the only woman in a news room or how to enter the political news coverage game early. What's the role of AI in media today, and what will jobs look like tomorrow?
And the conversation continued well after the panel ended. Still devouring the spectacular breakfast provided by our hosts at Berimbau (also, their private room with hand-painted walls is something to see), girls met 1:1 with each of the panelists to ask follow-up questions and, for those over 16, to connect on LinkedIn.
"These are the moments that plant the seeds," Simone S. Oliver noted this morning in a LinkedIn post about the event. "A room full of young women (13–18), already imagining themselves in the story, a reminder that seeing yourself somewhere is often the first step to getting there."
I can't say it any better. These are the moments that plant the seeds - when iconic mentors take time out of their work day to meet face to face with the next generation...who knows what futures will grow from this spark?
All I know right now is that I am deeply grateful to these leaders, their respective media outlets and our empowering partners at The Golden Globe Foundation. “This collaboration," Miriam Spritzer told Worth, "is a perfect example of how networking and fostering genuine relationships can lead to amazing results...That in itself is leading by example.”
It certainly is. Indeed, hearing Miranda Priestly's voice echo in my head and with eyes cast excitedly toward the coverage of tonight's Met Gala - that's all.
Looking forward,
Illana
ÊXTRAS: Three insider tips from last week's pop-up media mentor event you won't want to miss: check out the NYT Summer Academy opportunities, summer workshops for middle and high school students at FIT, and pre-college programs at Vogue College.
