Better Angels: Women Creating Change

The power of storytelling is indisputable, but who is--and isn’t--telling those stories shapes our world far more than how much we simply enjoy a film or book. Bridgit Antoinette Evans and Tracy Van Slyke are leaders in building a more inclusive Hollywood and creating cultural change through storytelling in all its forms. In 2016, they founded the Pop Culture Collaborative, a network of more than 5,000 creators, activists, and philanthropists who are reshaping pop culture. They have worked with America Ferrera, Ava DuVernay, Issa Rae and a long list of other Hollywood icons and trailblazing activists. In 2021, they launched the Becoming America Fund to support creators that celebrate a diverse America and introduce the kind of transformative and often joyful ideas that help us imagine a better society.  In this episode, Bridgit and Tracy talk about expanding the definition of pop culture and how it can--and must--be used to build a more just society, making Hollywood more inclusive, the digital water cooler’s impact on cultural narrative, the opportunities in the “big sky moments” that unite us, and the questions we should all be asking when we read, watch, or tell stories. It's a powerful and hopeful conversation.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Bridgit and Tracy learned that they could combine culture and social impact for change.
• Solving the challenges of merging fact and fiction by expanding the definition of pop culture.
• The importance of intentionally leveraging content and entertainment for social change.
• Supporting art and creativity as part of building a more just society.
• Reimagining existing Hollywood structures while also building new ones.
• How the PCC fosters a community of culture-change artists in the entertainment industry.
• The questions we can ask ourselves as we watch or read stories to be part of the change.
• Engaging with social justice organizations working on the issues that come up in the stories we read or watch. 
• How “big sky moments” can unite us despite a fragmented social media landscape.
• The impact of Black Panther as an example of transformational narratives. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Pop Culture Collaborative
Pop Culture Collaborative on Instagram
Bridgit Antionette Evans on LInkedIn
Bridgit Antoinette Evans on Twitter
Tracy van Slyke on LinkedIn
Tracy van Slyke on Twitter
Susan Ferry Price website
Susan Ferry Price Instagram
Susan Ferry Price Twitter
The Color of Change
Ava DuVernay
America Ferrara
Anna Deavere Smith
The Domestic Workers Alliance

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit betterangels.substack.com

In our divisive world, it can seem that values such as love and compassion are slipping further away. But during these turbulent times we need one another more than ever. Today's guest, Scarlett Lewis, faced the unthinkable when her son, Jesse, was killed in his first-grade classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary. Rather than letting anger and grief define her, Scarlett chose forgiveness. Inspired by a three-word message Jesse had left before he was killed, she founded the Choose Love Movement to create a free social and emotional skills program for kids--and now adults. We talk about how  Scarlett was able to forgive and how her family and friends reacted,  and how the four pillars her program is built on--courage, gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion- are exactly what we all need to practice right now.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The message Scarlett found from her son, Jesse Lewis.
• How Scarlett got her power back through forgiveness.
• How isolation and the pandemic are increasing the need for healing.
• How Scarlett came up with the idea for the Choose Love program.
• The four key elements of her free program for kids and adults.
• How Choose Love works in schools to help kids develop social and emotional intelligence.
• Who can benefit from the free resources Choose Love has created.

Links in todays's episode:

Choose Love

Susan Ferry Price Website

Susan Ferry Price on Instagram

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit betterangels.substack.com

Jaime Schmidt started Schmidt’s Naturals in her kitchen and in only seven years scaled it to an acquisition by Unilever. Now Jaime is empowering other entrepreneurs through her inclusive investment firm, Color, and Supermaker, a media company that celebrates inclusive and disruptive independent brands. Her book, Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms, follows her journey as an entrepreneur and is packed with advice about turning a passion project into a thriving business. Jaime is now starring in Going Public, the first show that let viewers invest in the companies on screen. She talks about finding purpose, building a values-based company, confidence and vulnerability as key business skills, keeping up with crypto and democratizing entrepreneurship and investing.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The organic process by which Jaime discovered her entrepreneurial skills.
• Why Jaime wrote her book, Supermaker.
• Key qualities and guiding principles that helped Jaime make Schmidt Naturals such a success.
• Lessons that Jaime learned through her journey of founding and growing Schmidt Naturals.
• How the acquisition of Schmidt Naturals by Unilever came about. 
• Challenges of maintaining the value of a brand as it grows. 
• One of the main drivers behind the founding of Schmidt’s. 
• Overlap between Jaime’s personal life and her work life, and how she manages this. 
• What changed Jaime’s post-acquisition plans. 
• The original goal of Color, Jaime’s investment fund, and how it has evolved over time.
• Going Public; how Jaime’s latest project is democratizing investing. 
• An explanation of what an accredited investor is, and the regulation which makes investing more inclusive. 
• What Jaime has learned through mentoring founders and entrepreneurs. 
• Factors that keep underrepresented founders out of the game. 
• The importance of being able to be vulnerable and admit what you don’t know. 
• A new definition of a Maker.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jaime Schmidt Website

Jaime Schmidt on LinkedIn

Jaime Schmidt on Instagram

Schmidt’s Naturals

Color Capital

Supermaker

Supermaker

Going Public

Susan Ferry Price Website

Susan Ferry Price on Instagram

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit betterangels.substack.com