From legendary swimmer Diana Nyad, who swam 110 miles from Cuba to Florida without the protection of a shark cage, to the multifaceted Ava DuVernay, who has directed a countless amount of impactful projects and became the highest grossing black woman director in American box office history with her work in her film, A Wrinkle in Time, TheWrap’s 2023 Power Women Summit brought together some of the most admirable, trailblazing women all together under one roof. The remarkable event kicked off with a Changemakers Dinner on Dec. 4, followed by a day of insightful panels and conversations on Dec. 5 at The Maybourne in Beverly Hills, California. The Summit was filled with inspiration from pioneering women in the worlds of film, music, sports and beyond, and focused on the theme of resilience.
The extraordinary event had a ton of amazing highlights, so here’s a recap of some of the many outstanding moments from TheWrap’s Power Women Summit:
Keynote Address With Diana Nyad and Jodie Foster
The Netflix film that everyone has been talking about right now is Nyad, which chronicles Diana Nyad’s phenomenal, swimming accomplishment. Nyad took the stage with profound actor Jodie Foster (who plays Nyad’s trainer Bonnie Stoll in the film) at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit. Nyad shared the phrase that keeps her motivated from the poem The Summer Day by Mary Oliver: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
Foster also expressed that what makes Nyad “one of the most inspirational people [she’s] met in her life,” isn’t that she achieved that near impossible swim, but it’s that she persevered even though she had failed several times.
Artist Spotlight with Saweetie
Award-winning rapper Saweetie attended TheWrap’s Power Women Summit and was reunited with her former USC Professor Dr. Stacy Smith. Saweetie touched the hearts of everyone in attendance at the event as she talked about her “best-friend,” her grandmother, Roxane. She discussed how they founded the ICY Baby Foundation, which teaches financial literacy to underserved communities.
Filmmaker Spotlight with Ava DuVernay
The unparalleled Ava DuVernay is someone who has made history in more ways than imaginable. She uses her platform and magnificent talent to shed light on racial and systemic injustices and amplify the work of women and people of color. During her Filmmaker Spotlight, she talked about how she got permission from German authorities to film a recreation of the Nazi book burnings in the exact location they took place.
DuVernay said, “Don’t be afraid to ask. Be prepared to talk about why and show the plan.”
Live Podcast Recording: Lipstick on the Rim
TV personality, comedian, actor and writer Lilly Singh sat down with profound actor Molly Sims and Emese Gormle for an excellent, live podcast recording of Lipstick on the Rim. Singh discussed overcoming fear, empowering women, the importance of failure and her top-notch haircare routine.
“We’ve been convinced that one of us can win, that there’s space for one of us, that I have to compete against you,” said Singh. “We need to throw that in the garbage. There’s space for all of us and we need to act in accordance to that.”
Game On: Empowering Women in Sports Panel
All of the excitement at the event continued with a sports-focused panel featuring seven-time Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix, three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker and Marie Donoghue, VP, US Sports Content and Partnerships, Amazon, moderated by TV host and sports reporter Rachel Nichols. The panel focused on the current state of women’s sports and how these sensational women have paved the way for the next generation.
Breaking Barriers Panel
This spectacular panel featured Liza Koshy, Gigi Gorgeous, Molly Burke and Radhi Devlukia, and was moderated by Kristen Lopez. The panelists discussed how they have challenged the status quo of their industries and are paving the way for future generations.
Let’s Talk About Women’s Health Panel
As many of us know, women’s health has long been neglected, with many of women’s health concerns oftentimes being disregarded and pushed aside. This panel featured Maria Menounos, Melissa Berton and Chelsea VonChaz, and was moderated by Dessi Gomez. It was a crucial panel discussion. The admirable Menounos stressed the importance of women being the CEO of their own health.
TheWrap’s Power Women Summit continued to show that women truly run the world! These women are revolutionizing their fields and are opening the doors for future generations. Check out some more photos below from the stellar event.
For more on TheWrap’s Power Women Summit, visit here. Follow @TheWrap on social media and @WrapWomen on Instagram and @TheWrapWomen on X
Photo Credits: Shutterstock // Randy Shropshire
