In this episode of WICT Wisdom, host Stephanie Cobian is joined by Sarah Counnas, Senior Director of Technology Communication & Strategy, DreamWorks Animation

Sarah currently serves as the Senior Director of Technology Communication & Strategy at DreamWorks Animation. At DreamWorks, she oversees the studio's entire software portfolio, builds impactful vendor relationships, and leads high-visibility change management initiatives.

Sarah specializes in driving innovation and operational excellence across business operations, technology strategy, and change management. She is also on other media industry boards such as the Academy Software Foundation and NBCU TECHWomen.

Sarah shares her 19-year journey at DreamWorks Animation, where she is now the Senior Director of Technology Communication & Strategy. She talks about what it's like to work in entertainment technology, how to build successful teams and lead effectively, and why continuous learning is essential for both personal and business growth.

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn:
Sarah Counnas

The WICT Network's Mission:
Empowering Women in Media, Entertainment, and Technology
Visit SoCal WICT

TALENT RELATIONS & TALENT-DRIVEN ENTERTAINMENT

In this episode of WICT Wisdom, host Stephanie Cobian is joined by Jen Muccia, an accomplished Content Producer and Talent Booker.

Jen brings over 20 years of experience as a media executive, producer, talent booker, and talent strategist. Her impressive career spans television, podcasting, and brand partnerships, having booked talent for a wide array of unscripted and entertainment programs—including The Traitors, America's Got Talent, and many more.

Most recently, Jen served as Vice President of Talent at Cultivated Entertainment. Over the years, she has built and maintained strong relationships across the industry, working with agents, publicists, managers, book publishers, record labels, and other key players. Her credits include work with nearly every major network and streaming platform—ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Peacock, to name a few.

Currently, Jen is producing the newly announced official Dancing With the Stars podcast.

Stephanie and Jen take a deep dive into the behind-the-scenes world of unscripted talent production. They explore the distinctions between a content producer and a talent booker, discuss the evolving role of talent in today's media landscape, and examine how technology and competition have reshaped the field. Jen also shares her personal journey—including what inspired her to launch her own venture, Booksmart.

Learn more about Jen:
booksmart.la

Connect with Jen on LinkedIn:
Jen Muccia

The WICT Network's Mission:
Empowering Women in Media, Entertainment, and Technology
Visit SoCal WICT

WICT Wisdom's Stephanie Cobian is joined by guest Linda Meighan, certified hypnotherapist, herbalist, and holistic health facilitator. She is the founder of Lovewelll (with 3 L's).

Linda Meighan shares her journey to becoming a hypnotherapist and holistic health facilitator. Through Linda's own experience, she shares the importance of finding a community and the role it has in someone's career.

Additionally, Stephanie and Linda discuss how the entertainment and media industry portrays hypnotherapy vs the reality of how it works.

Most importantly, Linda leaves you with ideal ways to step up your mental health, whether you work in the media industry or not.

To learn more:

Lovewelll: www.Lovewelll.com

The WICT Network's Mission: Empowering Women in Media, Entertainment, and Technology.
For more information, visit: https://socalwict.org/

WICT Wisdom's Stephanie Cobian is joined by guest Melissa Wallace, Co-Founder of Fierce Foundry and Co-Founder & Managing Director of Fivefoottwo Marketing.

Melissa Wallace shares her journey from a legal background to the entertainment industry, including her experience at DirectTV, A&E, and Superfly, as well as her founding of Fierce Foundry. Melissa has the need-to-know insights on current startup trends, particularly as they pertain to women-led startups, and the importance of backing and building female-founded businesses. Melissa shares some of the things she believes are the biggest challenges for startups, the importance of mentorship, and the role of female leaders.

Melissa has over 25 years of marketing expertise. She has held roles with brands such as Superfly, DIRECTV, A&E, and eMusic. In 2018, Melissa cofounded Fivefoottwo, a marketing collective dedicated to nurturing early-stage start-ups. Then, in 2023, she launched Fierce Foundry, the first-ever Femtech Venture Studio, designed to reduce and equalize the funding deficit for female founders.

To learn more:

Melissa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissahudsonwallace/

Fierce Foundry: https://www.thefiercefoundry.com/

The WICT Network's Mission: Empowering Women in Media, Entertainment, and Technology.
For more information, visit: https://socalwict.org/

WICT Wisdom's Stephanie Cobian is joined by guest Janaé Désiré, Film and Television Executive.

Janaé Désiré shares her journey from non-scripted to scripted television, how her personal leadership skills have grown, and how leadership in entertainment has evolved through the years among women. She also shares what she thinks women and women leaders need to do in the near future to ensure both career growth, cultural growth, and personal growth.

Janaé is a film and TV executive and currently the Director, Development at NBC Universal. Janaé has worked across unscripted and narrative television & film, animation, and podcasts. Her bakground includes Array, CAA, Participant Media, ABC News, and more.

To learn more about Janaé: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janaedesire/

The WICT Network's Mission: Empowering Women in Media, Entertainment, and Technology.
For more information, visit: https://socalwict.org/

WICT Wisdom's Stephanie Cobian sits down with Dahlia Guigui, COO, Executive VP of Development and Head of Production at Sunset Pictures.

Dahlia Guigui discusses her family's passion for the arts, her personal philosophy on taking control of your destiny and how Sunset Pictures is paving the way with their new initiative for new industry leaders through a women's sports division and their youth mentorship program.

She and Stephanie also dive into the valuable lessons she's learned as an award-winning producer and how The WICT Network champions mentorship across the industry.

To learn more about Dahlia:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906508/
www.SunsetPictures.com

The WICT Network's Mission: Empowering Women in Media, Entertainment, and Technology.
For more information, visit: https://socalwict.org/

WICT Wisdom's Stephanie Cobian sits down with Evelyn Lee, Venue Group Manager for the LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games.

Evelyn brings a wealth of experience to her role at LA28, having held key positions with organizations such as the Honda Center, Live Nation Entertainment, House of Blues, and the GRAMMY Foundation & MusiCares.

Despite the recent devastating fires in Southern California, plans for the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games in Los Angeles are progressing full steam ahead.

In this conversation, Evelyn discusses her career journey leading up to LA28, the intricate process of planning for the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics, the unique work culture at LA28, and the critical role the government plays in organizing the Games.

The WICT Network's Mission: Empowering Women in Media, Entertainment, and Technology.
For more information, visit: https://socalwict.org/

WICT Wisdom's Stephanie Cobian interviews Ariela Nerubay, Marketing Executive and Author of, Not Pausing: Redefining Women After Forty.

Stephanie is joined by Ariela Nerubay, an accomplished marketing executive who has held executive roles with The Walt Disney Studios, Fox International Productions, Sony Pictures International, Televisa, and Univision Communications. Her expertise extends beyond the corporate world serving as adjunct professor at the University of Southern California in the fields of multicultural and digital marketing.

Ariela is passionate about paving the way for women to enjoy an equitable, healthy and empowered personal and professional life - who embodying a rich tri-cultural background that has significantly influenced her multifaceted values as an author, communicator and business leader. She is the author of the new book, Not Pausing: Redefining Women After Forty.

On this episode, Ariela discusses her personal journey and the impact of her multicultural background as a communicator and business leader, the stigma of aging women, how women can lift up other women, and how mothers can be mentors to their daughters.

The WICT Network's Mission: Empowering Women in Media, Entertainment and Technology. https://socalwict.org/