Emboldened

Niéna is a highly respected Emmy Award-Winning Showrunner + Executive Producer, Director & DJ who has increased revenue, engagement, and diversity for major brands, media, and tech companies. Her television work includes on-camera appearances, hosting, developing, and producing for television and digital networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, OWN, Disney, Showtime, and more.

Niéna talks about image and reputation and being your authentic self. She also shares what got her into DJing from such a young age. Listen more to Niéna's story on this episode. 

Willie Sanchez is an experienced multi-media professional with 25+ years of experience in all media formats. He works as a senior director of digital operations at Fox News Radio. Willie shares his journey in the podcast world, what started it, and how it looks today. He also shares his experience on what it is like proposing ideas in the workplace. He encourages listeners to remember a simple "No" doesn't mean, "No, never," it means "No, not right this second" and to keep working on those ideas you might have. 

Our guest Tracy L. Lawrence is the Founder and CEO of The Lawrence Advisory. The Lawrence Advisory is known for hiring, coaching, and building high-performing teams, emphasizing innovation and performance. Lawrence was recently named the first Executive-in-Residence at USC’s Marshall School of Business.

Before launching The Lawrence Advisory, Tracy Lawrence led the Los Angeles-based consumer and Entertainment practice at Russell Reynolds Associates, one of the world’s largest recruiting and assessment firms. Previously, Lawrence served as General Manager of Fox Family Channel, leading the cable network until its sale to The Walt Disney Company for more than five billion dollars, the most significant price ever paid for a cable network.

Lawrence uses her real-world expertise to advise Fortune 500 companies, private equity firms, asset management companies, media and technology companies, and nonprofits in creating teams that drive growth and performance. She has held leadership roles at Viacom, Kraft, Nestle, and PWC.

Our guest Landrie Hatcher is a multimedia producer residing in Los Angeles, CA. He has over 8 years of industry experience specializing in television, film & event production. Landrie currently produces lifestyle content for Architectural Digest & SELF Magazine and is in the process of building his own health & wellness business. His largest passions in life include anything that gets him outdoors and experiencing new things daily. When not busy with work, Landrie can be found traveling, hiking with his puppy, and enjoying seafood. Landrie is a graduate of Howard University and a former Emma Bowen Fellow.

Our guest Kathy Johnson is a consultant and principal at The Lawrence Advisory, a human-capital consulting firm that offers Executive Search, Organizational Development, Leadership Coaching, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consulting. She brings extensive leadership experience from both the corporate and non-profit sectors and a track record of success in building organizational capacity, infrastructure, and leadership programs to drive workforce diversity.

As we enter a new season with Adrienne Perkins and Zion Baldwin as hosts, we talk to Brad Billington a former Emma Bowen Foundation Alumni. He now works as a  full-time field producer for the network's new in-house production company -- ABC News Studios, where he will lead field shoots for documentaries airing on Hulu, Disney +, Nat Geo, and ABC News Network. Before entering his role Brad learned all parts of the newsroom. He found passion in storytelling but wanted to share their stories with more time. Now, he can. 

"Ultimately. I want to just look back on my career and say how many people I have been able to help by telling their stories," Brad Billington. 

Neima and Marquise look back on another blockbuster season of conversations with Emma Bowen Foundation alumni, board members, and supporters of the foundation. Our first two seasons packed with insights, lessons, and fun anecdotes from some of the most influential and powerful people in the media business. 

Our guest today is none other than Rob Kennedy, President and co-Chief Executive Officer of C-SPAN. Mr. Kennedy wrote the company's first business plan for the startup cable network during its inception. He's also a long time Emma Bowen Foundation board member, friend and supporter. 

Our guest today is a proud alum of the Emma Bowen Foundation. Rachel Scott is the Congressional Correspondent reporting from Capitol hill across all ABC News programs and platforms.

Our guest today is William Strahan, Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Comcast. He's responsible for all aspects of HR from talent compensation, benefits, learning employee and labor relations. 

Bill has been involved in various aspects of Human Resources work for over 35 years. He began his career with over a decade of work at Macy’s Department Stores and Riggs National Bank. The second decade of Bill’s work included practicing law in Washington, D.C. in the area of Compensation and Benefits – mostly in the context of mergers and acquisitions and in initial public offerings. For nine years, Bill was a consultant and manager at Mercer HR Consulting.

Bill holds a B.A. in Religion from Villanova University; and a Juris Doctorate from the George Mason University School of Law. He is an Active Member of the Virginia State Bar.

Our guest today is Asjia Garner, Communications Coordinator to the First Lady of the United States.

She focuses on strategic communications in elevating Mrs. Biden's message.  Asjia graduated from California State University in 2019 in just two years she has done so much in a little bit of time. While at EBF, she interned at Warner Brothers for three summers and even snagged an internship at NBC through NAHJ.

Chairwoman of the Emma Bowen Foundation board of directors, Katherine Barnett was promoted in 2019 to senior vice president of human resources for Hearst Television after having served as vice president of human resources for Hearst Television since June 2013. She joined the company in 2012 as senior director of human resources. She oversees the company’s efforts in the areas of recruiting, personnel management and employee relations, and has significantly expanded the company’s efforts in the areas of diversity and military recruitment.

Our guest today is none other than DeliaMcGee, Senior Business Analyst, Portfolio Operations at Peacock for NBC Universal. Prior to that, she spent five years at HBO, but you all know her as the current President of the Emma Bowen Alumni Foundation. 

EXPERIENCE

October 19 - Present
Senior Business Analyst, Peacock TV

March 2017 - October 2019
Associate Business Analyst, HBO

September 2014 - March 2017
Process Management Coordinator

May 2010 - June 2014
Scholar, Emma Bowen Foundation

Sue Suh is the Chief People Officer of TIME, the iconic media company where she focuses on culture, building recruitment, human resources, and so much more.

Experience

Dec 2018 - Present
Chief People Officer, TIME

Oct 2014 - Dec 2018
Various roles as Interim Director, Chief Talent Officer, Acting Director of Employee Services, and Managing Director Bellagio and Fellows program - The Rockefeller Foundation

2010-2012
Director of Community Outreach, Board of Directors, The Kind Exchange

2009-2012
Member, Operational Advisory Council, Impact Investment Exchange Asia

May 2006 - Feb 2009
Various roles as Special Assistant and Director, And Interim Director - The Rockefeller Foundation

2001-2006
Multiple roles at U.S. Department of State

Jan 2002 - Aug 2002
Presidential Management Fellow, U.S. Department of Defense

1996 - 1997
Fullbright, Korea

[This podcast is sponsored by Crown Media and Fox Television Stations]

We've been introducing significant people in the last few months on the podcast. Now it's time to introduce ourselves as the co-hosts of the Emboldened podcast, and talk about just how much the foundation has not only shaped us, but this industry.

Our guest today is Rodney Hawkins, CBS News Producer, and one of Emma Bowen's newest board members.

Since 2011, Rodney has risen up the ranks at CBS from a broadcast associate to a 2012 Joe Biden off-air reporter to an associate producer at CBS this morning to a full blown national producer.

EXPERIENCE

CBS News

• 2016 - Present, Producer
• 2014 - 2016, Associate Producer
• 2013 - Digital Journalist
• 2012 - Presidential Election Off-Air Reporter
• 2011 - Broadcast Associate

Emma Bowen Foundation Fellow

• 2007 -  2010, Fox Television Stations

New York Times

• 2010 - Video Journalist

We welcome our guest Nikki Bethel. Ms. Bethel is the current interim CEO of the Emma Bowen Foundation. Prior to joining the foundation she was the Senior Vice President of talent management for HBO and responsible for overseeing the areas of talent, acquisition, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness.

Nikki helped with recruitment and engagement, executive leadership, coaching management, training, and professional development. She also oversaw culture and talent assessments, succession planning, and organizational strategy and team development.

EXPERIENCE

HBO, SVP Talent Management
2003- Present

A-List Inc., Consultant
2001-2003

Morgan Stanley, Associate, Global Diversity
2000-2001

Merril Lynch, Human Resources Associate
1998-2000

Emboldened's mission and vision is to bring the Emma Bowen foundation community together. So that means you.

By giving listeners exclusive access to trailblazers and influential decision makers in the media industry.