Women in Technology: Hollywood (WiTH) has announced the nominees for the 7th Annual Leadership Awards, to be presented Nov. 8 at the 2024 SoCal Women’s Leadership Summit in Hollywood.
In the weeks leading up to the event, WiTH will briefly profile each nominee.
Today’s article features Karen Raz, founder of Raz Public Relations, April Schneider, VP of corporate IT, intellectual property management, and general counsel for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Lori Schwartz, CEO and principal of Storytech, Debbie Taylor, CIO of DirecTV, Rachel Joy Victor, co-founder of FBRC.ai, ErinRose Widner, global head of business strategy for emerging and creative technologies in media and entertainment for Verizon, Toshino Yuhaku, global media and entertainment practice leader for Amazon Web Services, and Shelley Zalis CEO and founder of The Female Quotient.
• Karen Raz, founder, Raz Public Relations. Karen is a seasoned communications leader with more than two decades of experience building impactful PR programs for technology and creative companies.
As the founder of RazPR, Karen has guided the public messaging for high-profile companies like Amazon Studios, Autodesk, NVIDIA, and Epic Games, playing a pivotal role in shaping industry narratives around significant M&A announcements and technological advancements.
Her deep understanding of the evolving media landscape — from the shift to digital filmmaking and content streaming to the rise of cloud computing and AI — enables her to provide strategic insights to clients navigating news, events, and crises.
• April Schneider, VP, corporate IT, intellectual property management, general counsel, Sony Pictures Entertainment. April has been tireless as chair of the WiTH Community Engagement committee. This committee is probably the top reason that WiTH exists: to develop the pipeline of girls and women in tech in Hollywood.
From wrangling introverted speakers to mentoring individual girls and women, to organizing events (in person and virtual) such as resume reviews, LinkedIn profiles reviews, interviewing skills, to shepherding an apprenticeship program to get girls and women into companies like Sony Pictures to being the inaugural co-chair of Women in Tech at Sony Pictures to being in the leadership of the Girl Scouts of America, April deeply and profoundly cares about uplifting women.
• Lori Schwartz, CEO, principal, Storytech. Lori H. Schwartz, known as the “Tech Cat,” is a dynamic leader at the intersection of technology, marketing, and storytelling. As the founder and CEO of StoryTech, Lori has been pivotal in merging technology with content creation, fostering strategic partnerships that drive innovation and audience engagement.
With a background in film production, advertising, and digital media, she has an unmatched understanding of the content ecosystem, making her a sought-after advisor and industry expert. Lori’s influence extends beyond her company; she actively champions diversity and mentors women in technology, inspiring future female leaders.
• Debbie Taylor, CIO, DirecTV. Debbie is the type of leader who should be celebrated for the culture that she has fostered at DirecTV and the leadership example that she is setting for the media and entertainment community and beyond.
The New York native spent more than two decades developing her career in Australia and was most recently the CIO of NBN Co. where she helped build and operate Australia’s broadband access network.
Debbie has extensive experience in IT strategy, digital transformation, simplifying company-wide system architectures, and technology design. She has held digital transformation positions at Vodafone Australia and as an IT strategist for PwC.
• Rachel Joy Victor, co-founder of FBRC.ai. Rachel embodies the pillars of professional development, mentoring, networking, and community engagement. As a co-founder of FBRC.ai, she is pioneering AI-driven entertainment and architecting next-generation studio frameworks, bridging the gap between creativity and technology in the media and entertainment industry.
Her expertise spans a wide range of emerging technologies, including XR, AI, and web3, which she leverages to create innovative narrative, brand, and product experiences. Her ability to blend computational neuroscience and spatial economics in her work demonstrates a unique approach to designing data-informed emergent experiences.
• ErinRose Widner, global head, business strategy, emerging, creative technologies, media and entertainment, Verizon. ErinRose is a seasoned leader in strategy and business development with over two decades of experience in the media, entertainment, and technology industries.
At Verizon she has been instrumental in creating transformational partnerships for major players like Warner Bros., Fox, Paramount Global, Microsoft, Google, and Apple.
Known for her passion for connecting people and innovative solutions, she has a deep understanding of the evolving landscape of media and technology. Beyond her professional accomplishments, ErinRose is a dedicated advocate for gender diversity, actively participating in industry groups and serving on the board of RISE, where she oversees the mentoring program for North America.
• Toshino Yuhaku, global media and entertainment practice leader, Amazon Web Services. Toshino has been a friend of WiTH from the get-go, and was a panelist for WiTH before the pandemic, speaking on the topic of networking and how important it is for women in tech to be great at forging new connections and strengthening existing ones.
She’s an amazing mentor to everyone in her orbit, and her door is always open, whether you’re a coordinator in your first week in the role or you’ve been at the company for years. She is a strategic thinker and gives amazing coaching to her mentees and those lucky enough to be sponsored by her.
Toshino is an unapologetic advocate for getting more women into technology roles as well as getting more women into positions of leadership and influence.
• Shelley Zalis, CEO, founder, The Female Quotient. Shelley has been a longtime friend of WiTH and an inspiration to not only women and girls in tech in Los Angeles but worldwide. She is the CEO of The Female Quotient, a woman-owned business working with companies and conscious leaders to curate experiences, thought leadership, and solutions designed to achieve gender equality in the workplace and beyond.
The FQ’s end-to-end equality platform includes co-branded research, content campaigns, and partnership opportunities at its signature Equality Lounges. Visibility is further driven through The FQ’s robust social, media, and editorial channels. The FQ approach is intersectional, inspirational, and inclusive, working with leaders and rising stars in every industry and around the world.
Zalis is a pioneer for online research, becoming the first female chief executive ranked in the research industry’s top 25.