The Power of Stories

After directing series television for more than 30 years, Rachel Feldman wrote, produced and directed Lilly, her first theatrical feature film starring Patricia Clarkson, John Benjamin Hickey and Thomas Sadoski, now streaming on Netflix. Recent TV credits include directing the pilot and first season of the Netflix series The Baxters and multiple episodes of Blue Bloods, The Rookie &; Criminal Minds. Feldman is a former co-chair of the DGA Women’s Steering Committee and an activist for gender parity in the film industry. She holds an MFA from NYU in film directing, and has taught directing in the MFA program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Early in her career Feldman was a storyboard artist for well-known directors on studio pictures and began her career as a child actor.

Vicki Shabo is a gender equity expert, policy strategist, and coalition builder, who has helped to win paid leave, equal pay, and pregnancy fairness policies affecting tens of millions of people. She is a senior fellow at New America and the founder and director of the entertainment initiative, Re-Scripting Gender, Work, Family, and Care. Shabo is a trusted resource for policymakers, advocates, researchers, journalists, business leaders, and entertainment industry stakeholders. She has testified numerous times in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures. Her op-eds have appeared in publications ranging from the Boston Globe to the Hollywood Reporter. Shabo holds degrees from Pomona College (B.A., highest honors), the University of Michigan (M.A. political science), and the University of North Carolina (J.D., high honors).