We grow up consuming media that tells us stories, and those stories end up shaping our reality of who we become. But what happens when those stories feed into stereotypes – the male computer geek, the female cheerleader? Our onscreen realities are negatively reinforcing and normalizing under-representation so it feels normal off screen. The result is inequality and a lopsided workforce that can’t fill jobs. Julie Ann Crommett shares how we can fix this.
Julie Ann Crommett joined The Walt Disney Studios on February 6th as Vice President, Multicultural Strategies. She was most recently Google’s Entertainment Industry Educator in Chief leading their efforts to shift and diversify on-screen perceptions of computer science through storytelling. Previously she worked at NBCUniversal managing behind-the-camera diversity programs including Writers on the Verge and the Directing Fellowship. Her journey is coming full-circle at Disney where she began her career as a Pixar Animation Studios’ production intern working on the Wall-E DVD and Up promos. Most recently, she was named to The Hollywood Reporter’s prestigious “Next Gen: 35 under 35” and serves on the boards of NALIP (Natl Association of Latino Independent Producers) and Women in Animation. Julie Ann is originally from Atlanta, Ga., via San Juan, Puerto Rico (Cuban too!).