As part of our “Women on Wednesdays” series, and just in time for the 93rd Academy Awards, please join the Women & Politics Institute for a virtual conversation with Robin Bronk, arts advocate and CEO of The Creative Coalition and Alysia Reiner, an award-winning actress and producer known for her work in Netflix’sOrange Is the New Black, FX’s Better Things, and dozens of other appearances on stage, TV, and film. WPI Executive Director Betsy Fischer Martin will moderate the discussion.

Robin and Alysia will discuss the historic role of women on television, explore challenges actresses continue to face, and share their outlook on what the future holds for women’s representation in film and media. The two will also cover the impact that the #MeToo and #TIME’S UP movements have created in Hollywood, particularly for women in the TV and film industry.

As a leading female CEO in the entertainment sector, Robin Bronk marshals the unique platforms of the entertainment industry to advance change around issues of social welfare importance. Fueled by a profound passion for social welfare and the arts, Robin has spurred creative innovation around utilizing celebrity cause marketing, funding for the arts, and other unique solutions to champion and create change on critical social issues. Bronk’s’s career spans decades of experience developing first-of-a-kind solutions to bring positive change to critical social issues. Her success has been marked by many prestigious awards, including White House and Pentagon Commendations for a PSA campaign that addressed the military’s suicide epidemic; a Gracie Award for the “Watch What You Watch” PSA campaign promoting positive body image among girls and boys; and an Artivist Award for leadership in the arts and activism.

Bronk holds a Bachelor of Arts from the Pennsylvania State University and completed Northwestern University’s Kellogg Women’s Senior Leadership Program in Leadership and Business. Outside of The Creative Coalition, Robin currently serves on the boards of The Pioneering Collective and The Woodstock Film Festival. She is a Strategic Advisor with GLG Institute Advisors and a member of Pennsylvania State’s College of Communications Advancement Council serving on the Fundraising and Brain Trust Committees.

Alysia Reiner is best known as the villainous warden Natalie "Fig" Figueroa on Orange Is the New Black in all 7 seasons, and won a SAG AWARD as part of the incredible cast. However, IRL she's an actress, activist, producer and eco-momma who uses her superpowers for good. You can also catch her as Sunny on critically acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning Better Things on F/X x HULU, and Kiki Rains on HBO's The Deuce. She both starred in & produced the Sundance Film Festival hit Equity & Tribeca Film Festival favorite Egg, which is 100% fresh on ROTTEN TOMATOES. A few other recent adventures include getting naked in an Emmy Award-winning episode of Broad City, and going head to head against Annalise on How To Get Away with Murder.

She loves working as a change maker for women. As an advocate for women's rights & climate change initiatives, she is on the global advisory board of TIMES UP, on the advisory board and an ambassador for GDIM, and even started an eco-fashion initiative, Livari. Reiner has been invited to speak at The White House, The United Nations, Google, Cannes Lion, Women's Media Summit, Collision, and countless film festivals and other events about breaking barriers for women in all fields, specifically the entertainment industry. And she's really proud to have been awarded the Persistence of Vision Award by the Women's Media Summit, the Sarah Powell Leadership Award by the Women's Prison Association, the MUSE Made In NY Award from The Mayor's office & New York Women in Film and TV, the Moves Power Women Award, the Pioneer in Filmmaking Award, and the Collaboration Award from the Coalition for Women in the Arts and Media.

Betsy Fischer Martin is an Emmy-winning journalist and former TV news executive. Currently, she is the Executive Director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University and a faculty member in the School of Public Affairs, where she teaches courses on campaigns and elections. During her earlier career in television news, she spent 23 years at NBC News serving as the longtime Executive Producer of Meet the Press with Tim Russert and as the Managing Editor of NBC News Political Programming.

A native of New Orleans, Fischer Martin did her undergraduate and graduate work at American University in Washington, DC. She is a cum laude graduate of their School of Public Affairs and earned a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the AU School of Communication.

“Women On Wednesdays”: Robin Bronk & Alysia Reiner - “Women’s Representation in TV & Film”