Julie Ann Crommett with Dean Kaye Husbands Fealing
The faculty guests
I was happy to welcome faculty from all over Georgia Tech to a workshop on inclusive storytelling, featuring the fabulous Julie Ann Crommet (founder and CEO, Creative Moxie). We had an amazing discussion about arts, entertainment, film, and justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
Julie Ann's background: She worked as Vice President of Multicultural Audience Engagement at The Walt Disney Studios spearheading efforts to diversify talent in front of and behind the camera, connect creative projects more closely to the communities they touch, and build a more inclusive culture within the Studios. Her team contributed to many projects including ENCANTO, SOUL, COCO, BLACK PANTHER, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, and WEST SIDE STORY as well as launching the critically acclaimed Disney Launchpad: Shorts Incubator, an industry-leading program guaranteeing up to six directors from underrepresented backgrounds the opportunity to produce a short film for Disney+. Julie Ann was also instrumental in Disney's library review process leading to a revised content advisory and proactive resources for families to discuss negative stereotypes in media. In partnership with Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger, she launched and co-chaired the company's first-ever Creative Inclusion Council dedicated to increasing inclusion and accountability in Disney's creative endeavors.
Before Disney she was Google’s Entertainment Industry Educator in Chief leading their efforts to shift and diversify on-screen perceptions of computer science through storytelling (a position she created) as well as having led Google’s DEI efforts in Latin America. She started her DEI career at NBCUniversal managing behind-the-camera diversity programs including Writers on the Verge and the Directing Fellowship.
Julie Ann has been recognized by The Hollywood Reporter’s 35 under 35, the IMAGEN Foundation’s Influential Latinos in Entertainment list, and as an ADCOLOR Innovator. She was on the advisory council for the re-launch of Barbie, is a member of the Producers Guild of America, and serves on the boards for the Hispanic Federation, NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers), Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, the Woodruff Arts Center (ATL), and Women in Animation. Julie Ann also served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor for Columbia University’s MFA film program and co-created a new course with her producing partner on inclusive storytelling.