Creators Jackie Aina, Kellie Gerardi, Drea Okeke will join TheWrap’s Power Women Summit on Dec. 3 at The Maybourne Beverly Hills.
Moderated by Shira Lazar, the CEO and founder of What’s Trending and #Creators4MentalHealth, the panel “Her Influence: Building Your Brand” will bring together top creators and entrepreneurs across industries to talk about how they are utilizing social media and digital platforms to build their personal and professional brands.
Jackie Aina (@jackieaina) is a Nigerian-American content creator promoting inclusion within the beauty industry. She is the founder of the lifestyle brand FORVR Mood and Lavishly Jackie, a self-care, home and luxury content vertical across social media platforms. Most recently, she starred in and executive produced the docuseries “The Black Beauty Effect.” For her advocacy efforts, Jackie was deemed the NAACP’s first-ever “YouTuber of the Year.”
Kellie Gerardi (@kelliegerardi) is an astronaut, researcher and creator, who made history when she flew on the Galactic 05 research mission in 2023. As the 90th woman in history to fly to space, Gerardi is on a mission to enable a new generation of scientists and using social media as a platform to do so. Her second spaceflight is scheduled for 2026, where she’ll be leading an all-female research crew aboard Virgin Galactic’s new Delta class spacecraft.
Drea Okeke (@drea_knowsbest) is known for her relatable comedic skits and videos that highlight her Nigerian heritage. She hosts the podcast “Do It 4 The Content,” where she shares strategies for aspiring creators looking to turn digital passion into income. Drea also runs the TikTok Masterclass “Next Level Influence,” offering an interactive course on building a brand, growing an audience, and mastering the algorithm to maximize engagement.
Shira Lazar (@shiralazar) is an Emmy-award winning host, creator and founder of What’s Trending. Most recently, Lazar launched #Creators4MentalHealth, an initiative focused on bringing mental health tools to the creator economy through events and community programming. Lazar also shares her insights in AI and the creator economy in her weekly newsletter, The Alpha.
At the Summit, attendees can also attend the panel “Her Platform, Her Rules: Execs Leading the Creator Revolution,” presented by Whalar. Moderated by Whalar North America president Jo Cronk, the conversation will bring together creator and “Challenge Accepted” host Michelle Khare and YouTube’s Global Managing Director & Head of Creators Kim Larson.
Jo Cronk is the North America President of Whalar, fostering relationships with brands, creators, and platforms. She has led partnerships with global brands such as Amazon, Estee Lauder, Google, NFL, and Spotify, and developed marketing collaborations with platforms like LinkedIn, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube. In 2023, she co-founded Whalar Group’s Creator venture studio, Moby Ventures, to develop innovative products and brands with and for creators.
Michelle Khare (@michellekhare) is the host of the Streamy-winning docuseries, “Challenge Accepted.” Each week on her YouTube channel Khare immerses herself in a new community, taking on high-stakes challenges from training with the Secret Service, FBI and 911 Dispatch to training as a ballerina or attempting to earn a black belt within 90 days.
Kim Larson is head of YouTube’s creator and gaming team, managing individual creators as well as service providers, talent partners, game publishers and influencer marketing agencies. In her previous role at Google, she managed global brand services for top brands, pioneering the use of machine learning to build data-driven creative best practices for the industry.
These sessions are open to all attendees of the Power Women Summit on Dec. 3 at The Maybourne Beverly Hills. More panels and speakers will be announced soon. To purchase tickets and for more information about the Summit, visit thewrap.com/pws.
Sponsors include South Coast Plaza, Loeb & Loeb LLP, Lionsgate, Whalar, Paramount Global, CLEAR, Warner Bros. Discovery, FX, Universal, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Disney.
For sponsorship inquiries, contact Lynne Segall, CRO of TheWrap, at lynne@thewrap.com.
For media inquiries, contact DKC Public Relations, at thewrap@dkcnews.com.
About Power Women Summit
TheWrap’s Power Women Summit is the essential gathering of the most influential women across entertainment and media. The event aims to inspire and empower women across the landscape of their professional careers and personal lives. With the theme, “Aspire,” this year’s PWS provides one day of keynotes, panels, workshops and networking. For more information visit thewrap.com/pws.
About TheWrap
TheWrap is the leading, authoritative digital news organization covering the business of entertainment, fashion and media. Founded by award-winning journalist Sharon Waxman in 2009, TheWrap is the only independently owned Hollywood trade, serving as a reliable and trusted source of breaking news, investigative reporting, expert analysis, exhaustive awards season coverage and in-depth features for over 15 years.
