Arts and Entertainment

Alumna and cultural expert Jess Weiner to have Q&A on Oct. 14

School of Theatre alumna Jess Weiner is a cultural expert who consults with Fortune 500 companies on how they reflect people in their marketing and publicity. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

The College of Arts and Architecture will host a talk and Q&A session with School of Theatre alumna Jessica Weiner, who consults with Fortune 500 companies on how they reflect people in their marketing and publicity, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, at the Playhouse Theatre. The presentation is open to the public. 

Weiner, 1995 bachelor of arts in theater, is a cultural expert focusing on the intersection of business, social change and inclusivity. She is the CEO of Talk to Jess, a consultancy that works with leading companies to help them better reflect people in the media, marketing and advertising world. She was a driving force behind Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, which launched in 2006. This campaign sparked a worldwide conversation on societal beauty standards and body esteem. A decade later, she partnered with Mattel to help give Barbie dolls a wider variety of body types, skin tones, hair styles and eye color. Her roster of clients also includes Disney, Aerie, Netflix and Warner Bros.

Weiner is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California in the Annenberg School of Journalism and an acclaimed author. She was recently named by Fast Company as one of the most creative people in business in the areas of diversity and education. She received the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture Alumni Award in 2003.
Weiner will be on campus for the Penn State Forum series, where she will be the speaker on Oct. 15. For more on the Forum presentation, visit https://sites.psu.edu/forum/2019/07/22/10-15-19-jessica-weiner/. For more on Weiner, visit jessweiner.com

 

 

Last Updated October 9, 2019