New York Women’s Impact Report 2025 Variety

Founder, CEO A-Series Investments and Management Founder, 5 Junction Records

Acharia, a talent manager and strategic investor, was recognized this past year by the Indian government for leading the globalization of India into pop culture. She also found herself personally invited to Buckingham Palace for recognition of her successes — including the joint venture she closed with Warner Music Group and her 5 Junction Records label this past year.

The key to nailing it all? “My failures,” says the England-raised, L.A.-based daughter of Punjabi immigrants. “My first company, DesiHits!, didn’t end the way I envisioned, but it became the launch pad for discovering Priyanka Chopra Jonas and initiating multiple cross-cultural collaborations that laid the groundwork for my successes this year.”

Chairman, Bravo, Peacock Unscripted

With Bravo hits accounting for seven of cable’s top 10 unscripted reality shows — “Vanderpump Rules”
leads the pack in the No. 1 slot — one might assume Berwick has nothing left to prove, but she’s working her magic at Peacock, too. Season 2 of “The Traitors” nabbed Peacock its first Primetime Emmy for reality competition program, and its third season in December debuted as
the most-watched unscripted series in the U.S.

Linear vs. streaming reality: “We are seeing less than a 10% duplication across our Bravo linear and Peacock audiences, with a younger audience for streaming, but with the same high levels of engagement and loyalty. Obviously, we have more flexibility around how deep and immersive we can go with a beloved show on streaming. We can satisfy fans with almost daily new episodes in the case of ‘Love Island,’ and have extended and uncensored versions of our Bravo reunions on Peacock.”

Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine

The legal counsel for many of New York City’s premier institutional nonprofit theaters (including the Public Theater and Manhattan Theater Club), Casselman has clients who were originating producers, commercial producers or financiers for shows that scored 55 Tony Award nominations and 15 wins in 2024 and 33 nominations and 10 wins in 2025.

New York groove: “I had never visited New York City until I applied to graduate school, so I was probably 23 or 24 before I even set foot here,” she says. “But I think from the moment I was here, I plugged into the energy of the city.”

CFO, COO, Fifth Season

“We’re not making widgets,” asserts the bicoastal Calabrese. “Every deal is different and custom.” That means she spends a lot of time interfacing with banks and Fifth Season’s strategic investors CJ ENM and Japanese studio Toho in between meetings for television series (including Apple TV+’s award-winning “Severance”), films (Netflix’s “Nonnas,” starring Vince Vaughn, and A24’s “Friendship,” starring Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson) and check-ins with the technology team.

Coming out of the strikes: “It was refocusing on building an efficient super structure and dealing with the kind of volume that we had in front of us again,” she says.

Founder, president, Brookside Artist Management

Gerson Saines saw client Kieran Cul-kin (who she has repped since he was 12) win an Oscar anda Golden Globe for his perf in “A Real Pain.” Other longtime clients like Sebastian Stan, made awards season waves with “A Different Man” and “The Apprentice” while Cynthia Nixon is back in “… And Just Like That” and “The Gilded Age.”

Forever young: “You know, some people say to me, why would you do this at this stage of your career? It’s because it sparks joy for me, right? You know, I see people, I see young actors, and I think it’s all ahead of them, and I think that’s so exciting. And I love the idea of being a part of that,” she says.

CEO, BBC Global Media & Streaming

Glashow transformed BBC Studios’ distribution strategy to meet the growing international demand — especially in the U.S. —for British programming like “Doctor Who” on Disney+, “The Jetty” on Hulu and “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” on Netflix. Her efforts expanded the company’s digital platforms and led to a record 27 Emmy nominations and eight wins in 2024. Through a landmark Disney deal, she set the stage for the first-ever “Bluey” movie, due in 2027, based on the global children’s TV hit.

British appeal: “Much of [British storytelling] is driven by singular creative voices — writers and producers with a clear point of view — which gives our stories a distinctive edge. At BBC Studios, we produce and distribute an extraordinary range of content across every genre. What unites it all is a commitment to quality and a belief in storytelling that entertains, informs and inspires.”

Senior partner, co-head of New York office, Gersh

Goldstein, who was promoted to senior partner this year, not only saw “Babygirl” star client Harris Dickinson hit the Cannes Film Festival with his directorial debut, “Urchin,” but also cast as John Lennon in Sam Mendes’ buzzy Beatles movies. Client Luke Kirby leaped into hit Prime Video show “Etoile” and Megan Hilty is triumphant on Broad-
way in “Death Becomes Her,” earning a Tony nomination.

Open mind: For a client like Dickinson, “The key is listening. Harris has always had razor-sharp instincts and clear taste, goals and opinions — whether it’s acting or directing. By knowing and understanding his vision, I can best support it and help him build a career that reflects his unique voice and talents.”

Theater producer

“It’s been a landmark season on Broadway with a remarkable range of writing and acting talent,” says Friedman. She should know, as her latest, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” just opened, and Sonia Friedman Prods. received 21 Tony Award nominations, taking home five. “The Dead Outlaw” producer loves new voices, but the classics also call to her. When reviving a play like “Oedipus,” she looks to “how the play speaks to now.”

Fight the cuts: “We have to hope these cuts aren’t permanent, and we have to fight like hell to make sure they’re not. That means advocacy, yes, but also action.”

Co-managing partner, Influence Media Partners

In January, Influence Media Partners announced that the company secured approximately $360 million in debt financing through an inaugural private securitization, collateralized by music royalties from a portion of its impressive total portfolio — a monumental effort Hazan personally oversaw. By April, that announcement dovetailed with news of two new joint ventures with DJ Khaled.

Artists first: “It’s essential to align yourself with people whose creative talent you genuinely believe in,” says Hazan. “Take the time to understand their vision and support it with thoughtful business strategies
and tactics.”

Global head of business marketing and commercial partnerships, TikTok

Hernandez has helped transform TikTok into a cultural launchpad for entertainment, merging creator content, trailers and ticketing to turn buzz into box office success. Her work has redefined how stories gain traction, making TikTok essential to driving audience action. “Entertainment is more than a great movie or franchise — it’s the entire ecosystem around it,” Hernandez says.

Audience engagement: “TikTok is where that ecosystem lives and breathes in real time. It’s where fans are more than an audience — they remix, respond and build culture alongside the studios.”

Global head of business marketing and EVP, chief digital officer, Warner Music Group

In her post for WMG, Higginson oversees the full spectrum of global digital partnerships — from dealmaking through account management — while also working with her team to explore commercial innovation and new digital partnerships. Among two of her most notable deals this year: a multi-year agreement with Spotify that effectively ends disputes over the streaming giant’s “bundling” option that was paying rights-holders less in royalties, and a new licensing deal with Amazon Music focused on delivering new benefits for artists, songwriters, and fans.

Actor

No stranger to playing divas on screen (“Smash”) and stage (“Wicked”), Hilty earned her second Tony nomination for playing the ultimate prima donna Madeline Ashton, an actor petrified of aging in hit “Death Becomes Her.” Hilty says the show “has presented the most difficult, yet rewarding, hurdles I’ve ever faced in my career.” And she’s pushed through despite bouts with the flu and tendinitis in her throat.

This is the way: She’s thrilled to be back on Broadway. “It finally feels like theater is thriving again. And the stories being told are as diverse and exciting as ever.”

Co-chair, theater & live entertainment, Loeb & Loeb

A dyed-in-the-wool theater person who earned an MFA in playwrighting from Yale before entering NYU law school, South African native Kaplan is one of Broadway’s top legal eagles, repping Netflix for live stage projects (“Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” “Patriots”) and serving as production counsel for the George Clooney hit “Good Night, and Good Luck.”

Time on the boards not wasted: “Some clients who are new into producing find it very helpful because I can explain to them about the creative process, how it unfolds and the kind of bumps that you can encounter along the road,” she says.

Executive producer, “Elsbeth,” “Happy Face”

Punctuating drama with dark humor is a hallmark of King’s work. Along with her husband Robert, she’s drawn millions of viewers into their “Good Wife” universe, including “The Good Fight” and CBS’ hit series “Elsbeth,” which consistently wins its time period and was recently renewed for a third season. King recently completed co-creator/co-showrunner/EP duties on the final season of their supernatural series “Evil,” and currently executive produces “Happy Face,” both for Paramount +.

Controversial conversations: “Robert and I have spent our careers writing about the three topics one is advised to never discuss at a dinner party: politics, sex and religion.  We didn’t plan it that way, but it does keep us amused.”

President, COO, Sphere Entertainment

Koester is redefining live entertainment by modeling Sphere into a boundary-pushing platform for immersive experiences. Under her leadership, Sphere launched original content filmed with its custom Big Sky camera and hosted first-ever events across genres — proving what’s possible when technology, storytelling and innovation converge on a spectacular new stage. Up next: “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere.”

Well-rounded view: “To us, ‘immersive’ is more than just a buzzword; it’s the intention behind everything we do,” Koester says. “The bar is going to get higher and higher, and we’re continuing to evolve and push boundaries with technology.”

Partner, entertainment group, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz

In her youth, Levites acted in commercials and worked as an extra on the 1995 film “Now and Then,” where she met teen acting idols including Christina Ricci. Today, she’s an attorney cutting deals for clients such as Louverture Films (acclaimed film adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel “Nickel Boys”), author Dean Koontz (rights deals with Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios) and producers Laura Bickford and Annabelle Dunne (upcoming doc “Ask E. Jean”).

Digging the vibe: “To me, the film industry in New York feels much scrappier and grittier,” she says.
“It also feels more familial. It’s a real community.”

Founder, CEO, BCL Entertainment

Levy, a 25-year music industry veteran, is the mastermind behind BCL — the talent, event and brand partnership company specializing in matching talent with clients’ creative needs in a highly nuanced way. Though her work spans everything from corporate events to virtual experiences and commercial campaigns, it was BCL Entertainment’s expanding footprint within the charity space that Levy is proudest of. In the past six months, the company produced events for the Toy Foundation (the TOTY Awards and the Toy Foundation L.A. Benefit), 914Cares, Room to Read and Pace Women’s Justice Center.

Transformation: “Diamonds are made under pressure,” says Levy of the wisdom that keeps her going in business and in life.

Exec VP, strategy & investment, Sony Music Entertainment

Lopes, who works with Sony’s executive leadership and global digital business teams to develop strategies and investing opportunities, played a key role in critical acquisition and investment transactions this past year. “We’ve worked consistently to weave M&A into the fabric of our organization globally,” says Lopes. And doing that at scale within an organization requires far more than capital. “It requires clarity and communication . . . it is the collective effort of teams across the company and around the world driving to a common purpose, closely tied to our strategy and underpinned by creative-first relationships, a data-driven approach and rigorous execution.”

Growth opportunities: “It’s wonderful to see the amazing creative ventures that executives who joined through acquisition have accomplished here.

Nonfiction television agent, CAA

Maloney’s clients include All3Media, the shingle behind hit “Squid Game: The Challenge,” powerhouse Fremantle Media and Truly Original, whose “Summer House” is once again a zeitgeisty blockbuster. Nonfiction is a buzzy area. “Especially coming off these recent upfronts, sports, non-scripted and docs are a huge part of every media company’s plan,” she says.

Beyond the competition: “I think because everybody has to be a brand now, athletes just be athletes. They want to tell their stories. They want to tell other stories — of other athletes, of things they are passionate about that are not sports-related.”

Actor

Audiences have come to expect greatness from the four-time Tony Award winner and record-breaking 11-time nominee. But McDonald wowed even her biggest fans with her show-stopping turn in the Broadway revival of “Gypsy” as Mama Rose, the ultimate stage mother. McDonald is the first Black actor to play the iconic role on Broadway. She also expertly removed herself from any drama surrounding a “feud” with Patti LuPone with class befitting a legend.

Talent agent, WME

The self-proclaimed theater kid and “oddball” has an eye for unique talent: Pillet’s clients are buzzy performers like Mike Faist (“Challengers,” Netflix’s upcoming “East of Eden”), Fred Hechinger (“Gladiator II” and indie hit “Thelma”) and Paapa Essiedu (Professor Snape in the Max “Harry Potter” series). Other clients include Walker Scobell (“Percy Jackson and the Olympians”), Andrew Barth Feldman (the upcoming “Poetic License”), and she helped sign “Anora” star Mark Eydelshteyn.

Star spotting: “What I look for in these young people is just people who are not apologizing for being themselves, and who find other people like that and just feel instantly connected. And I think that they connect to the work that way.”

Agent, endorsements & voiceover, UTA

An advocate for representation in fashion and beauty, Rahmani crafted Michaela Jaé Rodriguez’s historic role as Charlotte Tilbury’s first transgender woman to front a beauty campaign, and has brokered partnerships for Travis Bennett and Monica Barbaro while looking after clients like Chase Sui Wonders of “The Studio” and Britt Lower of “Severance.”

Adding depth: For Wonders and Lower, “It’s a very collaborative experience between myself, their stylist, their publicist … They’re on these two major shows, and I am being intentionally specific with their partnerships and strategy.”

Exec VP, chief customer officer, Marriott Intl.

Roe spearheads creative customer experiences brand. She decided to rethink the traditional (and boring) sponsorship deals, and as a result, Marriott Bonvoy’s partnership with Beyoncé’s blockbuster Cowboy Carter tour includes access to the tour to on-property programming and specially curated hospitality packages auctioned off on the Marriott Bonvoy Moments platform.

Customer service: “What I love about what we get to do is I get to say to the teams, ‘OK, dream up what’s possible. What could we do to delight a customer that would be that lifetime experience for them?’”

Exec VP, late night & specials programming, HBO, Max

Laughter is serious business to Rosenstein, be it “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” “Conan O’Brien Must Go” or comedy specials by the likes of Nikki Glaser, Ramy Youssef and Seth Meyers. Rosenstein seeks boundary-pushing projects as varied as the Emmy-winning “David Byrne’s American Utopia,” Julio Torres’ “Fantasmas” and “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.”

Late night shows and politics: “In their own distinct ways, Bill [Maher] and John [Oliver] aren’t just reacting to headlines; they’re ripping them apart and holding up the guts. In a time when misinformation spreads fast and chaos and outrage drown out nuance, they push their audiences to think harder. That’s the power (and point) of these shows: they’re uncomfortable, funny, and exactly what this moment needs.”

Chief strategy officer & exec VP of operations, Tubi

Sanchez orchestrated the low-latency livestream of Super Bowl LIX on Tubi, making it the most-streamed in history. Her strategy and operational precision transformed Tubi into the U.S.’s top free streaming service.

Big offers: “One of the biggest challenges facing the industry as a whole is the shifting economic land-
scape,” Sanchez says. “But we believe Tubi is well-positioned for this type of environment as a platform
offering free, premium and accessible entertainment.”

Director

“There is simply nothing like a dark room with hundreds of strangers sitting together experiencing a piece of theater,” says Taymor, who won a directing Tony last year for “The Outsiders” and was nominated this year for “John Proctor Is the Villain.” She was drawn to the deeply-layered “John Proctor” because  it draws on “the experience of being a teenage girl — and it takes that experience so seriously.” As the show continues to sell out regularly, Taymor says, “Witnessing 800 people being collectively moved in the Booth Theater every night, many in tears, is so meaningful to me.”

On defunding of the arts: “To me, this is a tragedy — theater is so vital and so important for us as a society. It is one of the few spaces left where strangers can coexist and experience something as a true collective.”

Partner, Yorn Levine Barnes Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner Endlich Goodell & Gellman

Verma expected sports to be the focus of her legal career, but it fell by the wayside as her work took her deeper into the world of film and TV. In recent months, she’s cut deals for Rachel Sennott (HBO series pact), director Nisha Ganatra (Disney’s “Freaky Friday” sequel), Fred Armisen (Netflix’s “Fester”) and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Eboni Booth (write and develop “Game of Thrones” spinoff for HBO).

Tennis, anyone?: “Everyone in the business who knows me knows that sometimes my vacation schedule revolves around tennis season, because I go to all the tournaments. I also grew up playing competitively,” she says.

Partner, Serling Rooks Hunter McKoy Worob & Averill

A native of India, Vijaysankar came to Sterling Rooks Hunter in 2011 with a corporate M&A background and applied it to music acts like the Zac Brown Band, helping them set up a record label and a food and music festival, as well as non-music related ventures. Other clients include Stem Disintermedia, the Cara Lewis Group, G7 Entertainment and Blended Strategy Group.

Branching out not all about the Benjamins: “It’s also a way for them to create interesting moments for themselves, like some sort of cultural cachet or some buzz around their involvement with a particular product or endorsement or company,” she says.

Co-chairman, music division, IAG

The lauded music agent — known for her no-nonsense approach and impressive client list that spans legends like Neil Young and younger artists like Cage the Elephant — was inducted into Pollstar and VenuesNow Women of Live Hall of Fame last year and received the International Music Awards highest honors including Agent of the Year. This past year she also got to watch the culmination of Billy Joel’s historic residency at Madison Square Garden.

Her advice to young women in the biz?: “Don’t look at being a woman as a liability; look at it as an asset. Work harder, smarter and more passionately and you can achieve anything.”

Actor

Young made history as the first Black performer, and second overall, to receive four consecutive Tony nominations. Winning this year’s best featured actress in a play for her scene-stealing turn in the Phylicia Rashad-directed “Purpose” made Young — a board member of the Classical Theatre of Harlem — the first Black actor to win back-to-back Tony Awards. Next, she co-stars with Sterling K. Brown and Janelle Monae in the film adaptation of Aleshea Harris’ off-Broadway play “Is God Is.” 

Creative Funding: “We [the Classical Theatre of Harlem] lost a lot of money from funding cuts, and just had a fundraiser. They do a poker tournament every year to help raise money; this year they raised over $100,000. So there are people coming together in the community and paying attention to a what theater can do for community — in this case for Uptown, for Harlem — and what it means to have free, accessible theater.”