AUSTIN, TX — Netflix just cusped 200 million subscribers earning billions last year alone. Over 43 million episodes of podcasts were uploaded and broadcast in the same time frame on a variety of platforms and some like Joe Rogan’s earn more than $30M a year. Despite such success, these media products started as a pitch. A business idea. At the same time, audiences are shifting, hungry to see their own stories reflected back to them. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, Latinx moviegoers make up 25 percent of tickets sold, at just 17% of the US population, but only 3 percent of films featured leads or co leads with Latinx actors in 2018.
Helping teen girls coin the next genius film, podcast, magazine or network is:
Latinitas Startup Chica Nacional (Virtual)
Develop a Media Product!
Open to any girl, girl-identifying, non-binary teen ages 14-18
Saturday, February 27 from 10:30am-5pm.
The event’s keynote will be kicked off by award-winning journalist, Maria Hinojosa, President and Founder of Futuro Media. Over the course of her career, Hinojosa has anchored for PBS, CBS, WNBC, and CNN. She is currently the anchor and Executive Producer of the hit NPR show Latino USA and author of three books including her critically acclaimed memoir, Once I Was You.
Since 2002, Latinitas has been working with young girls of color to combat stereotypes in media and technology not only based on gender, but also in culture. The 9th Startup Chica Conference, teen girls will develop their own media product with the help of coaches, a business plan and presentations by media founders. A national event, teens have come to Teenage girls will focus on impacting BIPOC representation while creating and innovating media products.
The event will also feature presentations from media creators, business leaders, and female entrepreneurs. The list includes Snaxshot Founder Andrea Hernandez, Kizzy Dogan author of: Thirteen: Lessons for Every Teen Girl’s Journey to Womanhood and CEO & Founder of T&G Commercial Cleaning, and Michele Faraco founder of Moon Child, a social movement that empowers people to feel good with themselves and show up as their most authentic selves, among others.
On why a Media representation focused conference, Program Director, Liliana Cortez, emphasizes, “Representation matters! Unless girls are able to identify with the people telling the stories and running and innovating technology, it is unlikely they will envision themselves in those positions of power. Latinitas is changing that narrative for BIPOC girls everywhere, serving them a full plate of acquired skills, experiences and opportunities to allow them to envision themselves running the ever changing world of media and technology. The day has come for girls everywhere to strive and take the opportunities that are rightfully theirs!”
Attendees will be walked through lessons in public speaking, marketing, budgeting and pitching. Event sponsors, all focused on building female leadership in their companies, include Ebay, Dell, Netspend, Pimco, and Atlassian.
At the end of the conference, girls will present their business solutions to a panel of judges, including, Executive Editor at KUT News Teresa Frontero, Partner Marketing Channels Manager of Vrbo Samantha Rae Lopez, Vice President of Account Management at Netspend Wendy King, President & Founder of Articulate Persuasion Monique Maley and Janice Omadeke, CEO and Founder of The Mentor Method
Register to attend or volunteer at www.startupchica.com