Cablefax The Magazine October 2022 - 21

Sylvia George
EVP, Media & Performance Marketing
AMC Networks
THE WHY? George oversees AMC Networks' DEI brand task force, and
played a key role in developing AMC+'s curated " swim lanes " like Black Stories
& Storytellers, Women Centerframe, Celebrating AAPI Heritage, and The
Pride Collection that celebrate and generate awareness of diverse stories and
creators.
SHE SAYS... " AMCN has been so great about being there for so many communities
throughout the year and coming up with innovative ways to create
interest and engagement from Pride to Latinx/Hispanic Heritage to celebrating
Juneteenth. I'm proud of AMC Networks overarching commitment to DEI as
well as their constant reevaluation of what more we can and should be doing. "
BOOK I WISH EVERYONE WOULD READ: " Homegoing, " by Yaa Gyasi
MENTOR OF THE YEAR
DiSante has impacted more careers
than we can count. She co-founded
and co-chairs Diversity, Inclusion and
You (DIY), which engages volunteers
across ABC Entertainment and Hulu
in an employee driven task force to
find solutions that address the complexities
around granting access, creating
opportunity and increasing inclusion
in content and the workplace.
She also led development of ABC's
Community Engagement Series, an
educational program designed for
college-aged members of underrepresented
groups to provide a holistic
view of the business and visibility to
a broad range of professional paths.
" My experience with mentors, formal
and informal, has been absolutely
critical to the advancement of my
career so far, and I continue to look
to them for counsel. I want to pay
this forward. Also, I find I get as
much out of
these relationships as
I hope my mentee gets, " she says.
" My mentees typically have less industry
experience under their belts,
and frequently come from different
age groups and backgrounds; many
times, they're people I would not
otherwise have the opportunity to
meet. So, hearing their perspectives
on the business, learning how they
consume content and what content
resonates for them, only makes me
better at my job. "
Gabriela Mercado is one of DiSante's
mentees. She recently graduated
from the Executive Incubator Program
and was promoted to Manager
of Comedy Development at Walt
Disney Television's ABC Signature
Studios. " Jo's mentorship, leadership
and advocacy has played a huge role
Jo DiSante
VP, Current
Programming &
Synergy
ABC Entertainment
CablefaxDiversity.com
October 2022
in helping me grow and find permanent
placement within the company
in my desired profession, " she says.
Mercado met DiSante at a networking
event during her orientation more
than a year ago. DiSante encouraged
her to participate in the DIY committee
and their relationship has continued
to evolve. " Jo is the kind of leader
and mentor who makes you believe
in yourself by dignifying and validating
your voice and your place in the
room, " says Mercado.
Inclusion is top of mind for DiSante.
She helped drive the development of
the ABC Inclusion Standards, which
provide a framework for evaluating
inclusion in programming.
In addition to her work at ABC,
DiSante represents the TV Executive
Peer Group as a Governor at
the Television Academy, where she
developed and oversaw a pilot Peer
Networking Circle program. She is
on the Steering Committee of We For
She, a women's advocacy group that
strives to find practical ways to bring
about a gender-balanced landscape
in television. When it comes to being
a good mentor, she says she learned
the most from those who have been
willing to be vulnerable. " They share
both their successes and failures,
which are equally important to learn
from. They have also been proactive,
pulling from their own networks to
connect me to new people and giving
me practical, actionable advice
when I've needed it, " she says.
21
DIVERSITY
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