ADE AFOLAYAN
What part of yourself do you wish to contribute through your work?
I wish to contribute my love and passion for black people. When I walk into a room and I see a vast array of different shades, colors, and hairstyles there’s a certain sense of pride and love that I experience. I want other people to love themselves and see how awesome and resilient and amazing we all are.
What’s your dream for OWN?
My dream for OWN would be for it to fully realize its potential as a vehicle to affect change in society.
SAMORA SUBER
What part of yourself do you wish to contribute through your work?
The part of myself I wish to contribute to OWN would be my love of storytelling and personal development.
What’s your dream for OWN?
My dream for OWN would be to see more black women in positions of leadership.
FAITH ESELE
What part of yourself do you wish to contribute through your work?
I want to contribute my love of story.
What’s your dream for OWN?
My dream for OWN is that it would be a place where people who look like me become universal.
WOMEN OF OWN is a personal project I created for Oprah while working as a development assistant at the Oprah Winfrey Network. The project was meant to showcase the voices of black women who often go unheard in corporate spaces.
FATIMA ELSWIFY
What part of yourself do you wish to contribute through your work?
I hope to contribute my spirit of compassion to everything I work on so that I can help to create content that genuinely serves others.
What’s your dream for OWN?
My dream for OWN is for it to continue to be a space where black women feel seen but for it to also become a destination to receive healing that influences culture.
ASHLEY WHITAKER
What part of yourself do you wish to contribute through your work?
My background and experiences give me a specific point of view and a tailored opinion about life and culture. I hope that lending my voice helps to shape authentic and relatable stories.
What’s your dream?
My dream is that this continues to be a place people look to for quality programming in which we can see real stories in settings that chronicle characters that are representative of people living in our world today.
STACEY CARR
What part of yourself do you wish to contribute through your work?
My value for excellence. I believe that love is in the details and that preparation is important. We should always be a step ahead and have a reputation for being passionate and great at what we do.
What’s your dream for OWN?
My dream is that we have a strong, passionate team with a clear vision. OWN should be known for its groundbreaking, risk-taking programming in both the scripted and unscripted space.
CORINNE GILLIARD
What part of yourself do you wish to contribute through your work?
What I’d like to contribute through my work is myself: my strength, my vision and my outlook on life as a black woman.
What’s your dream for OWN?
OWN holds a very sacred space. There are a lot of women who look to OWN to voice who they are...to be that image in the world of what black womanhood can be. My dream for OWN is that they recognize that sacred space they hold, that they continue to listen to what women are telling them and hold that space in the highest regard.
