Worth: Women Leaders Take the Reins of the Narrative Economy
In 2025, only 29% of the top-grossing films had female protagonists, according to a report published by SDSU’s Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film. The gap isn’t due to a lack of female talent. It is a reflection of who holds the power behind the scenes, where men still hold the vast majority of leadership positions.
“Storytelling shapes culture, and culture shapes ambition, opportunity, and economic participation,” said Maureen Polo, CEO of Hello Sunshine. Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine, is working to change those statistics by creating new pathways for female-led storytelling, both on screen and on paper. Pathways that lead to the well-deserved recognition of women everywhere.
Maureen Polo is leading the charge at Hello Sunshine, which has produced many of our most beloved series, including The Morning Show, Big Little Lies, and Little Fires Everywhere, as well as films such as Where the Crawdads Sing and Your Place or Mine, to name a few.
Girls With Impact recently awarded Polo the 2026 Trailblazer Award Honoree. Founded by Jennifer Openshaw, Girls With Impact is the first-of-its-kind live, online mini-MBA designed for young women in the United States.