Stacy Smith

Dr. Stacy L. Smith is the foremost disrupter of inequality in the entertainment industry. As the founder of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative (AII), the leading global think tank studying issues of inequality in entertainment, Smith conducts groundbreaking research examining inclusion of gender, race/ethnicity, the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities and mental health in storytelling across film, TV and digital platforms. The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative also conducts economic analyses related to diversity and the financial performance of films. Beyond visual media, the Initiative explores inclusion in the music industry and among film critics.