Celebrating International Women’s Day: Meet 5 Empowering Women Who Foster Belonging and Advocate for Inclusion
Originally published at Disney Parks News
At Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, we’re thrilled to celebrate International Women’s Day.
We strive to recognize our amazing cast year-round, and in honor of today’s occasion, we’re highlighting a few of the empowering women behind the magic that we’ve featured over the past year.
Dawn Jackson
A Native American cultural advisor at Disney and a member of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan. She has acted as a cultural advisor for projects across the company, such as the brand-new Tenaya Stone Spa at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at Disneyland Resort. Dawn recognized the need for a BERG (Business Employee Resource Group) for Native American and Indigenous cast members and their allies. Wherein all can learn about tribal teachings, explore their own identities, and come together to process the headlines of the day. Learn more about how Dawn founded Disney’s Native American BERG, officially known as NAATV (Native Americans & Allies Together with Vision).
Carla Pereira
She is a Marketing Director for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products in Latin America. She played a pivotal role in bringing the “Encanto” collection to life. Carla collaborated with teams in the U.S. to bring in four artists from various regions in Colombia to create original artwork inspired by “Encanto.” Fans can celebrate the film with wearable art pieces, accessories and more, featuring these bespoke designs. While her role focuses on supporting product development in Latin America, Carla has always been passionate about championing diversity, equity and inclusion. And she infuses it into her work every day. Learn more about her exciting work and the visionaries behind the collection.
Nefertiti (Neffy) Sulé
She has a personal passion and commitment to diversity. And is a champion for inclusion in her role as a recruitment leader. As a Manager for Disney Campus Technology Recruitment with Disney Professional Internships, Neffy specializes in recruiting diverse talent for software engineering, product development, design and other technology opportunities. Among her many contributions to Disney, Neffy helped create Disney’s first-ever Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Tech Program. Which actively recruits HBCU students for professional technology internships at Disney. Learn more about Neffy’s work on bringing Black Technologists to Disney.
This week at Disneyland, Minnie Mouse received her very own floral display on the hillside. Just inside the main entrance of Main Street U.S.A. Disneyland Railroad station in honor of this month’s celebration. In collaboration with her team, Horticulture Specialist Stacy Wise, whose passion for horticulture blossomed as a child while helping her father. With his landscaping business, was tasked with creating the design. Thanks to Horticulture Manager Sarah Day and her incredible Horticulture team. This entire transformation was completed overnight!
Follow along on the blog and @DisneyParks on social all month long! For more inspiring stories highlighting our incredible women across Disney Parks in honor of Women’s History Month. Happy International Women’s Day!
