Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington is an Emmy-winning, SAG, Golden Globe-nominated actor, NYT best-selling author, director, producer, and activist. Washington received widespread recognition for portraying Olivia Pope on ABC’s drama Scandal. In 2016, Washington launched her production company Simpson Street, whose projects include Netflix’s American Son, the Emmy award-winning ABC special, Live in Front of a Studio Audience, The Fight, and Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, Reasonable Doubt, and most recently, UnPrisoned.

Washington can currently be seen on the third season of her YouTube series, Street You Grew Up On. She has wrapped production on upcoming action-thriller Shadow Force, and Tyler Perry’s upcoming WWII film Six Triple Eight, both of which she stars in and executive produces.

Washington is a lifelong activist and founder of Influence Change (IC21), an initiative that partners with nonprofits to increase voter turnout. For her efforts, Washington has been honored as one of TIME Magazine’s 2022 Women of The Year.

Nicole Avant

Author, producer and former Ambassador to the Bahamas Nicole Avant was nominated by President Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by The U.S. Senate to serve as the 13th U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas. On September 9, 2009, she was sworn in by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton becoming the youngest as well as the first African American woman to hold the position. Avant's successes in The Bahamas earned her a State Department nomination for the Sue M. Cobb Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service. 

During her tenure, Avant pursued five key initiatives: Economic & Small Business Development, Education, Women's Empowerment, Alternative Energy, and raising awareness about the challenges facing people with disabilities. In encouraging these key partnerships, Avant was able to further cement and celebrate the relationship between The United States and The Bahamas. 

In addition to her service abroad, Nicole has a legacy of philanthropy at home. In 2007, she was named the Next Generation Leader by the American Cancer Society and has also served as an Academic Counselor at the Neighborhood Academic Initiative - a daily mentorship program for high school students sponsored by the University of Southern California.

Avant is a current member of the board of trustees of LACMA as well as a board member of A Sense of Home, an organization that creates first-ever homes for former foster youth who “age out” of the foster care system having never been adopted.

Avant also served on the Board of Trustees for Best Buddies International and the Board of Directors of Revlon, Inc. 

Since returning to private life, Avant has been recognized at the 20th Annual Trumpet Awards for her dedication to Public Diplomacy along with luminaries such as Mayor Cory Booker and Ted Turner. She was also given the Humanitarian Award by BESLA in October 2011. A former board member of Girls Inc., she was honored with a Women of Achievement award in 2014. 

In 2018, Avant and her husband, Ted Sarandos were awarded the Spirit of Compassion Award by UNICEF.

Avant is the producer of the critically acclaimed documentary The Black Godfather. Released in 2019, the film was recognized by The Board of Review as one of the top 5 documentaries of the year and went on to be honored by several critics organizations and award bodies. Currently, Avant is a producer of the upcoming Tyler Perry film Six Triple Eight.

In October 2023, Nicole released her memoir Think You'll Be Happy: Moving Through Grief with Grit, Grace, and Gratitude. She gives a raw and courageous look into how she found the light in her darkest moment and reminds us that grief is different for everyone, and we have the power to move through it in our own unique way. The book has received critical acclaim from the likes of Oprah, Tyler Perry, and more.

Avant lives in Los Angeles with her husband Ted Sarandos, Netflix Co-CEO, and is the proud stepmother of Tony and Sarah Sarandos.