AUGUST 2019 InSTYLE 57
46 MARY C. DALY The
president and CEO of the
Federal Reserve Bank of
San Francisco is a leading
voice for addressing diversity
in the male-dominated field
of economics. The first openly
gay female at the helm of a
regional Fed branch also
urges young women to pursue
careers in business. “For
economics to advance, for
us to be relevant in the future,
we need everybody at the
table, all the groups,” Daly said
in a St. Louis Fed podcast.
47 MOLLY HAYWARD
Since 2016 her subscription
bladder- and period-care
brand, Cora, has provided
reproductive-health education
and five million pads to girls
in need and 100,000 more
feminine products to women
facing poverty or the
aftermath of natural disasters.
“I might not have all the
answers, but I won’t let that
stop me,” says the co-founder,
who secured $7.5 million in
funding earlier this year. “I
have the potential to radically
change the world.”
48
MELATI
& ISABEL
WIJSEN
Frustrated with garbage
littering the rice fields
and beaches of their
native Bali, the sisters
launched Bye Bye Plastic
Bags (BBPB) in their
preteens. “Climate
change is happening; we
don’t have the luxury of
time,” says Melati, 18. She
and Isabel, 16, now have
dozens of global chapters
lobbying to outlaw plastic
bags (single-use plastic
bags are no longer
allowed in Bali). BBPB also
trains local women to
make bags from recycled
fabric; sales proceeds
benefit health, education,
and waste management
in the Balinese village of
Wanagiri Kauh.
NLD: What makes a badass woman?
SN: I spent a long time wanting to be
liked. When I decided I didn’t care
whether you liked me or not, then I
became a badass.
NLD: You’ve always shattered glass
ceilings throughout your life. Where
did you get that confidence?
SN: If I had confidence, I wouldn’t be
wearing false eyelashes. [laughs]
Look, I was always interested in the
product. And if people got in my way, I
became aggressive. I became rude. I
am impossible. Because I thought if
the product was good enough, people
could accept the impossibility. I have
a very selfish impulse for what I want
to do, not what people want. When
people say, “You made documentaries,”
I don’t know if that’s true. I think we
may have spawned reality TV. And I
think the attraction of MTV for me
was I thought they have that 18-to-34
audience. I would like to energize them
because it’s a great time to give a shit
about the world. You just have to think
of how you’re going to do it without
boring them—you know how not to
bore them. I know how to bore them
into making a difference. The point is,
how do you energize the creative force
that’s in everybody to push forward?
I don’t know. But I’ll try.
NLD: Personally, I also want to mentor
young creatives, particularly women.
I’ve always been a champion of women
and diversity. You have to have a strong
voice to get a literal seat at the table
and inspire a whole new generation
of badasses out there to tell stories
that matter, that change the world,
and that have an impact.
SN: Are you hard on
yourself?
NLD: Yes. But I don’t
always win. I think you
are victorious when
you strive for excellence
along the way.
SN: I don’t like to fail.
NLD: None of us do, but
you’ve overcome so
many obstacles ...
SN: Yeah, but I’ve been
around for a hundred
years! I’m fuckin’ old.
For instance, I can bring
all the seniors and
people in assisted living
to MTV. I mean, that’s
really a gift. [laughs]
With 28 Academy Awards, 44 Peabody Awards, and 34 personal
Primetime Emmy Awards for her projects during nearly four decades
leading documentary films at HBO, Nevins is one of the most influential
people in the biz. Now, at 80, she’s got a new gig launching MTV’s
documentary films division. Here, she chats with Diaz, president of
programming and development for VH1, MTV, and Logo Group, who
developed signature reality series like Cribs and My Super Sweet 16
and helped bring unprecedented growth to the youth-centric platform.
49-50
Sheila Nev ins
& Nina L. Diaz
SHEILA
NEVINS
(left) &
NINA L.
DIAZ
