Good morning from Laguna Niguel, where we’re about to start day 2 of the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit. I’ve been especially interested in the conversations about how companies are using AI, from the NBA’s push to create a hyper-personalized fan experience to e.l.f. Beauty’s investment in training its algorithms on social media data so that 90% of its AI responses are now in “e.l.f. language emojis” – with employees making sure the feedback is engaging. I wonder if highlighting AI’s potential more than its perils might draw more women into using it.
Here’s a wrap-up of other conversations about investing in women’s sports, creating a career-building personal brand, and one where Uber teased new gig opportunities. Some thoughts sparked by last night’s dinner speakers:
- Talking About Microgeneration – Not the small-scale production of power from renewable resources but generational subgroups like the ‘xennials’ who are now in their early to mid-forties. (That’s somewhere between geriatric millennials and young Gen X, my latchkey cohort that’s rarely showered with peppy adjectives. Humph.) This is the target demo for actress Cameron Diaz’s Avaline organic wine brand. As Diaz and her partner, serial entrepreneur Katherine Power, talked to Emma Hinchliffe about the tech-savvy, nostalgic, brand-loyal xennials, I wondered how innovation will impact how we define future generations. Boomers span 18 years; Gen X lasted 15. Labels have limits. Maybe life-stage matters more. Xennials happen to be in their peak earning years. And Diaz, who took several years off to raise her kids, talked about pulling in her energy to go forward, much like a jellyfish, as she returns to acting with Back in Action, due out in January. That’s a feeling many can relate to when re-entering the workforce. You can read more here.
- Lizzo’s Lost Opportunity – Lizzo got a warm welcome, for good reason. She is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, philanthropist and entrepreneur whose shapeware brand YITTY embraces the body positivity that’s characterized her career. So it’s unfortunate that she brushed off a question from my colleague Ellie Austin about the high-profile lawsuit filed by three of her backup dancers, alleging sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. The accusations are a source of distress for Lizzo and her fans. She said this wasn’t the time or place to address them. I disagree. While nobody expected her to comment on the specifics of a lawsuit, this was a chance to talk about the team that supports her and her philosophy in leading them. Click here to read more.
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Diane Brady
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