Jada Pinkett Smith, Wale and Jane the Virgin actor Justin Baldoni were among the speakers at the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation’s Careers In Entertainment Summer Tour over the weekend. The day-long symposium teaches high school and college students about jobs in the entertainment industry both in front of and behind the camera. More than 250 students were in attendance. Insecure actor Jay Ellis served as the master of ceremonies for the event, which was titled THE BLUEPRINT: Building Your Pathway to Success in the Entertainment Industry. The event was sponsored by Paramount Network and BET Networks. The foundation’s strategic scholarship partner, the app Scholly, also had a presence at the summit. The foundation’s strategic scholarship partner, the app Scholly, also had a presence at the summit, where they announced a new internship program for CIE Network students.
Held in partnership with the Youth Policy Institute, CIE Los Angeles featured industry insider panel discussions and interactive workshops that covered topics ranging from film and entertainment to costume design and gaming. Featured speakers and panelists included Jada Pinkett Smith (actress and co-founder of The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation), Jay Ellis (Insecure), Wale (Warner Bros. Records recording artist), Justin Baldoni (Jane the Virgin),Xolo Maridueña (Cobra Kai), Ayanna James (costume designer, Insecure), Cheryl Paglierani (United Talent Agency) and Chaci Senior (Paramount Network) and more. CA State Senator Ben Allen attended as one of the day’s keynote speakers and LAUSD Board Member (District 4) Nick Maldoni was on site as one of the supporters of LA students participating in the Careers in Entertainment Network.
To date, the CIE Network has serviced over 4,000 young people who are actively pursuing entertainment careers. This is the foundation’s first Tour stop this year and the Tour will continue with another LA session on Tuesday, October 2.
For more information on CIE Los Angeles, please visit cietour.org and follow @MyCIEStory and #CIELA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.