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Janet Yang’s Vision for Empowering Women in Film and Beyond

25 Jul '25
By The Shift

Image by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images

25 Jul '25
By The Shift

Image by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images

The Shift highlights women’s stories through the lens of impact. It hopes to contextualize history and inspire action.

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Janet Yang is an Emmy-winning producer and current President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A longtime champion of Asian American representation in Hollywood, her work includes The Joy Luck Club and The People vs. Larry Flynt.

The Shift:

Who are three women that inspire you?

Janet:

My mother, Anna Chung-Tzu Yang

Connie Chung

Jane Fonda

The Shift:

What is the legacy you hope to leave behind as a changemaker and leader in your industry?

Janet:

I’ve charted an unusual path with few guardrails, so I would like to encourage women to follow their passions, speak their minds, take chances, and build sisterhood.

I believe women truly have a special intuition and innate understanding of humanity, which is sorely needed today.  We see things more holistically and value collaboration.

Together, we are extremely powerful.

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Janet Yang is honored as part of The Shift’s “90 Plus One” list, which recognizes influential women shaping contemporary culture. With Gloria Steinem featured on the inaugural print cover, the list pays homage to her 91 years of activism by highlighting a powerhouse community of women shifting culture.