Shonda Rhimes Sparks A Movement

August 8, 2017 Good morning! Chances are, you or someone you know is a fan of a Shonda Rhimes TV show. Since bursting onto the scene with Grey’s Anatomy in 2005, Rhimes has practically owned primetime TV. In fact, ABC devotes its entire Thursday night lineup (Grey’s, Scandal, and How To Get Away With Murder), to shows produced by Shondaland, as Rhimes’s production company is known. Now, Rhimes is taking her distinct brand of smart, ethnically diverse and empowered storytelling beyond TV in a bid to become an Oprah-like cultural influencer. [As I explore in this month’s cover story](, Shondaland is now an online hub where Rhimes’s followers can read, watch, and listen to content steeped in Rhimes's sensibility—everything from an interview with Congresswoman Maxine Waters to a soliloquy on hair. Rhimes also opens up about her personal journey from deep-seated introvert to public spokesperson for Planned Parenthood and Dove's Real Beauty campaign. “I just want to find other ways to tell stories, other ways to be engaged with the world,” she says. —[Nicole LaPorte]( [Shonda Rhimes Sparks A Movement]( [Shonda Rhimes Sparks A Movement](The introverted creator of TV’s Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal is developing her own digital-centric personal brand. Will she be the next Oprah?     [Why Casper Is The $750 Million Startup That Just Can’t Rest]( [Why Casper Is The $750 Million Startup That Just Can’t Rest](After banding together to upend the mattress business, the company’s five founders are now facing their biggest challenge: what comes next.     [Replace Your Electric Bill With A Flat-Rate, Monthly Subscription To Wind Power]( [Replace Your Electric Bill With A Flat-Rate, Monthly Subscription To Wind Power](Energy start-up Inspire offers a flat-rate energy bill which it uses to buy renewable energy certificates on behalf of their customers–to increase the share of clean energy sources in the grid.     [5 Debunked Gender Myths In That Google Anti-Diversity Rant]( [5 Debunked Gender Myths In That Google Anti-Diversity Rant](The widely shared memo from a Google software engineer claims that biological differences are to blame for inequality. One problem: He’s totally wrong.     [These Police Body Camera Videos Just Cast Doubt On Dozens Of Gun And Drug Convictions]( [These Police Body Camera Videos Just Cast Doubt On Dozens Of Gun And Drug Convictions](Baltimore is reeling again from the discovery of videos showing police planting evidence, which has led the state’s attorney to review over a hundred cases.     [This Algorithm Can Tell If You’re Depressed Just From Your Instagram Posts]( [This Algorithm Can Tell If You’re Depressed Just From Your Instagram Posts](You might not yet know you’re depressed, but your photos do.     [This Comedic “Black Mirror”-Style Series Is Online Visual Storytelling Done Right]( [This Comedic “Black Mirror”-Style Series Is Online Visual Storytelling Done Right](Cirocco Dunlap’s funny, surreal anthology “Everything is Okay,” marks a strong start for Topic.com, a new voice in visual storytelling. Here’s how it happened.     [This Is What Personality Tests From Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and Uber Employees Reveal About Gender Differences]( [This Is What Personality Tests From Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and Uber Employees Reveal About Gender Differences](Analysis of personality traits from assessment tests reveals some surprises in the ways men and women at major tech companies are both different and similar.     [Major League Baseball’s New VR Experience Swings And Misses]( [Major League Baseball’s New VR Experience Swings And Misses](Baseball fans can now watch live and on-demand games through virtual reality, following a three-year partnership between MLB and Intel. But the technology currently lacks the capability of a truly immersive VR experience.     Share This Newsletter [Share]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe [here!]( Too many emails? Change your subscription preferences [here](. You're receiving this email because you opted in on our website. [Update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( from all Fast Company emails. Mansueto Ventures, 7 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007-2195