TV and movie producer Kristin Hahn will visit campus Wednesday at the IU Cinema to show scenes from “The Morning Show”, which she produced, to stimulate discussions about diversity in the business world, according to an IU press release.
Hahn said she will discuss the consequences of success and the abuse of power in the workplace. Hahn was appointed as the Kelley School of Business’s Poling Chair of Business and Government, according to an IU press release.
Hahn said she is honored to be given the opportunity to be able to connect with college students and share what she has learned from her time in film and television.
“The entertainment industry is ultimately a business,” Hahn said. “I want to share the things I have learned about the fact that you can maintain your humanity while working in a business that is sometimes challenging to navigate.”
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Listening is one of the most valuable skills in both the entertainment industry and business, Hahn said. Everyone in a business wants to make a contribution to the overall success of the operation, she said.
“There are characters in the show that have story lines crafted around them that we used to talk about the diversity in business and the inequities that are very real,” Hahn said. “They navigate the racial inequities that are occurring in Hollywood as a whole.”
Characters in the show like Daniel Henderson and Mia Jordan dig into themes like gender and race that are not only influencing Hollywood, Hahn said, but the world around us.
Hahn said the events happening in “The Morning Show” are relevant to any business because corporate America has become more aware of the changes that need to be made.
“The corporate world is reflecting the adjustments that I am experiencing in the entertainment world,” Hahn said.
Hahn’s role as Poling Chair will entail meeting with students and faculty to talk about her work as a producer and importance of integrating her industry into academia, Kelley Dean Idie Kesner said.
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Tim Fort, professor of law and ethics at Kelley, said Hahn was thought of for the Poling Chair position because of her ability to think as a businessperson. Hahn’s business knowledge is what has led her to success in a highly competitive industry, Fort said. Throughout their long friendship, he said he has seen the way she runs her productions like a business.
Because Hahn runs her productions in an ethical manner, Fort said she will be effective in this position.
“With her Hollywood experiences, she is in the business of putting together teams to work together,” Fort said.
Hahn’s screening of the show will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the IU Cinema. The event is free but ticketed, according to IU Cinema’s website.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to the Poling Chair of Business and Government due to an error in the editing process.
