Stacey Abrams, Winnie Harlow, Nicole Byer and More Announced For OWN SPOTLIGHT: BLACK WOMEN OWN THE CONVERSATION

Oprah Winfrey Network and OZY Media announced today the new series "OWN Spotlight: Black Women OWN the Conversation" to premiere on Saturday, August 24 at 10:00 pm ET/PT exclusively on OWN, with celebrities and thought leaders including rising star politician Stacey Abrams, model and activist Winnie Harlow, actresses Tina Lifford and Ryan Michelle Bathe, singer Monica, comedians Nicole Byer and Dulcé Sloan, California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, and more.

The series features intimate conversations about important issues with honest opinions and surprising solutions that put people first. Emmy-winning presenter Carlos Watson hosts the panelists and 100 Black women across four episodes focusing on love and relationships, motherhood, beauty, and mind, body and soul.

OZY's unique primetime shows have included, "The Contenders: 16 for '16" a look inside the most dramatic 16 U.S. presidential campaigns in recent history, "Take On America," a groundbreaking town hall series featuring 100 voices, celebrity panels, and one explosive conversation, "Third Rail," the timely and provocative chat show where nothing is off-limits, and "Breaking Big" which explores how some of the world's most influential leaders broke through. OZY Fest, OZY's annual festival of ideas in New York's Central Park, has featured Vice President Joe Biden, Rose McGowan, Malcolm Gladwell, Laverne Cox, Salman Rushdie, Michelle Wolf and Roxane Gay.

"OWN Spotlight: Black Women OWN the Conversation" is produced by OZY Media. Executive Producers are Carlos Watson, Fay Schlesinger, Samir Rao, Marion Cunningham, Michael Melamedoff, Rufus Lusk, and Jennifer Ryan. Jennifer Ryan also serves as showrunner.

"OWN Spotlight: Black Women OWN the Conversation" is being presented in partnership with Dove, Baby Dove, and Shea Moisture.

With 50 million monthly unique users and 5 million subscribers, OZY brings readers and viewers "the new and the next," offering original content with an eye toward the future via its digital and TV platforms, as well as events. Called "the new media magnet for the news-hungry" by Fortune magazine, OZY's in-depth and high-quality journalism has attracted a number of high-profile media partners, including The New York Times, NPR, PBS News Hour, TED, The Financial Times, Huffington Post and many more. Guest editors have included Bill Gates, President Bill Clinton, Sen. John McCain, Condoleezza Rice, Kamala Harris and Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Founded in 2013 by Emmy Award-winning journalist Carlos Watson and co-founder Samir Rao, the OZY team is based in Mountain View, California, and backed by leading Silicon Valley investors such as Laurene Powell Jobs, Ron Conway, David Drummond, Larry Sonsini and Dan Rosensweig, and a significant investment from German publishing giant Axel Springer.

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey's heart and creative instincts inform the brand and the magnetism of the channel. OWN is a leading destination for a premium scripted and unscripted programming from today's most innovative storytellers. OWN's original scripted series include popular drama "Queen Sugar," "Greenleaf," "The Haves and the Have Nots," "If Loving You is Wrong," family drama "Ambitions" from box office hit-maker Will Packer, and upcoming drama series "David Makes Man," from Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney.

OWN's Saturday night unscripted programming lineup includes "Iyanla: Fix My Life," "Ready to Love," "Love & Marriage: Huntsville," and "Black Love." OWN connects with its audience wherever they are, inspiring conversation among a global community of like-minded viewers on social media and beyond. Launched on January 1, 2011, OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery, Inc. The venture also includes award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. Access OWN anytime on WatchOWN.tv or across mobile devices and connected TVs.

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