Photos: Witherspoon, Garner, Kaling, Ross, & More Attend Hello Sunshine's Inaugural SHINE AWAY Event

Hello Sunshine, a part of Candle Media, held its inaugural Shine Away event, a new experiential franchise created in collaboration with AT&T, on Saturday, October 21 at Rolling Greens in Downtown Los Angeles. The marquee consumer event brought the Hello Sunshine community together to connect women to greater possibilities with a day of connection, entertainment, and joy. 

Check out photos from the event below!

Hello Sunshine founder, Reese Witherspoon, kicked off the day by welcoming guests to the inaugural experience. She then took the stage with Jennifer Garner and Mindy Kaling for an in-depth conversation, moderated by AT&T Chief Marketing & Growth Officer Kellyn Smith Kenny, that explored how connecting has the power to change everything  and the impact of storytelling. Witherspoon next joined Tracee Ellis Ross for an intimate conversation about the lessons learned on their journeys that led them to the fruitful intersection of storytelling and entrepreneurship. 

“When I had the idea to start Hello Sunshine, it was all about creating connections through storytelling. I was hearing fascinating perspectives of women’s experiences in my everyday life that I was not seeing reflected in television, film, or advertising. I realized that in order to fix the problem, I had to be part of the solution,” said Reese Witherspoon, founder of Hello Sunshine as she welcomed guests. “I’m here to tell you that nothing is possible without the support of people who believe in the same dream. Simply put, we are all better together. It was always very clear that I was never going to be able to accomplish this on my own. This was going to be about teamwork, hard work, and passion. When I look out at the audience, I see many of the faces that helped me get to this place and it makes me feel so grateful. I’m so appreciative to each one of you who helped make Hello Sunshine happen and help tell our stories on every platform. ”

“Today’s event was so inspiring and truly showcased when women have the opportunity to connect with each other, we really do have the power to change everything,” said Kellyn Smith Kenny, chief marketing & growth officer, AT&T. 

Shine Away’s curated programming, bespoke activations, and robust digital content included a wide array of conversations with top talent across entertainment, media, literature, and more. As the day continued, Rachel Bonnetta moderated a changemakers panel presented by AT&T featuring Lindsey Vonn and Kerri Walsh, in which they discussed how they, as entrepreneurs, make lasting change in the world, offering audience members tools and advice on how they too can make their own impact that leads to great possibilities. Just after lunch, attendees were treated to a performance by duo Kiran + Nivi before reconvening for an afternoon of exciting conversations. Kat Stickler spoke alongside other modern social storytellers about leveraging authenticity to cultivate community, while Allyson Felix teamed up with female founders to discuss how to navigate the evolving world of startups. Hannah Bronfman, Lizzy Mathis, and Sophie Morgan led a motivating conversation about the importance of embracing passions while navigating life's peaks and valleys.

Shine Away attendees also enjoyed unprecedented access to beloved talent from the Hello Sunshine community. The Home Edit’s Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin revealed how to keep spaces joyful and clutter-free and also shared insider stories on how they organized for business success in building The Home Edit brand. Eve Rodsky of Fair Play and Dr. Becky of Good Inside came together for a moving fireside chat discussing the growth of burnout culture and their groundbreaking systems that can be put in place to create greater balance, boundaries, and navigate the challenges of modern families. Reese's Book Club authors Curtis Sittenfeld, Jasmine Guillory, and Laura Dave shared personal anecdotes from their literary journeys as they detailed how they found and wrote their own stories. Meanwhile, CNN’s Brooke Baldwin moderated a panel featuring authors Kristin Hannah, Cheryl Strayed, and Joanne Molinaro on how to face fears and build a better life through bravery, manifestation, and networking.

After empowering conversations, featuring Radhi Devlukia, Jasmine Guillory, Kristin Hannah, Jeanette Jenkins, Maluhia Kinimaka, Courtney Quinn, Danielle Robay, Libby Ward, Valkyrae and more offering their unique perspectives, the day concluded with a special, soulful performance by Dove Cameron.

Surrounded by an immersive exhibition of brand activations, Shine Away guests had unique opportunities to engage with both speakers and Hello Sunshine’s robust brand offerings. Throughout the day, Reese’s Book Club authors, including Curtis Sittenfeld, Kristin Hannah, Cheryl Strayed, Jasmine Guillory, were available for book signings. Attendees relaxed in the AT&T Recharge Lounge and enjoyed lunch from a variety of local women-founded food trucks. During the Sunshine Hour, they enjoyed branded experiences and experiential pop-ups while dancing along to Dove Cameron’s performance.

Shine Away is rooted in Hello Sunshine’s mission to uplift female voices and change the narrative for women through connection while encouraging communities and unlocking new opportunities that lead to greater possibility. The first in a series of events, the experiential franchise offered opportunities for fans to connect with inspiring entrepreneurs, authors, athletes, musicians, and one another. Shine Away brings the culture-defining brands from across the Hello Sunshine universe to life, including The Home Edit, Reese’s Book Club, Fair Play, and Unicorn Space.

For more information on Shine Away and the inaugural event’s programming, please visit https://hello-sunshine.com/shineaway/programming/

About Hello Sunshine

Founded by Reese Witherspoon, Hello Sunshine puts women at the center of every story it creates, celebrates and discovers. Hello Sunshine is a multichannel media company- shining a light on where women are now and helping them chart a new path forward. Hello Sunshine is also home to Reese’s Book Club, The Home Edit and Fair Play. These brands are fast growing in reach and influence with communities that are propelled by meaningful connections, commerce experiences, and sophisticated content and media ecosystems.

Hello Sunshine is part of Candle Media, an independent, creator-friendly home for cutting-edge, high-quality, category-defining brands and franchises. By bringing together elite talent operating at the intersection of content, community, and commerce, it helps to position leading entertainment businesses for accelerated, sustainable growth in the current market and beyond. Candle is run by its Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs, leading entertainment executives Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, and backed by investment capital from funds managed by Blackstone’s flagship private equity business.

About AT&T

We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and neighbors, plus nearly 2.5 million businesses, connect to greater possibility. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), please visit us at about.att.com. Investors can learn more at investors.att.com.

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