Thursday, January 22, 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET

Free for WMG members; $15 for non-members (Zoom)

Are you afraid that AI is going to take your job? Yes—we all are! Yet one truth remains: artificial intelligence can mimic style, but it can’t replicate soul. Join Women’s Media Group for a thought-provoking session with award-winning author Jane K. Cleland, whose new book, Beat the Bots: A Writer's Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Age of AI, offers a roadmap for writers determined to stay both relevant and inspired. Guided by acclaimed publishing expert Jane Friedman, Cleland will share practical exercises to nurture imagination, spark original thinking, and resist creative conformity. Expect practical creativity boosters, encouragement to take risks, and a renewed sense of purpose in your storytelling journey. It’s not about resisting technology—it’s about harnessing what only humans can do.

Meet the speakers:

In Beat the Bots: An Author’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Age of AI, Jane K. Cleland offers science-based creativity techniques that will guide you through the writing process to unlock your imagination and help you create compelling stories that resonate with emotional truth in ways AI can’t match. Her other books on the craft of writing, Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plot and Mastering Plot Twists, both won the Agatha Award. Jane has also written fourteen novels in the multiple award-winning Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series (St. Martin’s Minotaur, with short fiction published by Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine). The series has just been optioned for film and TV. Jane is a contributing editor for Writer’s Digest Magazine and the chair of the Black Orchid Novella Award, presented by the Wolfe Pack in partnership with Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Jane is the Vice President of the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Previously, she served as President of the New York Chapter of MWA and was on the national board. Get to know more about Jane at janecleland.com.

Jane Friedman has spent her entire career in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Bottom Line, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing. Learn more at janefriedman.com.

Refunds available up to 48 hours before the event. No refunds for cancellations made within 48 hours of the event.

Tuesday, January 27, 6:00 p.m. ET (VIP Reception) | 7:15 p.m. General Admission

Gotham Comedy Club, 208 W. 23rd St. (between 7th & 8th Ave.), NYC

VIP Reception (includes 2 drinks and hors d'oeuvres during the reception): $95 for members; $120 for non-members

General Admission: $70 for members; $90 for non-members

VIP Tables: $380 for four seats; $760 for eight seats

Get ready for a night of fearless, full-throttle comedy with Women’s Media Group, celebrating women who rule the mic and the moment. Featuring Ophira Eisenberg, Akilah Hughes, Leighann Lord, Youngmi Mayer, Phoebe Robinson, and Maysoon Zayid with emcee Audra Boltion-Ortiz, this live show brings together some of the funniest and most fearless voices in entertainment. Invite friends, bring your sense of humor, and get ready to laugh, connect, and unwind with WMG. Reserve your spot today — general admission seats will go fast!

Want the full experience? Go VIP and step into an exclusive pre-show mixer where the energy is as bright as the talent on stage. Sip, snack, and connect with WMG’s Co-Presidents, Board, members, and special guests before the night’s comedy lineup begins. Your VIP ticket includes time for cocktails and conversation — because the best laughs start with the best company!

Comedians:

Ophira Eisenberg is a Canadian-born standup comedian, writer, and host. She hosted NPR’s comedy trivia show Ask Me Another for nine years and is the host of the new comedy podcast Parenting Is a Joke, co-produced by iHeart Radio and Pretty Good Friends Productions. Ophira filmed Inside Joke, her comedy special about surprisingly finding herself expecting at “an advanced maternal age,” when she was 8½ months pregnant. Her new comedy album, Plant-Based Jokes, is available on iTunes and is streaming now on YouTube. Her other comedy albums are Bangs! and As Is. Ophira is a regular host and storyteller with The Moth, and her stories were featured in two of The Moth’s bestselling collections. Ophira’s first book, Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy (Seal Press), was optioned for a feature film.

Akilah Hughes is an award-winning podcast host of Crooked Media’s What a Day daily news podcast, a USC MacArthur Foundation Civic Media Fellow, and the author of Obviously: Stories from my Timeline for Penguin Random House. Akilah has created hundreds of videos, garnering more than 100 million views across the internet for companies like HBO, Comedy Central, ABC, and her own YouTube channel since 2013. Her latest project is Rebel Spirit, a podcast in which she returns to her hometown of Florence, Kentucky to try to convince her high school to change their dated, racist mascot, “The Rebels,” into something “everyone in the South loves.”

Leighann Lord is a seasoned standup comedian who has appeared on HBO's Def Comedy Jam, Comedy Central, The View, and Showtime’s Even More Funny Women of a Certain Age. She’s performed for the troops in the Middle East and her Dry Bar comedy special has had over one million views. Leighann is the author of several humor books, including Dict Jokes and Real Women Do it Standing Up, and is the host of the online show, Skeptical Inquirer Presents. She is the official emcee of the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop.

Youngmi Mayer is a standup comedian and host of the podcasts Feeling Asian and Hairy Butthole. She has been on The Today Show, ABC News, Rolling Stone, CNN, Vice Munchies, Eater’s Guide to the World, and The Mind of a Chef. Youngmi's work has been featured in Netflix Is a Joke, Comedy Central, and the BBC. She has written for Lucky Peach, Cherry Bombe, InStyle, and Women’s Health Magazine. She is one of the rare comedians working today who has obtained success both on online platforms and in the mainstream.

Phoebe Robinson is a standup comedian, bestselling author, producer, actress, and publisher. Phoebe is the author of the essay collections You Can’t Touch My Hair, Everything’s Trash, but It’s Okay, and Please Don't Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes, and, in 2020, she launched her own imprint, Tiny Reparations Books. Phoebe is also the co-creator and co-star of the podcast 2 Dope Queens, as well as the HBO series of the same name. Other onscreen work includes the TV adaptation of Everything’s Trash and the standup special Sorry, Harriet Tubman, both of which are produced by her company, Tiny Reparations. She was the recipient of Variety’s Comedy Innovator Award for her work and continued contribution in comedy. Her second standup special, I Don't Wanna Work Anymore, premiered October 7 exclusively on YouTube.

Maysoon Zayid is a comedian, actress, writer, and disability advocate. She is the co-founder/co-executive producer of the New York Arab American Comedy Festival and the Muslim Funny Fest. She was a full-time on-air contributor to Countdown with Keith Olbermann and a columnist for The Daily Beast. Maysoon has appeared on 60 Minutes, CNN, ABC News, and the Oprah Winfrey Network, and had the most viewed TED Talk of 2014. As a professional comedian, Maysoon has toured extensively at home and abroad, serving as a headliner on the Arabs Gone Wild Comedy Tour and the Together Live Tour. Maysoon appeared alongside Adam Sandler in You Don’t Mess With the Zohan and has written for Glamour. She limped in New York Fashion Week and is a recurring character on General Hospital. Maysoon is the author of the bestselling memoir, Find Another Dream, and collaborated with Scholastic on her debut comic book, Shiny Misfits.

Emcee:

Audra Boltion-Ortiz is a seasoned PR executive with 20+ years of communications and brand marketing expertise in the entertainment, publishing, and food and beverage categories. Throughout her career, she has crafted and executed successful campaigns in tandem with industry leaders, including Conagra, Diageo, General Mills, Verizon, Abrams Books, Disney, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster. She has worked in partnership with God's Love We Deliver, Food Bank for New York City, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Audra has launched Emmy Award-winning television programs, led campaigns for dozens of New York Times bestselling titles, and facilitated workshops on media training techniques for New York Women in Film and Television. She specializes in extending the life of properties under her care beyond the bestseller lists and yearly award cycles.

Turn Big Laughs into Bigger Impact: Sponsorship Opportunities

Looking to elevate your brand and support WMG’s mission and programs? Become a sponsor of WMG’s big night of networking and comedy.

All sponsorship packages include recognition with your logo on the WMG website, in the event announcement newsletter, and in the event program, plus a shout-out from the emcee during the show.

Broadway Belly Laugh Package — $5,000
• 8 VIP seats
• 4 Sponsor-a-Scholar seats

Chelsea Chuckle Package — $2,500
• 4 VIP seats
• 2 Sponsor-a-Scholar seats

Gotham Giggle Package — $1,250
• 2 VIP seats
• 1 Sponsor-a-Scholar seat

Whether you’re sponsoring as an individual or a company, it’s a meaningful way to show your support, build your brand, and enjoy an unforgettable night of comedy.

Email us at info@womensmediagroup.org to discuss your sponsorship package.

Refunds available up to 48 hours before the event. No refunds for cancellations made within 48 hours of the event.

Smart Laughs, Big Energy is proudly sponsored by Jane Wesman Public Relations, Inc. and The Zelniker Dorfman Carr & Heritage Group at UBS.

Thursday, February 12, 6:30 p.m. ET

Strand Bookstore, 828 Broadway, NYC

WMG members only; FREE

Join Women’s Media Group Board member Kathleen Schmidt for an evening of bookstore love and camaraderie! We'll meet at 6:30 at the Strand Bookstore to wander and stock up on its rows of 2.5 million used, new, and rare books. At 7:30, we'll regroup and walk three blocks to The Smith in the East Village for a communal dinner to talk about our favorite books.

Note: attendees pay for their own books, food, and beverages.

WMG’s Small Group Socials are a long-standing tradition and remain one of our most popular program series. This is a wonderful way to facilitate meaningful connections among members. If you have any specific questions, please reach out to the host directly. All member contact information can be found in the Member Directory.