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The Gracies Interview Series provides access to winners who speak on their experience and the impact that winning a Gracie has had on their career. The latest session features Gracie Award winners Jennifer Whalen and Meredith MacNeill the co-creators, writers, executive producers, co-showrunners, and stars of Small Achievable Goals and Dr. Mary Claire Haver, OB-GYN and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. The video is available below as well on the AWM YouTube channel through July 20th. After that time, it will only be available to AWM Members through the Knowledge Center. Please email info@allwomeninmedia.org with questions.

Jennifer Whalen is a writer, actor, improviser, and Showrunner. She is co-creator, writer and star of the comedy series Small Achievable Goals (CBC). She is also one fourth of Baroness von Sketch Show, as a co-creator, writer, star and showrunner of seasons four and five. 

Jennifer was head writer for the award-winning satirical comedy This Hour Has 22 Minutes. She developed long-running shows Little Mosque On the Prairie (CBC/Mind’s Eye) and Instant Star (CTV/Epitome). She has also worked on The Ron James Show (CBC), The Jon Dore Show (Comedy Network/IFC), and the critically acclaimed Gavin Crawford Show (Comedy Network/Shaftesbury). She originated the role of the Aviatrix in the Tony Award Winning Musical Drowsy Chaperone. She enjoys video games and is easily startled.

Meredith MacNeill is a Canadian showrunner, producer, writer, and actress. She is most known for creating and starring in the critically acclaimed series Baroness Von Sketch Show, which was named one of The 10 Best Sketch-Comedy Shows to Stream by Vanity Fair. VOGUE Magazine said, “Baroness Von Sketch Show is the best thing to come out of Canada since Ryan Gosling.” 

Throughout the seasons on CBC and IFC, the show received multiple Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Sketch Comedy Show & Ensemble Performance, an ACTRA Award and a Canadian Comedy Award. Meredith recently wrapped Season 2 of her hit comedy series Small Achievable Goals for the CBC, which she co-created, co-showruns, and co-stars with fellow Baroness alum Jennifer Whalen.  

As an actress, Meredith also starred in the CBC series Pretty Hard Cases which earned her multiple Canadian Screen Award nominations. She voices the role of Harper Cutlass in the upcoming feature Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie. Previously she was both a writer and regular cast member in the hit satirical news program This Hour Has 22 Minutes for the CBC.

Meredith graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England, and began her career working with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She later worked with Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Theatre de Complicite, Bush, and Arcola Theatre in London. She has also been featured in many film and television projects in Canada and the UK. Some of her work includes Your Money or Your Wife, Big News from Grand Rock, Peep Show, Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, Confetti and Man Stroke Woman.

Drawing inspiration from experiences in her life, Meredith creates by magnifying and championing distinct, comedy-forward stories from grounded characters for all audiences. Specifically lifting women in a protected atmosphere of collaboration.

Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD, FACOG, MSCP, is a board-certified OB-GYN and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The New Menopause, a book written to empower women with evidence-based menopause care, and the newly released New York Times Bestseller, The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again.

She earned her medical degree from Louisiana State University Medical Center and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), where she is now an Adjunct Associate Professor.

In 2021, she founded The ‘Pause Wellness, a clinic committed to providing comprehensive menopause care. In 2023, she launched ThePauseLife.com, a trusted resource for women navigating menopause. She is also the host of the podcast unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, where she continues the conversation on women’s health, empowerment, and evidence-based care.

A sought-after speaker and educator, Dr. Haver is a regular contributor to national media and has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, The Today Show, CBS Mornings, and Oprah’s Menopause Revolution, and the 2025 TIME100 Creators List. Her social media presence has grown to more than 7 million followers, where she continues to demystify menopause with relatable, science-backed content.

Through her writing, clinical practice, podcast, and digital presence, Dr. Mary Claire Haver has become the trusted voice in menopause care, empowering women worldwide to embrace this life stage with confidence and vitality. When not traveling the globe empowering women to lead their best lives, Mary Claire resides in Galveston, Texas, with her husband Chris, two daughters, Katherine Claire and Madeline Claire, and their chiweenie, Rex.

If you have a suggested topic of speaker for a future interview, please email info@allwomeninmedia.org.

Gracies Interview Series Archive

About The Gracies Interview Series

While loved by millions, few knew the real Gracie Allen as she was always in character when in public. The Gracies Interview Series, presented by NCTA – The Internet and Television Association, serves to strip away the persona and share the grit and wisdom of today’s media professionals. The Alliance for Women in Media has interviewed women and men in media across every industry and job function who have blazed trails for those to come. 

If you have someone to suggest for a future Gracies Interview Series, we would love to hear from you. Please send ideas to info@allwomeninmedia.org.

Past Gracies Interview Series Guests:

  • Pamela Brown, CNN Anchor and Chief Investigative Correspondent
  • Suzanne Rico, Award-Winning Journalist, Writer, and Podcaster
  • Katie Couric, Award-Winning Journalist and Founder of Katie Couric Media
  • Colleen Wheelahan, Morning Host on SiriusXM Symphony Hall and Host of Evening Classics on WUOL-FM, and Laura Atkinson, Host at Louisville Public Media
  • Julia Whelan, Author, Screenwriter, Actor, and Acclaimed Audiobook Narrator
  • Claudia Uceda, Congressional Correspondent with Univision Network News
  • Katrina B, Producer for Nessa On Air on HOT97
  • Emily Turner, Anchor & reporter with Action News Jax
  • Melissa Gibbs, Director of Journalism News Lab, Brigham Young University School of Communications and BYU graduates and Gracie Award winners Aubree B. Jennings, Alexa Elliott Johnson, and Anna LaTour Youngs
  • Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Co-Founders of Lemonada Media
  • Deborah Parenti, President & Publisher, Radio Ink, RBR, and TVBR
  • Jess Morales Rocketto and Stephanie Valencia, Founders of the Latino Media Network
  • Beverly Chase, VP, Current Programming & Development and EP & Showrunner, VICE on Showtime
  • Chesley Maddox-Dorsey, CEO of A Wonder Media Group, LLC (AURN – American Urban Radio and SupeRadio)
  • Paula A. Kerger, President & CEO, PBS
  • Cathy Hughes, Founder and Chairwoman of URBAN ONE, Inc.
  • Julie Talbott, President, Premiere Networks
  • Jessica Cordova Kramer, CEO, Lemonada Media
  • Marcia Cruz, VP Content Acquisition Latam, Vrio Corp.
  • Susan Larkin, Chief Operating Officer, Entercom
  • Jill Frederickson, Senior Vice President, Production & Content Strategy, ESPN
  • Dr. Susan R. Bailey, M.D., President of the American Medical Association (AMA)
  • Julie Moos, Executive Director, National Press Club Journalism Institute
  • Jason Bailey, President, Sun Broadcast Group and AWM Honorary Trustee
  • Vicki Lins, President & CEO, CTAM
  • Elaina Smith (Nights with Elaina Host)
  • Nicole Schuman & Seth Arenstein, PR News Editors
  • Annie Howell, Founder & Managing Partner, The Punch Point Group
  • Michelle Rice, General Manager, TV One
  • Mike McVay, President, McVay Media
  • Elizabeth Smart, Author, Founder of the “Elizabeth Smart Foundation” and Children’s Advocate
  • Libby Geist, Vice President & Executive Vice President, EPSN Films and Original Content
  • Shayna Sharpe, CEO of Regional REps Corp.
  • Karen Brodkin, President of Business Affairs and IMG Worldwide
  • Lauren McHale, Vice President and Director of Sales, Katz Sports Marketing
  • Hannah Storm, Award-Winner Journalist, Producer & Director
  • Suzyn Waldman, First Full-Time Female Color Commentator in the Major Leagues
  • Mickey Wilson, Chief Marketing Officer at WideOrbit

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