It’s no secret that pathways to success for Black women in comedy haven’t always been the simplest. That’s generous— they haven’t really existed. Thankfully, the industry is finally making space for those voices, and Kevin Hart’s production company Hartbeat is making sure that emerging talent in the demographic get their shot. 

Teaming up with the Sundance Institute, Hartbeat CEO Thai Randolph, alongside Candice Wilson Cherry, Jennifer Kushner and Michelle Satter of Sundance Institute, created the Women Write Now fellowship. The program champions the next generation of Black women in comedy, giving them the tools and resources they need to get their projects across the finish line.

“We’re cultivating collaborators in this process,” Randolph explained during a sitdown with the Women Write Now team and fellows. “We aim to treat them as such from ‘hello.’”