Eva Longoria wants to make a difference. The actress, producer, director, and more, has recently launched Hyphenate, a media group that wants to provide opportunities to diverse creatives. In a new interview, she discussed how her company plans on achieving this goal, and discusses the $50 million grant she was awarded from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, which will help her get the job done.
© GettyImagesIn an interview with Deadline, Longoria explained how she acquired the money from Sanchez and what she was planning on doing with it. “I gave a speech at this Women in Film dinner this awards season, and I said, ‘You know who helps women? Other women.’ So, if you are ever in a position of power to hire someone or recommend someone, recommend the woman, hire the woman on their merit, because nobody else is going to do it. Unknown to me, Lauren was in the audience, she later told me, and she thought, ‘I can help.’”
Longoria revealed that the grant is larger than and more meaningful that any other award she could receive, giving her the chance to make meaningful impact. “It allows us to continue to scale what we’ve been doing at the foundation with STEM education for girls, microloans and an infrastructure of opportunity. It’s the most important work I can do,” she said.
© GettyImagesMore details on Longoria’s grant
Longoria was the recipient of the Bezos Courage and Civility Award in March of this year. In a touching tribute, Sanchez revealed why Longoria was such an inspiration for women and Latinas everywhere. “Through her programs on mentorship, leadership, robotics and focus on entrepreneurship, Eva has championed Latinas and continues to do so as a storyteller. Eva, you know what, it turns out, superheroes look like you. Jeff and I are so excited to see what you do next,” wrote Sanchez in an Instagram post.
