Award-Winning Actress, Producer & Change Agent
Yara Shahidi: Biography at a Glance
- Yara Shahidi is an award-winning actress, producer, and change agent who gained recognition as the breakout star of ABC’s Emmy-and Golden Globe-nominated series black-ish.
- Yara went on to become the executive producer and lead of black-ish's Freeform spinoff series, grown-ish, where she plays "Zoey Johnson," an ambitious, fashion-forward college student, on her journey of figuring out adulthood.
- Yara balanced her career while simultaneously graduating from Harvard University, earning a Social Studies and African American Studies degree with a concentration in Black Political Thought Under a Neocolonial Landscape.
- Inspired by her extensive work with President and First Lady Obama, Shahidi founded Eighteen x 18, now called WeVoteNext, to shine a light on Gen Z and BIPOC inclusion in the political process.
- She served as the spokesperson for DoSomething.org and 3M's "Science Sleuth" campaign, which raised funds for classrooms in need of science and technology resources in Minnesota and St. Louis.
- Yara is currently the international thesis advisor for Ghetto Film School, the free, multi-year visual storytelling course for young artists in New York, Los Angeles, and London.
- She has been highlighted in TIME Magazine’s 30 Most Influential Teens, Forbes 30 Under 30, British Vogue Forces for Change, Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year, and Essence Magazine’s Black Women in Hollywood.
- Yara and her mother Keri launched their podcast, The Optimist Project, on which they connect with changemakers across different industries to find out what gives them hope.
- The mother-daughter duo also launched 7th Sun Productions, a production company with a mission to tell more stories, continue expanding the media landscape, and keep the door open for other creatives.
Media
PEOPLE: Yara Shahidi Is Challenging Herself with New PodcastW Magazine: Yara Shahidi on the Power of ObservationVogue: Yara Shahidi and Cartier Joined Forces for Female Entrepreneurs BET Presents: Yara Shahidi & Michelle Obama in ConversationEbony: Yara Shahidi on How She’s Helping Empower the Next Gen Through TechnologyPEOPLE: Yara Shahidi's Year of Yes
Videos
Biography
Yara Shahidi is an award-winning actress, producer, and the breakout star of ABC’s Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated series black-ish. Alongside her business partner and mother, Keri Shahidi, she expanded her relationship with ABC by signing a multi-year producing deal under the moniker “7th Sun Productions.”
Currently, she serves as executive producer and lead of Freeform’s black-ish spinoff series, grown-ish, which is the #1 cable comedy among the 18 – 49-year-old demographic. She also executive produces and stars in Meta’s new interview show, Yara Shahidi’s Day Off, where she joins her celebrity peers and gets a glimpse into their lives through a variety of experiences that reflect their authentic interests outside of their fame. Recently, Yara voiced Callie in Netflix’s animated film, My Father’s Dragon.
Shahidi can also be seen in the role of "Tinker Bell" in Disney’s live-action film, Peter Pan & Wendy. She serves as executive producer and stars in Amazon Studios’ romantic-comedy Sitting in Bars with Cake. Additionally, she appears in Apple’s upcoming American anthology drama series, Extrapolations.
Offscreen, Shahidi is a champion for inclusive media programming and an advocate for equity. Identified as a leader of the New Hollywood guard, she has received numerous accolades for her work outside of entertainment, such as TIME Magazine’s 30 Most Influential Teens, Forbes 30 Under 30, British Vogue Forces for Change, Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year and Essence Magazine’s Black Women in Hollywood to name a few. Inspired by her extensive work with President and First Lady Obama, Shahidi founded Eighteen x 18, now called WeVoteNext, to shine a light on Gen Z and BIPOC inclusion in the political process. A sought-after public speaker, Shahidi has appeared in conversation with university peers and thought leaders such as: Dr. Angela Davis, President Obama, Harry Belafonte Jr., former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Dr. Cornell West, Senator Cory Booker, and Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock.
Shahidi graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Social Studies and African American Studies, with a concentration in Black Political Thought Under a Neocolonial Landscape. Her final thesis for graduation was entitled, “I AM A MAN”: The Emancipation of Humanness from Western Hegemony Through the Lens of Sylvia Wynter.
Shahidi currently serves as a global ambassador for Cartier, Dior Beauty and Dell.
Topics
Womens & Girls Empowerment
Diversity in Media
STEM & Computer Science
Girls in STEM
How Being Multi-Cultural Has Shaped Her World
The Lack of Quality Roles for Diversity in Hollywood
Youth Civic Engagement
