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    Female stunt driving team launches in L.A., seeks to rev up diversity and inclusion

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2088 Views
    Dee Bryant (l) and Olivia Summers
    LOS ANGELES --

    Billed as being the first-ever all female stunt driving team, AWD (The Association of Women Drivers), has launched in Los Angeles with a trio of seasoned female stunt drivers sharing over 15 years of professional stunt driving experience in 500+ commercials and more than 300 films and TV shows. The collective is made up of Olivia Summers, Dee Bryant and Angela Meryl, and offers a diverse range of expertise across all styles and types of driving as well as stunt coordination, working on projects for such top clients as Lexus, Volkswagen, Toyota, BMW, Nike, Pepsi, Jeep, Sony, Adidas, Ford and assorted others. All together, Summers, Bryant and Meryl have doubled for top celebrity talent including Beyonce, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Rihanna, Vivica A. Fox, Kristin Wiig, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Sarah Paulson, among numerous others.

    In addition to offering their expert stunt driving talents to commercial and entertainment clients, AWD will provide support, networking and mentoring opportunities to team members, amplifying awareness for diverse precision driving talent and shaping the next generation of female stunt drivers. Within a space steeped in systemic sexism that has led to the widespread adoption of male stunt drivers wearing wigs to double as females–which is against SAG policies–the collective aims to affect change as early as the casting process. When it became apparent that Summers, Bryant and Meryl were experiencing similar barriers of entry for both female and non-descript driving roles, the trio banded together to champion women in the male-dominated stunt driving space. They aim to not only raise the amount of female stunt drivers in commercials, but also increase the racial diversity amongst them.

    “I was getting fatigued hearing from producers that they didn’t even know female stunt drivers existed,” noted Summers. “We have collectively had so many positive experiences working with incredibly talented drivers–both male and female–over our careers and hope that there will soon be the same level of visibility across all genders and ethnicities.”

    At a time when agencies and brands are re-evaluating their diversity and inclusion policies, AWD aspires not to edge out their male counterparts, but inspire stunt driver casting that is more representative of the diverse tapestry of modern U.S. culture.

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    Tags:Angela MerylAWDDee BryantOlivia SummersThe Association of Women Drivers



    Nimisha Jain named chief strategy officer at Highdive

    Friday, November 7, 2025
    Nimisha Jain

    Highdive, the independent creative agency behind work for Jeep, State Farm, KFC, BetMGM and Jersey Mike’s, has appointed Nimisha Jain as chief strategy officer. Jain joins Highdive’s leadership team from Mischief, where she served as EVP, strategy, bringing over two decades of brand strategy experience and a track record of delivering creative strategies & platforms that drive measurable business results.

    Jain will be based at Highdive’s Chicago headquarters, leading strategy across the full client roster while building a strategy practice designed to attract the industry’s best talent.

    During her four-plus years at Mischief, Jain helped architect some of the industry’s most recognized and effective work, driving culture-cutting platforms for brands like Heinz, Peet’s, Coors Light, and EOS. She also unlocked scaled growth across their MCBC and Kraft Heinz portfolios. Before Mischief, Jain helped build brands at Leo Burnett Chicago, leading multidisciplinary teams across the Kellogg’s portfolio.

    Across her career, Jain’s work has been celebrated on the industry’s most competitive stages--from Cannes Lions and Grand Clios to One Show Pencils and an Emmy nomination--paired with a haul of over 30 Effie Awards, including the prestigious Iridium Effie, demonstrating her obsession with results, not just reactions.

    “With AI’s rapid adoption and the noise level in marketing at an all-time high, strategy has never been more important,” said Megan Lally, CEO and Owner of Highdive. “There’s a rigor in strategy--deciding what not to do is just as important as deciding what to do. It’s our responsibility as partners to our CMOs and their teams to navigate those decisions. Nimisha brings that discipline, along with an... Read More

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