Bliss Griffin is a champion for inclusion in the entertainment industry. She helps storytellers – be they performers, creatives, teachers, students, or organizational leaders – to thrive by internalizing and living out inclusion and justice in their artistic workplaces.
They hold the position of the immediate past National Diversity and Inclusion Strategist at Actors’ Equity Association, the labor union representing over fifty thousand stage actors and stage managers. Over a span of three years, they directed all Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) initiatives, assuming the role of an internal consultant as well. Their primary goal was to ensure the genuine inclusivity of Equity’s activities while cultivating a strong sense of belonging for individuals who have been systematically marginalized.
With a BFA in Acting from the University of Miami, their early career was dedicated to the theater, where they worked as a stage actor for a decade. They became a member of Actors’ Equity after a year of completing their degree, a tenure that commenced with the portrayal of Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. A notable achievement lies in their reception of the 2015 Philadelphia Barrymore Award, an accolade earned for their contribution to the original cast of Little Rock. This docudrama recounted the historical integration of Little Rock Central High School.
Their academic journey also includes an MBA in Management from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business. During this period, they held the esteemed position of Gabelli’s Inaugural Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion. In this capacity, they collaborated with the Office for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Gabelli to create foundational inclusion training for first-year students, along with piloting the initial implicit bias training for graduate faculty members. Additionally, they revitalized a dormant student organization. Serving as the President of Gabelli’s Black and Hispanic MBA Association, they cultivated a vibrant community and promoted cultural exchange among students. Their efforts extended beyond the campus, fostering relationships with organizations like the National Black MBA Association and the Urban League. This connection facilitated exclusive networking opportunities and career fairs for Gabelli’s Black and Latin graduate students.
Their pursuit of education persists as they currently attend Fordham School of Law as an evening student. Their focus centers on labor and employment law, discrimination law, and entertainment law.