What does it actually take to turn celebrity influence into meaningful change? In this episode of The Village, I sit down with Rebecca Grone, Director of Impact at 11:11 Media, the global media company founded by Paris Hilton. Working side-by-side with Paris, Rebecca helps lead initiatives spanning advocacy, philanthropy, storytelling, entrepreneurship, and policy change. Rebecca's career path is anything but conventional. From theater and medical clowning to impact producing and helping build one of the most influential impact platforms in entertainment, her story is a powerful reminder that meaningful careers are rarely linear. We discuss what it's really like working with Paris Hilton, the mission behind 11:11 Media Impact, how celebrity influence can drive social and political change, and why storytelling remains one of the most powerful tools for creating impact. This conversation explores leadership, purpose, advocacy, career pivots, and the people working behind the scenes to transform cultural influence into real-world change. In this episode, we discuss: • From theater major to Director of Impact at 11:11 Media • Building Paris Hilton's impact empire • Turning celebrity influence into real-world change • Passing federal legislation and advocating for vulnerable youth • The power of storytelling and lived experience • ADHD advocacy and designing for inclusion • What people misunderstand about Paris Hilton • Leadership, purpose, and meaningful work • Entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and social impact • Building a nonlinear career and following unexpected opportunities Whether you're interested in media, advocacy, leadership, entertainment, or building a purpose-driven career, this conversation offers a fascinating look behind one of the most influential brands in modern culture. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ FOLLOW THE VILLAGE Instagram: @villagethepod TikTok: @villagethepod YouTube: @drnazvillage Spotify, Apple Podcasts: The Village Podcast with Dr. Naz ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ABOUT REBECCA GRONE Rebecca Grone is Director of Impact at 11:11 Media, where she works alongside Paris Hilton to develop and lead initiatives focused on advocacy, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, and social impact. Her work has helped drive awareness, funding, and policy efforts across a range of social causes, demonstrating how media and storytelling can be powerful forces for change.
