Red Bull's new web series MAVENS celebrates the careers of three badass women who are shattering glass ceilings in arts and culture.
AFROPUNK partner and record industry trailblazer, Jocelyn Cooper, Tom Tom magazine founder and musician, Mindy Abovitz, and muralist Magda Love are profiled in separate stories for their work in breaking gender norms and building communities.
“MAVENS is a new three-episode web series about people who encourage others to shatter expectations and become more than what society traditionally permits,” stated a Red Bull press release. The web-series launched in November 2016 and gives audiences a glimpse into the work and lives of three extraordinary women.
I spoke with Cooper, Abovitz and Love to learn what it takes to be a maven. For all three, being a part of MAVENS means more than just personal acknowledgment. It’s about motivating others, especially women, to make meaningful change in their own lives and in the lives of others.
“I hope that everyone, particularly those who feel marginalized or less than, will watch the MAVENS series and know that they are an unstoppable force,” Abovitz said.
Cooper said she was excited to be included in a project that departed from a focus on male-dominated culture. “I hope that the story might inspire people to follow their passions and stay focused on their goals.”
Magda Love
All the women expressed a level of social activism in their work, but for Love her intention wasn’t to become an activist— it was just her natural progression as an artist. “I think working [in] the public space gave me a sense of how important it was to use it in a way that contributes to humanity,” Love said.
In the video featuring Love, whose real name is Magdalena Marcenaro, she is seen working on a mural in partnership with a New York City public school and its students. Also, Love's perspectives as both an immigrant and a mother are major components in her story. “This generation is in desperate need of strong women role models who can empower girls through their intellect, their ideas, [and] their talents regardless [of] the way they look,” Love said.
Jocelyn Cooper
In Cooper’s vignette, we learn how she became a partner for AFROPUNK, a music festival that celebrates black culture in all forms of creativity and art. Since Cooper joined the AFROPUNK team in 2010 the event has become a global phenomenon, extending from its humble reach in Brooklyn to London, France and, in 2017, South Africa.
Cooper views her experience as a woman of color as a source of strength throughout her career in the music industry. “There have been many times when I am the only woman or the only person of color in the room,” Cooper said.
“There is a serious lack of diversity at all of the big agencies that represent almost all of the artists and touring bands in the world,” said Cooper. “That exclusive model is not progressive.”
Mindy Abovitz
Similarly, Abovitz’s episode portrays her as a musical powerhouse who has created a space for women to truly be seen and heard. Her magazine Tom Tom focuses on the experiences of women drummers and she developed an oral history of female drumming that has been performed in museums across the country.
Abovitz’s efforts serve a far greater agenda than simply covering girls and drums. “Mainstream media that purports to represent girls and women generally does a poor job of it, continuously falling back on lazy stereotypes and overt sexuality,” Abovitz said.
Abovitz calls legendary feminist and co-founder of Ms. Magazine, Gloria Steinem, her role model. Tom Tom is Abovitz’s platform to engage in good social practice and wholesome media representation that showcases female musicians no matter their race, age, sexuality gender identity, size or expression of self.
For Love, Abovitz and Cooper, their hope is that MAVENS will inspire people to become culture makers and recognize the achievements of other powerful women.
Visit Red Bull for more information on the incredible boss-ladies of MAVENS.
This interview was edited for clarity and length.