Beyond the Mic Drop: Stories for Climate Justice & Building a New World

Join us for an evening celebrating the release of Beyond the Mic Drop with author, filmmaker, and media entrepreneur Melissa Jun Rowley. The event begins with a fireside conversation exploring the stories behind the book and the role of story in culture, politics, and social movements, followed by an interactive climate storytelling workshop co-led by Melissa and Tory Stephens, Climate Fiction Creative Manager at Grist, featuring creative writing prompts that invite participants to imagine new narratives for climate justice.

Melissa Jun Rowley is a social, gender, and environmental justice activist, serial media and tech entrepreneur, and filmmaker. She began her career as a  journalist with CNN, AP, and BBC News, and then went on to build ventures and initiatives that bridge culture, media, and narrative equity. In 2025, she founded Climate Mic Drop, a platform convening frontline voices, artists, and policymakers to reimagine how stories about protecting people and our…