Voices of Influence: Women Shaping Music, Media, and Cultural Identity

Influence doesn’t always come from visibility alone. Sometimes it’s built through consistency, emotional honesty, and the quiet work of shaping culture from multiple angles.

This feature brings together a group of women whose impact spans music, media, entrepreneurship, and creative leadership. From artists translating personal experience into global resonance to founders building platforms for others to thrive, each woman featured here reflects a different expression of influence, rooted in authenticity, intention, and cultural awareness. Together, their stories illustrate how modern influence is earned, not declared.

Shannon K

Music Artist, Actress & Model

Shannon K’s influence doesn’t announce itself loudly; it resonates. Rooted in emotional truth and shaped by a life lived across cultures, her artistry reflects a refusal to be simplified. Drawing from her Bollywood heritage, the grit and experimentation of the UK scene, and the melodic polish of LA pop and R&B, she creates music that feels both intimate and expansive. Songs like “Give Me Your Hand,” written from a place of lived pain and compassion, revealed early on that her work was never just about performance; it was about connection. That instinct has only deepened as her career has grown, guiding her through genre-crossing releases, global stages, and moments that test both confidence and conviction. In a landscape increasingly driven by algorithms, Shannon remains anchored to emotion, choosing honesty over trend and intention over expectation. She challenges the narrow definitions often imposed on women in music, proving that strength can be soft, vulnerability can be powerful, and identity doesn’t need permission to be complex. Whether through music that helps listeners feel seen or through her openness around mental health and self-worth, her impact lies in her ability to lead with feeling. As she steps into her next creative chapter, her vision is clear: to keep building work that crosses borders, tells the truth, and reminds the next generation that the most radical thing a woman can be is herself.

Iccy Rej

Music Artist / Entrepreneur

Iccy Rej is a South African-born, genre-defying artist and certified sound engineer who is blazing a trail in Trap, Afrobeats, Trap Soul, and Amapiano with her latest EP ICCY SUMMER. From viral hits like Balenciaga to her own reality show in production, Iccy Rej is an artist whose work reflects the perspectives of emerging, globally minded music audiences. Her multicultural upbringing and fluency in seven languages inform a sound that seamlessly fuses Trap, Afrobeat, R&B, Pop, Drill, and Amapiano into a cohesive, globally resonant identity. ICCY SUMMER reflects this versatility, blending bold emotion, relentless hustle, and unapologetic confidence, while tracks like Singalali serve as anthems for night owls and dream chasers alike. Beyond music, she channels her entrepreneurial spirit into ventures spanning beauty, fashion, and philanthropy, aiming to empower others and leave a lasting legacy. Through her various endeavors, Iccy Rej balances artistic freedom with intentional strategy, proving that influence is not measured by fame alone, but by the power to inspire, uplift, and transform.

Smallztru

Music Artist

For Smallztru, this moment feels surreal, an unexpected affirmation of years spent trusting her instincts, staying disciplined, and choosing emotional honesty even when the path felt uncertain. At a young age, she learned early what commitment looks like and how perseverance can grow quietly over time. Those lessons followed her to Los Angeles, now her second home, where she found both community and the freedom to embrace a voice that doesn’t echo anyone else’s. Her music is shaped by deep personal experience, particularly the loss of her father, a turning point that sharpened her vulnerability and sense of purpose. Channeling that grief into art became a way to honor him, transforming pain into something connective and meaningful. Drawing inspiration from the performance legacy of Michael Jackson, the melodic instincts of Justin Bieber, and the unfiltered honesty of Billie Eilish, she has crafted a sound that feels cinematic yet intimate, grounded in her own emotions, movement, and perspective. Building independently has taught her to trust the process, protect her creativity, and understand that growth often comes in small, unseen steps. Songs like “Calling Out” have deepened her bond with listeners, opening conversations around grief, resilience, and shared humanity. At the core of her work is a belief that vulnerability is power, and authenticity is non-negotiable. As she continues to grow, she hopes to inspire others, especially young women, to trust their voices, embrace their emotions, and pursue their dreams without compromising who they are.

Kalisha Perera

Founder/CEO Verse Entertainment / Host

Los Angeles didn’t just raise Kalisha Perera; it shaped the creative lens through which she now influences the next wave of culture. Entering the industry at 18, she quickly recognized that her work could contribute meaningfully to the cultural conversation. Her multifaceted career, spanning radio, PR, podcasting, acting, and digital media, has been anchored by one mission: amplifying voices and building platforms for stories that matter. From her early days at Young California and hosting on-air at Power106 to launching her own show, The Playlist, Kalisha has consistently championed artists with vision and authenticity, spotlighting some of today’s most compelling emerging talent. The pandemic marked a turning point that pushed her into entrepreneurship, giving her the freedom to shape culture on her own terms. Through her PR and marketing firm, she now supports music artists, music producers, tv directors, and music festivals, crafting strategies rooted in authenticity, data, and cultural intuition. With syndicated work across iHeart Radio and Dash, introducing her storytelling to audiences nationwide, she approaches her influence with intention, elevating diverse sounds, perspectives, and creative communities. As a woman building credibility both behind the scenes and in front of the mic, Kalisha continues to carve out space for underrepresented voices while redefining what it means to lead in media. Looking ahead, her focus is on expansion, developing bigger platforms, producing original content, and creating pipelines for women and emerging creatives to thrive globally. For Kalisha, shaping the future of culture isn’t about chasing trends; it’s about setting new standards for authenticity, access, and impact.

Sierra Lever

Founder/CEO Category 1 Entertainment

Sierra Lever stands at the forefront of a shifting cultural landscape, guiding the evolution of Hip-Hop, R&B, and Afrobeats. Rooted in purpose rather than prestige, her career has always been guided by the belief that culture moves forward when intention leads the way. She built her foundation by throwing her own parties, crashing on couches during SXSW and A3C, and forming relationships long before titles or visibility followed, learning the business from the ground up. Never confined to one lane, she moved fluidly through Gospel, hip-hop, R&B, pop, jazz, classical, and eventually global streaming strategy, discovering that culture is never monolithic; it evolves, reinvents, and demands respect. That wide lens, shaped by community and guided by the belief that “life has options,” became the backbone of her leadership style: service-driven, artist-first, and grounded in integrity.

She champions emerging artists not for trends, but for truth, hunger, originality, and voices unafraid to say what hasn’t been said yet. Inspired by women who modeled grace, intuition, strategy, and independence, she leads with the understanding that influence is a responsibility, not a spotlight. Now dreaming on a global canvas through her company, Category 1 Ent., her mission is clear: to push culture forward, build pathways for others, and leave behind the idea that betting on yourself isn’t just brave, it’s meaningful.