Lea-Ann Berst

No stranger to bias, Lea-Ann W. Berst entered her career at a time where she had to fight for many of her career achievements and had assumed her struggles made it easier for today's women entering the workforce. But when her daughter, filmmaker Ashley Maria, revealed her ambition had been eroding and was feeling like she should give up, this daughter/mother duo picked up their cameras to find out what was going on...and why.

MOVIE SCREENING AT SXSW EDU MARCH 8: Pioneers in Skirts | 11am CST | Austin Convention Center/Ballroom A. The daughter/mother filmmaking team will be joined on stage by two Educators -- Sharon Cuffee & Frank Reed -- for a post-screening conversation about How To Use The Power Of Film To Positively Interact With And Influence Students.

Pioneers in Skirts producer – Lea-Ann is a filmmaker and global activation professional based in Raleigh, NC. She was originally known for her “first-to-market” product marketing launches -- and today, Lea-Ann is known for her work as a writer and producer of documentaries focused on cultural change.

Lea-Ann's career spans from Product Management to Brand Activation in the tech industry, and now Impact Producing & Outreach Activation for documentary films. She has been producing documentaries since 2009.