The Knockturnal attended Day One of Hello Sunshine’s 3rd annual Shine Away, connected by AT&T and held at the Universal Studios Lot in Los Angeles.
Shine Away is a two-day immersive event featuring lectures, panels, experiences, personalized coaching, and interactive workshops to empower women to grow their brand, encourage boldness and authenticity, and decrease burnout. The Third Annual Shine Away event expanded its reach this year at the Universal Studios Lot, accommodating more activities and guests than ever before.
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 11: (L-R) Kellyn Smith Kenny, Reese Witherspoon, Karen Pittman and Mariska Hargitay speak onstage at the ‘Connecting Passion to Purpose’ panel during day one of Hello Sunshine’s Third Annual Shine Away Experiential Event Connected by AT&T at Universal Studios Hollywood on October 11, 2025 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Hello Sunshine)
Day One opened with a stand-up set from comedian Yvonne Orji, followed by a panel conversation with Hello Sunshine founder Reese Witherspoon, Mariska Hargitay, Karen Pittman, and AT&T Chief Marketing & Growth Officer Kellyn Smith Kenny. They spoke about the importance of bold storytelling and empowered audience members to derive stories from what they’re passionate about.
Throughout the day, guests could build their own schedule of programming and attend such workshops as “How to Make it Make Cents” with the CEO and founder of The Budgetnista, Tiffany Aliche, “Build Like a Woman” with author and entrepreneur Kathleen Griffith, and “Sunnie Session: Future Founders” with founder of “Boss Beauties,” Lisa Meyer – just to name a few.
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 11: (L-R) Zosia Mamet, Clare Leslie Hall, Sadeqa Johnson and Marissa Stapley speak onstage at the ‘How to Build Main Character Energy’ panel during day one of Hello Sunshine’s Third Annual Shine Away Experiential Event Connected by AT&T at Universal Studios Hollywood on October 11, 2025 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Hello Sunshine)
In between activities and workshops, attendees could stop by the AT&T Connection Plaza, chat with a career coach for personalized advice, improve their resumes, take a glamorous photo at the “Your Attention Please Glambot Experience,” presented by Novartis, visit the AT&T Headshot Studio to get professional photos taken, or shop at female-founded small business pop-ups such as Drop of Sunshine, Owl’s Brew, Sol de Janeiro, Zibby’s Bookshop, and more.
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 11: Amy Griffin attends day one of Hello Sunshine’s Third Annual Shine Away Experiential Event Connected by AT&T at Universal Studios Hollywood on October 11, 2025 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Hello Sunshine)
Additional speakers throughout the day included Chrissy Teigen, Malin Akerman, Lilly Singh, Monica Lewinsky, Brittany Snow, and more, and Day One concluded with a performance by singer-songwriter Maren Morris.
During Day Two of the event, guests participated in matcha and meditation with author and chef Candice Kumai; author and producer Tembi Locke read a chapter from her new memoir “Someday, Now”; Cars.com hosted a panel on storytelling with moderator Danielle Robay, host of the Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club podcast, alongside authors Raegan Revord, Tembi Locke, and Rainbow Rowell; psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldman and fertility doctor Dr. Lucky Sekhon hosted a panel to discuss mental health, fertility, and how to gain the confidence to lead their individual health journeys.
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 12: (L-R) Ellie Kemper and Angela Kinsey speak onstage at the ‘Powering Connection, Pursuing Joy’ panel during day two of Hello Sunshine’s Third Annual Shine Away Experiential Event, Connected by AT&T at Universal Studios Hollywood on October 12, 2025 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Hello Sunshine)
The day ended with a joyful and inspiring conversation between Justina Blakeney, Ellie Kemper, and Angela Kinsey about how to foster deeper connections within our friendships.
Shine Away also kicked off Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben’s book tour for their brand-new thriller, Gone Before Goodbye.
