Occupying rare space, Geneva is a pioneering multi-hyphenate, cultural dynamo, with a pedigree spanning every corner of the global media industry.

For nearly two decades, Geneva has been building a unique body of work driving transformation and innovation for the world’s most powerful cultural, entertainment and luxury brands including People, Entertainment Weekly, Essence, Architectural Digest, Food & Wine, Paramount, and BBC America. 

A leading voice on the frontlines of culture, Geneva often shares insights and commentary on global cultural phenom and race in America with wit, style and humor.

Geneva is the author of the forthcoming book Supervillain (Hachette/Legacy Lit, rep: Brandi Bowles at United Talent Agency), an oral history on Black women in reality TV releasing fall 2025. 

A Detroit native, Geneva has always been deeply fascinated by popular culture. A MTV-generation 80’s baby, Geneva grew up with her eyes glued to the television obsessively observing cultural greats across entertainment, music, and fashion. The 90’s cultural de forces Boomerang and Living Single had a profound impact on Geneva. She vowed to become a mix of Khadijah James and Jacqueline Boyer—but even fiercer. 

As a teenager, Geneva’s eternal love with media amplified when she’d hoard copies of W, Vibe, and Harper’s Bazaar magazines. But it was when she was even younger at the age of eight when her Mother Shirley noticed Geneva’s generational gift for writing, creativity, and expression. Geneva tested in gifted & talented programs as an adolescent taking university-level courses in poetry and screenwriting. 

In the early aughts, Geneva made her way to Michigan State University where her journey as a scholar and cultural critic commenced. Starting as a Journalism major, Geneva became struck by the juxtaposition of music, television, fashion, race and gender in America, training as a History and English major and Ronald E. McNair SROP Scholar with a minor in Black Diasporic Studies under the leadership of distinguished professor and author Dr. Geneva Smitherman.

Geneva studied throughout Paris, London, Scotland, and South Africa, ultimately moving to New York City where she earned a multi-disciplinary Master’s in Journalism and Fashion History from New York University’s prestigious Gallatin School. Geneva’s six-chapter thesis tackled the history of global fashion and Black women’s bodies in the age of Michelle Obama. In route to a PhD, Geneva decided to turn her love for academia and research into a career in media.  

In New York, living in the world’s toughest city, Geneva kicked off her industry career in 2007 as a reporter at AOL, Vogue Italia, NBC News and in the wardrobe closet at “The Tyra Banks Show” where she was an associate producer. Geneva developed an incomparable pen exploring the mercurial intersection of global culture, style, and race and gender in America.

Geneva shaped the voice and strategy of the world’s most authoritative media brands. In 2011, she became the inaugural Digital Style & Pop Culture editor at Ebony, and later led digital media strategy at BBC America and Paramount trailing a path into plum executive roles at Condé Nast and Essence throughout the 2010s.  

In 2020, Geneva’s leadership journey leveled even higher when she became General Manager of Entertainment Weekly, one of Hollywood’s most venerable giants. Geneva became the first Black executive to lead the brand in its 30-year history. In less than two years, Geneva was named Group Vice President of Business Operations and Strategy, overseeing the Entertainment division at Dotdash Meredith, a nine-figure business, including People and People TV, the industry’s most profitable media brand.

Geneva is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.—made in undergrad at Michigan State University’s elite Epsilon Epsilon Chapter, and serves on a number of boards including Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters Board of Diversity & Inclusion.

She lives in Los Angeles, and in fact, has more books than shoes.