Meghan Markle on motherhood: ‘It makes you more courageous’

Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Amy Coney Barrett is questioned by Sen. Kamala Harris, Michaela Coel talks ‘I May Destroy You’ and the creative process, and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex joins MPW Next Gen. Have a wonderful Wednesday.

– More Meghan. When Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex joined us at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit last month, we were thrilled to feature her insightful conversation with Fortune‘s Ellen McGirt about humane tech and how to build healthy communities online.

But there was more to come: the duchess joined us yesterday, this time at the Fortune MPW Next Gen Summit, to talk about the theme of “courageous leadership”—how she finds courage within, approaches risk-taking, and thinks about her role as a leader on the world stage.

Fortune‘s Michal Lev-Ram covered my conversation with the duchess, which spanned healthy social media use, how motherhood influences her approach to leadership (Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, are parents of nearly year-and-a-half-old Archie), and more.

Meghan’s thoughts on motherhood especially stood out to me. “My gut is that it makes you more courageous,” the duchess said, answering my question about whether parenting has made her more cautious or more courageous in her choices. “It makes you so concerned for the world they [your children] are going to inherit. At the same time, I am cautious of putting my family at risk by [saying] certain things—I try to be very clear with what I say, and not make it controversial.”

You can watch Meghan’s clip about motherhood here and a clip featuring her thoughts on social media—she points out that the term “users” suggests a tendency toward addiction—here.

Today at Next Gen, we’ll be joined by actor Yara Shahidi and her mother and business partner Keri Shahidi; Zoom CMO Janine Pelosi; investor Alexa von Tobel; and more. Read on for more of yesterday’s highlights.

Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
@_emmahinchliffe

MORE FROM MPW NEXT GEN

- Riding on. Peloton's Ally Love kicked off Next Gen reflecting on staying motivated—and being kind to yourself: Fortune

- Pinterest's problems. Françoise Brougher spoke to Kristen about her gender discrimination lawsuit against Pinterest, where she formerly served as COO (Pinterest has said it is reviewing the claims). "This problem can be solved only if there is much more transparency," Brougher said, specifically referring to pay disparities. Fortune

- Food fight. How are restaurants fighting to make it through the pandemic? Momofuku CEO Marguerite Zabar Mariscal and Mashama Bailey, chef and partner of Savannah establishment The Grey, took to the virtual stage to explain. Fortune

- Coel's creativity. Any I May Destroy You fans here? Michaela Coel spoke alongside HBO exec Amy Gravitt about her creative process and the pair's partnership. Fortune

- All about the vaccine. Once a coronavirus vaccine is available, how will public health professionals convince the public to get it? Chelsea Clinton moderated a panel about combatting vaccine hesitancy. Fortune

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Time's Up hired MomsRising's Monifa Bandele as COO and National Network to End Domestic Violence VP Latifa Lyles as VP for advocacy and survivor initiatives; former COO Rebecca Goldman will become senior adviser. Twitter VP of diversity partnership strategy and engagement Candi Castleberry Singleton joins the board of the Ms. Foundation for Women. The American College of Surgeons voted Dr. Julie A. Freischlag president-elect. Brex hired former Spotify global head of consumer and product marketing June Sauvaget as CMO. 

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Building confidence. Speaking of Chelsea Clinton's panel at Next Gen, this NYT story profiles Heidi Larson, founder of the Vaccine Confidence Project. Larson works to understand where lack of trust in vaccines comes from and determines how to address those feelings. New York Times

- Court questioning. On the second day of Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Sen. Kamala Harris questioned the judge. The vice presidential nominee grilled Coney Barrett on the Affordable Care Act and abortion rights. Questioning continues today. CNN

- Keeping her distance? First Lady Melania Trump's pandemic messaging continues to conflict with the President's. The day after he returned from the hospital and removed his mask for a photo op, she released a detailed statement about her office's safety protocols. The tactic is either about self-preservation or an effort to project that there is some level of sensibility in the White House. Washington Post

- Women of the Year. Glamour picked its 2020 women of the year, who include women in health care on the front lines of the coronavirus fight; 90-year-old Dolores Huerta; Regina King; and more. Glamour

ON MY RADAR

NASA finally made a toilet for women The Atlantic

The three-child American family, under siege New York Times

Solange Knowles: Reflections on stillness, joy, and the year that changed everything Harper's Bazaar

PARTING WORDS

"She’s still the woman in charge, who wants to own her life, whether at work or whatever it is. That woman still exists today whether she’s getting on a plane or not."

-Talita von Furstenberg, the designer and granddaughter of Diane von Furstenberg, on the state of the DVF customer who wears the brand's travel-friendly wrap dress. The duo joined the Fortune MPW Next Gen Summit.