Nominated By: Amanda Nguyen, Founder of Rise and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee
Age: 31
Based In: Los Angeles
Rebecca Grone serves as the director of impact for the advocacy arm of 11:11 Media, founded by Paris Hilton and Bruce Gersh. In recent years, she’s supported Hilton’s bid to end the Troubled Teen Industry, helping to pass the bipartisan federal Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which enforces government oversight on youth residential programs. She’s now awaiting a decision from Congress on the Defiance Act, which would allow deepfake victims to sue perpetrators, after it passed unanimously in the Senate.
“You might have heard about the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act of 2024, and more recently of the Defiance Act of 2026, protecting survivors of non-consensual A.I. deepfakes. You might have heard of the 15-plus U.S. state laws combatting institutional child abuse, protecting over 100,000 people. But you might not have heard of the incredible changemaker who turns stories into tangible change. Rebecca Mellinger Grone is a young American activist that you need to know. She started as a documentary producer, actor, and clown in pediatric hospitals. Today, Rebecca is the Head of Impact for 11:11 Media.” – Amanda Nguyen
Amanda Nguyen: You do incredible work as the director of impact for 11:11 Media. How did you get started in social impact?
Rebecca Grone: I started my career as an actor because I believed in the power of storytelling to spark empathy, connection, and change, but quickly realized I couldn’t make that kind of impact in front of the camera, so I moved into the documentary field. That path led me to developing documentary impact campaigns, including This Is Paris, which became the beginning of a long-term collaboration with Paris Hilton. Together, over the past six years, through her nonprofit 11:11 Media Impact, we’ve built campaigns that translate Paris’s lived experience into action across a range of causes that are deeply personal to her. My role is to shape the strategy and structure behind her personal story, ensuring the storytelling doesn’t just raise awareness but leads to measurable outcomes.
Nguyen: Your work is special because it bridges the gap between storytelling and tangible change, including around 20 U.S. state laws and two federal laws protecting youth. What is the process of turning stories into real impact?
Grone: Knowing that attention is currency in the world we live in, we’ve been successful in taking powerful, visible narratives centered on lived experience and building a full 360-degree strategy around them. That starts with a clear understanding of who we need to reach, and shaping the story with that audience in mind. I’ve seen, both publicly and in private rooms, how one story told well can shift perspective and open the door to real change. Building that bridge between influence, impact, and the everyday people at the center of these stories we are telling is what makes the work so meaningful to me.
Nguyen: What is something you wish someone knew about your activism journey?
Grone: Activism is often defined by its wins, but the reality is much more complex. The work requires patience, resilience, and a willingness to keep going even when outcomes aren’t guaranteed. For me, it’s also deeply personal, and learning how to hold that while still sustaining myself has been one of the hardest, but most important areas of growth in my journey.
Nguyen: Who are you most inspired by?
Grone: I’m most inspired by the builders behind the scenes. So often, movements and cultural moments are attributed to a few visible voices, but what I’ve witnessed are the people working tirelessly in the background to make real change possible. That kind of sustained, often unseen commitment to problem-solving, progress, and others is really inspiring.
Nguyen: In 10 years, what do you wish for yourself and for the world?
Grone: I feel incredibly fortunate to already be doing work that aligns with my purpose. In 10 years, I hope I’m still building at the intersection of storytelling and impact and hope to continue shaping what thoughtful, responsible celebrity advocacy can look like at scale. For the world, I hope we move toward greater empathy and recognize that progress needs to be measured not just by innovation, but by how well we protect and support those around us.
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