Kerry Washington is a show business veteran whose star power has skyrocketed in the past several years. Over the last decade, her roles in acclaimed movies like "Ray," "The Last King of Scotland" and "Django Unchained" have earned her NAACP Image Award recognition and widespread visibility. But it wasn't until her starring role as Olivia Pope in Shonda Rhimes' ABC drama "Scandal" that Washington truly starting shattering records.

"She's the first African American female lead in a network TV drama in almost 40 years," says De La Rosa. "She has expressed how thankful she is for not only her job, but also for the support of other African American women in Hollywood... She is a breath of fresh air."

If that weren't enough, Washington is also extensively involved in activism for government organizations that support the arts, as well as the movement to end violence against women and girls. From every angle, De La Rosa maintains that she's undoubtedly one of Hollywood's most admirable figures.

Similar to Kerry Washington, Viola Davis has risen through the Hollywood ranks in recent years thanks to her Emmy-winning performance in "How to Get Away With Murder," as well as in films like "Doubt" and "The Help." Although Davis' mainstream fame may be new, her presence in show business has a long, admirable history.

"Viola Davis has been around forever. She comes from Broadway," explains Renata. "Her work is exemplary, but because she's a dark-skinned black woman that the industry dubbed 'unclassically beautiful,' no one ever thought she'd be successful like she is now."

Ultimately, Viola Davis represents the hope that undeniable talent and grit can overcome the superficial side of Hollywood.

Flying powerfully under the radar in Hollywood is Chaz Ebert, the widow of late film critic Roger Ebert, and a woman Renata calls "a force to be reckoned with." Chaz came onto the scene as a nationally recognized civil rights attorney with sociology and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and DePaul University respectively. Her love of the film industry developed after meeting and marrying her husband, one of the most respected movie critics in history. Lawyer first, Hollywood mogul second.

Since her husband's passing in 2013, Ebert has succeeded in carrying on his formidable legacy, perfectly equipped to serve as the President of Ebert Productions, where she manages a slew of publications and events, including the annual Ebertfest film festival.

In 2014, Chaz Ebert co-starred in "Life Itself," a documentary depicting her husband's illustrious career. Unfortunately, the film was snubbed for a 2015 Oscar nod, but Ebert dealt with the disappointment with her usual eloquence and diplomacy.

"I think when someone shares their knowledge and lessons learned like Chaz Ebert does," says De La Rosa, "it shows their true love of the game."

It seems like Lupita Nyong'o is on the cover of every other mag in the checkout aisle now, but the Mexican-born, Kenyan-raised actress didn't shoot to worldwide fame until 2013. That year, she starred in "12 Years a Slave" -- a breakout performance that earned her a cornucopia of nominations and awards, including the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Since then, she has racked up honors such as People Magazine's "Most Beautiful Woman" of 2014 and Glamour's "Woman of the Year." All of that on top of the master's degree she earned from the Yale School of Drama in 2012. Impressive, to say the least.

"Many look at her and see perfection (as I do myself)," says De La Rosa, "But she admitted her own struggle to accept her dark skin growing up."

"Her poise, passion, and beauty are just a few things I admire about her," the ET producer continues. But Nyong'o is admittedly human, and in some ways, that makes her a role model more than anything else.

"What people may not realize about Halle Berry is that she's been very strategic about parlaying her star power into producing projects behind the scenes," says Renata. Beyond starring in high-budget, well-recognized films like "X-Men" and "Monster's Ball," Berry has taken a step back in the past several years to produce films that she feels are culturally significant.

Examples include 2005's soulful HBO flick "Lackawanna Blues" and the 2010 indie film "Frankie & Alice," based on the true story of a go-go dancer with dissociative identity disorder (in which Berry also starred).

"'Frankie & Alice' got a very limited release, but it deals with mental illness in the African American community, which is an [important] topic," says Renata. "Everybody knows Halle Berry is beautiful and talented, but she's a smart cookie, and people really underestimate her. She's a beast... but a quiet beast."