Oscars weekend in Los Angeles is usually a blur of borrowed diamonds and tactical dehydration. But on Friday, March 13, at the Beverly Hilton, the energy shifted from the performative to the purposeful. Los Angeles Magazine gathered 500 of the city’s most formidable women for their 2026 Women of Impact luncheon, and for once, the “impact” wasn’t just a buzzword—it was the point.

At the center of the room was Olivia Munn. Gracing the March “LA Woman” cover, Munn wasn’t being celebrated solely for her upcoming second season of Apple TV+’s Friends and Neighbors. She was there for the grit. Introduced by her close friend Jessica St. Clair, Munn sat down with Editor-in-Chief Jasmin Rosemberg for a Q&A that bypassed the usual press-junket platitudes. Instead, they dove into her harrowing, public battle with breast cancer and her relentless advocacy for early testing. It was a masterclass in using a platform for something more substantial than a self-promotion tour.

Before the keynote, the room was primed by a powerhouse panel moderated by Carly Steel. The lineup was a cross-section of LA’s actual engine room: two-time Oscar winner Ruth E. Carter (currently eyeing a fifth for Sinners), advocate Corinne Foxx, real estate titan Corinne Verdery, and legal warrior Genie Harrison.

Outside on the garden patio, the “Pink Carpet” felt less like a gauntlet and more like a high-stakes garden party. The guest list—a mix of legends like Jane Seymour and Jennie Garth, and the new guard like Aisha Bowe and Scheana Shay—mingled between Maison Perrier toasts and a marketplace showcasing everything from HRC Fertility to Mamazing’s latest tech.

As hosted by publisher Chris Gialanella and Beverly Hills Mayor Dr. Sharona Nazarian, the afternoon succeeded in doing the impossible: making a mid-day luncheon in the middle of awards season feel essential. It was a reminder that while the gold statues are nice, the real power in this town belongs to the women who’ve fought their way back to the table.

Photos by Irvin and Phil Limprasertwong