KD Hall on the Launch of Her Upcoming Talk Show 'Conversations with KD Hall' on KING 5
KD Hall, a businesswoman, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and the founder of The KD Hall Foundation, is airing the inaugural episode of her new talk show, Conversations with KD Hall, this Saturday on KING 5. With Newport High School 11th-grader Portia Polo joining as her junior cohost, Hall's show will bring audiences an array of compelling stories and discussions with various guests. Highlighting local and global issues, Conversations with KD Hall delves into numerous topics, from sports and women to health and wellness, all areas Hall has worked in for the entirety of her career.
"I've been doing this work for 20 years; our foundation's been doing it for ten years in this market," Hall says regarding segments covered on her upcoming show. "We're just bringing it to center stage now."
For Hall, the launch of her new show marks the fulfillment of a journey that has been years in the making. Graduating in 2005 with a degree in Broadcasting, Hall faced personal challenges that diverted her from pursuing her dreams in journalism and television. Undeterred, Hall embarked on a decade-long career in education and leadership while harboring a persistent desire to go into television. Despite multiple attempts to enter the field, Hall encountered obstacles in finding collaborators willing to put her vision on TV.
"I've had so many doors shut in my face for this same idea I brought to many people ten years ago. No one would listen to me. I'd get rejected constantly, and my self-esteem and confidence would sometimes be shaken," Hall said. "But what I would do is after my confidence was shaken, I would go right back to the drawing board."
While simultaneously trying to pitch her television show, Hall was balancing a successful career as the head of KD Hall Communications, a prominent strategic communications firm, and co-founder of the KD Hall Foundation, an organization dedicated to empowering women through education and economic opportunities established by Hall and her husband, David.
It was through her communications firm that Hall found her foothold in broadcasting when, in 2019, Governor Jay Inslee and the Washington State Women's Commission commissioned Hall to make a short film. Despite facing time constraints and a low budget, Hall rose to the challenge and produced Untold Stories of Black Women in the Suffrage Movement, a short documentary that received global recognition. This film started Hall's career as a documentary filmmaker and earned her an Emmy nomination, an achievement she has gone on to receive three more times.
"One of the things that's is always true about our films is that they're very real. They're very heartfelt, and we have young people involved in the creation," Hall said. "That takes us to today, with the launch of Conversations with KD Hall.”
With newfound confidence, Hall began creating the pilot for Conversations with KD Hall, which is sponsored by the KD Hall Foundation, interviewing numerous businesswomen and creating content. What started as a single episode evolved into an entire series, with plans underway for a second season focused on bringing in more contributors, guests, and stories.
"What you're going to see is a multi-generation of athletes, multi-generation of women and leadership from your CEOs at YMCA, your CEOs at the Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers, Big Sisters and them talking their role in lifting our overall region and our community," Hall said. " You may see a segment deep diving into the Seattle storm, these organizations I've worked with for ten years. It's taking those stories center stage and connecting them back to the audience."
Hall met Polo through her foundation's Girls on the Rise program, a 3-month leadership initiative that offers girls classes in professional development and leadership throughout Washington. As her cohost, she will interview younger guests, connecting Generation Z and Generation Alpha with the adult guests on the show and offering a youthful perspective on trending topics.
"Portia is producing those segments. She'll interview young people, high schoolers, and even middle school athletes," Hall said. “She'll interview her peers about mental health, sports, and the correlation between them. And that caters to her strengths."
Hall plans to expand her platform's reach in season two by inviting more Girls on the Rise program participants to take on roles as correspondents and cohosts.
"We're not that typical talk show. I'm literally taking a young girl who plans to be a doctor, who's on track to go to a D1 college on a full-ride basketball scholarship, and I'm teaching her how to do executive presence. I'm teaching her how to be a storyteller and hold focus groups about conversations that are bigger than her," Hall said. "We're teaching and leading the next generation, and they're getting to play out what they have learned on national television."
Hall and Polo will feature guests across different show segments for the upcoming pilot. As part of a sports segment, the lineup includes former NBA player and Polo's basketball coach Rodney Stuckey, a panel including Beth Knox, CEO and president of the Seattle Sports Commission, Maya Mendoza-Exstrom, COO of the Seattle Sounders, and Mari Horita, Senior Vice President of Social Impact & Government Relations for the Seattle Kraken. In continuing with sports, the episode will also highlight the Sports Star of the Year Awards Show, featuring exclusive interviews with icons such as Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and K.J. Wright.
Additionally, Kimi Lee King, COO of Doug Baldwin's Vault89, will discuss health and wellness, while Senator T'wina Nobles will examine the pay and equity gap in Washington state. With even more guests set to appear, the pilot episode covers a wide variety of subjects for viewers to engage with.
"When I think about this talk show, this is me just doing it. And I'm not only doing it for the girls; I'm doing it for me. My dream was slightly delayed, but it was delayed because it was meant for me to bring the over 1000 girls we have worked with in Girls on the Rise with me," Hall said. "The over 62 women that I, my husband, and our board have personally graduated from the University of Washington, Washington State University, and University of Michigan in just ten years."
In addition to the episode airing, the KD Hall Foundation invites everyone to its headquarters at 2100 24th Ave, Seattle, WA 98144, to celebrate the pilot's launch for food, an open resource fair, and a group screening for the episode. This event will begin at 6:00 PM, and you can RSVP here.
"I'm not somebody that's trying to be popular or get on TV. This is a dream that I'm fulfilling. Not only am I fulfilling my dream, but I'm also trying to bring the underdogs with me: the competitors, the overachievers, and the people who were told they were different," Hall said. "I'm able to bring all of them along with me. And that's why the launch of this talk show is so important to me."
Check out below the trailer for the upcoming pilot episode of Conversations with KD Hall.
Conversations with KD Hall will air twice a month on King 5, with additional content and episodes available to national audiences on KING 5 Plus. Make sure to tune into the first episode, premiering this Saturday at 7:30 PM on March 16!
