C-Suite Elite! These Black Woman Bosses Are Knocking Down Doors in Hollywood
by Yasmine Jameelah
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March 17, 2023

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C-Suite Elite! These Black Woman Bosses Are Knocking Down Doors in Hollywood

It ain’t easy breaking into the C-suite, but gone are the days where we take no for an answer. Black women are being bolder, shining brighter, and doing better than generations before us ever dreamed. Did y’all know Black women only account for 4% of C-suite positions (a company’s top management positions where the “C” stands for “chief.” for ex. CEO, CFO, CIO, COO, etc.) versus 62% for white men and 20% for white women, according to McKinsey & Co. Well, those are the stats.

Despite the statistics and stories that stretch back generations that will tell us leadership doesn’t come in color, still we rise and take up space in the most phenomenal way! With sisterhood and self-love at the core, Black Love is highlighting some of the women in the C-suite we most admire for their achievements for Women’s History Month. Week one, we began with media powerhouses; in week two, we honored women changing the game in the sports world, this week we’re headed to Hollywood! Let’s honor these bosses and their journeys to being the change we want to see, both in front of and behind the camera!

Tara Duncan – President of Freeform Onyx Collective

C-Suite Elite! These Black Woman Bosses Are Knocking Down Doors in Hollywood
Tara Duncan

Tara Duncan is the president of Freeform and Onyx Collective, and she’s truly excited about this place in her career. “Dedicating your career to creators of color and to audiences of color is not in any way a sacrifice, but really an opportunity” were her sentiments when sharing her excitement for this role in an interview with Variety. From Tara’s most recent work on legal drama “Reasonable Doubt” with Raamla Mohamed and Kerry Washington to “The Hair Tales” with Tracee Ellis Ross, and “Unprisoned,” Duncan is making space for beautiful and intentional stories to be seen.  

Nicole Brown – Sony Tristar President

C-Suite Elite! These Black Woman Bosses Are Knocking Down Doors in Hollywood
Nicole Brown

Nicole recently shared with Essence that she grew up a child actor in Los Angeles, so it’s no surprise that she fell in love with storytelling! It wasn’t until she was curious about what it would be like to be behind the scenes that she took an interest in working on the other side of the camera. Today, Brown is the president of TriStar Pictures and responsible for securing projects like the musical biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” based on the life and music of iconic singer Whitney Houston, “The Woman King,” “Happiest Season,” “Matilda the Musical,” Scott Derrickson’s sequel to “Labyrinth” and more. 

Myiea Coy – Confluential Films EVP 

C-Suite Elite! These Black Woman Bosses Are Knocking Down Doors in Hollywood
Myiea Coy

Watch out for Myiea! Myiea Coy is an Emmy award-winning executive producer and writer known for executive producing Lizzo’s “Watch Out for The Big GRRRLs” for Amazon Prime. She previously served as vice president of development at Bunim Murray Productions, where she co-developed the animated PBS special “The Day You Begin,” was executive producer on the Facebook Watch series “Collab Crib,” and produced “Real World Homecoming: New York” for Paramount +. Coy was recently tapped to become senior vice president of Tommy Oliver’s Confluential Films! When Black Love, Inc. asked Myiea what advice she would give Black women who are looking to work their way up in Hollywood, her response was to work with other Black women — and we love that! 

“​​Build a circle of cohorts that you can grow with. Surround yourself with Black women who are on the grind with you and you’ll be surprised at once you’re at the C-suite level, the women you’ve been working alongside and grinding with might just be the person you’re selling your content to.”

Channing Dungey – Warner Bros. Television Chairperson

C-Suite Elite! These Black Woman Bosses Are Knocking Down Doors in Hollywood
Channing Dungey

It’s the homecoming for us! Earlier in her career, Channing Dungey started as a production executive at Warner Bros., and today she serves as the chairman of Warner Bro. Television Group. Prior to her return, Dungey most recently served as vice president of Original Series at Netflix. During that time, she shepherded high-profile series like “Self Made: Inspired By The Life of Madam CJ Walker,” starring Octavia Spencer, “Bridgerton,” “Inventing Anna,” and “Emily in Paris.”

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Shone Jemmott – Corporate Communications CAA Executive

C-Suite Elite! These Black Woman Bosses Are Knocking Down Doors in Hollywood
Shone Jemmott

Shone Jemmott serves as executive, strategic communications at Creative Artists Agency (CAA). The proud Howard grad currently has led a varied and diverse career in public relations, spanning 15+ years (in which for 6 years she left everything and everyone she’d ever known and lived in Dubai working for Dubai Atlantis and later Legoland – come on dedication!) on both the agency and client-side in the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates. Jemmot credits her career longevity to authenticity and maintaining relationships. 

I cannot overstate the importance of maintaining authentic relationships at all levels of your career. It is important to check in with people in your circle, or who you want to have a relationship with, just because and not only when you need something. Don’t ever underestimate the value of a handwritten note, not an email or text message. It makes all of the difference.

Zola Mashariki – Head of Audible Studios

C-Suite Elite! These Black Woman Bosses Are Knocking Down Doors in Hollywood
Zola Mashariki

Zola Mashariki is the head of Audible studios and has worked in the industry over 20 years (working with companies such as BET and Fox Searchlight) and bringing to the big and small screens movies like “Notorious,” “The New Edition Story,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Secret Life of Bees,” “Antwoine Fisher,” and more. Did we neglect to mention she’s a whole attorney and Harvard grad?! Keep killing it, Zola, we see you! 

Latasha Gillespie – Amazon Studios Head of Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

C-Suite Elite! These Black Woman Bosses Are Knocking Down Doors in Hollywood
Latasha Gillespie

Named one of the Most Powerful Women in Corporate Diversity by Black Enterprise, Latasha Gillespie is now leading the charge for change as the executive head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Amazon Studios! Her role is to build mechanisms to improve the diversity and inclusion of content, creatives, and the ecosystem across Amazon Studios. She is up for the challenge and already making her mark by leading the creation of Amazon’s first Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) conference! Gillespie is committed to diversity in front of (hey “Harlem” — we loved season 2!) and behind the camera.

Niija Kuykendall – Netflix VP of Film Hollywood 

C-Suite Elite! These Black Woman Bosses Are Knocking Down Doors in Hollywood
Niija Kuykendall

Niija Kuykendall is Netflix’s vice president of Film. There were two times when she almost left the business in her career, and we’re so glad this queen didn’t because her resume is beyond impressive! Overseeing the Oscar-winning drama “Judas and the Black Messiah,” the award-winning remake of “A Star Is Born,” “Just Mercy,” and more during her incredible career, the Brown University alum and Inglewood native is committed to partnering with diverse filmmakers to tell meaningful stories. Beyond her work in film, Kuykendall is also passionate about diversity and ensuring that women and younger voices are heard. She serves on the board of directors of Women in Film, Brown University’s Women’s Leadership Council, and the Emma Bowen Foundation for Multicultural Interests in Media. She also spearheaded the MACRO x The Black List Feature Screenwriter Incubator to help elevate screenwriters of color.

Deniese Davis – Reform Media Group CEO

C-Suite Elite! These Black Woman Bosses Are Knocking Down Doors in Hollywood
Deniese Davis

Deniese Davis is a force. She’s a three-time Emmy-nominated producer and the founder and CEO of Reform Media Group, a media company focused on changing how marginalized stories are told. She began her career producing music videos, short films, and digital content, including Issa Rae’s award-winning web series “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl.” Her recent producing credits include co-executive producer on the HBO comedy series “Insecure,” producer on HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” and executive producer on the HBO Max comedy series “Rap Sh*t.” What’s next for Deniese? A development deal with Tyler Perry Studios to bring more diverse storytelling to the television and film industry. We’ll be tuning in for sure! 

We hope that you feel just as inspired by these women in the C-suite as we do. Always remember that you can write your own story (personally and professionally) and these women taking over Hollywood are here to show us that Black women can be and do ANYTHING! 

Have a Black woman in the C-suite that you admire? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned for the next round of bosses we highlight in an all new field! 

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