Channing Dungey is one of the top executives in Hollywood. As a self-described TV junkie, she has helped develop many addictive hits like Scandal, Quantico, Once Upon a Time, and American Crime and brought them to the small screen. A few months ago, she took over the chairwoman’s role at Warner Bros. Television group, one of the biggest television studios in the industry, becoming the first person of color to hold this position.

Her experience in entertainment dates back to the beginning of her career. Born in California, she graduated from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television and began her career as a development assistant for Davis Entertainment at 20th Century Fox, before later joining Warner Bros. for the first time as a production assistant.

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She joined ABC family in 2004 where she held various positions over the years and shepherded a wide range of successful programming. In 2016, she took over the role of president, becoming the first Black executive to run an entertainment division at a major U.S. broadcast network.

After ABC and a two-year stint at Netflix as vice president of original content, she took control of Warner Bros. earlier this year. Throughout her career, not only has she helped to develop many hit shows, but she also presented herself as a strong activist.

“I'm fortunate to be in a position to support nonprofits that align with my personal priorities, which include women's health issues, cancer research, environmental concerns, and education for women and children domestically and globally,” she explained.

Dungey is the founding member of the Step Up Women’s Network, a national non-profit membership organization dedicated to strengthening community resources for women and girls. She also sits on the board of Children’s Institute, one of the largest non-profit agencies of its kind working to transform the lives of children exposed to adversity and poverty in Los Angeles.

As an entertainment industry trailblazer, she knows about being “first.” Over the years, she made many power moves and broken countless barriers, but always without overlooking the less fortunate.