Jayzen is thrilled to welcome Karen Horne to the show. With over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, she has been recognized as a Diversity and Inclusion pioneer and pipeline builder. Through the programs that she creates and runs, she works to bring voice and opportunity to underserved communities and ensure that what we see as audience members reflects that communities that we live in.
Karen has had an amazing career, from getting a job at ABC while in college and working hand in hand with Bob Iger who was an emerging leader at Disney, to an inspirational meeting with Barbara Walters, she shares stories we can all learn from.
As an executive, she has worked across many areas of the entertainment industry, and now at WarnerMedia, she touches iconic brands such as CNN, Turner sports, Cartoon Network, and HBO and HBO, Max and Warner Brothers television, Warner Brothers films, Warner Brothers animation and Adult Swim - all with an eye on empowering diverse creators.
Guest Bio
Karen Horne
Senior Vice President, Equity and Inclusion Programs
WarnerMedia
As a senior executive with over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, she has been recognized as a Diversity and Inclusion pioneer and pipeline builder.
Since coming to WarnerMedia in March of 2020, Horne has been involved in creating and implementing multiple pipeline programs that aim to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities. These programs give talented individuals, who would otherwise not have the opportunity, access to the entertainment industry to showcase their talent. She has brought expertise gained from her career to create cohesive programs, ranging from entry-level to mid-career, that service the entire enterprise. These programs support expansion in areas that have not traditionally been serviced (i.e., virtual production, games, news and sports, animation, comedy, etc.).
Before WarnerMedia, Horne was at NBC Entertainment and Universal Television Studios as Senior Vice President, Programming Talent Development and Inclusion where she was responsible for overseeing in-front-of and behind-the-camera primetime diversity efforts for NBC and Universal Television. While there, she started the Late-Night Writers Workshop in 2013 which changed the landscape of the writers’ rooms by increasing the number of women and ethnically diverse men, both of which were lacking. Another extraordinary program she developed was Female Forward, which guaranteed shadowing directors an opportunity to direct an entire episode in addition to the traditional shadowing access.
The programs and initiatives she created and/or developed became the industry’s gold standard and a blueprint for many other companies. Her background in finding and developing new talent allows her great ease in working with the creative world, while her corporate upbringing and work with C-Suite executives allows her equal comfort in any board room.
Horne has always been dedicated to increasing equity and inclusion in the entertainment industry throughout her career. She has been honored with several awards and recognitions for her diversity and inclusion work and her service to underrepresented communities. Horne serves on multiple industry boards and has spoken both nationally and internationally on diversity and inclusion best practices. She serves on the boards of Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media, USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, The Alliance of Women Directors, RespectAbility, and The Urban League of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. She is a member of several entertainment industry organizations.
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