Debra Lee
BET Networks chief Lee is always striving to take the programmer to the next level. Whether that means upping the original programming roster with shows like “Real Husbands of Hollywood” and “Let’s Stay Together,” or tackling important topics as it did in September with its one-hour special on the Ferguson, MO, police shooting of Michael Brown. This year, BET Networks received the Walter Kaitz Foundation’s Diversity Champion Award. But that’s not enough for Lee. “It will inspire us to keep reaching higher,” Lee told those gathered for the Kaitz Dinner in September. She challenged the entire industry to “look around their company, especially the executive table” and make sure it mirrors how the world looks now and will look in the future.