Producer, OWN Studios
It’s been a fabulous Black History Month: Obama is living well, the Oscars were #SoMoonLit….it’s only fitting we end with a blast of phenomenal Black Girl Magic. Not only is our final feature Black History in the Making- she develops the stories of others making Black History before our eyes including Queen-Mother Oprah Winfrey!
Corinne Gilliard is a rapidly rising Hollywood producer we’ve had our eyes on for over a decade. NBT Host Courtney Thomas and Gilliard attended Howard University together from 2005-2009. This was long before Gilliard would go on to co-produce “First Lady Michelle Obama Says Farewell to the White House — An Oprah Winfrey Special” in partnership with CBS Corporation which premiered to nearly 10 million viewers. “I’ve always loved the world of storytelling and working on projects that inspire and influence people,” says Gilliard in an interview with NBT. “Producing (in particular) appealed to me because I’ve always been the do-er. Producers move the project along and get things done regardless of the circumstances.”
While studying Communication & Media Studies at Howard University, the story-seeking Gilliard held summer internships with LA talent agencies and production studios such as Disney Television Group. Following graduation in Spring 2009, Gilliard headed back to LA for a brief stint working in production at Sony Pictures and PBS before Harpo came calling. “I met a Harpo recruiter at a career fair on Howard University’s campus when I was a senior there. I kept in touch with her, and secured an internship on the final seasons of the Oprah Winfrey Show. I moved from Harpo (in Chicago) to The Oprah Winfrey Network in L.A. when Harpo closed in 2015, and I’ve been here ever since.” Today, she continues to produce at OWN Studios on projects such as Emmy-Award winning series “SuperSoul Sunday,” and its spinoff “SuperSoul Sessions.”In her free time, she enjoys service and community relations – mentoring with Big Brother Big Sister LA and serving on the young professionals committee of the Los Angeles Urban League.
Her advice to fellow creators, producers, and entrepreneurs? “Establish and spread your network with your peers, and create on your own. I think many people starting out in this industry are too concerned with establishing “contacts in high places”, when your best resources are the people working alongside you. They will be the leaders of this industry sooner than we think.” We couldn’t agree more. Happy Black History Month!