Ilene Chaiken

Co-creator of the critically lauded lesbian-themed drama "The L Word," Ilene Chaiken began her career as an agent trainee at Creative Artists Agency, also known as CAA. From there she wrangled a job as an executive for Aaron Spelling and Quincy Jones Entertainment. This led to her first television credit as a supervising executive on the sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," which starred up-and-coming actor and rapper Will Smith. By the show's second season, Chaiken had stepped up to coordinating producer. In 1996, Chaiken's writing drew notice when "Barb Wire," the Pamela Anderson science-fiction action movie, hit theaters. Chaiken earned a story credit on the screenplay, and went on to write a couple of made-for-TV movies: "Dirty Pictures," and "Damaged Care."

In 2004, "The L Word" debuted to controversy and acclaim. Alongside Michele Abbott and Kathy Greenberg, Chaiken developed the series, which centers on a group of women living in Los Angeles. The show's frank portrayal of Sapphic sexuality caused controversy that helped contribute to the show's success. Chaiken has gone on to serve as writer, director, and producer on the series.