The Council of Urban Professionals is a New York–based organization that develops rising business and civic leaders, empowering them to achieve their individual goals and leverage their collective impact for a variety of nonprofit and professional causes.  In connection with its Inaugural Media & Entertainment Dinner scheduled for November 10, we asked them to list 10 women to watch in the entertainment industry.


SHERRESE CLARKE
Senior vice president, CIT Group
She’s one of the founders of CIT’s entertainment practice and heads the execution team for the Entertainment Advisory and Finance group.  In short, Clarke’s committed more than $2 billion in financing for film production companies like Dark Castle Entertain­ment (Gothika and The Reaping), Overture Films (Mad Money and Righteous Kill), and Alcon Entertainment (Dude, Where’s My Car?, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and the upcoming The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington).

EFFIE BROWN
President, Duly Noted, Inc.
The producer of the 2002 feel-good flick Real Women Have Curves, and indie films In the Cut with Meg Ryan and Sundance win­ner Rocket Science, is now launching My Place in the Horror, a franchise reminis­cent of The Shining and Rosemary’s Baby yet specifically targeted toward African-American audiences.  Additionally, she is producing two movies for Our Stories Films, Tracey Edmonds’ production company, and Polish Bar, starring Golden Brooks and Judd Hirsch.

MELINA MATSOUKAS
Music video director
If you’ve watched MTV or 106 & Park for at least 10 min­utes in the last three years, you’ve probably seen her work.  Matsoukas has put her stamp on the music industry, direct­ing videos for Ne-Yo (“Do You”), Snoop Dogg (“Sensual Seduction”), and Ludacris (“Money Maker”), among others. Remember the sultry “Upgrade U” video?  She codirected that with Beyoncé, along with more than five others from the singer’s last two albums.

MARGEAUX WATSON
Senior vice president of media relations, Universal Motown Records
Perhaps best known as a prominent music journalist who has written for Entertainment Weekly, Vibe, XXL, Spin, and Rolling Stone, Watson surprised industry insiders when she joined Universal in April.  In her new posi­tion, she is responsible for promoting the label’s entire roster of artists, including Lil Wayne, Erykah Badu, and Stevie Wonder.