Lisa Nishimura

VP, Original Documentary & Comedy Programming, Netflix

Nishimura joined Netflix in 2007, back when it was still in the DVD-by-mail business–and long before streaming was a foregone conclusion. She has been a critical leader in its growth to 109 million subscribers worldwide, making it the world’s dominant streaming platform. Nishimura oversees two ostensibly disparate categories–documentaries and comedies–which she blends through the belief that both are “truly social commentators of the day” (THR, 2018). She was a primary force behind documentary features like the Oscar-nominated The Square (2013), Virunga (2014), What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015), Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (2015) and 13th (2016), as well as this season’s Oscar-shortlisted Chasing Coral, Icarus, One of Us and Strong Island; documentary shorts like the Oscar-winning White Helmets (2016) and this season’s Oscar-shortlisted Heroin(e) and Ram Dass, Going Home; documentary series like the Emmy-winning Making a Murderer (2015); and stand-up comedy specials like the Emmy-winning Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping (2016). A former medical school aspirant, Nishimura got her start working for Chris Blackwell at Island Records.