Lisa Cortés has been a major influence on the world of entertainment for over 20 years. Accomplished in both music and film, she continues to forge new paths, identifying and giving voice to stories not often seen and told.

Beginning her career in the early days of hip-hop at the newly formed Def Jam Records, Lisa became known for working with some of the earliest artistic talent in the genre, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Run DMC and others, as well as working with legendary music producers and executive ‘movers and shakers’. Expanding her influence to the world of R&B, Lisa worked with artists Vanessa Williams, Brian McKnight, Oleta Adams and more before crossing over to theater, producing soundtracks and ultimately starting her own record label.

Taking on new challenges in the film world, Lisa worked with producer Lee Daniels to bring Monster’s Ball to screen, winning Halle Berry her first Academy Award. Lisa’s film credits include The Woodsman (starring Kevin Bacon), Shadowboxer (starring Cuba Gooding Jr.) and the critically acclaimed Precious, which was nominated for six Oscars in The Best Picture, Best Actress (Gabourney Sidibe), Best Supporting Actress (Mo’Nique), Best Adapted Screenplay (Geoffrey Fletcher), Best Director (Lee Daniels) and Best Editing categories.

A graduate of Yale University, School of Visual Arts and New York Film Academy, Lisa lectures at various universities and conferences on a wide range of topics and continues to leave her imprint on modern media.