Jenette Kahn, First Female Comic Book Executive

Jenette Kahn served as publisher and then president of DC Comics, where she helped the company grow from 35 people (with three women, including herself) to 250 people with women representing half of the staff. Under her leadership, DC became the world's largest English-language publisher of comics. Kahn oversaw the production of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels such as "The Dark Knight Returns," "Watchmen," and "Sandman."

Before taking her role at DC Comics, Kahn founded three magazines for young people. First, she started Kids, a publication written and illustrated by kids, for kids. Then in 1973 she created Dynamite for Scholastic, which became the most successful magazine in Scholastic’s history. Her third magazine was called Smash; she hired famed graphic designer Milton Glaser to be its art director. Kahn graduated from Harvard with honors in art history.