Dede Nickerson

Dede Nickerson’s got this wild, winding story that basically turns her into a legend in China’s film scene. She’s been living there for over 25 years—yeah, talk about commitment—and she’s not just hanging around either. In 2015, she set up Infinity Pictures with China Media Capital, which is kind of a big deal. They crank out movies for both Chinese and global audiences, mixing up languages, cultures, you name it. She’s always working with top talent, never just coasting along. Plus, she’s big into building partnerships and putting her money where her mouth is, investing in the industry outside China too. Before Infinity, Dede was the real MVP at Sony Pictures China. She put her stamp on flicks like Gone with the Bullets, Monk Comes Down the Mountain, and even the Chinese spin on My Best Friend's Wedding. Not her first rodeo, either—she produced the Chinese remake of What Women Want (Andy Lau and Gong Li, hello), gave advice to Dune Entertainment, and helped Paramount cook up digital strategies for the China crowd. Way back at Miramax, she was pulling strings on everything from Hero and Shaolin Soccer to Kill Bill, and got her hands dirty with sales and remakes across Asia. Oh, and before all the Hollywood hustle, she was crunching numbers in finance in Hong Kong. Besides film, Dede’s all about giving back—founding a school, running boards, pushing Special Olympics stuff forward. She’s got that double major from Trinity College and even did a Princeton in Asia fellowship in Beijing, just to round things out. Bottom line: she’s everywhere, always hustling.