of talking to children as equals, built the tiny cable network, which had only five employees in 1980, into an $8 billion business. Disney (1996–1998) Laybourne left Nickelodeon in 1996 to become president of Disney–ABC Cable Networks, guiding the growth and overseeing the programming of the Disney Channel and represented the corporate interests in Lifetime, A&E, E!, and The History Channel. She led the development of two projects that did not come to fruition: ABC 24 Hour News cable channel and ABZ, an innovative education channel. Laybourne played a role in the creation and management of ABC's Saturday morning children's programming schedule, with the successful launch of One Saturday Morning. Oxygen Media (1998–2007) In 1998, Laybourne left Disney and partnered with Oprah Winfrey and Carsey-Werner Productions to create Oxygen Media, a cable TV company dedicated to creating television and Internet programming for women. She also purchased three women-oriented online services from her former MTV boss, Robert W. Pittman. On February 2, 2000 (a date which plays off the chemical compound of oxygen—O2/O2), the Oxygen Network premiered to 10 million subscribers. LVMH was an early investor, but left in 2001 when Laybourne changed strategy from being an Internet company to a television company. Laybourne initially hired 700 people, but scaled down to 250. The company went on to become profitable in 2004. Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen, who invested in three rounds of Oxygen, forced Oxygen's sale in the late 2007 to NBCUniversal for $925 million. At the end of Laybourne's tenure, Oxygen had 270,000 prime-time weekday viewers in 74 million homes. Mentorship Laybourne started the mentoring program Global Women's Mentoring Walks, which pairs established and emerging women professionals to engage in mentoring partnerships in communities across the globe. Personal life In 1970, Laybourne married Kit Laybourne, a television producer, entrepreneur, author, and educator. They have been residents of Montclair, New Jersey and have two children and four grandchildren. Her daughter, Emmy Laybourne, is an author of a series of young adult novels called Monument 14 and is an actress who has appeared in Superstar and other films. Her son Sam is a former child actor and an Emmy-nominated writer and producer on shows such as Black-ish, Arrested Development, Cougar Town, The Michael J. Fox Show and Grandfathered with John Stamos. Boards and memberships 9 Story Media Group, Board Member Acumen Fund, Advisor Betaworks, Board Member Katapult, Chairman of the Board, Co-Founder