Fade In.
Int. Beth Fraikorn's Home
Emmy awards and film posters line the walls, signaling a long and impactful career in the entertainment industry. The accolades belong to Beth Fraikorn ’82, an executive producer, entrepreneur, and storyteller.
Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Fraikorn grew up surrounded by strong female role models. After her father’s death when she was 11, she was raised alongside her older sister by a single mother who taught her the meaning of perseverance. Today, she’s a driven, fast-talking professional who has never let the word “no” hold her back.
After decades in the industry, her list of projects is so extensive that she sometimes checks her IMDb page just to remind herself of everything she’s done.
ACT 1
When Fraikorn arrived at Lehigh, she wasn’t sure exactly what path she wanted to pursue. Her interests were broad and varied, leading her to explore classes in psychology, math, business, and photography. After earning her interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree, she began pursuing opportunities in production, advertising, and related industries.
Her career took a defining turn when she encountered the emerging world of computer-generated imagery (CGI).
“I remember walking into Symbolics, a computer graphics company,” she says. “They had these giant machines and were experimenting with CGI, and I was able to work in that space from the very beginning.”
That moment placed her at the edge of a rapidly evolving industry.
“Over the years, I realized I wasn’t going to be the designer,” she says. “But I was the one who could make the business deals happen. I loved being around creative people, and I could help elevate their work in that way.”
At a time when the entertainment and technology industries faced significant gender inequity, Fraikorn didn’t view being a woman as a limitation.
“Growing up in a household with two strong women, I was never exposed to the idea that I couldn’t do something,” she says. “We ignored the idea of limitations.”
That didn’t mean the challenges weren’t visible.
“In many situations, I was the only woman in the room. It was always apparent, but it didn’t hold me back. ‘No’ wasn’t in my vocabulary.”
ACT 2
After several years, Fraikorn moved to NHK, the Japanese broadcasting corporation. There, she produced Lost Animals, widely recognized as the first high-definition CGI animated film.
Her career continued to gain momentum. Fraikorn later joined Disney, where she became the youngest female studio head at Disney IDEAS at the time. As general manager, she oversaw animation, visual effects, and postproduction for broadcasting, series and films while helping grow the studio’s revenue.
From there, she continued expanding her role across the industry, intentionally avoiding being confined to a single lane.
Her work spans an impressive range of genres and formats. Fraikorn has produced more than 100 hours of true-crime programming, documentaries on topics like breast cancer and social justice, contributed to miniseries, Hallmark films, and even worked on children’s programming.
Despite the variety of projects, one motivation has remained constant: storytelling.
“What has always mattered to me is being part of telling meaningful stories,” she says.
While earlier roles were often driven by opportunity, Fraikorn now has the freedom to be more selective about the projects she takes on.
“At this point, I'm looking at interesting stories that might make a difference,” she says. “I sit on the Producers Guild of America’s board of directors and judge a number of competitions. If I’m going to choose a project and bring value to it, that matters to me.”
ACT 3
Throughout it all, Fraikorn remains humble.
“So much of what I’ve done over the years happened because I was surrounded and supported by brilliant people,” she says. “The people I’ve worked with have been such a gift.”
When she isn’t working, she’s often volunteering in her community or serving as an industry mentor to budding talent. Fraikorn also carves out time to recharge. She enjoys long walks in nature, tennis, and yoga. Recently, she’s even taken up metalsmithing.
Her advice for creatives is simple: Pursue opportunities fearlessly.
“Embrace the drive in you,” she says. “Recognize it and don’t be scared.”
Not knowing everything, she believes, is part of the process.
“I took a lot of chances in my life, and I fell on my face many times,” she says. “But that’s how you learn. You won’t grow otherwise.”
Fade Out.
The End.
