THR's Women in Entertainment 2011: Power 100

When DreamWorks finally locked down its post-Paramount financing two years ago, Bario, along with fellow production president Mark Sourian, had to get four to six movies cast, produced and in front of audiences as soon as possible. This past year showcased the fruits of their labor. "In the first year, for a company to get six movies up and out is pretty amazing when you're starting from scratch," Bario says. "That is something we're all super proud of."

Bario's slate included the summer releases The Help and Cowboys & Aliens, plus the drama Welcome to People, which filmed early this year. While the Jon Favreau-directed Cowboys underperformed, The Help, the first studio film from Tate Taylor, was a surprise hit with mainstream audiences, to the tune of $168 million in domestic grosses. But no matter the level of success, what Bario relishes is the impact she can have at a studio with a small staff and reasonable ambitions. "You have more of an imprint," she says. "Our movies are handmade. Say what you will about Cowboys, for better or worse there's a lot of me in that movie. The movies are really personal to us. We're selective."

PHOTOS: THR's 2011 Women in Entertainment Power 100

Raised on Martha's Vineyard before heading to Emerson College in Boston, Bario, 44, now lives in Sherman Oaks with her husband of 13 years and their two kids, Emma, 10, and Peter, 7. Time outside of work is spent hiking Fryman Canyon, catching up on Breaking Bad and West Wing episodes and maintaining the right balance between work and home life. "You can never pretend that the home is not the priority," she says of being present for her kids. "Whenever I try to middle it, they're unhappy. And their unhappiness is way worse than Mark Sourian's unhappiness."