Funa Maduka is a filmmaker and the founder of palmtrees, a screenplay incubator developing emerging writers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Previously, as head of international original films at Netflix, she pioneered the company's move into international film production, building a development slate across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. During her tenure, she earned Netflix its first feature film Oscar and Golden Globe nominations and shepherded the acquisition, development, and production of dozens of films, including Alfonso Cuarón's Roma, Alice Rohrwacher's Happy as Lazzaro, and Mati Diop's Atlantics, demonstrating her ability to identify and nurture complex cross-cultural narratives that resonate universally.

Previously, she developed and managed campaigns for film and television projects at Participant Media. She holds degrees from Cornell and Harvard, is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and is an awarded filmmaker credited with directing and producing the first Nigerian film to world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.