Deneka Dosant is a digital marketing leader with nearly a decade of experience across brand, agency, and talent management. She has held leadership roles at top firms including Shine Talent Group and Viral Nation, where she closed 500+ deals, built departments, and secured multi-million-dollar licensing agreements. At Kensington Grey, Deneka leverages her expertise in managing top-tier talent and content creators to drive brand growth and innovation in the evolving digital landscape.

How many years have you been a judge?

This is my first year!

What excited you about judging for the Telly Awards?

I’m genuinely excited to be a judge for the Telly Awards because, after being in this industry for so long, there aren’t many “firsts” that still make me feel this level of excitement. This will be my first time judging the Telly Awards, and it feels like such a full-circle moment. I grew up acting, doing commercials, and immersing myself in the entertainment and marketing world and now my career has evolved to the other side of the camera, where I get to help shape the stories and talent behind the work. Judging for the Telly Awards is a unique opportunity to bring both perspectives together and celebrate the creativity that drives this industry forward.

What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?

I started in the industry at a young age, auditioning for commercials, print work, and dance projects as a competitive dancer. It taught me one of the most valuable lessons early on, which is how to handle rejection. Learning the power of “no” at a young age shaped my resilience and perspective. It showed me that rejection isn’t failure, rather it’s redirection. That mindset has been foundational to my personal and professional success ever since.

What project are you most proud to have worked on?

This is a tough question because I’ve been fortunate to be part of so many incredible moments throughout my career. One that stands out is a Black History Month campaign I worked on with Twitch in 2020. At the time, I was representing a creator who was invited to Twitch HQ to lead an educational session that beautifully blended learning and entertainment. It was a truly special project as Twitch trusted us to take the lead creatively, and the response from the community was unmatched. The feedback, engagement, and sense of connection it built reminded me why I love what I do.

What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?

The most challenging part of my job is that the creator economy is still such a new and rapidly evolving space. There’s no set playbook, and you have to be able to pivot quickly, adapt to trends, and constantly anticipate what’s next. It’s a space that rewards innovation but demands agility, and while that can be challenging, it’s also what keeps it exciting and pushes me to stay ahead of the curve.

What do you look for to determine excellence in video?

For me, excellence in video is when it can activate all five of my senses. When I feel like I’ve left my couch and stepped right into the story alongside the characters. True excellence means the essence of the video is captured from the very first second, and by the time it ends, you need a moment of silence just to process what you’ve experienced. It’s that ability to make you pause, reflect, and feel something real that defines exceptional storytelling.

What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?

In my current role, I oversee a team of 15+ employees, ensuring our talent receive best-in-class service and that we’re optimizing their full potential as creators. My focus is on providing opportunities that help shape their brands for long-term success. On the agency side, I help drive strategy by defining our vision, setting goals, and making sure we’re showing up in the right rooms and at the right moments to continue elevating our presence in the industry.

What I love most about my job is the people. The team I get to lead and the incredible talent we represent. It’s deeply rewarding to help others grow, succeed, and create impact through their work.

What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?

Right now, I’m most excited about our plans to dive deeper into the sports space as we head into 2026. With the incredible growth of women’s sports globally, it feels like the perfect time to be part of that momentum and contribute to the movement in a meaningful way. Most of our team is based in Toronto, and with the launch of our new WNBA team this upcoming season, we’re especially excited to explore potential partnerships and creative ways to support and amplify this historic moment for women in sports.

Do you have any specific practices you lean on to spark creativity?

Yes! I often put on my favorite childhood movies, TV shows, or music as they instantly bring me back to a nostalgic, happy place where I felt the most creative and free. As kids, we create without limits or pressure, and revisiting that energy helps me tap into a purer form of creativity. It unlocks that childlike part of my soul where ideas flow effortlessly and imagination takes the lead.

What inspired you to pursue your career path?

My career path really found me. I’d been involved in entertainment from a young age, and that early exposure naturally shaped my interests. During my internship at Clear Talent Group in Los Angeles, working in their dance department, everything clicked. It reaffirmed that I wanted to build a career centered around talent, creativity, and storytelling. Since then, I’ve been passionate about helping creators and brands bring ideas to life and securing opportunities that move culture forward.

In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?

There’s a lot to unpack with this question! While there’s constant conversation about how short our attention spans have become, I actually think audiences are craving the opposite and wanting depth and longevity. Specifically in television, many of us miss shows that had multiple seasons with 20 episodes each, where we could truly grow with the characters and experience their journeys over time.

Now, with the rise of limited series and long gaps between seasons, that sense of connection is getting lost. To navigate this shift, I think it’s important for decision-makers to remember that audiences still want storytelling that takes its time and stories that unfold gradually, introduce fresh faces, and are crafted with real care. There’s still immense value in the kind of television that allows viewers to invest emotionally and build lasting relationships with the characters and worlds they love.