ABOUT Driadonna

Driadonna Roland is a ‘90s kid born and raised in Detroit.

A word nerd from the jump, she was the kind of kid who read sales catalogues for fun, impressed by how they’d fit such compelling stories into such a small space.

She went on to attend Florida A&M University and become its first Journalist of the Year. She began her career in sports with the NFL, then went analog as a newspaper reporter with Gannett. But when she transitioned to digital media, her career truly matured at the speed of the internet! At a startup called BuzzFeed, she co-authored the Style Guide and got to nurture her passion for platforming underrepresented voices when she helped launch Black content sub-brand CocoaButter. 

Next, Driadonna ran the website of REVOLT, before becoming a Swiss Army Knife at Complex NTWRK. Here she was able to pen profiles on celebs and cultural trends and write branded content features; create original digital series from development to post-production; develop and sell shows to other networks; produce dozens of live A-list panels at ComplexCon; and much more! 

In short, Driadonna built a track record of joining leading media organizations during times of growth and transition and bringing creative strategy, leadership and collaboration.

She’s currently following this up with a second act as a Creative Executive in film and television, working at Comedy Central, where she won a Primetime Emmy for The Daily Show. She is also building the independent production company HONEY CHILE, and is a newly minted member of the Television Academy. You can hear her discuss this journey as co-host of The Creative Cut-Up podcast, a lively and honest space for storytellers that sits at the intersection of craft, business and creative freedom. And you can find more of her journalism bylines here.