ABOUT Driadonna

Driadonna Roland is an ‘80s baby 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.

Driadonna attended Florida A&M University on a full academic scholarship and became its first Journalist of the Year. She started in sports with the Detroit Lions then became a Gannett newspaper reporter, which was the best training a storyteller could receive—what other job requires you to become an expert on a new topic every day? Next Driadonna transitioned to digital media, where her career took off at the speed of the internet! At a startup called BuzzFeed, she co-created the Style Guide and nurtured her passion for thoughtfully including underrepresented voices when she helped launch Black content sub-brand CocoaButter. 

Driadonna ran the website REVOLT.TV, before becoming a Swiss Army Knife at Complex NTWRK. There, she was worked directly with upper management on high-profile, culture-shifting projects. She penned features, profiles and branded content; developed and produced multiple premium original digital series; helped sell shows to other networks; developed dozens of live A-list panels at ComplexCon; and much more! 

While currently in the midst of a second act in television development, Driadonna continues to build upon her foundational writing skills as a wordsmith for hire + secret weapon for shaping content across genre and industry.

Driadonna is proud of her track record of joining organizations during times of rapid growth and bringing a refreshing yet potent mix of creative strategy, leadership and collaboration. And she loves to share what she’s learned as a speaker, mentor and co-host of the podcast “The Creative Cut Up,” a lively and honest space for storytellers that sits at the intersection of craft, business and creative freedom.

SPEAKING

Offering transparent opinions plus diverse expertise, Driadonna is sought after to speak on and moderate panels, host events, appear on podcasts and shows, speak to classes, lead workshops and expound on the following topics (not comprehensive): 

Cultural commentary, reviews, books, music, television, sports, beauty and wellness, diversity and inclusion, Black culture and community, career transitioning, storytelling across platforms, religion and spirituality, HBCU alums in media, securing IP, women/women of color in entertainment 

Please email to discuss.

Find Driadonna on the socials @DreeTV.