From Webseries to Emmy Nomination with James Bland (GIANTS) & Deniese Davis (INSECURE) | Co-Hosted by The Blackhouse

Deniese Davis got her start in entertainment by producing indie low-budget projects including music videos, short films and digital content. In the web-series realm she is best known for producing Issa Rae's award-winning web series “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl”. She is currently a Producer on the HBO comedy series INSECURE and an Executive Producer on the upcoming HBO limited series THE DOLLS while continuing to produce and oversee content for Issa Rae Productions. She also serves as COO of ColorCreative, which provides access and opportunities for diverse and emerging writers and recently sold their first feature film LOVE IN AMERICA to Universal. Originally from Las Vegas NV, Deniese is an alum of CUNY-Brooklyn College and the American Film Institute Conservatory.

James Bland is an Emmy nominated actor, writer and director who excel both in front of and behind the camera. He is the creator, showrunner and star of the award-winning drama series "Giants" for which he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Digital Drama Series. "Giants" has won Best Drama at the Streamys, the Indies Series Awards and the International Academy of Web and Television Awards. It was the only digital series to be honored with a 2018 Voice Award for its contribution to behavioral health understanding. The first two seasons of the series have been acquired by Cleo TV and will make it television broadcast premiere in April 2019.

Brickson Diamond is CEO of Big Answers, LLC, which generates new partnerships and leverages impactful connections for clients in entertainment, technology and asset management. He also serves as an Industry Advisor to the AT&T Hello Lab mentorship program. Brickson is a founding board member and chair of The Blackhouse Foundation. Blackhouse works to expand opportunities for Black multi-platform content creators by providing pathways into career opportunities within film, television, digital and emerging platforms. He is a trustee of Brown University, the Middlesex School and Tides. He is a graduate of Brown University and the Harvard Business School.