Shaneisha Dodson is an award-winning playwright and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Brilliant Girl and Black Girlz Productions. She was born in Arkansas and currently resides in Burbank, CA. Dodson earned a BA in psychology from Grambling State University, MA in counseling from Dallas Baptist University, an Ed.S in education from Walden University, and a certificate in women entrepreneurship from Cornell University. In addition, she has completed the self-made entrepreneurship program.

Dodson has received numerous accolades: 2022 Christian Women In Media Award (London, UK), 2021 Fade to Black Winner, 2020 Best Director nominee, 2019 Artist of the Year, 2018 Top 30 under 40 M-lifestyle magazine, 2018 Top 25 Women In Business by Courageous Magazine, 2018 Women Doing It Big Honoree, 2018 Top 35 Women to Watch, 2017 Best Director and Best Play nomination at the Broadway World awards, 2017 Best Theatrical Presentation winner by NYC Success in the Arts, 2016 ACHI Magazine screenwriter of the year, 2016 Black Women Are (Inspirational) award winner, (2) Official Selections for her first original screenplay, Finalist in the industry boost screenwriting competition, 2015 Best Playwright, 2015 Extraordinary Person Honoree.

In 2012, she took her love of the arts to the next level and founded Black Girlz Productions, LLC. Her company’s motto is “Dream BIG or go Home!” Her goal is to bring awareness to social issues through theatre. Dodson has written, directed and produced three full length productions. Her children’s play Dog, Cat & The Red Bird and Humans Are Weird arepublished in Drama Notebook. Her play Tired is published in the 8:20 monologue collection for New World Theatre. In 2017, her one act play Vagina Rights opened off-Broadway at the Strawberry one-act festival and won best theatrical presentation. In 2019, she curated a Love Letters to the Black Man event that received recognition from the Mayor of Houston, TX.

Dodson has also written and produced two short films that have won awards and received recognition by Senator Comrie of New York. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, spending time with loved ones and teaching youth about entrepreneurship.