Women of Brilliance Spotlight: Brilliant Girl Founder, Shaneisha Dodson

As we celebrate International Black Women’s History Month we searched for some of the best women in the business and creative space to introduce our readers to. Today we are highlighting Shaneisha Dodson, an award-winning playwright, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Brilliant Girl and Black Girlz Productions.

Shaneisha created the first ever 18-inch black superhero doll, Sugamama. Her company’s goal is to bring more representation into the toy industry. In 2022, Dodson donated over 90 dolls to children in need. She plans to increase this number in 2023. When Dodson is not working on her plays or creating her next doll, she enjoys dancing and spending time with loved ones.

Some of Shaneisha accolades include the 2022 Christian Women In Media Award (London, UK), 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 to name a few.

We obtained an exclusive interview with Shaneisha to learn about what success means to her, why representation is important, and more.

Where are you from and where do you reside now?

Shaneisha: I was born in Arkansas and currently reside in Burbank, CA.

What is your educational background?

Shaneisha: I 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.

What do you define as success?

Shaneisha: Success is me achieving my goals. Rather it is a big goal or a small one.

What is your proudest business accomplishment?

Shaneisha: My proudest business accomplishment is donating over 90 dolls to children in need.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Shaneisha: I plan to promote my doll Sugamama, the first black 18-inch superhero doll, that I launched in November 2022. I also plan to start working on the first animation series focused on Sugamama. In addition, I will be touring with my third children’s book Amina Fairy-In-Training. It’s a book that encourages children to never give up on their dreams.

Why do you feel representation is so important?

Shaneisha: Representation is important because it allows us to see ourselves. Sometimes we have to see people who look like us in different roles in order to believe that we can achieve what may seem like the impossible.

What qualities do you think every entrepreneur should possess?

Shaneisha: Every entrepreneur should be resilient, flexible, and optimistic.

Learn more about Brilliant Girl by visiting:

Website: https://brilliant-girls.myshopify.com/

Instagram: @the_brilliantgirl