DENA KAPLAN

Co-Founder & President, The Joy Factory

Dena is an Emmy-winning creative force with a passion for building bold, audience-loving content. As Co-Founder of The Joy Factory, she leads development and strategy across original TV formats, lifestyle storytelling, and branded entertainment.

Before launching The Joy Factory, Dena served as Chief Marketing Officer for major media and entertainment brands—leading campaigns that blended big ideas with even bigger results. Her work spans NFL Network, Sony Pictures Television, Discovery, and Mark Cuban Companies, with a specialty in comedy, music, sports, and culture-forward storytelling.

She’s racked up Emmys, Clios, Cannes Lions—and was named a “Wonder Woman of Cable” and Hollywood Reporter’s,“Woman to Watch.”

Philly-born, story-obsessed, and currently writing her first novel, Dena lives at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and what’s next.