David Karanja

David Karanja is this Kenyan-American powerhouse shaking up the film and TV scene, especially when it comes to African stories. He’s running the show at Netflix as Head of Licensed Originals and Licensing for Africa, so basically, if you’re binging something fresh out of Kenya, Nigeria, or South Africa, he probably had a hand in it. We’re talking major hits like "Country Queen" (Kenya’s first original series), "Disconnect: The Wedding Planner," and South Africa’s first Afrikaans original, "Ludik." The guy’s got an eye for game-changers – "Queenstown Kings," "Black Book," "Lobola Man," "Shanty Town," "Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre"… the list keeps growing. He’s not just snapping up projects for the sake of it, either. David’s all about strategy—acquisition, licensing, creative development, the whole nine yards. He’s built tight connections with local creators and partnered up with distribution companies to make sure Netflix keeps serving up stories that actually matter to Africans (and, honestly, to the rest of us too). Before this, he was deep in the nonfiction trenches at Netflix, shaping stuff like "Formula 1: Drive to Survive," "Motel Makeover," "Myth & Mogul: John DeLorean," and "Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan," plus he pushed for licensing gems like "Love on the Spectrum." He’s got brains to match the hustle: a BA in Film and TV Development and a Business Administration degree from Ohio State. Bottom line, David Karanja’s not just following trends—he’s setting them, rewriting the playbook for what African content can be on the global stage.