Meet Dana Arnett | Chief Executive Officer, Wicked Bionic

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dana Arnett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dana, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
I’m very proud of the type of work we get to do at Wicked Bionic and the opportunities we have to change lives for the better. Our purpose is rooted in helping people access resources, services, and opportunities that can improve their lives. We partner with government agencies, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations to make sure information reaches communities in ways that feel human, approachable, and authentic. Whether it’s connecting veterans to mental health resources, ensuring families know about free citizenship services from the Los Angeles Public Library, or creating awareness around housing and healthcare programs, our work is about building trust and making sure no one is left out of the conversation.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m most proud that Wicked Bionic has become known for taking on complex, large-scale initiatives and making them clear, approachable, and effective. Through the years, we’ve designed awareness and engagement media campaigns that reach across entire states, developed multilingual and multicultural campaigns that ensure no community is overlooked, and built creative that resonates with people who often feel unseen by traditional advertising.

We’ve grown through persistence, collaboration, and a commitment to excellence. Each challenge has pushed us to become sharper, more strategic, and more innovative. Along the way, we’ve built amazing partnerships with other diverse businesses, which makes contract work not only successful but truly fun and fulfilling. Today, we have the privilege of partnering with organizations that trust us to carry their mission forward and deliver results that matter.

The lesson I’ve learned is the need for a focused mindset—one that can see the vision for our agency, relate that vision to our team, and not be deterred when challenges arise, because they’re there to be overcome. And that’s what we bring to every partnership—we’re here to help you turn your goals into impact and your messages into action.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When friends visit, I love showing them the Los Angeles I grew up in. We’d spend time on Abbott Kinney in Venice—shopping, eating, and soaking up the great energy—then head downtown to the Arts District for unforgettable food and galleries. One day would be reserved for the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, where you can wander through rose gardens, japanese gardens, discover quiet corners, and step into fine art museums all in one place. And no visit is complete without going to Westward Beach in Malibu—sand between your toes and fresh ocean air.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My life and career have been blessed by so many people over the last five decades who invested in me, inspired me, and gave me opportunities to grow. Since my first job as a receptionist on the TV show Barney Miller, in my early career I’ve been fortunate to have people take me under their wing because they saw something in me worth cultivating. I was eager to learn, contribute, and take on anything that would support the production. Early in my television career, Morgan Bell was the first to recognize my potential and took the time to promote and teach me—through her guidance, I discovered post production and my career began. I’ve had the privilege of working for wonderful bosses who led with both humanity and humility—most memorably Oscar-winning documentarian Arnold Shapiro, who modeled kindness, humor, and fairness in the workplace. When I wrapped up that magical career in 2013, I had delivered more than 6,000 television shows to audiences around the world. Looking back, it feels incredible to know that, together with post-production supervisors, editors, assistants, coordinators, mixers, and video magicians, we made that possible. It was a wonderful career.

In 2015, after 35 years in the entertainment industry, I launched Wicked Bionic in my hometown of Los Angeles. I had never owned a business and suddenly found myself learning to fly the plane while building it. I needed resources and people to lean on—and I was fortunate to find both. What carried me forward wasn’t just knowledge, but the generosity of programs and people who opened doors. Opportunities like the Los Angeles Small Business Academy and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses gave me an early foundation to grow. I took certification courses at Cornell University’s Diversity and Inclusion program, and I had the chance to sit in executive MBA classrooms at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth with other diverse-owned business owners, working through advanced areas of finance, marketing, strategy, leadership, and data. These educational experiences changed not only how I run a business, but how I see myself as a leader.

I’ve always believed you don’t climb alone—you bring others with you. The generosity poured into me over the years drives how I show up: I listen when someone needs it, I share resources, I mentor young business owners, I’ve chaired a women-owned business organization, and I pass along hard-won lessons that can help someone take their next step. How inexpensive it is to give a word of encouragement—something that can bring someone confidence for a moment, a day, or even a decade.

Website: https://wickedbionic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wickedbionic

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dcarnett/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wicked-bionic-los-angeles-4?osq=wicked+bionic

Image Credits
All images taken or created by Wicked Bionic