Draft:Dennis Maina

Dennis Maina
Dennis Maina
	Dennis Maina - Founder and Managing Partner of Suss Ads Dennis Maina
Born	Nairobi, Kenya (1993)
Nationality	Kenyan
Education	University of Nairobi
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, Marketer, Techie, and Managing Partner at Suss Ads, which specializes in Data-Driven Marketing, AI, Programmatic Advertising, MarTech, and Digital Payment Solutions Integration - www.suss.co.ke
Known for	Founder and Managing Partner of Suss Ads

Submission declined on 1 May 2025 by Cactusisme (talk).

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Declined by Cactusisme 26 hours ago. Last edited by Cactusisme 26 hours ago. Reviewer: Inform author.

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Dennis Maina is a Kenyan entrepreneur and digital marketing expert, best known as the founder and Managing Partner of Suss Ads (also known as Suss Digital), a digital advertising and marketing technology company established in 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya. Under his leadership, Suss Ads has expanded to Dubai and Tanzania and received multiple accolades, including “Agency of the Year” at the Marketing Society of Kenya Awards.

Background

Dennis Maina was born and raised in the Mukuru kwa Reuben slum in Nairobi, Kenya, and he credits his mother for instilling in him a strong business and work ethic.

He attended the University of Nairobi, where he graduated with a degree in political science. During his university years, he developed a deep interest in digital technology and marketing.

Career

Early career

Maina began his career as a research executive at TIFA Research, where he worked directly under the CEO - Maggie Ireri. He later held roles in digital media at firms like 'SportPesa',' GroupM (WPP-Scangroup)', and 'Betsafe (Betsson Group)'. He grew the company’s market share and increased user acquisition through data-driven marketing strategies.

He has a proven track record of developing and executing personalized, multi-channel campaigns that drive acquisition, activity, and retention for various clients, including telecommunications companies (Telcos), fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs), Financial Services, Breweries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and Gaming Companies.

Founding Suss Ads

In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Maina founded Suss Ads. Originally started as a side project, Suss Ads grew into a full-service digital marketing and technology agency serving clients across Africa and globally. Maina currently serves as its Managing Partner.

Suss Ads developed its own proprietary programmatic advertising platform, enabling real-time bidding, audience targeting, and cross-channel ad delivery. The platform supports media buying across digital, TV, and radio in over 60 markets.

Notable projects

Under Maina’s leadership, Suss Ads has executed several innovative campaigns:

Click-to-Deposit ads for fintech and betting brands
Augmented reality (AR) ad experiences
Suss NextGen Program, a youth mentorship initiative training young professionals in digital marketing
Strategic partnership with Nigerian AdTech company Transmit to bring programmatic advertising to traditional media

Awards and recognition

Named one of the Top 25 Men in Digital (2023) by the SOMA Awards.
Fourty under 40, under the Media (Digital and Social) (2024) by Forty Under 40 Awards.
Suss Ads won:
- Best Agency of the Year – Marketing Society of Kenya Awards (2023)
- Best Media Innovation of the Year – MSK Awards (2023 and 2024)
- Finalist – Best B2B Marketing Strategy
- Best Interstitial Ads Digital Platform Award 2025 – African Excellence Awards

Media coverage

Maina’s story has been featured in media outlets such as:

Daily Nation – "Digital breakthroughs: How firm is reshaping marketing"
The Standard – "From Mukuru slums to global success"
Capital FM – "Inside Dennis Maina’s quest to drive innovation"
Tuko.co.ke – "Kenyan Man Converts His Hobby Into Business"

Personal philosophy

Maina is known for his belief in data-driven creativity and his leadership mantra: "Leadership isn’t just about steering today, it’s about shaping tomorrow."

References

Publications

"Inside Dennis Maina's quest to drive innovation in digital marketing". Capital FM Kenya. June 15, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Digital breakthroughs: How firm is reshaping marketing". Daily Nation. March 11, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"From Mukuru slums to global success: How Dennis Maina built digital marketing firm". The Statesman Digital. February 2025. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Dennis Maina profile snippet (TIFA opinion poll project, 2016)". LinkedIn. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Kenyan Man Converts His Hobby Into Business". Tuko.co.ke. December 20, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Men in Digital 2023 Honorees". SoMA Awards. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Dennis Maina career background". Tuko.co.ke. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Company founding in 2021 during pandemic". Tuko.co.ke. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Suss Ads and SOMA/awards in 2023". Tuko.co.ke. 25 January 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Suss Ads programmatic platform description". MSK Awards Magazine. 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Suss Ads enters deal to offer tech innovation". The Star (Kenya). February 13, 2025. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Maina's innovative campaign approaches". Capital FM Kenya. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Suss NextGen mentorship program description". The Statesman Digital. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Suss Ads partnership with Transmit". The Star (Kenya). Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Maina on developing a programmatic platform". Tuko.co.ke. 26 January 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Maina on data and analytics at core of campaigns". Tuko.co.ke. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Maina quote on embracing change and momentum". Capital FM Kenya. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Colleague Brenda Wachira praising Maina's leadership". Capital FM Kenya. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Awards: MSK Best Agency & Media Innovation 2023". Suss.co.ke. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Maina named in SOMA Top 25 and Suss wins five awards". Tuko.co.ke. 19 December 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Suss Digital Africa award winnings and quote". MSK Awards Magazine. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

"Maina's story as inspiration overcoming adversity". The Statesman Digital. Retrieved April 19, 2025.