Dontae Mears has spent the past decade developing consumer-led, brand building strategies with a critical focus on leveraging the power of influencer marketing and brand partnerships through social, digital media and physical touchpoints.

Dontae recently joined as the Global Head of Influencer Marketing at Depop, a marketplace home to 30 million+ stylists, designers, collectors, vintage sellers, and more. He’s responsible for setting the department strategy, delivering on growth and ROI goals, establishing relationships with celebrity & macro talent, and scaling the affiliate & micro-influencer efforts.

Prior to Depop, he led teams at PepsiCo, VaynerMedia and Tagger, in addition to strategic consulting work for emerging DTC brands and digital publications. He brings to the table a 360º philosophy of brand & channel activity, culturally relevant influencer and talent considerations, partnership negotiation strategies, and an integrated marketing tech stack to measure and maximize impact.

Based in Brooklyn, NY, Dontae was born and raised in upstate New York. He attended the University of Rochester where he studied International Relations & French. Outside of work, Dontae spends his time cooking for friends and family, and taking care of his 9 year old dog, Tilda.