Santana Maynard is an award-winning actor, voice actor, host, producer, and creative entertainment professional whose career spans animation, film, television, video games, live entertainment, and digital media. Beginning her career at just nine years old, she has built a multifaceted body of work that bridges on-camera performance, voice acting, original content development, and large-scale entertainment production.
With more than a decade of experience in the entertainment industry, Santana has collaborated with major entertainment brands, creative studios, and industry professionals, including DreamWorks Animation, Mattel, Bang Zoom! Studios, and FAN EXPO. Her work combines creative storytelling, talent collaboration, and innovative audience experiences, bringing entertainment concepts from initial vision to execution.
As a producer and creative strategist, Santana previously served as a Content Producer for FAN EXPO, one of North America's leading pop culture convention organizations. In this role, she developed celebrity programming, interactive experiences, original entertainment concepts, and large-scale fan activations across major convention markets.
Among her notable initiatives, Santana founded Voices of FAN EXPO, an original voice-acting competition designed to discover and showcase emerging talent. After its initial development, she spearheaded the initiative's expansion into a standardized program approved for rollout across FAN EXPO's 18 events, establishing a scalable framework for talent discovery, industry participation, and audience engagement.
As a performer, Santana has worked across animation, video games, television, and digital entertainment. She voices Yui and additional characters in Mao, an animated series associated with VIZ Media and Bang Zoom! Studios, streaming on Hulu and Disney+, and has contributed voice performances to The Annoying Orange and various video game productions. Her television credits also include TLC's World's Smallest Woman: Meet Jyoti and a 2023 comedy prank production featuring Johnny Knoxville, Eric André, and Gabourey Sidibe.
Santana's career also extends to live hosting, celebrity interviews, and audience engagement. She has hosted programming at major entertainment conventions and gaming events, including San Diego Comic-Con, Steel City Con, and DreamHack, connecting with audiences of thousands through live presentations, celebrity appearances, and interactive experiences. Her comedy content and celebrity collaborations have collectively generated millions of online views.
Her diverse entertainment background has also included an appearance on Dr. Phil, a feature in the official Rick and Morty comic, and recognition in Jetset Magazine. Throughout her career, she has cultivated professional relationships across animation, voiceover, gaming, television, and live entertainment.
Dedicated to continually refining her craft, Santana has studied acting and voice performance under respected industry professionals including Debi Derryberry, Sara Sherman, Robin Armstrong, Dianne Sherrill, and Helen Freeman. Her performance experience encompasses animation, commercial voiceover, interactive media, comedy, improvisation, and live-action productions.
Beyond entertainment, Santana has an exceptional academic background. She began attending Marshall University at just 13 years old and graduated at 19, earning recognition as the university's youngest graduate. Her academic studies encompass Criminal Justice, Japanese, Education, and Integrated Science and Biotechnology.
Today, Santana continues to pursue opportunities at the intersection of creative development, entertainment production, talent collaboration, and original storytelling. Whether bringing characters to life behind the microphone, developing new entertainment concepts, or producing experiences for audiences around the world, her work is driven by a passion for creativity, innovation, and connecting people through entertainment.