Houston Duo Behind Entertainment Connect Talk Growth at Render ATL 2026

Entertainment Connect co-founders Joshua T. Dada and De'ausha Tillis shared the story of their live-events company during a sit-down at Render ATL 2026, held recently in Atlanta. Dada, a first-generation Nigerian American raised in Houston, said his entrepreneurial roots trace back to childhood hustles — selling candy, burning mixtapes, cleaning churches with his brother, and later cutting hair and running a small recording studio in college at Prairie View A&M University, an HBCU. A pivotal stretch came when he worked as Community Programming Manager for the Houston Symphony, an experience that broadened his view of what a career in the arts could look like beyond chasing record deals. That background led him to launch Entertainment Connect, a company now marking its ninth year producing concerts and corporate events. Early clients included Houston artists such as Bun B, Paul Wall, Z-Ro and Tobe Nwigwe, with word of mouth driving most of the business's growth. Tillis joined as Chief Operating Officer after meeting Dada through a mutual friend in October 2023; by mid-2024 the two were working together full time. Both describe their partnership as guided by faith and shared purpose, and say they're aiming to expand Entertainment Connect's reach well beyond Houston.