About DOMETI PONGO.

Dometi Pongo [dō-meh-TEE] is a media veteran and compelling storyteller, best known for his work across multiple brands at Paramount, notably as the face of MTV. Music enthusiasts across various genres commend his engaging yet incisive interview style, showcased in his viral red carpet segments with top-charting artists and in-depth conversations on the network’s digital platforms (including conversations musicians like Tyla, Phoebe Bridgers, 5SOS, Julia Michaels, Hitboy, and Charlie Puth).

Pongo's sincere approach to storytelling takes center stage in MTV's acclaimed docuseries, "True Life Crime." Additionally, he spearheads “The Exhibit,” a compelling series where seven artists compete for a $100,000 prize and the prestigious opportunity to showcase their work at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

The influence of Dometi’s efforts extends as widely as his passions. In addition to hosting Paramount’s flagship activations (e.g. Video Music Awards, Grammys, Top Gun World Premiere, and MTV Movie & TV Awards), the Chicago-born journalist led numerous Smithsonian Channel programs delving into subjects ranging from hip-hop’s cultural footprint to an American history retrospective alongside Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch III.

He has hosted, produced and contributed to multiple Paramount franchises including MTV News’ former flagship program, “Need to Know,” which provided award-winning analysis of trending news stories. For BET’s “America In Black,” Dometi walked viewers through the global rise of Afrobeats music and its impact in galvanizing the African diaspora. And for VH1’s “Lineage to Legacy,” Dometi guided the cast of Love and HipHop through an exploration of their ancestral lineage culminating in tattoos by the Black Ink Crew in a one-of-a-kind, two-part special.

His cultural commentary has been heard on CNN’s Flash Docs, Entertainment Tonight/ ET Live, and Sirius XM’s Karen Hunter Show to name a few.

In addition to his work in digital journalism, he is a speaker, a multimedia consultant and Co-Vice Chair of YR Media’s Board of Directors where he also serves as an esteemed member of its Midwest Advisory Council. 

Dometi lives by the personal mantra, “Bring everything you are to everything you do.” True to form, the first-generation Ghanaian-American hosts annual group tours of Ghana affording American travelers from the African diaspora an opportunity to explore their ancestral lineage in a program led by Pongo Strategy Group and Sankofa Ventures.