Denise was born in Iran to political activist parents who fought against Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime during the Islamic revolution. Facing execution, the family escaped to Germany when she was an infant. Raised in a housing project, Denise developed an interest in storytelling early on as it served as an escape from the bleak reality of immigrant life. After dropping out of pre-med, she moved to Los Angeles and enrolled in UCLA’s TV Writers’ Program, where she placed first in their annual competition and gained representation.

She most recently served as Producer on the CW’s BATWOMAN, which made TV history for having the first LGBTQ superhero. Previously, she was Co-Producer on Netflix’s MANHUNT: DEADLY GAMES and worked on Amazon’s critically acclaimed Sci-Fi series THE EXPANSE.

She is currently developing a spy drama called NUKE for 20th TV which is about the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists and CALL OF THE CROW; a crime drama set inside a refugee camp for Aaron Kaplan at Kapital Entertainment. She also developed a female driven adaptation of the film WOLF with Hank Steinberg and Erwin Stoff.

She was previously staffed on NBC’s military action series THE BRAVE, Ava Duvernay’s Southern family drama QUEEN SUGAR and the final season of FRANKLIN & BASH for TNT.

On the film side, she was hired by SONY PICTURES to write the reboot of the cult classic film THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN. Additionally, she has worked extensively as a writer and story consultant on video games including MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR, RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER and CALL OF DUTY: INFINITE WARFARE.

Denise gravitates towards stories about outsiders who take on the system and, subsequently, find their true purpose in life.

She’s fluent in German, Farsi and English.