Leland Dieno is a Canadian digital marketing leader and entrepreneur with 20 years of digital marketing experience, known for running a boutique consulting firm, building brands, and advocating for fatherhood. This guide covers his background, career milestones, current ventures, and the community work that sets him apart from most people in the marketing space.
Key Takeaways
Leland Dieno is a Canadian digital marketing strategist, web developer, entrepreneur, and father based in British Columbia. He is the founder of both Dieno Digital and No Deadbeat Society, and he has spent more than two decades working across web development, digital strategy, AI consulting, and fatherhood advocacy.
- Leland Dieno has 20 years of digital marketing experience spanning corporate retailers, universities, marketing agencies, and his own consulting firm, Dieno Digital.
- Dieno Digital is Leland’s startup and consulting firm, serving over 500 North American companies with web development, SEO, AI search visibility, online advertising, and marketing technology consulting.
- He founded No Deadbeat Society, a fatherhood community with over 32,000 followers, and published a children’s book titled “I’ll Never Leave” for single fathers.
- His early career started around 1999 when he co-founded one of Canada’s first student-led web hosting companies. He later held leadership roles at major Canadian retailers, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and a large Western Canadian digital marketing agency.
- Readers can explore his current work and services through Dieno Digital or connect with his fatherhood brand, No Deadbeat Society.
Who Is Leland Dieno? (Background, Values and Public Presence)
Leland Dieno is a Canadian digital marketing strategist, web developer, entrepreneur, and father based in British Columbia. He is known for combining data-driven marketing with authentic storytelling, and he has been active in digital marketing and web development since the late 1990s. His work spans corporate organizations, higher education, agency leadership, and entrepreneurial ventures, and he has a notable presence in community projects and fatherhood advocacy.
His tagline about fatherhood captures his personal philosophy: “Fatherhood didn’t make me who I am; fatherhood showed me who I am.” That sentiment, drawn from his author profile at The Good Men Project, is not just a line. It reflects how he thinks about identity, purpose, and the intersection of personal life and professional work. He identifies publicly as both a “Digital Marketing Geek” and the founder of No Deadbeat Society.
Leland has been building websites and working in digital marketing since around 1999, when he launched one of Canada’s first student-led web hosting companies alongside peers in secondary school. That early start in Canada gave him a technical foundation that most marketers his age did not have at that time.
He is also known for candid commentary on business operations. One well-known example is his public critique of Ingram Micro’s holiday customer service, which he documented and shared openly. That willingness to call out poor customer experience, rather than play it safe, has shaped his reputation as someone who values accountability in business relationships.
Leland Dieno has been featured or referenced across several media platforms:
- CTV News
- CBC News Network
- Business Insider
- The Good Men Project
- VOGUE
- Brand24
- Design Rush
He was also recognized by media as an “Unsung Hero” for his community work, reflecting the range of his public presence beyond marketing alone.
His philosophy on websites is practical: they are the center of a company’s digital ecosystem. A site that looks good but does not generate leads, integrate with CRM tools, or rank in search engines is incomplete. He often makes this point in his writing and consulting, and it defines the way Dieno Digital operates day to day.
Career Journey and Digital Marketing Experience
Leland Dieno’s career spans 20 years across web development, digital strategy, and agency leadership. He has experience in both corporate organizations and entrepreneurial ventures, and his work has taken him through Canadian retailers, universities, and marketing firms.
Early career and web hosting (1999)
Leland started his career in the late 1990s. As a secondary school student in British Columbia, he co-founded one of Canada’s first student-led web hosting companies around 1999. That venture involved building websites, managing servers, handling domain registration, and learning the technical infrastructure of the early web. Most people his age were not running hosting companies at that time.
Corporate retail and digital strategy
Leland started his career in digital strategy for a major Canadian grocery retailer, where he focused on data-driven campaigns and shopper marketing. He worked in roles that combined technical, operational, and marketing responsibilities, giving him a ground-level understanding of how digital work connects to real business outcomes.
Higher education at KPU
Leland led the digital marketing team at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where he oversaw web development, brand development, and marketing operations. KPU’s TALK Course brochure lists him as a guest presenter, and he leads workshops for marketing and business students. His role at KPU gave him the chance to apply digital strategy in a public-sector context, working with institutional constraints and academic audiences.
Agency leadership
Leland built one of Western Canada’s largest digital marketing agencies, serving as Vice President at a firm based in Langley, BC. In that role, he oversaw cross-functional teams handling web development, video production, sales, and digital services. In a published interview on Socialistics, he described his approach to agency work: affordable, process-driven websites that deliver measurable results rather than expensive builds with unclear ROI. One example he shared: using his team’s SEO processes, they moved a spa from page 37 for its target keyword to page one in roughly 37 days.
Key career milestones:
| Time Period | Role / Milestone |
| ~1999 | Co-founded student-led web hosting company in Canada |
| Early 2000s | Digital strategy and shopper marketing for major Canadian grocery retailer |
| Mid-career | Director-level marketing and digital strategy at Kwantlen Polytechnic University |
| Agency years | VP at a large Western Canadian digital marketing agency |
| ~2005 to present | Founded and operates Dieno Digital |
Across these roles, Leland has collaborated with or supported more than 500 North American companies through digital advertising, SEO, and web development, and over 200 Canadian companies trust Dieno Digital with hosting and managing their websites.
Dieno Digital, Other Ventures and Community Work
Dieno Digital
Dieno Digital is Leland’s startup and consulting firm, originally founded around 2005. It operates as a boutique marketing technology consulting practice headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia. The firm positions itself as a “marketing technology partner,” and its core work involves transforming functional websites and digital ecosystems into measurable growth tools.
Dieno Digital’s services include:
- Digital marketing strategy
- Website design and development (WordPress, Shopify, BigCommerce, custom PHP/HTML)
- SEO and AI search visibility (Generative Engine Optimization and Answer Engine Optimization)
- Marketing technology consulting and CRM integration
- Online advertising (Google Ads, Bing Ads, programmatic, social)
- WordPress hosting, security updates, backups, and maintenance
- AI consulting and custom app development
The firm supports organizations with digital strategy execution across a wide range of industries. Clients include small businesses, nonprofits, and larger enterprises. Over 500 North American companies have worked with Dieno Digital for web development, SEO, and digital advertising. Over 200 Canadian companies rely on the firm for hosting and website management.
One area where Dieno Digital stands out is its focus on modern SEO combined with Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). This means helping businesses show up not only in Google Search and Google Maps, but also inside AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Bing Copilot. The firm manages technical SEO, content creation, directory accuracy, review management, and AI surfacing optimization as part of a monthly program. If you are evaluating your own web design company’s position, Dieno Digital also offers a free calculator to help estimate what your web design company is worth.
Dieno Digital also provides AI consulting: building practical AI-powered tools, workflows, and apps that clients fully own. There is no vendor lock-in. This work targets web and creative agencies, business owners looking to automate operations, and companies that need custom internal tools. The firm uses AI-assisted development to deliver projects in weeks rather than months, passing cost savings on to clients.
With 16 years of WordPress-specific experience, the team has built portfolio sites, business websites, user portals, and e-commerce stores. They have fixed broken sites, patched vulnerabilities, and managed existing installations.
No Deadbeat Society and Fatherhood Advocacy
Leland Dieno founded No Deadbeat Society, a community and brand for fathers that has grown to over 32,000 followers. The brand challenges stereotypes about fatherhood and creates a space where fathers can connect over shared experiences.
As part of this work, Leland published a children’s book titled “I’ll Never Leave” in September 2017. The 28-page paperback is designed for single fathers as an emotional and educational tool, expressing love and presence for children even when a father cannot be physically present every day. His belief is that adversity can create heroes, and that message runs through everything he does with No Deadbeat Society.
Books and Educational Content
Beyond his fatherhood book, Leland authored educational ebooks on small business social media strategy, including “Socialize Your Small Business: Internet Marketing For Small Business” (2013) and “Face The Book With Your Small Business.” These reflect his ongoing commitment to helping small businesses navigate digital marketing without the need for expensive consultants or confusing jargon.
Other Ventures and Brands
Leland is also involved in the Canadian hip-hop scene and founded Northern Proof, adding a creative dimension to his work as an entreprenuer. The Dieno Digital website lists several associated ventures and brands:
- OTTO Studio
- Dieno Digital Drone Services
- Dieno Digital Events Management
- Convert to Divi
- UIYB Records
- Vancouver Island Dirt Squad
- Dieno Educare Foundation
- Good Morning Leland
- Invoiced By Me
Not all of these brands have extensive public documentation, and the exact scope of each operation varies. What they show is a hustler mentality and a willingness to experiment across industries, from education to entertainment to technical services.
Mentorship and Community Support
Leland frequently mentors entrepreneurs and small business owners, offering consulting and advisory support on marketing, technology, and digital growth. Testimonials on the Dieno Digital website reflect this. One client, Pamela LG, described three years of mentorship from Leland as “an immense blessing” that led to “significant growth and progress.” Another client highlighted his willingness to take on unconventional backend projects tailored to their specific business needs.
His email responsiveness and hands-on approach are recurring themes in client feedback. Multiple testimonials reference quick response time and a deep understanding of both business and technology.
FAQ
This section answers common questions people search about Leland Dieno, his background, and his work.
Where is Leland Dieno based?
Leland Dieno is based in British Columbia, Canada. Dieno Digital’s headquarters are in Burnaby, which is part of the Metro Vancouver area. Earlier in his career, he worked in and around Langley and the broader Vancouver region. Much of his work and many of his brands originate from this part of Western Canada.
What does Leland Dieno do today?
He currently runs Dieno Digital as a marketing technology consulting and digital strategy firm. His day-to-day work covers web design and development, SEO and AI search visibility programs, marketing technology consulting, CRM integration, online advertising strategy and execution, and AI consulting for agencies and businesses. He also remains active with No Deadbeat Society and continues to mentor entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Is Leland Dieno still involved with No Deadbeat Society?
Yes. Leland Dieno is the founder of No Deadbeat Society, which has over 32,000 followers. He remains associated with the project through its websites and social channels, and he continues promoting his children’s book for single fathers, “I’ll Never Leave.” The brand reflects his belief that fatherhood is a sign of strength, not a burden.
How can someone work with or contact Leland Dieno?
The primary way to connect with Leland professionally is through the Dieno Digital website. Use the “Let’s Talk” contact form to inquire about digital strategy, web projects, SEO and AI search visibility, or AI consulting engagements. You can also sign up to receive updates or send an email through the account provided on the site.
Has Leland Dieno been featured in media?
Leland and his work have been featured or mentioned on platforms including CTV News, CBC News Network, Business Insider, The Good Men Project, VOGUE, Brand24, and Design Rush. He was also recognized by media as an “Unsung Hero” for his community work, and he has contributed essays on fatherhood and masculinity to The Good Men Project. These features reflect his visibility in both marketing and fatherhood-related conversations across Canada and beyond.