Meet Kimathi “KO” Olenja: Entertainment Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kimathi “KO” Olenja and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kimathi “KO”, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
The one thing about my industry that outsiders are probably unaware of is that it’s a lot of hard work! Because my job is in the Entertainment Industry, it can look like all fun and games at times. The reality is that my staff and I put in hours of preparation and work very hard to make sure things go as planned. Don’t get me wrong, we love what we do and we do it passionately, but it takes a lot of discipline and focus to be successful at it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At Cold Turkey Management we specialize in planning, producing and managing events throughout the entertainment industry. What sets us apart is our experience inside and outside of entertainment. I spent a lot of time managing teams in a corporate setting, and it taught me a level discipline and structure that is not always seen in the Entertainment Industry. The skills we’ve learned allows us to add of lot of value to our processes.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

As a curator, this question is right up my alley. Atlanta has so much to offer, there’s literally something for everyone. First thing I would recommend are great vegan food spots in the Historical Westend of Atlanta like Slutty Vegan, Wadada, and Tassili’s Raw Reality. When it comes to lounges I pretty much follow my favorite  DJ, Shawny Taught U (@shawnytaughtu). Where ever she’s spinning, it’s guaranteed to be the perfect vibe! As an art lover I recommend visiting my good friend and artist Navin June Norling (@Navinjunenorlingart) at Gallery Ocho. For a great local craft beer and great food, see Clarence Boston at The Hippin Hops Brewery & Oyster Bar to try the Liar Liar Oyster Stout! Last but not least, make sure to stop by and see Terry Skywalker at Atlanta’s #1 Sunday night hang out Bonfire ATL. It’s a weekly festival with great food and great performances from local artist.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to my mother Dorothy Holmes-Olenja who juggled school, work, parenting and entrepreneurship. As a teacher dedicated decades of her life to educating and uplifting her community while being a great mom to myself and my 7 siblings. She’s the published author of an educational Children’s Great Grandma Gladys and Her Great Grandsons. She also provided children in her hometown of Beaufort, SC an elite education by founding her very own school, Extended Hands Academy. Because of her, I know that anything is possible through hard work and dedication.

Website: www.coldturkeymanagement.com
Instagram: Instagram.com/coldturkey
Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/kimathi-“ko”-olenja-b482a344
Twitter: Twitter.com/coldturkeyko
Facebook: Facebook.com/coldturkeystudiosatl
Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/cold-turkey-management-atlanta?osq=Cold+Turkey+management
Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCX7311jpc7AtEvPxHELCr_g
Other: Clubhouse @coldturkey